Adam Peterman (EnvSt, Geol鈥18), Allie McLaughlin (Comm, Psych鈥13) and Joe DeMoor (Anth, Engl鈥12) closed out 2022 by winning gold medals at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and the Skyrunning World Championships in Italy鈥檚 Ossola Valley.
Peterman, who only began trail racing in 2019, won the long trail race at Chiang Mai, running 48.4 miles with 16,000 feet of vertical gain in 7:15:53.聽
鈥淚t was incredible to represent Team USA,鈥 he said. 鈥淭he course was unlike anything I鈥檝e experienced. The route traveled on dirt roads that connect remote villages.鈥
The world championship capped Peterman鈥檚 dominant 2022: first place at the Chuckanut 50K, Canyons Endurance Run 100K and Western States 100-miler.
鈥淟ast year, I won all my ultras, but I鈥檒l get knocked down eventually,鈥 said Peterman. 鈥淭hese races can be gnarly.鈥
McLaughlin 鈥 or 鈥淎llie Mac鈥 鈥 has been trail racing for a decade.聽
鈥淭he biggest challenge after college was learning to train the body and mind for intense downhill,鈥 she said. 鈥淎nd the length of ultras.鈥
聽She won the 5.5-mile, 4,400-foot elevation gain Vertical Mountain Race in Chiang Mai and finished third in the Classic Mountain Race. Additional 2022 victories included Alaska鈥檚 Mount Marathon, the Broken Arrow Skyrace Vertical Kilometer and two Golden Trail Series stages. She鈥檚 also completed over 300 skydives and recently began paragliding and BASE jumping.
鈥淚 hope to fly and jump in the beautiful places I鈥檒l be racing,鈥 she said.
DeMoor earned gold in the Skyrunning World Championships Vertical 鈥 3.1 miles with 3,000 feet of elevation gain, a staggering scramble he calls the 鈥渇un side of running.鈥
He credits living in Colorado for his training gains. He spends weekends running up mountains and completing fastest-known times (FKTs) for ascents. He has summited the state鈥檚 top 100 peaks and set FKTs for over 20 routes in the last two years.
鈥淚 love chasing down summits. It鈥檚 equal parts route knowledge and fitness,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 feel like a student of the mountains.鈥澛
