70 ultramarathon runners evacuated after being stranded by heavy rain: Officials
About 70 runners and volunteers participating in Utah's Moab 240 ultramarathon were evacuated from the rugged outdoor race course on Sunday after being stranded overnight by a heavy rainstorm that hit the area, authorities said.
The San Juan County Sheriff's Office said on Sunday that it coordinated with race organizers to assist the stranded runners, who had been unable to safely leave the affected areas.
Destination Trail, which organizes and manages the race, said in an update on Sunday afternoon that buses were evacuating the final group of affected participants, who were stuck at an aid station near the Bridger Jack Mesa in the Bear Ears National Monument.
"We know this isn't how anyone hoped Moab 240 would go," Destination Trail said in a social media post to the stranded participants. "So many of you trained for months and traveled a long way to be here, and we're truly sorry the race ended this way. Sometimes the weather has other plans, and when it does, everyone’s safety has to come first."
Race officials said additional supplies were delivered to aid stations ahead of the storm, providing the stranded runners and volunteers with heated tents, hot food and plenty of water.
The Moab 240 race is a 241.8-mile ultramarathon that takes runners through the desert, canyons, slick-rock formations and two mountain ranges, while surrounded by Canyonlands and Arches National Parks.
The race started on Friday in Moab, Utah, and was slated to end on Tuesday.
Moab 240 organizers announced Sunday that the rest of the race has been called off due to bad weather.
The organization said in a statement on Facebook that the weather has become too dangerous to safely continue, with conditions expected to get worse Sunday evening. Runners are being held at their nearest aid stations and are being told to shelter there until crews can pick them up.
The remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel, which made landfall in Baja California, continued to sweep across the West on Sunday, fueling flooding in several Western states, including Utah.
A combination of large ocean swells stirred up by Rachel and prolonged swells due in part to an El Niño-enhanced Kelvin wave has produced major flooding along Southern California's coast and is fueling coastal flooding in Southern California and heavy rainstorms in Utah, Arizona and Nevada.
