The Saturday before Thanksgiving, over 1,000 runners lined up in Boonsboro, Maryland, for the 63rd JFK 50 Mile. Originally a presidential military fitness challenge, JFK is now the most competitive 50-miler on American soil and an annual East Coast staple.
At the front, Hans Troyer built a lead over David Sinclair on the towpath section of the course and never looked back, winning in the second-fastest time in race history. On the women’s side, Jade Belzberg became the first Canadian to win, outlasting Shea Aquilano and Hannah Allgood who placed second and third, respectively.
JFK is the last remnant of a nationwide movement of 50-mile hikes started by the race’s namesake president. The rules were simple: 50 miles in 20 hours, since that “was the time that Teddy Roosevelt had required of his military officers,” said race director Mike Spinnler.
JFK’s original race director, William “Buzz” Sawyer, headed the race for 30 years and oversaw its evolution from a hike into a hyper-competitive event as he encouraged the athletes he coached to run the course. Spinnler, who took the helm from Sawyer, grew up along with the race, initially completing it in his teens before winning in 1983 and 1984.
“My brother introduced me to it,” Spinnler said. “He was the one that came in and told my father, ‘I’m going to win this 50-mile race…’ He lit the fire in me and then I was able to get a win for the family.”
When Spinnler took the helm from Sawyer, whom he credits for the race’s growth and success, JFK was at an inflection point. The race had over 1,700 starters in 1973, but fewer than 400 in 1993. Spinnler invested a large amount of his own money, in addition to time and creativity, to marketing.
“One time we were at the Baltimore marathon…and we must have put 2,000 flyers on these cars,” Spinnler said. “The security guy [then] said, ‘What are you doing?… Go pick your flyers back up.’”
Spooked but not defeated, “When the guys weren’t looking, we ran, and we peeled out of town.”
After heavy recruiting, spreading the word and printing enough flyers to take down a small forest, the race rebounded. Spinnler also brought one other key change to the race: aid stations, evening out the field for locals and outsiders. Prior to 1993, runners were allowed one “handler” — a crew member — to provide aid.
“In 1983, I had this really fantastic duel with the late great Jim Pellon from California,” Spinnler said. “We beat each other into the ground. I can’t help but think that I won that day because I had a better handler than him.”
Spinnler didn’t just have to win over new athletes, recounting that his children initially hated the race and the “bedlam” surrounding it. However, after running JFK themselves, they realized its magic, and Spinnler recalls them imploring, “’Dad, you cannot get rid of this race.’”
Spinnler’s aggression and new tactics worked as the race grew, eventually passing its 50th edition in 2012 when members of the Roosevelt and Kennedy families attended.
Fast forward 10 years, and with the likes of Jim Walmsley, David Sinclair and Rachel Drake all having played a part in lowering the course record to previously unimaginable times — 5:08 by Sinclair for the men and just below 6 hours by Drake for the women — JFK sits firmly in the speed revolution taking over ultrarunning today.
This year, Sinclair led alongside Hans Troyer during the first 16-mile Appalachian Trail section. As they exited the trail, Sinclair maintained a lead of just a few seconds when Troyer made a gamble, not changing his shoes as the surface changed from trail to gravel.
The few seconds Sinclair needed to change gave Troyer the perfect opportunity to seize the lead, which he did by bursting onto the towpath and running approximately 5:30 minutes per mile.
Sinclair was not far behind, but Troyer showed no signs of slowing. As he entered the final 8 miles on the road, Troyer maintained a 7-minute lead and would push all the way to a win in 5:10.
Sinclair, who never fully seemed comfortable, “fought his guts out for second place” per Spinnler, narrowly holding off Stephen Kersh by just 25 seconds in 5:18:06.
The women’s race was far more dramatic. Predicted to be a battle between Allgood, Aquilano and Belzberg, the race delivered. Aquilano, comfortable on the technical Appalachian Trail, led entering the towpath, but Belzberg quickly caught up, with Allgood never far behind.
“We eventually were battling along the towpath where we were always within 10 yards of each other,” Aquilano said.
Belzberg made her move just before heading to the road, stretching a 12-second lead to a 90-second win in the final 9 miles. Aquilano finished in 6:09, with Allgood not far behind in 6:15.
Notably, for the first time, the top 10 women finished under 7 hours, a mark of pride for Spinnler, who recalled the men reaching that time in 1977, and the athletes.
“It’s inspiring to race athletes who push the standard higher,” Aquilano said. “I feel lucky to share miles with women like that.”
Lest the race be overshadowed by the few professionals at the front of the race, drama abounded throughout the pack. Greg Seidl finished his 39th JFK, approaching the famed 2,000-mile club, of which only Duane Rosenberg and Kim Byron are members. Seidl’s last three finishes have been fewer than 10 minutes under the final cutoff, and Spinnler praises the quiet warriors like Seidl that keep the race going.
Seidl is emblematic of the ethos that Sawyer and now Spinnler share for the race, and a driver of what Spinnler hopes is JFK’s enduring legacy.
“Buzz’s thing was he wanted something on people’s calendars to help them keep the Kennedy ideal, to try to keep yourself in shape, not just when you’re young, but to keep in shape your whole life,” Spinnler said.
Full results here.