Jed Smith 50-Mile: Ras Dominates the M1-29 Age Group

• Cooper Ras wins in 6:07:37 (7:21/mi), finishing nearly 20 minutes clear of the runner-up in a three-man M1-29 field.
• Justin Kaufmann holds on for 2nd in 6:27:19 (7:45/mi), running a 24-second-per-mile slower average but never surrendering his position after the midpoint.
• Jesse Moore completes the 50-miler in 9:19:08 (11:11/mi), finishing 3rd — more than three hours behind Ras — but crossing the line in Sacramento's dense morning fog.

Cooper Ras, 24, from Costa Mesa, made his intentions clear early and never wavered. Holding 5th among the men through the opening laps, he moved up to 3rd by Lap 6→7 and locked it in for good — a position he defended all the way to the finish line. His 6:07:37 at 7:21/mi was the kind of run that leaves little room for debate: in a three-man M1-29 group, he was simply in a different gear.

Justin Kaufmann, 29, making the trip from New York, was the most active tactician of the three. He climbed as high as 3rd among the men after the Out & Back before slipping back to 4th and eventually settling there among the broader men's field. Within M1-29, though, 2nd place was his to keep, and he held it, finishing in 6:27:19. The gap to Ras — 19 minutes and 42 seconds — reflects the 24-second-per-mile difference in their averages compounding across 50 miles of flat Sacramento roads.

Jesse Moore, 26, of Martinez, CA, ran his own race from start to finish. He was 13th among the men early, dipped to 15th at one point, and worked his way back to 11th by the close — a quiet, steady climb through the field in the back half. His 9:19:08 finish at 11:11/mi tells the story of a long day, but he covered the full 50 miles in foggy, humid conditions and earned his 3rd-place spot in M1-29.