PALM SPRINGS, CA (October 26, 2019) The winner of today’s 34th Annual Palm Springs Aerial Tram Road Challenge was CJ Hitz of Colorado Springs, CO, who ran the “World’s Toughest 6K” in 30 minutes, 49 seconds. The first female to cross the finish line was Lynda Weyman of Calgary, Canada in 40 minutes, 50 seconds. Sela-Mia Howard of Bedford, MA, finished first in the youngest category (6 and under) and Bill Bell, age 96, finished first in the oldest category (90-120).
This year’s Male and Female Challenge Division Winners are:
| Age Groups | Name | City | Time |
| 6 and under | Aerial Herrera | Desert Hot Springs | 01:32:04 |
| Sophie Herrera | Desert Hot Springs | 01:31:59 | |
| 7-10 | Ahris Mayorga | — | 00:38:26 |
| Jan Eva | Crozet, France | 01:00:21 | |
| 11-14 | Tonalli Sanchez | La Quinta, CA | 00:37:08 |
| Fatima Casta | Banning, CA | 00:56:16 | |
| 15-19 | Ricardo Franco | — | 00:36:22 |
| Yoselin Danseco | — | 00:48:45 | |
| 20-24 | John Alvarez | — | 00:50:13 |
| Philine Endres | Palm Springs, CA | 00:48:52 | |
| 25-29 | Jerry Sanchez | La Quinta, CA | 00:36:35 |
| Raizah Saville | Upland, CA | 00:46:00 | |
| 30-34 | Robbie Jones | Golden, CO | 00:37:50 |
| Veronika Gutierrez | Palm Desert, CA | 00:41:56 | |
| 35-39 | James Graff-Radford | Pismo Beach, CA | 00:38:16 |
| Steph Cronshaw | Joshua Tree, CA | 00:42:51 | |
| 40-44 | Andrew Searle | Rosland, Canada | 00:37:22 |
| Brit Curtis | Calgary, Canada | 00:46:49 | |
| 45-49 | Russel Mackie | Sacramento, CA | 00:38:10 |
| Brigid Freyne | Temecula, CA | 00:41:00 | |
| 50-54 | Stephen Crossley | Barnsley, UK | 00:38:03 |
| Nancy Hickey | Los Angeles, CA | 00:41:03 | |
| 55-59 | Bob Jones | Golden, CO | 00:36:38 |
| Sheryl Whyte | Indio, CA | 00:44:25 | |
| 60-64 | Greg Parrone | Agora Hills, CA | 00:37:54 |
| Carol Baker | Brea, CA | 00:52:23 | |
| 65-69 | James Maxwell | San Diego, CA | 00:43:43 |
| Claudia Ferguson | Cathedral City, CA | 00:56:37 | |
| 70-74 | Brad Carrell | Redmond, OR | 00:47:24 |
| Jeanne Leslie | La Quinta, CA | 00:56:07 | |
| 75-79 | Glenn Jones | Indio, CA | 01:07:36 |
| Cherie Gruenfeld | — | 00:54:44 | |
| 80-84 | Leonard Hernandez | Banning, CA | 00:58:52 |
| Stacy Lewis | Palm Springs, CA | 01:18:34 | |
| 85-89 | Mary Hirst | Palm Desert, CA | 02:07:41 |
The first Tram Road Challenge was held in 1983, and was won by Rob Slick in 27 minutes, 35 seconds and Nancy Baird in 35 minutes, 25 seconds. The fastest men’s time was set by Rubin Garcia of Mexico—26 minutes, 5 seconds—in 1987. Lubov Kremleva of Russia set the fastest women’s time—28 minutes, 56 seconds in 1998.
1,201 runners and walkers participated in this year’s Tram Road Challenge.