Adam Loomis of Park City wins 100km ultra running race in Oregon

Adam Loomis traveled from Park City to Oregon and won the 100km running race held in the Columbia River Gorge. Photo: Ryan Thrower – @ryanthrower, courtesy of Adam Loomis

HOOD RIVER, Oreg. — Park City’s Adam Loomis won Saturday’s 100 km running race known as the Gorge Waterfalls in Oregon’s Columbia River Gorge. 

The Park City Ski and Snowboard- Nordic Head Coach for Ski Jumping, Nordic Combined and Skimo is himself a retired U.S. Ski Team Nordic Combined athlete. He has represented the U.S. on World Cup circuits as well as at the World Championships and competes at USA Skimo (Ski Mountaineering) events.

Loomis told TownLift, “This was one of the most amazing race experiences I’ve had to date, the terrain and scenery was amazing. We had views of the Columbia River Gorge throughout and passed by stunning waterfalls – one time even going underneath one while running along a ledge.”

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Many of his event competitors likely spent the winter focussed on training, not Loomis, this win is made that much more impressive by the fact that he has to carve out training time.  This winter he coached Park City teenagers into the Jr. World Championships and to Jr. National Titles, and National Titles in Nordic Combined and in Skimo, respectively. All while sitting on the Board of USA Nordic.

Loomis said, “I chose this race to enter because of its reputation for a  competitive field, a well run event, gorgeous scenery and challenging terrain. Also, being this early in the running season, I was motivated to keep up my running shape throughout the winter.”

He has set records in ultra for fast finishes.

 “It was also the first time I’ve been at the front of a high-level event at this level. The livestream coverage of the race had a huge team of runners on course that would run alongside us with cameras on a gimbal. Since I didn’t have any pacers, I used these runners as some extra motivation later in the race.  Lastly, because I knew the high caliber of the field,  I had to keep the pace high when I was in the lead and never felt safe with my lead until I had the finish line in sight.”

Loomis grew up in Wisconsin.

The 32 yrs old, got first place when he beat the other 93 men aged 30-39. At the first of six checkpoints, he was in sixth place but came into the next ones in second, then second, then first, first, and first position as the outright race leader until the finish line. His average pace time was 8.28/mi.

Of the 381 total entered runners, and the 282 total men, he won with a chip time/gun time of  8:44.12.

Second place was Carden Elliot, 31, from Quebec Canada coming in at 8:58.30, and third place went to 35-year-old Andrew Simpson from Pennsylvania with a finish time of 9:42.37.

This race sells out each year.