It’s tax day in the U.S. Whether you have to pay up or are waiting on a refund, maybe some varied geography like Desert RATS, Gorge Waterfalls, and Two Oceans can bring some running fun to the day.
Desert RATS Trail Running Festival by UTMB – Fruita, Colorado
The event hosted four different race distances, all on high desert trails over the Colorado River in far western Colorado.
100k
The 100-kilometer race ran as two laps on a flat course that totaled just 6,643 feet of elevation gain. Due to weather, last year’s inaugural year 100k was modified to just half that distance.
Women’s winner Elena Ormon was way out front in 11:33, nearly two hours better than the next runner. Carrie Koso and Dana Mihalcea (Romania) were second and third in 13:30 and 13:59, respectively.
Only the first three men finished under 10 hours. Rajpaul Pannu was victorious in 9:19. Zach Hauer came next in 9:28, and Julien Chorier (France) was third in 9:45.
Elena Ormon winning the 2024 Desert Rats 100k. Photo: UTMB
50k
Helen Mino Faukner led the women with a quick 4:14 finish. Allison Baca was second in 4:26, and Karis Scroggs was third to the podium in 4:56.
Men’s winner Justin Grunewald outdueled Matthew Vira to the finish in 3:40. Vira was just over a minute back in 3:42, and Jacob Banta was third in 3:57.
Justin Grunewald winning the 2024 Desert Rats 50k. Photo: UTMB
Gorge Waterfalls – Cascade Locks, Oregon
The three-day event started on Friday, and we’ll share the races in time order. The 100k ran out and back and the 50k was mostly a point-to-point run.
30k
Rachel Drake won the Friday women’s race in 2:17, almost two minutes better than Bailey Kowalczyk’s 2023 course record. Drake’s been on fire this year. She won the Hong Kong “The Triple” 33k in January and the Black Canyon 100k in March and will make her 100-mile debut in June at the Western States 100. Hannah Allgood was second in 2:20 and Claire DeVoe was third in 2:22, respectively.
Men’s winner Matt Daniels ripped through the course in 1:55. Just like women’s winner Drake, he’s been active this year too. Daniels was third at the Big Alta 50k in February and second at the Chuckanut 50k in March. Daniels’ time was a new course record too. Last year’s winner, and former course record holder, Liam Meirow was second in 2:02, which was three minutes better than he ran last year. Third-place Andrew Rylaarsdam came through in 2:04.
100k
Lotti Brinks came from behind to win the women’s race in 9:53. That’s 17 minutes better than her second-place run last year. Brinks is next racing June’s Western States 100. Long-time leader Ailsa MacDonald (Canada) settled for second in 10:01, and Kristina Randrup was third in 10:14.
Front two men Adam Loomis and Elliot Cardin (Canada) put a big gap on the men’s field. Loomis won in 8:44 and Cardin was second in 8:58, and everyone else was quite a ways back. Andrew Simpson was the third men’s finisher in 9:42.
50k
The 50k race closed out the weekend on Sunday.
Women’s winner Sarah Biehl raced through the postcard-worthy course in 4:26. Biehl has the May Quad Rock 50 Mile and the September Mammoth Trailfest 50k on schedule so far, later this year. Tara Fraga charged late to leap into second with a 4:37 finish and Lauren Puretz was third in 4:38.
Chris Myers rolled to a quick 3:51 finish for the men’s win. That was seven minutes better than Matt Daniels’ 2023 winning time. Dylan Humberger was second in 4:02 and Jared Forman raced to a third-place 4:07 finish.
Two Oceans Marathon – Cape Town, South Africa
The race dates back to 1970 and now has some 11,000 runners on its 56k course. That’s nearly 35 miles for what’s nicknamed “the world’s most beautiful marathon.”
Women
Five stars for Gerda Steyn (South Africa). She won the women’s race for the fifth straight year. This streak dates back to 2018 and accounts for the canceled 2020 edition of the race. Steyn ran 3:26 and it was a new course record, just over two minutes better than her 2023 winning time. Irvette van Zyl (South Africa), a three-time Olympic marathoner, nearly eclipsed the old course best too. She was second in 3:29. Loveness Madziva (Zimbabwe) ran 3:38 for third.
Men
Just 28 seconds separated men’s leaders Onalenna Khonkhobe (South Africa) and Lloyd Bosman (South Africa). The pair both finished in 3:09 with Khonkhobe winning the race. Third-place Givemore Mudzinganyama (Zimbabwe), the race’s defending champion, was second in 3:11.
Additional Races and Runs
The North Face 100k — Moganshan, China
Fu-Li Luo and Pei-Quan You won the women’s and men’s 100k races, respectively, in 15:06 and 10:47, and 50k winners Yu–Lam Cho and Jia-Sheng Shen finished in 6:05 and 4:31 to respectively win the women’s and men’s events. Full results.
