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62nd JFK 50 Mile Records Smashed by Drake and Sinclair

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Article by George Banker
Photography by Karen Mitchell, Clay Shaw, and George Banker

You can smash a glass to the ground to shatter it into small pieces. When a runner rapidly places each foot on the ground, there is a potential for records to be smashed. The 62nd JFK 50 Mile gave way to the smashing of two records.

In 1968, Donna Aycoth was the first female winner with a time of 10:41:15. Since then, the performances have been getting faster. In the years following 1968, the first year with women, records have been set by both men and women: 1969, 1973, 1982, and 2012. Now Drake and Sinclair enter the history books.

On November 23, 2024, Rachel Drake of Salt Lake City smashed the old record of 6:05:42 (Sara Biehl, 2022). Drake ran into history by being the first woman to go under six hours, running 5:57:33. There was uncontrollable excitement at the finish line.

All eyes were on the clock at the finish line as the announcer provided a countdown when the top male runner came into view. There had been pre-race conversation about the possibility of a record. Eli Hemming of Kremmling, CO was making a debut at the JFK with aspirations for the win. One challenger was David Sinclair of South Burlington, VT in his debut.

Hemming was blocking the wind for the first 21 miles, with Sinclair in close contact. Going through Weverton at mile 15.5, Hemming had 1:47:35 to Sinclair 1:47:37. After mile 37, Sinclair pulled away. Going into Taylor’s Landing, mile 38.4, Sinclair passed in 4:00:36 and Hemming had faded to 4:05:27. Sinclair dropped the hammer and focused on the remaining miles. The record set by Hayden Hawks in 5:18:40 (2020) fell to 5:08:47 by Sinclair.

Drake and Sinclair each enjoyed a bonus of $3,000 for their course records.

This year, the Queen of the JFK, Carolyn Showalter of Maugansville, MD,  ran further into the history books by completing her 37th JFK at age 70, with a time of 12:17:27. She set a new 70-and-over age-group record. The first female master was Teresa Allman of Honolulu, HI, with a time of 7:14:21 (11th place). The male master was Steve Mance of Washington, DC, with a time of 5:57:44 (11th place).

People will remember this year until someone sets a new course record. It will happen and it will be a matter of time.

Each year at the Friday night Legends Dinner, people observe a moment of silence to honor the memory of those who passed in the year. This year it was closer to home with the passing of Naval officer William Walter “Bill” Spinnler (1941-2024). In 1971, he started the JFK race alongside his brothers Jack and Mike. As many know, the JFK can be unforgiving and going into the 49th mile in their first running, he passed out unconscious. The fitting words from the race program, “Those who touch our lives, stay in our hearts forever.”

There are thousands who dream; there are thousands who line up each year and hundreds finish. 1,236 started and 1,120finished (224 women, 896 men).

A special thanks to Altra and additional sponsors; national, state, and local permitting authorities; and first responders. Continued thanks to hundreds of volunteers who contribute their time to “America’s Oldest Ultramarathon.”

Full Results

Top Women

  1. 5:57:33 Rachel Drake, 33, Salt Lake City, UT
  2. 6:04:16 Mary Denholm, 37, Erie, CO
  3. 6:16:00 Valerie Arsenault, 30, Quebec, QC, Canada
  4. 6:21:56 R. Robyn Lesh, 30, Durango, CO
  5. 6:44:26 Britta Clark, 30, Brandon, VT
  6. 6:47:19 Lindsay Prescott, 35, Flagstaff, AZ
  7. 6:49:04 Emily Harrison Torrence, 38, Rapid City, SD
  8. 6:54:52 Mindy Kaufman, 27, Driggs, ID
  9. 6:59:23 Karin Strickland, 32, Pisgah Forest, NC
  10. 7:09:44 Porter Burgess, 29, Greenville, SC
  11. 7:14:21 Teresa Allman, 48, Honolulu, HI
  12. 7:26:19 Jordan Grande, 33, Tucson, AZ
  13. 7:32:25 Sara Zambotti, 44, Shelocta, PA
  14. 7:45:56 Lauren Cramer, 40, Hagerstown, MD
  15. 7:49:56 Mikka Kei Macdonald, 30, Washington, DC
  16. 7:54:39 MacKenzie Bucki, 21, South Rockwood, MI
  17. 8:04:25 Lindsay Cathro, 39, Alexandria, VA
  18. 8:17:11 Kendall Sigman, 28, Adamstown, MD
  19. 8:30:15 Luci Searels, 31, Chattanooga, TN
  20. 8:33:37 Sophia Spring, 26, Fort Bragg, NC

