On a perfect day for running an ultramarathon, a very small field of ultrarunners toed the line for the 2024 USATF 50 Mile Championship at Tussey Mountain in Boalsburg, Pennsylvania. The course is a 50-mile loop on 80% compacted gravel and 20% paved road. The route bends and climbs through Rothrock State Forest and Whipple Dam State Park with an overall elevation gain of 5,485 feet - more than a mile. From the start it would be a race between two men, 24-year-old Hans Troyer (Newnan, GA) and William Conner, 34 (Santa Clara, CA). Troyer, who won Bandera 100K earlier in the year breaking Jim Walmsley’s 2016 course record (however course was reported to be slightly short), and a 10th place showing at the very competitive 2024 Black Canyon 100K has struggled ever since. Following Bandera, he endured a two-week hospital stay with Rhabdomyolysis. Conner’s race strategy was to stay with Hans as long as possible. Conner and Troyer stayed together for 50K, with Conner setting the early pace by clicking off 5:40 miles. At the 50K juncture, Conner told Troyer to go and race for the course record. Troyer seemed to still have a lot in the tank as he increased his lead over Conner with each aid station. In the end, Troyer crossed the finish line in a course record time of 5:16:14, with Conner taking the silver medal in 5:25:11. Both runners crushed the previous course record. Conner summed up his Tussey experience by saying, “I was super glad I came out from California; I was happy with my performance and could not ask for a better day for weather. But the highlight of my race was sharing 31 miles with Hans.” Troyer chimed in that Tussey was a, “beautiful flow with a great mix of uphill and downhill. I owe most of my race to Will. This was my first solid race since my kidney issues.” Troyer went on to say, “I am learning from my mistakes. I am nothing special; I just put in the work and believe in myself. Don’t ever give up on your dreams.” Taking the bronze medal was Rowan Haffner, 20, Portchester, NY, in 9:19:13. Winning the women’s 2024 50 Mile Championship was Luana Pesco Koplowitz, 69, Flemington, NJ, in 12:01:43. USATF Championship results from the event can be found here. Contributed by Lin Gentling