Ultramarathoner Earl Blewett Found After 36-Hour Search During Florida Race
At approximately 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 18, 57-year-old ultrarunner Earl Blewett disappeared while participating in the Ancient Oaks 100 Mile race in Florida. Nearly 36 hours later, he was found “disoriented” but with non-life-threatening injuries. Around 8 a.m. today, local police announced that they had located the runner in Titusville, Florida.
Earl Blewett, a resident of Tulsa, Oklahoma, had traveled to Titusville to compete in the Ancient Oaks 100 Mile race. This annual event, which started at 7 a.m. on Saturday, takes place at the Enchanted Forest Sanctuary, a nature preserve managed by Brevard County. Race director Mike Melton describes the event as “a low-key, old-school-style ultramarathon.”
Blewett, a veteran of over 80 ultramarathons, went missing around mile 55 of the course, initiating a search effort around 11 p.m. on Saturday night. Initially, race staff and participants conducted their own search, with runners retracing the course and checking surrounding trails and areas. Despite his extensive experience, it was concerning that Blewett had gone missing on a relatively safe course with aid stations and timing mats. However, the dense vegetation of the course could have made navigation difficult once off track.
Race organizers soon ruled out the possibility that Blewett had voluntarily withdrawn from the race when they found his rental car, phone, and identification still in the parking lot. Further investigation revealed that Blewett had not contacted his wife, indicating he was still in the area and possibly in danger.
Melton noted that Blewett had previously mentioned a tendency to get disoriented during night runs. Melton had even run a few minutes with Blewett on Saturday night, advising him to follow the course markings and use available pacers.
Local ultrarunner Matt Mahoney, who was present at the event, speculated that Blewett might have wandered off the park’s trail and become lost. The trail has unmarked turn-offs where one could easily get confused at night.
By Sunday morning, the search effort intensified with the involvement of local authorities. The Titusville police deployed three canine units, six all-terrain vehicles, a drone, a helicopter, five horseback riders, a line of searchers, and heat-sensing technology.
At 8 a.m. on Monday, approximately 34.5 hours after his disappearance, searchers found Blewett behind Knight’s Armament Company, a firearms manufacturing facility half a mile from the park. To reach this location, Blewett had crossed a highway. He was taken to Titusville’s Parrish Medical Center for treatment of minor injuries, including a possible ankle injury, and was reportedly disoriented when found.
The outcome, with Blewett safe and relatively unharmed, was described as the best possible result of the search. Melton reflected, “When I heard the news this morning that he was found, it was the best possible Christmas present we could have received.”
