On April 23, we awoke to perfect race day conditions for this year’s KTX Half trail race! Sandy paths had been settled by the moisture received the day before and the calm and cool weather provided racers with a more comfortable experience. Local areas were well represented with 32 of the 66 racers being from Kanab, Fredonia, or Glendale. Several participants also beat last year’s course record!
Kanab’s own, Levi LeFevre, track and cross-country coach, set a new course record and secured first place with a 2:19:53 time. Second place was 31-year-old Matthew Bonner, Springville, Utah, at 2:21:20. Third place was Josh Williams, Centennial Park, for the second year in a row at 2:28:56, beating his 2021 time by 18 minutes!
The first-place female finisher was Madisen Phippen, Syracuse, Utah, at 2:39:13. Samantha (Houston) Hafen, a Kanab native, secured the second-place spot at 2:57:46. Colleen Guilfoyle, another Kanab local, took third with a time of 3:22:18, 26 minutes faster than her 2021 time.
Our two oldest participants were both local 72-year-olds who each brought a lot of spunk on race day! Tim Clarke, Kanab, finished at a super impressive 3:18:43 and was cracking jokes as soon as he crossed the finish line! Marge Hickman, Fredonia, aka “The Leadville Legend,” has finished the Iconic Leadville 100 miler 16 times and even won the race once! She shared her book with us and brought a lot of excitement to the race, not to mention her great finish at 3:55:33.
Another highlight of the KTX Half was meeting Alynn Davis who recently relocated to Kanab. She loves to trail run and is also deaf. Watching her communicate via lip reading, sign language, notes on her phone and (most importantly) her big smiles was amazing to witness. She does not let her lack of hearing hold her back and you could feel her joy as she crossed the finish line and gave the biggest hug.
We are greatly appreciative to Kane County, Kanab City, and the BLM for their assistance in making this event possible. We also thank all the participants who joined in the fun this year. We truly enjoyed a beautiful day spent adventuring together with you on the trail!
