Christian Allen won the open men's title; Ron Allen won the masters 70-74 title
Utah athletes made a strong statement on home soil at the USATF Half Marathon Trail Championships, held Saturday, November 8, in Moab. The rugged desert course attracted 78 athletes from across the country, and Utah competitors rose to the challenge with top finishes, age-group podiums, and a national championship victory.
Leading the way for Team Utah was Christian Allen (Orem), who dominated the men’s race to win as he stopped the clock at 1:18:09 to establish a new course record on Moab’s historic route. He defeated Andy Wacker of Colorado by over two minutes.
Allen was joined by two additional Utahans inside the men's top 25:
Ayden Womack (Richfield) — 16th place
Nicholas Beltran (Salt Lake City)— 24th place
In the women’s race, Madeline Francis (Moab) led the Utah contingent with a 5th-place overall finish in 1:41:52, while Abby Stone (Orem) and Kasey Sutherlin (Moab) placed 12th and 15th, respectively. Stone, 19, captured the U20 national title with Lauren Haskin earning the silver medal behind Stone.
Utah athletes also earned several notable age-division performances, including one national masters title and multiple top-five finishes. Men
Ron Allen (Park City) — 1st, 75–79 Edwin Johnson (Sandy) — 4th, 55–59 Dave Haskin (Kaysville) — 4th, 50–54 Brad Bush (Salt Lake City) — 5th, 50–54 Michael Delange (North Salt Lake) — 5th, 60–64
Women
Anita Rawlinson (Ivins) — 2nd, 65–69