The Jed Smith Ultras

February 4, 2023

The 2023 race was held with a record number of participants in perfect weather conditions with plenty of sunshine in the morning and only a few showers in the afternoon. 

New course records were set in the 50k event:

Billy Mertens set a new USATF National Record in the M 55-59 age group with a time of 3:20:36. Billy is also the Jed Smith 50k record holder in the men's 50-59 age group, set in 2017 with a time of 3:16:29. 

Check all race results here. 

View photos here. 

Packet pick-up and Race Day registration is at 6:30 am - 9:00 am in the Start/Finish area. Look for the U-Haul truck and tents at the far west end of the parking area. There is  no pre-race day pick-up.

Mother Nature has given us lots of rain this winter and recently some sunny days to dry out things and allow river levels to remain off the Jed Smith course. The Sacramento County Regional Parks maintenance crews have worked hard and promptly for the last two months to remove many large trees that were blown over from the recent severe winds. Thanks to their efforts, the Parkway trails will be open for us to enjoy. Our American River Parkway course is currently dry, clear and ready for some fast times on Saturday. The weather forecast shows cool morning temps, with a slight chance of showers later in the day and high temperatures in the upper 50s.

All races start at the west end of the parking lot with a 2-4 mile out-and-back east through the parking lot and upstream along the south bank of the river, before turning around and coming back to the start/finish line. At this point you will start running the 4.9-mile loop course. On the south side of the river, you will run along the bike trail, which will not be closed for the Jed Smith Race. You will be sharing the bike trail with the local neighbors, and we all need to be courteous to others and diligent of your surroundings during the race. We don’t want to lose the privilege of using this public space. (See ARP Bike Trial Local Rules below for more information)

At the Guy West Bridge you will cross to the north side of the river. 

On the north side of the river, you will not be running on the bike trail. You will use the paved road on top of the levee from Guy West Bridge to Howe Avenue Bridge. There you will cross under the bridge to the Aid Station. From there you will continue on the gravel and dirt road at the bottom of the levee to Watt Ave. Cross under the bridge, go up to the bridge sidewalk and head to the south side of the river. At the end of the bridge, you will make a sharp left turn and run down a short but very steep segment. Turn left under the bridge and continue to the Start/Finish line past the parking area. Run this loop 3 to 10 times depending on the distance of your race.

Course marshals will be placed at crucial turns to assist you.

Runners and pedestrians use the LEFT side shoulder or lane, and bikes use the RIGHT side lane. Do not run in groups that block a line; single file is best. Remember that the bike path will not be closed for the Jed Smith race. You you will be sharing the Bike path with the local neighbors. We all need to be courteous to others and aware of our surroundings during the race. We don’t want to risk losing the privilege of using this public space. 

There will be two aid stations, the main one at Start/Finish line area and the other, about 3 miles away, on the north side of the river next to the Howe Avenue Bridge. Aid Stations will be well stocked with soda, water & GU sports drink, single serve candy, gel, salty snacks and other Ultra grub. We will have limited cups available and encourage runners to bring their own.  

Note: With our loop course setup, you will be running through the Watt Ave parking lot several times and are welcome to set up your own chair or table, off to the side, for a personal mini aid station.

7:30 am   50 M

8:30 am   50K and Marathon

9:30 am   30K and Half Marathon

6:00 pm   All events close

Cut-off: All runners must start their final lap no later than 4:40pm.

Free parking (covered w/ race entry) is available in the American River Parkway area right next to the start and finish line. (Address: 8713 La Riviera Dr., Sacramento, CA 95826.) Carpooling is always recommended and encouraged, especially since we have a record number of registered runners. Should the Watt River access parking fill up, there is always plenty of parking on the other side of La Riviera in the Big Lots parking area. 

The 45th edition of the Jed Smith Ultra Classic is held on a certified course (Boston Qualifier) that is nearly identical to the course used for the 2011 World Masters Championship Marathon. Each loop on this fast course is 4.85 miles long.

Jim Walmsley set the New 50-Mile World Best in the Hoka One One 100k Challenge on this course in May 2019, and Beverley Anderson-Abbs broke both the US and Canadian national records for her age group in the 2020 50-Mile event.

Runners cross the Guy West Bridge at Sacramento State University and at Watt Avenue at the other end. Most of the course follows a paved bike path.

The staging area (Start/Finish) can be reached from the Watt Avenue access to the American River Parkway. See directions below.