Whitfield Wins; Five Coloradans Win Masters Titles at National Marathon Trail Championships

On November 5 twenty (20) athletes from Colorado competed in the 2022 USATF Marathon Trail Championships in Moab, Utah.  The championships were hosted by the Moab Trail Marathon for the 10th year in a row.  A total of 57 athletes competed in the championships.

Coloradans combined to win seven national (open, masters, U20) titles and place a total of five men and three women in the top ten.

In the men's race Brian Whitfield, 26, of Colorado Springs ran to victory stopping the clock at 3:04:28.  He was over three minutes ahead of runner-up Tracen Knopp of Alaska. His time was just nine seconds off the time he ran last year to finish fourth. 

Coloradans (listed below) captured five more top-10 finishes:

3. Willie Milam  Telluride, CO    03:08:35
4. Jeshurun Small  Golden, CO    03:09:18
5. Cole Campbell  Gunnison, CO    03:12:45
9. Wesley Toews New Castle, CO    03:40:33

In the U20 division Bayden Menton and Sean Meeker, both of Gunnison, finished first and second, respectively. Menton was 12th overall running 3:52:18 and Meeker finished 18th overall running 4:21:26.

In the masters competition, Buzz Burrell (Boulder) and Dudley Blauwet (Erie) each won national titles. Burrell, 71, won the 70-74 division running 5:11:34 while Blauwet, 67, won the 65-69 division running 6:25:05. 

In the women's race Mickey Davis (Boulder), Christy Aish Conifer), and Elizabeth Claflin (Morrison) all finished in the top-10.  Aish and Claflin also each picked up a masters title in their respective divisions. Davis, 32,  finished fourth running 4:09:54.  Aish. 45,  finished eighth overall and won the masters 45-49 title running 4:28:38. Claflin, 55, finished ninth overall and won the 55-59 division running 4:38:08.  Darunee Pisutadamongkol, 66, of Erie won the 65-69 title running 7:31:00.

In 2023 the Moab Marathon will host the USATF Half Marathon Championships for the first time.
 

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