On a quintessential late-fall day on the U.S. East Coast, by means of the moist trails and undulating pavement, Hans Troyer and Jade Belzberg (Canada) took house wins in blazing instances within the 2025 JFK 50 Mileone of many oldest and most historic ultramarathons within the U.S. Troyer ran the second-fastest time in race historical past, ending in 5:10:24, lower than two minutes off David Sinclair’s course document of 5:08:27 set in 2024, and Belzberg received in 6:07:53, the fourth-fastest ladies’s time ever.
They have been among the many 1,208 runners who toed the beginning line in Boonsboro, Maryland, at 6:30 a.m. native time on Saturday, November 22, starting a 50-mile journey to Williamsport for the race’s 63rd version. An in a single day rain bathe had let up earlier than the beginning however left the course damp all through, and there was loads of fog round. The storied course, which each and every November attracts a few of the prime ultrarunners looking quick 50-mile instances, begins with 2.5 miles of pavement earlier than connecting with the Appalachian Path. Runners traverse a notoriously rocky and root-filled 13-mile part of path earlier than working a marathon on the largely flat C&O Canal Towpath. They end with eight miles on rolling and paved nation roads. Exterior of the part on the Appalachian Path, the course is quick, with runners routinely working nearer to road-marathon tempo than a typical ultramarathon.
Jade Belzberg, the 2025 JFK 50 Mile ladies’s winner. Picture: Greg Holder/H3 Images
The race, which attracts elite and on a regular basis runners alike, is steeped in American historical past, with the primary one going down in 1963 amid former President John F. Kennedy’s push to enhance the health of his navy officers and the American public. Impressed by former President Theodore Roosevelt, who required his navy officers to have the ability to cowl 50 miles on foot in 20 hours within the early 1900s, Kennedy established a sequence of 50-mile races across the nation for his personal officers and any prepared civilians to problem themselves. The JFK 50 Mile is the one occasion from Kennedy’s sequence that’s nonetheless held yearly, and it emphasizes its navy roots with probably the most prestigious award, the Kennedy Cup, going to the quickest navy group.
Learn on for full race particulars.
2025 JFK 50 Mile Girls’s Race
Taking off in the dead of night from Boonsboro, Jade Belzberg (Canada) and Shea Aquilano led the ladies’s area. It could keep that approach for many of the subsequent six-plus hours.
Getting into the Appalachian Path part at mile 2.5, Belzberg, the 33-year-old Canadian runner who completed seventh on the Damaged Arrow Skyrace 23k and second on the Gorge Waterfalls 100k this yr, had a three-second lead on Aquilano, the 24-year-old rising American star who beat Belzberg on the 2025 Gorge Waterfalls 100k earlier than ending 14th on the 2025 Path World Championships Lengthy Path.
However the path part is famously unpredictable, and after they reemerged 13 miles later, Aquilano had handed Belzberg and led by over a minute with 2:02:34 on the clock. Hannah Allgood — whose 2025 season featured a win on the Canyons 50k, a seventh-place end on the Western States 100, and thirteenth at OCC — was nonetheless in competition. She got here out from the path part in 2:04:59 elapsed, simply over two minutes off the lead.
Twelve miles later at Antietam at mile 27.1, the three ladies have been separated by a mere 16 seconds, with Allgood technically a single second up on Belzberg with 3:26:37 elapsed. Greater than midway by means of the race, it was clear there was going to be a three-woman battle for the win.
By Taylor’s Touchdown at mile 38.4, Aquilano had made up floor and got here by means of at almost the very same time as Belzberg in 4:46:14. Allgood light barely however was nonetheless lower than 90 seconds off the lead.
The race was there for the taking, and Belzberg took it. By the tip of the C&O Canal Towpath part and begin of the eight miles of pavement to the end, Belzberg had opened a slight however significant 12-second hole on Aquilano, whereas Allgood had fallen greater than two minutes additional again.
When you have the legs to run quick, the ultimate eight miles on the rolling nation roads could be the place the race is received. Belzberg started to drag away from Aquilano, progressively constructing a spot that she maintained all the way in which to the end. Jade Belzberg received the 2025 JFK 50 Mile in 6:07:53 within the fourth-fastest time ever. Shea Aquilano completed in second, lower than two minutes off the lead, in 6:09:32 and within the fifth-fastest time ever.
