Ultra Weekend Recap — February 5

February’s first Ultra Weekend Recap is headlined by a slew of American Record (AR) attempts in California’s capital with one success, a 100-miler and 100k in Texas as well as a handful of other events around the country.

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Sacramento, California, played host to the 45th Jed Smith 50k/50-mile races on Saturday and about a half-dozen AR age-group attempts. Billy Mertens, 56, from Superior, Colorado, finished in third place in the 50k, but more importantly, he set a new 55-59 age-group record by running 3 hours, 20 minutes and 36 seconds. The winner of the race, Peter Bromka of Portland, Oregon, almost set a new 40-45 record by running a smoking fast 2 hours, 58 minutes and 14 seconds. Second place went to Daniel Button out of Eagle, Idaho, in 3 hours, 6 minutes and 37 seconds.

Jennifer Schmidt from nearby Davis, California, won the women’s title and finished in fourth overall in 3 hours, 25 minutes and 2 seconds. Thia Angelo of Alameda, California, was the runner-up in 3 hours, 49 minutes and 26 seconds, and Sherry Lee from Cupertino, California, rounded out the podium in 3 hours, 57 minutes and 51 seconds. Full 50k results here.

The 50-mile race saw local hero Beverley Anderson-Abbs win and come in second overall in 6 hours, 32 minutes and 39 seconds. She was the only woman to finish the race. In the men’s contest, 53-year-old James Scanlan ran 6 hours, 3 minutes and 16 seconds for the win, but came in short of the AR 50-55 AG record. Alan Abbs of Sacramento came in second in 7 hours, 12 minutes and 1 second, and Eric Smeltzer from Lincoln, California, took third in 8 hours, 28 minutes and 53 seconds. Full 50-mile results here.

Down in Huntsville, Texas, the Rocky Racoon 100k and 100-mile races also happened on Saturday. Daniel Frank from Columbia, Maryland, won the 100-miler in 13 hours, 42 minutes and 20 seconds, with Ferdinand-Clovis Airault out of New York, New York, taking second in 14 hours, 51 minutes and 38 seconds, and Zach Bitter of Austin, Texas, rounding out the podium in 14 hours, 57 minutes and 6 seconds. Tatiana Rypinski from Houston, Texas, won the women’s race in 17 hours, 38 minutes and 56 seconds, Jaclyn Foroughi of Truckee, California, was the runner-up in 18 hours, 1 minute and 7 seconds, and Rachel Lindner out of San Antonio, Texas, took third in 18 hours, 4 minutes and 56 seconds. Full 100-mile results here.

In the accompanying 100k event, Andrew James from Wasaga Beach, Ontario, won in 9 hours, 44 minutes and 13 seconds, Adam Valenstein of Bellaire, Texas, was right behind him in 9 hours, 44 minutes and 35 seconds, and Curtis Young from Chambly, Quebec, was not far back in 9 hours, 52 minutes and 9 seconds. For the women, Starshine Blackford of Columbus, Ohio, won in 11 hours, 46 minutes and 59 seconds, Arleigh Atkinson from Portland, Oregon, came in second in 11 hours, 51 minutes and 44 seconds, and Angela Kay from Castro Valley, California, rounded out the podium in 13 hours, 21 minutes and 15 seconds. Full 100k results here.

More Race Results include The Algonquin 50k in Pocomoke City, Maryland, the Rut Rogue 40s 50k in Edgefield, South Carolina, and more in the coming hours.  

Where’d you race this weekend that we missed? Let us know below. If you’re lining up next weekend, leave that info in a comment so we can add it to our What’s Up In Ultra column on Wednesday.