Crested Butte runners headed to World Championships

Sydney Petersen and Cam Smith qualify for USTAF Mountain Ultra Trail team

By Than Acuff

Both Sydney Petersen and Cam Smith of Crested Butte threw down, by running up, at the Broken Arrow Skyrace at Palisade Tahoe June 18-21. As a result, both will join the United States Track and Field (USTAF) Mountain Ultra Trail team at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Canfranc-Pirineos, Spain September 25-28.

 Smith spent his winter on the skimo World Cup circuit in Europe as he and his U.S. teammates vie for a spot at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Italy. He wrapped up the skimo racing season in mid-April in Norway and returned to Crested Butte and spent his days catching up on skiing in the backcountry rather than focusing solely on the opening qualifier running event in New Hampshire on June 1.

“I just wanted to get home and ski a bunch and catch up for a missed winter in Crested Butte,” says Smith.

He did get a little speed work in running roads and went into the New Hampshire race looking to qualify for the U.S. team in the “classic” mountain run event. The race in New Hampshire at Sunapee Resort was 9.3 miles long and included 3,300 feet of elevation gain. He admits he wasn’t sure how it would play out.

“I thought I was on the outside looking in,” says Smith. “I figured if something awesome happens, maybe I’ll qualify.”

Something awesome did happen as a storm rolled in making for sloppy conditions on the course and Smith took the bull by the horns thriving in the less-than-ideal conditions to place fourth and make the U.S. world championship team in the classic race discipline.

“It was muddy and gross which messed with a lot of people,” says Smith. “The race ended up going way better than expected.” 

Petersen missed her bid in the classic race finishing the day in seventh place but both she and Smith would then make a bid for the U.S. team in the ascent discipline, basically straight up as fast as you can, at the only other qualifier event of the season in California last weekend.

Petersen is a home-grown runner exploring the local mountains with her family and competing in high school as a Crested Butte Titan graduating in 2018 and then going on to race for Colorado State University. But trail running, at least the racing part of it, didn’t really sink in until after college.

“It’s always been in me,” says Petersen. “My mom and I would always sign up for the local races in Crested Butte.”

Then a positive experience at the Imogene Pass run set the hook for Peterson and she found herself lining up for a shot at the U.S. team in California after missing her chance in New Hampshire.

“I was a little bummed about that, but I knew my chances were better in the vertical event,” says Petersen. “The pressure was on for sure. It was definitely a really competitive field. Four women who have been on the team before were racing so I definitely had my work cut out for me.”

Due to winds reaching 90 miles per hour at the top of the ascent course, race organizers had to cut the course down from 3,000 feet of climbing and four miles to two miles and 1,800 feet of climbing, but with the same crushing steep start. Smith sussed out the course and provided some strategy for Petersen as she prepared.

“He told me to just hang in the top 20 at the start and don’t go lactic at the top of the first climb,” says Petersen.

She followed the plan and then proceeded to knock off opponents throughout the rest of the course building a gap on a couple of runners behind her just before the final technical ridge section to the finish line to finish in fourth place, second among U.S. women, and punch her ticket to the World Championships.

“I kept my effort in check to the top of the first hill and just sprinted the rest of the way,” says Petersen. “I knew on my best day possible I could have a result like that, but I needed the stars to align, and they did.”

Smith followed his own advice in his race as he kept himself in the top 10 through the first steep section and then started to pick off runners the rest of the way to finish the day third overall, and third among U.S. runners, to qualify for the U.S. team in the ascent discipline as well.

 It’ll be Smith’s second trip to the World Championships and he will be toeing the line in two events. It’s Petersen’s first of what could be many trips to the big show, and she will be lining up for the uphill race. The two do have slightly different plans for the summer with the World Championships in September. Smith is getting married and admits he is enjoying a little midsummer off-season but will continue to train here in the valley.

Petersen and her boyfriend from Salida, who is also on the U.S. team, are headed to Europe at the end of July and beginning of August for a couple of races in Austria and Switzerland before returning home and then headed to Spain for the big week of racing at the World Championships. Both Smith and Petersen look to be in the mix for medals in Spain and believe the U.S. team should be leading the charge.

“We have a super strong team across the board, and I’m really excited to be back at it and see where the team shakes out,” says Smith. “We’re a medal contender in every discipline.”

“We have a really strong women’s team,” adds Petersen. “On my best day I’m capable of a top three. Nobody really knows about me so I’m an underdog but capable of running with the best in the world.”