Twelve of our nation’s top off-road runners have been named to the 2023 USATF Long Trail Running Team and are scheduled to compete at the 2nd World Mountain & Trail Running Championships June 9 in Innsbruck, Austria.
Hailing from seven U.S. states, these talented athletes will travel to Austria with six USA Track & Field (USATF) team staff members for this World Athletics sanctioned competition. The remaining thirty-six U20, mountain and short trail team members will be announced in the coming weeks.
More than 900 elite athletes from over 50 Member Federations are set to race during the four-day festival, which features 86km and 45km trail races plus uphill mountain races for senior athletes, and classic up and down mountain races for both senior and U20 (under 20 years old) athletes.
The point-to-point 86K course has 6000 meters of ascent & descent. A total of 33,000 euro in prize money is up for grabs in the mountain and trail races.
Based on automatic team spots earned at the Lake Sonoma 50 Mile and resume submissions for at-large spots, the following athletes have been named to the 2023 U.S. Long Trail Running Team.
Men’s Team
Jim Walmsley, 33, Phoenix, AZ (HOKA ONE ONE) – Jim burst onto the trail running scene in 2014 with a win at the JFK 50 Mile. He went on to win other high profile races including the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run, Lake Sonoma 50 Mile, Speedgoat 50K, Festival Des Templiers and the 2019 World Long Distance Mountain Running Championships. Jim also finished 4th at the 2022 UTMB.
Drew Holmen, 30, Boulder, CO (Nike Trail) – Drew earned his team spot by recently winning the Lake Sonoma 50 Mile. He is a past winner of the Cayuga Trails 50 Mile, Quad Rock 50 Mile, Bandera Endurance Trail Run and finished 5th at the 2022 Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run.
Zach Miller, 34, Manitou Springs, CO (The North Face, Buff) – Zach is one of the few athlete to represent the United States at the World Mountain Running Championships (2014) and Trail World Championships (2018, 8th place). He recently won the 2023 Tarawera Ultramarathon in New Zealand and the 2022 Andorra Trail 100 Mile. Zach finished 5th at the 2022 UTMB, 2nd at the 2018 JFK 50 Mile and won the 2018 Laverado Ultra Trail.
Preston Cates, 25, Flagstaff, AZ (Nike Trail) – Preston earned his spot on the team by finishing 3rd at the Lake Sonoma 50 Mile. He finished 3rd at the 2022 JFK 50 Mile and 2nd at Lake Sonoma in 2021.
Eric LiPuma, 29, Richmond, VT – Eric finished 7th in the Long Trail race at the inaugural World Mountain & Trail Running Championships in Thailand helping the U.S. men win the team gold medal. He won the 2022 Trapp Lodge Mountain Marathon, finished 2nd at the 2022 Broken Arrow 52K Skyrace and is a past winner of the Vermont 50 Mile.
Caleb Olson, 27, Draper, UT – Caleb earned his team spot by finishing 2nd at the Lake Sonoma 50 Mile. He’s won the McDowell Mountain Frenzy Trail Run and Tussahs Mountain Runs. In international competitions Caleb finished 13th at the 2022 CCC and 17th at the 2021 CCC in France.
Women’s Team
Hannah (Osowski) Allgood, 31, Colorado Springs, CO (Dynafit) – Hannah won the 2022 Blue Sky Trail Marathon, 2022 San Juan Solstice 50 Mile, 2022 Gorge Waterfalls 100K and the 2021 Behind the Rocks Ultra 100K. She also finished 14th at the 2022 CCC race in France and 2nd at the Dow Inthanon 100K in Thailand. Hannah finished 4th at the 2023 Lake Sonoma 50 Mile selection race for the team.
Clare Gallagher, 31, Boulder, CO – (Patagonia) – Clare was a member of the medal winning U.S. women’s team at the 2018 Trail World Championships, won the 2022 Leadville Trail 100 Mile and the 2022 Black Canyon Ultras 100K. She’s also a past winner of the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run, Way Too Cool 50K, CCC, Power of Four 25K and Thailand Ultramarathon 100K.
Erin Clark, 28, Missoula, MT (Nike Trail) – Erin earned her team spot by winning the Lake Sonoma 50 Mile. She finished 7th at the 2022 CCC, 2nd at the 2021 Bandera Endurance Trail 100K and won the 202 El Vaquero Loco 50K.
Shea Aquilano, 21, Carmel, IN – A young up and comer in the trail scene, Shea won the 2022 Indiana Trail 100 Mile, 2022 TransRockies 58 Mile, Fo Mo 50K, Bryce Canyon Ultras 30K, Ice Age 50 Mile, The HUFF 50K and the Falls 100 Ultra Trail Race. She finished 3rd at the 2022 JFK 50 Mile and, 6th at the 2023 Black Canyons Ultra.
Sarah Keyes, 38, Saranac Lake, NY (The North Face) – Sarah earned her team spot by finishing 3rd at the Lake Sonoma 50 Mile. She also won the 2022 Petzl Trail Plus, finished 3rd at the 2021 Black Canyon Ultras 100K, 12th at the 2021 Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run and 2nd at the 2018 Cayuga Trail 50 Mile (USATF 50 Mile Trail Championships).
Allison Baca, 32, Golden, CO – Allison earned her team spot by finishing 2nd at the Lake Sonoma 50 Mile. She finished 13th at the 2022 Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run, 2nd at the Moab Red Hot 55K and won the 2021 Bobcat Trail Race 25K.
Additional Trail Team Members – Short Trail
Craig Hunt, Jonathan Aziz, Emkay Sullivan and Kimber Mattox earned U.S. Short Trail Team spots at the FOURmidible 50K. The remaining short trail team spots will be named after the Breakneck Point Trail Marathon on May 6.