Jed Smith 50-Mile: Ken Bujer Owns M40-49

• Solo champion: Ken Bujer, 41, from Arnold, CA, took the M40-49 title in 7:53:32 — a 9:28/mi average across 50 foggy miles.
• Late surge: Bujer moved from 12th to 10th among the men across the second half of the race, picking off two competitors in the final legs.
• Lap 6→7 highlight: He posted the 7th-fastest split on that late segment among the men's field.

Ken Bujer had no one to chase and no one chasing him in the M40-49 group — he was the sole finisher — but the 41-year-old from Arnold, CA made the race count anyway, crossing in 7:53:32 at a 9:28/mi clip through Sacramento's cold, fog-draped morning.

The more interesting story unfolded in the men's field around him. Bujer held steady at 12th among the men through the early and middle legs, then began to move. By the time the race reached its final stretches, he had climbed to 10th, reeling in two competitors when it mattered most. That kind of late-race movement over 50 miles — when most runners are managing survival — speaks to how he paced the day.

The exclamation point came on the Lap 6-to-Lap 7 segment, where Bujer ran the 7th-fastest split among the men in the field. In a race where the fog and humidity made every mile a negotiation, finishing with that kind of leg speed is no small thing. M40-49: his, uncontested, and well-earned.