Jed Smith 50-Mile: Steve Stowers Owns the M60-69 Field

• Solo winner: Stowers was the only M60-69 finisher, covering all 50 miles in 6:47:29 at an 8:09/mi average.
• Strong finish: He moved from 7th to 5th among the men between the mid-race checkpoints and held that position through the finish.
• Late-race speed: Stowers posted the 4th-fastest split among the women on the Lap 6–Lap 7 segment — a notable benchmark for his closing pace.

Steve Stowers of Bozeman, MT was the sole representative of the M60-69 age group at the Jed Smith Ultra Classic 50-Mile, and he made every mile count. Crossing the finish line in 6:47:29 — an 8:09-per-mile average across 50 foggy Sacramento miles — he claimed the top spot in his age group by default, but the numbers tell a story worth reading on their own terms.

What stands out is how Stowers ran the back half of the race. Sitting 7th among the men at multiple checkpoints through the middle miles, he began climbing — moving to 6th, then 5th — and held that position all the way to the finish. He didn't fade; he advanced.

The most striking data point comes late: on the Lap 6-to-Lap 7 segment, Stowers turned in the 4th-fastest split among the women in the field. In the thick 93% humidity and fog that blanketed the course, that kind of closing speed is genuinely impressive regardless of age group. Stowers didn't just finish the Jed Smith 50-Mile — he finished it moving forward and moving fast.