Hannah Allgood continued to fade from the highest two ladies however held on for third in 6:15:09, for the seventh-fastest time in race historical past.
2025 JFK 50 Mile Girls’s Outcomes
- Jade Belzberg (Canada) – 6:07:53
- Shea Aquilano – 6:09:32
- Hannah Allgood – 6:15:09
- Sarah Morrison – 6:21:44
- Jeanne Mack – 6:46:38
- Maïka Lamoureux (Canada) – 6:52:19
- Laurie Knowles – 6:54:10
- Marisa Deichert – 6:56:46
- Anna Balouris – 6:58:25
- Reese Ruland – 6:59:01
2025 JFK 50 Mile Males’s Race
Hans Troyer flexed, screamed, and tore down the ending tape as he crossed the road. He had simply run the course quicker than all however one particular person within the lengthy historical past of the race.
Minutes later, Troyer — the budding star from Newnan, Georgia, whose social media presence and catchphrases like “Younger and match” and “These are the instances” have made him a fan favourite — was taking a chew from a baguette, a nod to his well-publicized love of low-cost loaves of bread.
“The carbs per greenback are simply ridiculous,” Troyer stated in a post-race interview with the race manufacturing firm.
Equally ridiculous was his efficiency. Troyer burst onto the scene final yr by working with Hayden Hawks on the entrance of the 2024 Black Canyon 100k as a relative unknown, however light to tenth attributable to extreme rhabdomyolysis. He made his transfer on the finish of the Appalachian Path part round mile 15 and led for the final 35 miles of the race. On the trail-to-towpath transition, the place many athletes change from path sneakers to highway tremendous sneakers nowadays, Troyer opted to not change his sneakers in an try and make a spot.
“Simply determined to attempt to get out of eyesight,” Troyer stated within the post-race interview on the end line. “That was the massive transfer. And I simply ran as quick as I might for the subsequent 35 miles, and right here we’re.”
Sporting a conspicuous orange singlet, Troyer glided alongside the towpath within the lead and by mile 41.8 was 23 seconds forward of course-record tempo. He regarded clean and unbothered all through, at one level merely trotting round an emergency car parked in the course of the course with no panic.
On the ultimate eight miles of rolling nation roads, Troyer started to look barely fatigued for the primary time all day. Hans Troyer progressively fell off course-record tempo however nonetheless completed robust, profitable the 2025 JFK 50 Mile in 5:10:24. Troyer’s efficiency capped a stellar yr for the 25-year-old, who positioned second at this yr’s Canyons 100k and eighth in his Western States 100 debut.
Hans Troyer profitable the 2025 JFK 50 Mile. Picture: Greg Holder/H3 Images
Troyer might have been forgiven, although, for trying again, as a result of behind him was David Sinclairwho blazed the quickest time in race historical past by almost 10 minutes final yr. At mile 15, in reality, Sinclair had a small lead on Troyer however couldn’t match his transfer. By Antietam at mile 27.1, Troyer had opened up a greater than two-minute lead that he didn’t relinquish.
Cade Michael ran by means of Antietam proper with Sinclair, and it seemed to be a battle for second place between them. Michael dropped at mile 38.4, his Strava exercise indicating he was battling cramps. In the meantime, Stephen Kershwho was about two minutes behind Sinclair at Antietam, closed the hole within the subsequent 12 miles to run with Sinclair into Taylor’s Touchdown at mile 38.4.
By the paved roads within the final eight miles, Kersh and Sinclair have been working inside 10 seconds of one another. David Sinclair quickly made a transfer, although, constructing a small hole that he held to complete second in 5:18:06. Stephen Kersh held on for third in 5:18:31.
2025 JFK 50 Mile Males’s Outcomes
- Hans Troyer – 5:10:24
- David Sinclair – 5:18:06
- Stephen Kersh – 5:18:31
- Josh Park – 5:34:31
- Ferdinand-Clovis Airault (France) – 5:34:50
- Anthony Fagundes – 5:41:05
- Andrew Hutchinson – 5:45:59
- Jamie Hunyor – 5:50:05
- Eric Kennedy – 5:51:28
- Matthew Farquharson (Canada) – 5:53:35
