About 70 Moab 240 runners and volunteers evacuated in Utah

About 70 runners and volunteers at the Moab 240 ultramarathon were evacuated on October 11 after heavy rain stranded them overnight on a remote stretch of the course in Utah.

The San Juan County Sheriff’s Office said it coordinated assistance with race organisers. Participants could not safely leave the area around an aid station near Bridger Jack Mesa.

Organiser Destination Trail had delivered extra supplies ahead of the storm. Stranded runners and volunteers had heated tents, hot food and drinking water. On Sunday afternoon, organisers said buses were taking out the final group.

The race began in Moab on Friday and was originally scheduled to finish on Tuesday. Organisers stopped the event because of dangerous weather, prioritising participants’ safety over continuing the race.

The 241.8-mile Moab 240 course crosses desert, canyons and two mountain ranges. That is roughly 389 kilometres of rugged terrain.