Wacker leads Colorado sweep; Hemming wins at USATF Mountain Running Championships

Colorado Results Scoreboard

The 2022 USATF Mountain Running Championships were held on Saturday (02-Jul) at Whiteface Mountain in Wilmington, NY; 300 miles north of New York City.  Whiteface Mountain was the site of the Alpine Skiing events at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympic Games and is the and is home to the biggest vertical drop (3000 feet) of any ski area in the Northeast U.S.  The race distance was 6.4 miles with the course ascending over 3000 feet in just 2.8 miles and then descending the mountain over the final 3.6 miles; including two 250 foot climbs. 

Five (5) athletes from Colorado were among the 80 competitors in the USATF championships.

The race served as the qualifying event for the 2022 World Mountain and Running Championships in Chiang Mai,Thailand November 6.  The top three finishers earned automatic Team USA spots for the world championships. Four Coloradans - Tabor Hemmling (Kremmling), Andy Wacker (Boulder), Eli Hemming (Kremmling), and Morgan Elliott (Salida)  - finished in the top three thus earning spots on the 2022 world championship team.  They will be joined by fellow Coloradan Joseph Gray who is the defending world champion and received an automatic entry.
 
In the women's race, Tabor Hemming, 25, a member of the 2013 and 2014 Team USA U20 team, reached the high point trailing Olympic Nordic skier Sophia Laukli by 10 seconds.  On the way down the mountain Laukli went off course allowing Hemming to take the lead. Hemming yelled out to help Laukli get back on course but fell back to fourth place. Hemming used her strong downhill skills to stretch her lead finishing in 1:25:27 to capture her first U.S. title.  Rachel Tomajczyk finished second; 1:15 behind Hemming and Laukli fought back to finish third to join Hemming and Tomajczyk on Team USA. Hemming is the first U.S. woman to make mountain running junior (2013, 2014) and senior teams.

Coming in I knew that I was climbing really well having just gotten 3rd at the Vertical Kilometer at Broken Arrow and it has been one of the areas I've really been working on this year. Climbing wasn't really my jam last year and it showed in all my races, so I leaned in (literally and figuratively) to mastering it. My goal for the race was to put myself in the mix from the start, turn myself inside out on the climb, and then hold on for dear life on the descent.

IN THEIR WORDS - Tabor Hemming 

"Breaking the finish line tape was surreal. I knew going into the race that I wanted to win, but everyone wants to win. When it actually happened I was in awe, because last year I think I got like 17th and thought it was going to take me awhile to get anywhere close to the podium. I have a really great support team: my husband, Eli Hemming, coaches David and Megan Roche, and my family that have helped me believe that I belong up in the mix and when I crossed that finish line I finally believed it too!

Competing at the championships is always such a fun time! Getting to travel, run in a new place, and connect with others is the best part...then winning was just icing on the cake!

 
In the men's race Boulder's Andy Wacker, 33, led a 1-2-3 Colorado sweep. At the high-point Eli Hemming, 27, Tabor's husband, and Joseph DeMoor of Denver lead with Morgan Elliott, 30, and Wacker just a few seconds back. “Climbs have been a struggle but I knew my downhill would be strong,” said Wacker. Similar to the women's race the men's outcome would be determined on the descend.  DeMoor used his experience and strength to gain a lead on the way down but Wacker and Hemming were lurking not far behind. According to Wacker, “I felt a lot of pressure to be in the top 3 to make the U.S. team and pulled into second on the descent. It was a battle between me and Eli all the way down; Eli passed me back on the two short uphills and I would pass him on the steep downhill sections.”  DeMoor's push at the front began to take its toll and just 100 yards from the finish he collapsed and had to be taken off the course by the medical staff.    Wacker was able to use his downhill prowess to cross the line just 16 seconds ahead of Hemming (1:07:32 to 1:07:48).  It was Wacker's fourth U.S. title (2016 and 2020 Half Marathon Trail, 2015 50 km Trail) and 15th time he has earned a spot on Team USA.  Elliott rounded out the top three as he crossed the line in 1:10:35. Both Hemming and Elliott will represent Team USA for the first time.

IN THEIR WORDS - ANDY WACKER 

It’s hard to express what this means to me and I’m still processing. My goal as a professional runner is to make US teams, and help those teams make medals.  It’s so exciting to have some new athletes in the mix. A huge shoutout to Eli (Hemming), who battled me the entire race! We are bringing a strong team to the World Champs in Thailand in November!!!

In 2013, I placed 7th in the US mountain running championships, missing a spot on team USA by one spot. I ended up with a hamstring strain and swore to never race mountains again. In 2015, I got over my ego and returned to the mountain champs, humble, mentally and physically prepared. That year I placed 2nd and made my first short course (10k) team. Since then, I haven’t missed a spot - despite having the stomach flu in 2016, sore Achilles in 2021 and a few other obstacles. My message is be patient, be humble, and work hard.

This is my third win in three weekends. I am looking forward to running this weekend at the USATF Vertical Mountain Championships in New Hampshire, with another chance to represent USA later this year.

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