More than 80 ultra-marathoners were rescued in northern Utah on Saturday after extreme weather dumped 12 to 18 inches of snow, causing near white-out conditions during the DC Peaks 50 race, according to the Davis County Sheriff’s Office.
The 50-mile race was cut short around 9:30 a.m. when the sheriff’s office was notified of an “emergency situation” involving 87 runners competing in blizzard-like conditions. Search and rescue teams descended on the area, in the Wasatch Mountain range north of Salt Lake City, and the race was suspended.
All runners were accounted for by 2:45 p.m, the sheriff’s department said. Several participants were treated for hypothermia and released at the scene. At least one person was treated for hypothermia and a minor injury due to a fall.
“Venturing onto the mountains, trails and bodies of water at this time of the year can be dangerous because the weather changes rapidly and conditions can quickly become life threatening,” said Davis County Sheriff Kelly V. Sparks in a statement. “Even a mild rain in the valley can translate to blizzard conditions at higher elevations.”
According to its website, DC Peaks 50 is “a tough course” with approximately 12,000 feet of vertical gain and 10,000 feet of descent and is “designed to take you along trails with the best views of the area.”