Following cancellation of event last year, competition returns to Oregon for first time since 2015, with reigning World champions Gray and Murphy ready to be tested by strong, experienced fields on 6-mile layout at Mt. Hood Skibowl

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Although a potential trip to Thailand has been delayed for Saucony athlete Grayson Murphy and the other elite American mountain and trail runners, the ability to compete Sunday in Oregon at a national championship event is still present, and that is a significant opportunity for the 2019 World gold medalist.

Less than a week before the USATF Mountain Running Championships at Mt. Hood Skibowl in Government Camp, Ore. – which is being held in conjunction with the Gnar Gnar Trail Race sponsored by Go Beyond Racing – an announcement was made regarding the postponement of the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships, which were scheduled for November in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

The global competition has been temporarily scheduled for February over concerns regarding the anticipated number of COVID-19 cases during the fall in Thailand, but Sunday’s event in Oregon is still being used as a selection meet to determine the American roster that will compete early next year.

The women’s competition is scheduled for 8 a.m. PDT, followed by an expected men’s start at 8:30 a.m.

Murphy, a 26-year-old graduate from the University of Utah, is also working on a Masters degree in Sustainable Natural Resources at Oregon State University.

Although she is not attending classes in Corvallis, located approximately two hours south of Mt. Hood Skibowl, training in the mountains of Utah and Montana should have Murphy feeling well prepared for the 6-mile up-and-down course that features a 2,000-foot shift in elevation.

“This year I feel grateful that we are able to hold a U.S. Mountain running champs race following last year. It’s a great chance for people to have experience at a national level race in the mountains,” said Murphy, who won her first national title in 2019 in New Hampshire.

“I am two years older and wiser so I feel like I know a bit more of what to expect from a mountain race and what my limits are.”

The only other time the U.S. Mountain Running Championships were showcased in Oregon came in 2015 in Bend, also the last appearance for the event on the West coast. With Murphy and Joseph Gray, the reigning U.S. and World men’s champion from 2019 both scheduled to compete, both athletes have already secured their opportunities to race in Thailand.

Three additional athletes in each gender will also be selected to represent the U.S. at the World Championships, depending on where Gray and Murphy finish in their respective races.

Murphy has already competed in Oregon this summer, returning to the track to place sixth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase final June 24 at the Olympic Trials at Hayward Field in Eugene, Ore., after running a personal-best 9:25.37 to win her June 20 preliminary heat.

She has since added victories in both road and mountain races, continuing to showcase why she is one of the most well-rounded athletes in the world.

“Having lots of race options is nice, albeit a bit challenging to not feel overwhelmed with just how many options there are,” Murphy said. “I think that the training and racing I do on all surfaces are mutually beneficial.”

Murphy will be joined in the women’s competition by recent U.S. 50-kilometer Trail national champion Kimber Mattox, along with 2014 Mountain Running national champion Allie McLaughlin, 2014 World Junior silver medalist Tabor Scholl, 2019 U.S. Half Marathon Trail champion Sam Lewis, New Balance athlete Stephanie Garcia, in addition to Chris Lundy, Anna Mae Flynn, Bailey Kowalczyk, Janelle Lincks and Allison Morgan.

Gray will square off in the men’s race against reigning U.S. Half Marathon Trail national champion Andy Wacker, plus 2011 World Mountain Running champion Max King, as well as JP Donovan, Tyler McCandless, Jeshurun Small, Evan Williams and elite triathlete Eli Hemming.

Both Gnar Gnar course record holders and Oregon residents, Mike Allen and Kate Peters, are also scheduled to compete. Allen covered the 6-mile layout in 43:45 in 2019, with Lake Oswego High junior Peters clocking 52:28 in 2018.

Siblings Malachi Ricks and Kylah Ricks of Grand County High in Utah are also scheduled to race.

In addition to the competition for the coveted spots to represent the U.S. in Thailand, there will also be recognition for the top junior – age 19 and under – and Masters athletes, beginning with the 40-44 age division and progressing in five-year groupings from there.