Utah ultramarathon canceled after heavy rain leaves about 70 stranded
Heavy rain from Rachel isolated participants overnight and forced organizers to cancel the Moab 240.
Flooding from torrential rain caused by Tropical Rainstorm Rachel cancelled Utah’s Moab 240 ultramarathon and stranded dozens of marathoners and volunteers.
About 70 runners and volunteers were stranded overnight on a remote Utah ultramarathon course as heavy rain and worsening weather from Tropical Rainstorm Rachel forced organizers to cancel the 240-mile race.
Destination Trail Races, a sports company that organizes races such as the Moab 240 ultramarathon, made the decision to cancel the race on Sunday after a significant storm affected access to Bridger Jack Aid Station.
Aid station structures reportedly blew away, and conditions such as wind, rain and freezing temperatures were expected to get worse.
“We know this isn’t how anyone hoped Moab 240 would go,” Destination Trail Races said in a social media post. “So many of you trained for months and traveled a long way to be here, and we’re truly sorry the race ended this way. Sometimes the weather has other plans, and when it does, everyone’s safety has to come first.”
View from the Green River Overlook in Canyonlands National Park, Utah. (Photo by: Don and Melinda Crawford/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The San Juan County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that all the runners were safely evacuated.
Race officials sent shuttles to safely transport the stranded runners back to headquarters, who were being held at their nearest aid stations. Prior to the storm, Destination Trail staff had delivered additional supplies to the Bridger Jack Aid Station, including heated tents, water and food.
Weather conditions were also worsening on other parts of the course, which contributed to the decision to cancel the rest of the race. Heavy rain and high winds impacted the La Sal Mountains and Geyser Pass area, according to a statement from Destination Trail.
The Moab 240 is a 241.8-mile ultramarathon that takes runners through canyons, desert, slick rock and two mountain ranges, while surrounded by Arches National Park and Canyonlands. The sold-out endurance race started Friday, Oct. 9 and was scheduled to end on Tuesday, per the Destination Trail website.
Rachel brought dangerous flash flooding, mudslides and other debris flows over a significant part of the U.S. through Monday. Rachel made landfall in the northwest corner of Mexico, but some of the biggest impacts unfolded as the storm's moisture fueled heavy rain across the Four Corners region.
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