Top Men

  1. 5:08:27 David Sinclair, 32, South Burlington, VT
  2. 5:27:40 Ryan Sullivan, 34, Grand Junction, CO
  3. 5:29:34 Matthew Seidel, 28, Oakland, CA
  4. 5:31:16 Tracen Knopp, 26, Palmer, AK
  5. 5:33:10 Eli Hemming, 29, Kremmling, CO
  6. 5:35:38 Ferdinand-Clovis Airault, 32, New York, NY
  7. 5:45:13 Josh Park, 27, Athens, OH
  8. 5:56:39 Ryan Clifford, 28, Westbury, NY
  9. 5:56:50 Benjamin Linne, 27, Joppa, MD
  10. 5:57:39 Andrew Simpson, 36, Wrightsville, PA
  11. 5:57:44 Steve Mance, 40, Washington, DC
  12. 5:58:42 Robert Brouillette, 32, Cambridge, ON. Canada
  13. 6:06:04 Eric Kennedy, 25, Jeannette, PA
  14. 6:07:26 Jake Kloman, 26, Golden, CO
  15. 6:09:55 Blake Medhaug, 36, Seattle, WA
  16. 6:18:56 Daniel Frank, 41, Columbia, MD
  17. 6:21:01 Timothy Nooney, 31, Arden, NC
  18. 6:21:14 Patrick Rabuzzi, 32, Oakland, CA
  19. 6:24:11 Trent Overcash, 23, Chambersburg, PA
  20. 6:30:38 Michael Stevens, 39, Baltimore, MD
David Sinclair of South Burlington, VT on his way to setting a new JFK 50 mile record of 5:08:27. Race director Mike Spinnler is the masked man on the bicycle in neon green.
Matthew Seidel of Oakland, CA is all smiles as he heads for a podium finish in third place in 5:29:34.
Tracen Knapp of Palmer, AK was fourth overall in 5:31:16.
Ferdinand-Clovis Airault of New York City strides along the C & O Canal at Taylor’s Landing on his way to sixth place overall in 5:35:38.
Josh Park of Athens, OH was seventh in 5:45:13.
Andrew Simpson of Wrightsville, PA was tenth among men in 5:57:39. Andrew was ninth in 2023 in 6:09:24.
Benjamin Linne of Joppa, MD was ninth in 5:56:50. He’s rocking the York College of Pennsylvania shirt.
Steve Mance #34 of Washington, DC was top master and eleventh man in 5:57:44.
Rachel Drake of Salt Lake City, UT had a record breaking win with her 5:57:33 performance at JFK.
Mary Denholm of Erie, CO was second in 6:04:16.
Valerie Arsenault of Quebec City, Canada was third in 6:16:00. She was third in 2023, and ran nearly 20 minutes faster in 2024.
R. Robyn Lesh of Durango, CO was fourth in 6:21:56.
Trent Overcash of Chambersburg, PA was 19th in 6:24:11. At 23, he is the first finisher under 25.
Lindsay Prescott of Flagstaff, AZ was sixth in 6:47:19.
Britta Clark of Brandon, VT was fifth in 6:44:26.
Emily Harrison Torrence of Rapid City, SD was seventh in 6:49:04.
Karin Strickland of Pisgah Forest, NC heads into Taylor’s Landing (Mile 38), on her way to ninth place in 6:59:23.
Mindy Kaufman of Driggs, ID was eighth in 6:54:52.
Niko Teller of Pottstown, PA rocking the Run PA shirt was 38th man in 7:02:58.
Porter Burgess of Greenville, SC was tenth in 7:09:44.
Teresa Allman of Honolulu, HI was eleventh and top master female in 7:14:21.
Garland Days of Portland, OR was second in age group 50-59 in 7:35:36.
Sara Zambotti of Shelocta, PA was 13th and second master in 7:32:25.
Manikandan Murugesan of Newark, DE on his way to 8:02:39.
Lindsay Cathro of Alexandria, VA was 17th in 8:04:25.
Marckenzie Boutin of Providence, RI strides into Taylor’s Landing. Boutin ran 8:20:22.
Kendall Sigman of Adamstown, MD was 18th in 8:17:11.
Luci Searels of Chattanooga, TN finished 19th in 8:30:15.
Kendra Eerdmans of Minot, ND was 22nd in 8:43:22. Sorry to the guy; can’t really see his number.
Ryan Sullivan from Grand Junction, CO (2nd) and Matthew Seidel from Oakland, CA (3rd) pose after the race. (Photo by George Banker)
David Sinclair poses with trophy and flag after the race. (Photo by George Banker)
Rachel Drake for the win!! (Photo by George Banker)
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