John Gaston Wins Snowmass 50 for Fifth Time

Aspen —The air in the Snowmass Bike Park still held the damp, pine-scented chill of early morning when the first riders tore down the single-track, tires crunching over gravel that had settled into the rutted turns overnight. It is a specific kind of quiet that precedes violence, or at least, high-velocity exertion. You can hear the chain whirring, the sharp intake of breath, the sudden thwack of a pedal strike. By the time the sun fully crested the peaks, illuminating the red rock and the green expanse of the valley floor, the course was already a blur of motion and sweat.

This is the rhythm of the Snowmass 50, a race that has become less of an event and more of a local institution, reflecting the endurance culture that pulses through the Roaring Fork Valley. Produced by the Aspen Skiing Company and formerly known as the “Power of Four” races, the event returned Saturday with its familiar mix of 50-mile and 25-mile options, plus a two-racer team format where each rider tackled one of the 25-mile loops. But the real story, the one that has locals nodding in familiar, almost resigned admiration, is the dominance of John Gaston.

Gaston, 39, needs no introduction to anyone who has followed endurance sports in this valley. He is a fixture here, a man who recently made a strong push for the 2026 Winter Olympic team in ski mountaineering. That spot ultimately went to Crested Butte’s Cam Smith, but Gaston’s presence in the national conversation is undeniable. On Saturday, he didn’t just win; he dismantled the field. He took the overall crown in 3 hours, 56 minutes, 55 seconds, finishing more than 30 minutes ahead of runner-up Chase Connors, 19, of Durango, who crossed the line in 4:29:03. Kyle Koenig, 32, of Lafayette, took third in 4:35:12.

The margin was so vast it felt less like a competition and more like a demonstration. Gaston has now won the Snowmass 50 five times in a row. He claimed victory in 2025 (4:17:40), 2024 (4:23:31), 2023 (4:27:07), and 2022 (4:36:28). He missed the 2021 race, which was won by Aspen Olympic cross-country skier Simi Hamilton, but he did win the COVID-impacted race in 2020. Lakewood’s Thomas Herman took the inaugural Snowmass 50 in 2019; prior to that year, the races were run on a different track under the “Power of Four” name. The history is layered, like the sedimentary rock surrounding the valley, but Gaston’s recent run is the most visible stratum.

While Gaston’s dominance is the headline, the depth of talent in the valley is what makes the race compelling. The top female finisher in the 50-mile race was Snowmass Village’s own Caroline Tory, who finished 11th overall in 5:19:24. Tory, who won the race in 2024 and was runner-up in 2022, showed she remains a force to be reckoned with. Glenwood’s Manasseh Franklin finished second among women and 14th overall in 5:34:22, while Minturn’s Ingrid Stensvaag rounded out the women’s podium in 15th place at 5:37:15.

The 25-mile race offered its own drama. Snowmass Village’s Miguel Sancheztuda won in 2:37:46, with Aspen’s Andy Golden taking second in 2:49:17 and Basalt’s Kevin Roop finishing third in 3:04:25. In the women’s 25-mile race, Woody Creek’s Rachel Beck took the win in 3:06:59, good for fifth overall. Aspen’s Jenya Berino was second among women in 3:07:22, finishing sixth overall, and Snowmass Village’s Norah Glasgow was third in 3:18:12, 12th overall.

There is a warmth to these results, a sense that the community is not merely watching but participating in the creation of this narrative. The race is about speed, but it is also about the shared understanding of what it takes to conquer these trails. The finish line tape is cut, the medals are hung, and the riders head home, their legs heavy, their hearts full, the memory of the climb still fresh in their minds.