Hong Kong, Honolulu, and Houston are among the highlights. Read up on the 100-kilometer, 100-mile, and half-marathon results and more.
You can also check out our race coverage from earlier in the week:
Hong Kong 100k – Hong Kong, China
The Half 56k
New this year, the World Trail Majors started a Short Series too, and the event’s 56-kilometer (35 miles) distance was the year’s first Short Series race. The course gained 2,010 meters of elevation, or 6,600 feet, while mirroring the first half of the 100k race.
Jian-Jian Yang (China) dropped everyone two-thirds into the men’s race and won in 4:36. It was an all-Chinese podium with Sheng Zhang and Can-Hua Luo next in 4:39 and 4:43, respectively.
Jian-Jian Yang, the 2025 Hong Kong 100 Half 56k men’s winner. Photo: World Trail Majors
The women’s race saw a dominant start-to-finish win for Ram Maya Budha (Nepal). Budha finished in 5:34 and Yuri Yoshizumi (Japan) was the only other sub-6 hour finisher in second at 5:58. Yan Yang (China) capped the podium with a third-place 6:13.
Ram Maya Budha, the 2025 Hong Kong 100 Half 56k women’s winner. Photo: World Trail Majors
HK100k
A day after the Short Series race, the marquee race, part of the regular World Trail Majors, took to the trails for 103k (64 miles), 4,500 meters (14,800 feet) of climbing, and thousands of stairs.
Guang-Fu Meng (China) repeated as men’s winner and broke the course record with 9:43 on the clock. It was again an all-Chinese podium with Gui-Du Qin and Guo-Min Deng next in 9:51 and 10:07.
Guang-Fu Meng about to cross the line as the 2025 Hong Kong 100k champion. Photo: World Trail Majors
Women’s winner Sunmaya Budha (Nepal), the older sister of 56k winner Ram Maya Budha, torched the women’s record too with an 11:11 finish. Veronika Leng (Slovakia) was under the old course best too in 11:25 and Hậu Hà (Vietnam) ran 12:09 for third.
Sunmaya Budha (left) on her way to winning the 2025 Hong Kong 100k. Photo: World Trail Majors
HURT 100 Mile – Honolulu, Hawai’i
Nate Jaqua took the men’s crown in 21:45. Jaqua won the race in 2023 and 2019 too. Tyler Juza and Riley Robertson were second and third to finish in 22:13 and 22:33.
Alyssa Clark, like Jaqua, the race’s 2023 winner, was again victorious in 23:26. That took 34 minutes off Tracy Garneau’s course record that dated back to 2010. That also placed her fifth overall and was over an hour better than Clark’s own 2023 run. Andrea Tarras and Candice Burt ran 25:51 and 28:29 for second and third, respectively. Burt was third in 2024, too.
Spine Race – Pennine Way, United Kingdom
The 268-mile one-way race was just starting when last week’s column published. Nicknamed “Britain’s most brutal race,” there’s both a summer and winter version and this year’s winter race was punctuated by Arctic conditions at the start and a spring-like thaw by the finish.
After three straight DNFs, Kim Collison (U.K.) won this year’s men’s race in 82:46. Only seven minutes separated second- and third-place Dave Phillips (U.K.) and Tiaan Erween (South Africa) in 85:58 and 86:05.
Kim Collison, celebrates reaching the border hotel as 2025 Winter Spine Race men’s champion. Photo: @willbaldlygo/The Spine Race
Former pro triathlete Lucy Gossage (U.K.) overtook Robyn Cassidy (U.K.) on day two and went on to win the women’s race in 87:41. She finished fifth overall after debuting as third woman last year. Cassidy stayed on for second in 94:31 and Nikki Arthur (Isle of Man) was third in 103:36.
Lucy Gossage has a well-earned sit down outside the Border Hotel, after winning the 2025 Winter Spine Race Photo: @fellsidephotography/The Spine Race
Tindiret Barng’etuny Mountain Run – Nandi County, Kenya
The 14k race was the first of the new Magical Kenya Mountain and Trail Series and was also a selection race for the September 2025 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships. Race winners earned Ksh 500,000, or almost $4,000.
Alfred Kipkemoi Cheruiyot, a 62:28 half marathoner as recently as October 2024, won the men’s race in 69:04. Ken Koros and Richard Omaya Atuya were next in 69:33 and 69:35.
Women’s winner Janeth Chepngetich took the trail in 83:18. Chepngetich ran 29:55 for 10k on the roads in Valencia, Spain, in January 2024. Mercy Chemutai and Mirriam Chepkirui ran 86:48 and 88:04 for the other two podium spots.
Additional Races and Runs
Coldwater Rumble – Goodyear, Arizona
Nathan Brown and Elizabeth Shell were tops in the 100 miler in 15:50 and 19:27. Matthew Bradner and Lucie Rathbun won the 100k in 9:30 and 9:20, respectively, with Rathbun the overall winner. Full results.
Houston Marathon and Half Marathon – Houston, Texas
Both the marathon and half marathon are among the faster races for the distance in America, and stand out from spring and fall contests for their January race date. Christian Allen ran 2:10:32 to finish the marathon as the top American and seventh overall. CJ Albertson, 50k world record holder but more prolific marathoner, was uncharacteristically off-the-mark in 2:21:38. Calum Neff ran 2:24:21 as part of his prep for next month’s Black Canyon 100k. Devon Yanko ran 2:50:45 in the women’s marathon. Two-time Leadville 100 Mile winner Adrian MacDonald hit a personal best 68:48 in the half marathon. Full results.
Swamp Stomper 50k – Millington, Tennessee
Ryan Davis and Hannah Stoneking led a small group, both in 5:20 but with Davis 50 seconds ahead. Full results.
Tsali Ultra 50k – Almond, North Carolina
The 14th-year race ran on the Tsali Trails in the Nantahala National Forest. Canyon Woodward and Ali Cooper were out front in 3:42 and 4:38. Full results.
Call for Comments
- See any other trail runners, ultrarunners, or mountain runners in the Houston Marathon and Half Marathon results?
