Participants are participating in a 50-mile race when they were trapped in 12 to 18 inches of snow in the Wasatch Mountains north of Salt Lake City.

Authors: Michael Levenson and Alyssa Lukpat

Casey McLun-Stowell said she was told to prepare for some rain before the start of the DC Peaks 50 (a 50-mile ultramarathon through the rugged mountains of Utah) that started on Saturday, and maybe more. "Small snow" in high altitude areas.

But a few hours after the start of the race, Ms. Stouville said that the snow began to fall "very, very heavy" and the wind began to whizz at 30 or 40 miles per hour.

"As the weather gets colder and colder, it becomes more and more frightening," she said. "The snow fell so deep, we couldn't see a trace. It fell like hail, and my headscarf was frozen on my face."

She was really worried at first, she said, "because the weather is very cold", she only wore pants, shirt and jacket. She said that the other runners were wearing shorts.

"I started to tremble, but there was nothing we could do but to go to the next rescue station," she said. "So we just keep going."

Ms. Stowell from Ogden, Utah, was one of 87 ultramarathon runners rescued in the Wasatch Mountains north of Salt Lake City on Saturday. They were trapped in 12 to 18 inches of snow and were “close to snowy Conditions," said the Davis County Sheriff’s Office.

The sheriff’s office said that the race organizers cancelled the race, and search and rescue personnel walked, four-wheel drive vehicles and snowmobiles covered the entire track to help all runners descend safely. .

Authorities said that some racers were treated for hypothermia at the foot of the mountain. One of the runners also suffered minor injuries from a fall. All were released at the scene.

The Sheriff’s Office stated that at 9:30 a.m. local time, the first call for help rang. All the runners were found before 2:45 p.m. The last rescuer left the mountain at about 7 p.m. because they Must sail in "dangerous environments" "On their way down the mountain, the office said.

Davis County Sheriff Kelly V. Sparks said in a statement: “Venturing into mountains, trails and waters at this time of the year can be dangerous because the weather changes quickly. "Even a light rain in the valley may turn into a blizzard in high altitude areas."

According to the competition website, the first DC Peaks 50 will take the contestants along a mountain route that is mainly trails but also includes some auxiliary roads and 2.5 miles of paved roads. It is described on the website as "a difficult route" with a vertical gain of approximately 11,700 feet and a descent height of 8,637 feet.

Tournament director Jake Kilgore said that he and another director, Mick Garrison, spent two years planning the game, collaborating with the U.S. Forest Service and others on other routes. Mr. Kilgore said that there were 87 participants in the race and there were 6 rescue stations along the way. Each rescue station was led by an experienced ultramarathon runner.

He said that when conditions deteriorated, the runners ran for about 8 miles.

"It's raining at the starting line, and it is forecast to rain," Mr. Kilgore said. "No one predicted more than a foot of snow at the Francis summit. No one."

He said that ultramarathon runners know the risks involved in this sport, such as big wave surfers or kite surfers. He said that after the race was cancelled, the runners emailed him saying that they were safe, "They are all very happy to come back next year."

"In fact, we took every participant into consideration, which means that today's game was a very successful game," said Mr Kilgore.

Super running was once considered a niche extreme sport, but its popularity has soared in the past two decades. Critics believe that some competitions have begun to blur the line between ruggedness and recklessness, and in the process shifted the definition of endurance racing from conquering long distances to survival.

In May, 21 runners died in a 62-mile mountain race in China due to freezing rain and strong winds. A few hours after the race started, the weather suddenly deteriorated, and the runners in shorts and T-shirts suddenly faced severe cold and hail. Some people passed out because of a cold. About 1,200 people participated in the rescue work.

Ms. Stowell said that her body temperature was too low, and she was grateful when she arrived at a truck where the heater had exploded. She said that when she reached the foot of the mountain, the workers were distributing hot soup and hot chocolate.

She said she did not blame the race organizers for allowing runners to enter such extreme conditions.

"On the contrary, I think they are absolutely amazing," she said, and helped people stay safe.

Alex Michael of Clearfield, Utah, and his 17-year-old daughter participated in the game. He said he was more painful than scared after they were hit by thick, cold, sleet-like snow.

"We should have only had an inch or two of snow," he said. "I just don't think anyone is fully prepared for its state at the top. This is the joy of the Utah mountains."