Masters Skyrunning World Championships – Vouzela, Portugal
The event was held as part of the Zela Ultra Marathon. Championships events included a 55k race that gained 3,600 meters of elevation gain and a 37k SkyRace totaling 2,500 meters of climbing. Sofia Beizel (Russia) for the women and Pere Aurell (Spain) for the men won the long race in 7:07 and 5:48. Cristina Ramirez (Spain) finished one second better than Anna Strakova (Czech Republic) for the women’s crown on the 37k course, both in 4:28, and Martin Arnejo (Spain) was first man in 3:40. Full results.
Anna Strakova climbing to the top at the 2024 Skymasters World Championships 37k. Photo: Damiano Benedetto Photo
Diez Vista 50k – Port Moody, British Columbia, Canada
The Coast Mountain Trail Running race takes in West Coast rainforest trails around Buntzen Lake. Race winners Sarah James and Marcus Ribi finished in 4:50 and 3:50. Full results.
The 2024 Diez Vista 2024 50k getting underway. Photo: Scott Robarts
Lake Sonoma – Healdsburg, California
Only 33 seconds separated women’s winner Lindsay Allison and runner-up Anna Fisher. The two both finished in 8:44. Francesco Puppi (Italy) has been on a U.S. tour, but his with-arms-wide-open finish has him ready for the Creed summer tour too. Puppi won the men’s race in 6:30 and was completely solo, 78 minutes ahead of the next runner. 50-mile results.
Francesco Puppi winning the 2024 Lake Sonoma 50 Mile. Photo: John Medinger
In the marathon race, Brittany Charboneau and Rod Farvard won big in 3:41 and 3:14, for the women’s and men’s respective wins. The leaders were 24 and nine minutes ahead of their chasers, respectively. Marathon results.
The female-only half marathon saw Ruby Lindquist win the race in 1:48, over 24 minutes faster than anyone else. The race courses all appeared to be especially muddy. Half marathon results.
Whiskey Basin Trail Runs – Prescott, Arizona
Emily Kratz and Nick Coury won the 91k women’s and men’s races in 10:54 and 7:41, and 60k women’s leader Stephanie Rosebaugh and men’s leader Ethan Koza finished in 5:38 and 4:16. Full results.
Zion Ultras – Virgin, Utah
A small 100-mile field was fronted by Nicole Thomas and Jonathan Kuplack in 22:29 and 18:42 for the women’s and men’s wins. Joanna Brewer (Canada) and Brady Goreski (Canada) won the 100k in 12:12 and 10:40, to win the women’s and men’s races. Full results.
Rattler Trail Race 50k – Colorado Springs, Colorado
Race champs Brianna Williams for the women and Mark Gaudet for the men came through in 6:04 and 4:26. Full results.
Lake McMurtry Trail Run – Stillwater, Oklahoma
Leeann Reed and Jason Downing won the 50k races in 5:01 and 4:14. Full results (when available).
Zumbro 100 Mile – Theilman, Minnesota
The races were on a 17-mile loop within the Zumbro River Bottoms Management area in Minnesota’s Bluff Country. The 100-mile winners Andie Bennett and Michael Asmus finished in 30:33 and 22:12, and Kellee Brown and Scott Weispfennig led the 50 miler in 10:18 and 8:38. Full results.
Fall Creek Falls 50k – Spencer, Tennessee
The state park course shows off its namesake 256-foot waterfall. Sarah Tarr and Jason Bailey were victorious for the women and men in 5:29 and 4:20. Full results.
Leatherwood 50k – Ferguson, North Carolina
Michelle Gray and Jason Willard led a small field of 13 finishers in 6:40 and 6:16. Full results.
Mountains to Sea Challenge 50k – Raleigh, North Carolina
Makenna Pallozzi and Nathan Perry were tops in 5:25 and 4:07. The 15th-year race followed the Mountains to Sea Trail through Falls Lake. Full results.
Singletrack Maniac 50k – Williamsburg, Virginia
Erin Davis won the women’s race in 5:21 and Patrick Wachter scored a new men’s course record in 3:42. Wachter was over an hour better than second place, and Davis nearly was too. Full results.
BAA 5k – Boston, Massachusetts
The race is a lead-in to the Boston Marathon. Against an international field, 2022 U.S. Mountain Running Team member Lauren Gregory was ninth American in 15:56. Full results.
Ouachita Trail 50 Mile – Little Rock, Arkansas
Sarah Mercer and Matt Pruitt were champs in 9:11 and 8:16. It was the race’s 33rd year. Full results.
Sarah Mercer tackling some of the technical terrain en route to winning the 2024 Ouachita Trail 50 Mile. Photo: Debbie Rigsby
