M50-59: Elijah Hall Goes the Distance Solo

• Sole finisher in the M50-59 group across 50 miles of the Jed Smith Ultra Classic.
• 9:28:19 total — an 11:22/mi average pace held across the full distance.
• Foggy, humid conditions — 50°F and 93% humidity made for a heavy, damp 50 miles through Sacramento.

Elijah Hall, 52, of Sacramento had the M50-59 group entirely to himself on Saturday, and he made it count. In conditions that were more sauna than sunrise — thick fog and 93% humidity blanketing the course — he covered all 50 miles in 9 hours, 28 minutes and 19 seconds, averaging 11:22 per mile from start to finish.

The race unfolded across two laps, and Hall stayed in motion throughout. There's a certain mental weight to running an ultra when no one in your age group is chasing you and no one is ahead to chase — the only competition is the clock and the course. He answered that challenge by finishing, which in a 50-miler on a foggy January day in Sacramento is never a given.

Hall walks away as the undisputed M50-59 champion of the 2026 Jed Smith Ultra Classic — because he showed up, toed the line, and covered every mile.