87 runners rescued as snowstorm slams Utah race

FARMINGTON, Utah — An unexpected snowstorm forced the rescue of dozens of runners successful a long-distance way contention successful the mountains of bluish Utah.

None of the 87 oregon truthful runners rescued Saturday was hospitalized though respective were treated for hypothermia and 1 was wounded successful a fall, according to Davis County Sheriff Kelly Sparks.

“We consciousness precise fortunate contiguous that determination were nary superior injuries,” Sparks said.

The 50-mile contention successful the Francis Peak country betwixt Ogden and Salt Lake City began astatine 5 a.m. Severe upwind struck astir 4 hours later. Some runners were wearing conscionable shorts and a T-shirt, authorities said.

Race organizers had told runners to expect rainfall but the rainfall turned to snow, runner Kelcey McClung Stowell said.

“We thought, ‘We’ll beryllium OK erstwhile we get to Francis Peak and past we commencement coming down the mountain. We’ll beryllium retired of the snowfall and it’ll beryllium fine,’ ” Stowell said. “But it conscionable turned terrible. It was conscionable similar a blizzard up there.”

Temperatures plummeted to 20 degrees Fahrenheit portion arsenic overmuch arsenic 18 inches of snowfall fell successful beardown wind.

Rescuers utilizing snowmobiles and different vehicles caught up with runners connected the way and got them retired of the mountains, KSL-TV reported.

All runners were accounted for by 2:45 p.m.