American ultrarunner Katie Schide may have stolen the show with her strong performance at the Canyons 100K on Saturday, but Canada’s Jade Belzberg and Arden Young also had standout races, both cracking the top 10 in an intense elite field. Belzburg, who grew up in Canada but now lives in the U.S., ran to ninth place in 11:00:02, and Canmore, Alta.’s Young followed her for 10th in 11:08:04.
Canyons 100K is the final Golden Ticket race before the 2024 edition of Western States 100 (WSER), meaning the top two finishers in the men’s and women’s categories earned automatic entry into the race, to be held on June 29. While Schide had already earned her spot at this year’s WSER by finishing top 10 in 2023, she was still the favourite in the build to Canyons 100, and her performance did not leave fans disappointed.
The 100K 2024 Canyons course was on a new route (after heavy snowfall in 2023 and fires in 2022 caused damage to the previous course) and runners went in the reverse direction (the race alternates directions annually, similar to Hardrock 100). The course had runners climbing 3,962 metres over the 100K distance, but is a net downhill (similar to WSER).
Canyons hosts a 25K, 50K and 100-miler along with the 100K marquee event and is also the UTMB World Series Americas Major. The top 10 finishers for men and women in all events receive automatic entry into the UTMB World Series Finals race (100-mile UTMB, 100K CCC, or 50K OCC) in August in Chamonix, France. All race finishers will earn double points, or “running stones,” heading into the 2025 UTMB lottery, and top age groupers also earn entry.
Women’s race
Schide took on Canyons 100 as a clear preparatory race for this year’s WSER, after finishing second in 2023. She went out hard from the start and had a two-minute lead by the first aid station. Schide steadily built on her lead, and as she neared the end of the race she began to pass the top 10 men as well, finishing in sixth place overall in 9:10: 10. “Felt good to get uncomfortable and keep chasing until the very end,” Schide wrote on Instagram. Behind her EmKay Sullivan slid into second at the 20K mark and held strong from there, crossing the line in 10:01:26. Anna Kacius, who was third at Black Canyon 100K in February, took third here as well in 10:24:37.
Top 10 women
- Katie Schide (U.S., lives in France) 9:10:10
- EmKay Sullivan (U.S.) 10:01:26
- Anna Kacius (U.S.) 10:24:37
- Careth Arnold (U.S.) 10:38:42
- Anna McKenna (Australia) 10:43:31
- Laura Hansen (U.S.) 10:45:32
- Erin Clark (U.S.) 10:52:16
- Marta Wenta (Poland) 10:53:14
- Jade Belzberg (Canada, lives in the U.S.) 11:00:02
- Arden Young (Canada) 11:08:04
Men’s race
A close group of runners with multiple potential champions stuck together during the early stages of the race, with favourites Petter Engdahl (Sweden, lives in Norway), American Rod Farvard, and Adam Peterman, winner of the 2022 edition of WSER, all in the mix. Farvard was in the lead by the 60K mark, and held onto it for the rest of the race, crossing the line in 8:44:30. He was followed in by U.S. runner Drew Holmen in 8:51:09, with Engdahl not far behind, finishing in 8:55:31.
Holmen declined his Golden Ticket, which means it rolls down to the third-place finisher, Engdahl, who gladly accepted. Matt Seidel, who recently earned the title of fastest marathon by a fruit at the Boston Marathon, finished eighth in 9:42:08.
Top 10 men
- Rod Farvard (U.S.) 8:44:30
- Drew Holmen (U.S.) 8:51:09
- Petter Engdahl (Sweden, lives in Norway) 8:55:31
- Makai Clemons (U.S.) 8:57:38
- Stephen Kersh (U.S.) 9:05:56
- Tim Tollefson (U.S.) 9:19:09
- Kevin Vermeulen (Switzerland) 9:35:21
- Matt Seidel (U.S.) 9:42:04
- Ryan Raff (U.S.) 9:42:05
- Brandon Gardiner (U.S.) 9:46:49
For full results of all the events at the Canyons Endurance Runs by UTMB, click here.
