There were longtime races and first-year races like the Quito Trail by UTMB, and short stuff like the FlettaTrail and 100 milers like Angeles Crest.
It’s another diverse set for our weekly rundown.
FlettaTrail Malonno – Malonno, Italy
PizTriVertical
The uphill race climbed 1,000 meters over 3.4 kilometers in distance, and nobody does it better than Andrea Mayr (Austria). Mayr won here for the seventh time, topping out in 38:28. She was a little over a minute back from her own course record from 2023. Third in 2023, Philaries Kisang (Kenya) moved up one spot to finish second in 40:20, and Susanna Saapunki (Finland) was third in 40:45.
Josphat Kiprotich (Kenya) won the men’s race in 34:42. That’s over two minutes back of Patrick Kipngeno’s course record run from 2023. Italian runners Tiziano Moia and Henri Aymonod went up second and third in 33:26 and 33:43.
FlettaTrail
A day later, the up-and-down race went 21k with 1,100 meters of elevation gain, and celebrated its 61st year. Orienteering pro Tove Alexandersson (Sweden) led the women 1:38 and took 30 seconds off the previous course best. Philaries Kisang doubled back from the vertical race to again finish second in 1:41, and Vivien Bonzi (Italy) was third in 1:43.
Michael Selelo Saoli (Kenya) raced for the third weekend in a row, and just like last week, won again. He champed the men’s race in 1:27, and Alric Petit (France) and Marco Moletto (Italy) were second and third in 1:31 and 1:32.
Angeles Crest 100 Mile – Wrightwood, California
The longtime race had taken a few cancellations in recent years, including last year when damage from the 2020 Bobcat Fire and subsequent rainstorms left the course out of reach.
Megan Eckert was the class of the field. She ripped through the course in 22:02. Sarah McMahon and Yumi Vielpeau were second and third in 26:25 and 27:49.
Second in 2022, Michael Eastburn was awarded bib #1, and he backed it up with a first-place 18:49 men’s finish. Clark Messman and Rene Dorantes were second and third in 19:11 and 19:54.
Waldo 100k – Oakridge, Oregon
Air quality from regional wildfires threatened the race’s 23rd edition, but it went off in a big loop from the Willamette Pass Ski Area. Five climbs totaled more than 11,000 feet of elevation gain.
The top seven women all came through under 13 hours. At the front, Molly Schmelzle overtook Brianna Grigsby just over mile 50 and won in 12:04. Grigsby stayed close and was second in 12:13. Third-place Mandi Goudie was right there too in 12:23.
Molly Schmelzle on her way to winning the 2024 Waldo 100k. Photo courtesy of Waldo 100k
Men’s winner Casey Weinman put a big gap on the field and finished in 10:18, 36 minutes ahead of everyone else. Second- and third-place Maxwell Atkins and Eric Colton ran 10:54 and 10:56. Colton just edged out Luke Garten by 53 seconds for that last podium spot.
Casey Weinman, the 2024 Waldo 100k men’s winner. Photo: Jesse Ellis/Let’s Wander Photography
KAT 100 by UTMB – Fieberbrunn, Austria
Endurance Trail
The 50 miler totaled nearly 16,000 feet of elevation gain on muddy trails in the Kitzbühel Alps. German runners took four of the first five spots with only the host country Austria breaking up that group. Sylvie Geißler (Germany) was victorious in 11:50, Michaela Pilat (Austria) and Karola Rennhack (Germany) were second and third in 11:57 and 12:31.
Men’s winner Daniel Jung (Italy) finished in 9:40. Tomas Macecek (Czech Republic) and Goar Lopetegui (Spain) were second and third in 9:59 and 10:06, respectively.
Marathon Trail
The 31-mile race gained over 10,000 feet of elevation on its mountain route. Valerie Arsenault (Canada) escaped Claudia Chmielowska (Poland) for the women’s win in 6:16. Chmielowska was second in 6:20, and Anke Friedl (Germany) was further back in third at 6:37.
In the men’s race, Hayden Hawks (U.S.) won a squeaker over Fredrik Bruseth (Norway) and Stian Dahl (Norway). The three frontrunners were less than six minutes apart at the finish. Hawks won in 5:00, Bruseth was second in 5:02, and Dahl was third in 5:06.
Additional Races and Runs
Fjällmaraton – Vålådalen, Sweden
It was the event’s 20th year, and it’s again happening over eight days. Lina El Kott (Sweden) and Eskil Kinneberg (Sweden) won the 45k race in 4:58 and 3:47. Full results.
Quito Trail by UTMB – Quito, Ecuador
The event’s long race went 46 miles with almost 15,000 feet of elevation gain, and both the women’s and men’s contests were close. Fernanda Maciel (Brazil) led the women in 11:13, and Carolina Tania Diaz (Argentina) and Lidia Chalacan (Colombia) both ran 11:20 but with Diaz 22 seconds in front. Tyler Andrews (U.S.) won the men’s race ahead of Remigio Huaman (Peru). Andrews and Quispe ran 8:32 and 8:38, respectively. Marcelo Segovia (Ecuador) was a distant third in 9:45. Full results.
Canadian Death Race – Grande Cache, Alberta, Canada
Last year, Kim Cameron won the 42k Near Death Marathon here, and this year she led the 118k (73 mile) race in 15:25. Matthew Schneider was the first man on the 118k course in 14:01. The long course hits three mountain summits, crosses a major river, and 17,000 feet of elevation gain. Amanda Phillips and Justin Watkins won the Near Death Marathon in 4:58 and 4:07. Watkins’s time was a new course record. Full results.
The start of the 2024 Canadian Death Race. Photo: Canadian Death Race
Volcanic 50k – Cougar, Washington
The race traversed the trails around Mt. St. Helens. Sarah Allaben dominated the women’s run in 6:10. Jaclyn Noshay and Jessica Collentine were second and third in 6:58 and 7:03. The men’s race was particularly close with less than eight minutes splitting the first three. Kyle Bodnyk was the best of the group in 6:00, and Nathan Morgan and Chris McQuivey were second and third in 6:04 and 6:08. Full results.
Sarah Allaben, the 2024 Volcanic 50k women’s winner. Photo: Full Send Media
Kyle Bodnyk, the 2024 Volcanic 50k men’s winner. Photo: Full Send Media
Hood Hundred – Mt. Hood, Oregon
The race was run lollipop style on the best of Mt. Hood’s trails, and with nearly 18,000 feet of elevation gain. Race leaders Catherine LeClair and Jace Ives knocked it out in 23:44 and 17:25. Full results.
Badger Trail Races – Belleville, Wisconsin
The event included four ultra distances from 100 miles to 5ok, in part on the Badger State Trail. 100-mile winners Julie Uychiat and Steve Byhre finished in 23:31 and 20:31, and in the 100k Rachel Ragona was the overall winner in 9:11. Men’s 100k champ Ian Krynski finished in 12:31. Full results.
Race the Cog – Bretton Woods, New Hampshire
The race went 2.75 miles to the top of Mt. Washington against a train. Amber Ferreira scored an upset win over this year’s U.S. Vertical national champ Lauren Gregory. Ferreira topped out in 51:05 and Gregory was second in 56:38. Remi Leroux (Canada) won the men’s race ahead of Eric Blake. The two hit the top in 42:09 and 44:36. Full results.
Call for Comments
What else happened at the weekend that we should know about? Let us know in the comments!
