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2023 U.S. National 50 km Team: Qualification Standards and Current List of Qualifiers

Updated April 22, 2023

The International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU) has announced the new venue and date for the 2023 50K World Championship, effectively replacing the previously canceled 2023 50K on May 28, in South Africa. The new venue and date will be November 5, in Hyderabad, India. Information can be found on the IAU website.  Meanwhile, all those athletes who have auto qualified for the original 2023 event, which was going to occur on May 28, 2023 prior to its cancellation, will remain as auto qualifiers for the November 5 Road 50K World Championships in India, including auto qualifiers from the 2023 50K road championships on March 12.

The USATF Road 50 Kilometer National Team will compete at the 2023 IAU 50 Kilometer World Championships under the patronage of the World Athletics (WA) on November 5, in Hyderabad, India. Team USA will include up to six male and six female athletes. The Team (and alternates), and one Team Leader, one Assistant Team Leader and one Team Physician will be selected by the Executive Committee of the USATF Mountain Ultra Trail Council.

Timeline

Qualifying Window

Sunday, February 27, 2022 – Sunday, July 30, 2023 

Team Selection

Monday, July 31, 2023 – Tuesday, August 1, 2023

Team Announced

Wednesday, August 2, 2023

Standards for Consideration for the 2023 USATF Road 50 Kilometer National Team

To be considered for the USA 50 Kilometer National Team, runners must be citizens of the United States of America, current USATF members, and meet one of the following qualification standards, as well as other eligibility requirements. Athletes will be selected to the team based on the order of the criteria below until all the team spots are filled.

  1. Automatic selection will be given to male and female athletes who finish in the top-10 at the 2021 50K World Championships (not contested in 2021 due to COVID) and achieve the minimum qualifying time standards indicated in #2 below.
  2. Automatic selection for the 2023 50K national team will be given to the eligible U.S. male and female winners at the following races, provided they run a sub 3:00 for men, or sub 3:33 for women IN those races:
    1. 2022 Heckscher (Caumsett) 50K (USATF National 50K Championships), February 27, 2022
    2. 2023 Heckscher (Caumsett) 50K (USATF National 50K Championships), March 12, 2023
    3. Mad City 50K, April 23, 2022
  3. Minimum qualifying performance standards for consideration. While the 50k is the preferred distance to select from, the Mountain, Ultra, and Trail executive committee reserves the right to select an applicant with a marathon time that is deemed superior to another applicant’s 50k time. 
    1. Male: 50 km Road or Track - Sub 3:00:00; Marathon Road - Sub 2:22:00
    2. Female: 50 km Road or Track - Sub 3:33:00; Marathon Road - Sub 2:45:00
  4. Additional selections will be based on achieving minimum qualifying standards in other 50K certified courses and road marathons. If you wish to be considered with these credentials, please submit your running resume and/or email Lin Gentling with your information.
  5. Alternates will be selected from a pool of qualified athletes by the USATF Mountain, Ultra, and Trail Executive Committee.

Notes

  1. If the first American finisher in one of the automatic qualifying races declines a position, it will be offered to the next highest finishing eligible American (and so on until filled) provided minimum qualification standards are met in said qualifying race.
  2. Additional selections will be made by USATF Mountain, Ultra, and Trail Executive Committee. 
  3. One calendar month prior to the end of the qualification period, a message will be posted to the USATF MUT Facebook page and other social media to call for those who have met any of the above standards to contact Team Leader, Lin Gentling, to express their interest in Team membership. In addition, qualified athletes may contact Team Leader at any time they meet one of the qualifying standards. From the list compiled, the Team will be selected as stated above.

NOTE To Athletes and RD’s

  1. Events suitable for qualifying must be USATF Certified for distance (or NGB) or provide survey certificate for track events AND run on a record eligible course.
  2. It is helpful if these courses have IAU label
  3. Events must be USATF Sanctioned (USATF Rules upheld) - not limited to, but including 144.3 (Assistance To Athletes) and 163.6 (a) (Leaving the Track, Field, or Course)
  4. Qualifying Marks must take place in official competitions (Refer to USATF Rule Book 262.3 (a) where “Qualifying” may interchange with “Record”).
  5. Lap recording to USATF and World Athletics standards must be documented and provided if a lap course is used.

Current Qualifiers

WOMEN

Criterion 1 (Top 10 at 2021 50 km World Championship (AUTO))

None. The 2021 IAU 50K World Championships were canceled due to COVID-19.

