M30-39 Ascent: Mccandless Clears the Field at Palisades

• Tyler Mccandless (38) wins in 24:35 — the fastest M30-39 finisher on the Tahoe ridge, averaging 11:18/mi across the high-elevation climb.
• 14-second podium window: Mccandless, David Sinclair (24:49), and Joseph Demoor (24:52) finished within 17 seconds of each other — three of the sharpest ascents in a 95-man field.
• Double-race weekend: Sinclair (2nd, 24:49) backed up a 2nd-place finish in the Men's 46K; Ryan Becker (4th, 25:13) did the same after 3rd in the 46K — two athletes podiuming across events at the same meet.
• Becker's turnaround: Becker clocked 25:13 here in 2025 after a 39:23 in the same race in 2024 — a dramatically faster ascent in his return.

Tyler Mccandless, 38, from Fort Collins, took the M30-39 title in 24:35 — a composed, confident run at altitude on a course that climbs from roughly 6,300 to nearly 8,000 feet in dry, breezy conditions. At 65°F with 17 mph winds and only 19% humidity, the day was fast by mountain standards, though the thin air above 7,000 feet still demands respect from anyone who didn't spend the weeks prior breathing it. Mccandless posted the 4th-fastest Snow King→Finish split among the men, signaling a strong close when it counted most.

Behind him, Sinclair and Demoor made it a genuine three-way contest. Sinclair's 24:49 — the 7th-fastest men's closing split — and Demoor's 24:52 with the 6th-fastest closing split tell an interesting story: Demoor was actually moving faster on that final stretch, but Sinclair held enough of a cushion to land 2nd by three seconds. That Sinclair arrived here at all after racing the 46K — and still finished 2nd — is one of the weekend's better performances.

Becker's story deserves its own moment. The 30-year-old from Telluride went from 8th in this race in 2024 (39:23) to 4th in 2025 (25:13) — a result that reflects either a completely different course configuration or a massive leap in form. Noah Williams (5th, 25:27) rounds out the front pack, also carrying 46K legs in his weekend, finishing 4th there as well. Further back, Sean van Horn and Daniel Metzger staged the race's tightest battle: van Horn edged Metzger 28:56.65 to 28:56.91 — 0.26 seconds separating 11th from 12th after nearly half an hour of climbing.