DONALDSON SHINES AT 2008 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 24-HOUR

Jamie Donaldson of Littleton, Colorado, was the U.S. star at the World 24-Hour Run held in Seoul, Korea on Oct. 18. Donaldson, who earlier this year had set a new women's course record at the Badwater 135-mile race (from Death Valley to Mount Whitney in California), finished 5th among women with 136.75 miles. Donaldson led the U.S. women (Deb Horn, 125.66 miles; Carilyn Johnson, 122.22 miles) to a 4th place national team finish, falling just a few miles short of the Bronze medal. The top 3 national teams were France, Japan, and Germany. The women's race was won by France's Anne-Marie Vernet with 148.35 miles.

In the men's race, Phil McCarthy of New York City led the U.S. men for the second straight year, finishing 17th with 145.29 miles. The U.S. men finished 7th, with Alex Swenson (134.27 miles) and the 60-year old Roy Pirrung (133.12 miles) backing up McCarthy. The race was won by Japan's Ryoichi Sekiya with 169.28 miles. Sekiya led Japan to the team victory, followed by France and Russia.

Summaries of the competition, photos, and final results may be found on the website of the INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF ULTRARUNNERS (IAU).