Criterion 2 (2022, 2023 National Champion (AUTO), Auto Selects at Mad City 2022)
  1. Alexandra Niles, 3:25:12, 2022 Heckscher 50K Road National Championship, Long Island, NY; 2/27/22
  2. Ildiko Gaal, 3:28:36, 2022 Mad City 50K, Madison, WI; 4/23/22
  3. Andrea Pomaranski, 3:07:51, 2023 Heckscher 50K Road National Championship, Long Island, NY; 3/12/22
Criterion 3 (Qualifying Times at Sanctioned Races between February 27, 2021 – July 30, 2023)
  1. Brittany Charboneau, 3:13:30, 2023 Heckscher 50K Road National Championship, Long Island, NY; 3/12/22
  2. Melissa Tanner, 3:21:47, 2023 Heckscher 50K Road National Championship, Long Island, NY; 3/12/22
  3. Melissa Tanner 3:22:15, Marine Corps Marathon 50K, Washington, D.C., 10/30/22
  4. Autumn Ray, 3:23:16, 2023, Mad City 50K, Madison, WI: 4/22/23
  5. Jennifer Schmidt 3:25:02, Jed Smith 50K, Sacramento, CA, 02/04/23
  6. AnnMarie Kirkpatrick , 3:28:44, 2023 Heckscher 50K Road National Championship, Long Island, NY; 3/12/22
  7. Melissa Tanner 3:28:48, Dawn to Dusk to Dawn Track Ultras, Sharon, PA; 05/07/22
  8. Autumn Ray, 3:29:16, 2022, Heckscher 50K Road National Championship, Long Island, NY; 2/27/22
  9. Emily Viehl, 3:29:36, 2023 Heckscher 50K Road National Championship, Long Island, NY; 3/12/22
  10. Melissa Tanner, 3:29:49, 2022 Heckscher 50K Road National Championship, Long Island, NY; 2/27/22
  11. AnnMarie Kirkpatrick, 3:31:49, 2022 Mad City 50K, Madison, WI; 4/23/22

MEN

Criterion 1 (Top 10 at 2021 50 km World Championship (AUTO))

None. The 2021 IAU 50K World Championships were canceled due to COVID-19.

Criterion 2 (2022, 2023 National Champion (AUTO), Auto Selects at Mad City 2022))
  1. Fernando Cabada, 2:57:35, 2022 Mad City 50K, Madison, WI; 4/23/22
  2. Kallin Carolus Khan, 2:52:50, 2023 Heckscher 50K Road National Championship, Long Island, NY; 3/12/22
Criterion 3 (Qualifying Times at Sanctioned Races between Sunday, February 27, 2021 – Sunday, July 30, 2023)
  1. CJ Albertson, 2:38:43, Ruth Anderson Memorial Endurance 50K, San Francisco, CA, 10/8/22
  2. Tyler Jermann, 2:51:29, Mad City 50K, Madison, WI; 4/22/23
  3. Adam Vadeboncoeur 2:52:08, Mad City 50K, Madison, WI; 4/22/23
  4. Charles Smogoleski, 2:55:10, 2023 Heckscher 50K Road National Championship, Long Island, NY; 3/12/22
  5. Fermin Villagran, 2:55:20, Ruth Anderson Memorial Endurance 50K, San Francisco, CA, 10/8/22
  6. Mike Katsefaras, 2:55:49, 2023 Heckscher 50K Road National Championship, Long Island, NY; 3/12/22
  7. Mike Katsefaras, 2:56:18, Mad City 50K, Madison, WI; 4/22/23
  8. Kyle Masterson, 2:57:48, Tallahassee Ultra Distance Classic, Tallahassee, FL, 12/10/22
  9. Peter Bromka, 2:58:14, Jed Smith 50K, Sacramento, CA, 02/04/23
  10. Arturs Bareikis, 2:59:03, 2023 Heckscher 50K Road National Championship, Long Island, NY; 3/12/22

Important Dates

  • Qualifying performance time frame: February 27, 2022 – July 30, 2023
  • Athlete Resumes Due: July 26, 2023
  • Team Selected: July 31 - August 1, 2023
  • Team Announced: August 2, 2023
  • Any substitutions made prior to October 1, 2023 will be made with selection committee consultation. No team athlete substitutions after October 1, 2023

All athletes must be current USATF members, U.S. citizens, pass the online SafeSport course, eligible to represent the United States at an international championship and have a passport valid through June 1, 2024

Team uniforms will be provided by USATF. If an athlete qualifies for the team but cannot make the trip due to injury or any other circumstance, the uniform must be returned to USATF. 
 
Team members will receive funding from USA Track & Field and the LOC with the exact reimbursement amount TBD. We do know that this team will not be fully funded with these resources.
 
USATF Team Staff will be Lin Gentling, Meghan Canfield, and Dr. Lion Caldwell.
 
Questions and resumes should be sent to Lin Gentling (lsgentling@charter.net) and Meghan Canfield (coachmeghancanfield@gmail.com). Athletes who earn spots on the 2023 USA 50K Team must confirm their acceptance of a team spot no later than August 12, 2023.

Please notify Lin Gentling of any missing qualifying performances or errors in reporting of performances.

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