Road racing in Kansas recovered somewhat in 2021, but not to pre-pandemic levels.

Twenty 5K races were held on USATF-certified courses in 2021, up from five in 2020 but well below the 58 that were scheduled for that year.

A total of 48 certified races were held at other distances compared with 17 in 2020 of the 87 that were scheduled.

After the 5K, the most popular events were the half-marathon with 14 races, the 10K with eight, and the marathon with six.

In addition, three ultras were held with a total of nine races at distances from 50K to 100 miles.

Records Update

For 2022, we have revised the standards for 50K and 100 miles to reflect the continued improvement in running at ultra distances.

Initially, we had no time requirements at 100 miles except for the open division because of the small number of finishers. Simply finishing 100 miles seemed worthy of recognition. Times have changed, and more runners are taking on the 100-mile distance and excelling.

The revised standards affect men through AG 55-59 and women through AG 45-49. It’s likely that we may revise the standards again next year for 2023.

We have also revised the standards for 50K, also because of the improvement in performances across all age groups.

We note that requirements for recognition at ultra distances are significantly lower than those for the marathon and shorter distances, based on standards set by World Masters Athletics.