The Run Rabbit Run 100 Mile has been a quintessential American fall 100 miler for years, both for its mountain fall scenery and competitive dynamics, and the 2024 edition was no different. In the men’s race Richard Lockwood ran away with his second win, backing up his 2022 victory with an even faster and more dominant performance. In the women’s race, Canadian Emilie Mann set a new course record by running 19:48:05, in doing so besting Michele Yates’s mark of 20:16:54, which had stood since 2013, by more than 27 minutes.
For 2024, the event experienced good weather, with warm daytime conditions leading to a cool to cold night, all normal for a mid-September weekend in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
The Run Rabbit Run 100 Mile course is about 101.5 miles long, with 20,300 feet of climbing, and takes place at altitudes ranging from about 6,600 to 10,600 feet.
Uniquely, this event hosts two starts, one for the speedier “hares” and another for the steady “tortoises.” The hares race began on Friday, September 13 at 1 p.m. local time and has a 30-hour cutoff.
Also uniquely, this event hosts a huge prize purse — over $100,000 in total — with $15,000 going to the men’s and women’s winners, prize money seven deep in both races, and a host of other dollars doled out for preems, a team event, masters and senior runners, and more.
The start of the 2024 Run Rabbit Run 100 Mile. Photo: Kellie Thompson/Hidden Antelope Photography/@hiddenantelope
2024 Run Rabbit Run 100 Mile Men’s Race
In the early race miles, eventual men’s champ and 2022 victor Richard Lockwood seemed content to run as either the leader or a close chaser. To those of us watching from the outside, he seemed to be patiently passing the miles until the other men around him dropped back one by one. The last man fell behind somewhere before mile 71, and from there, Lockwood exerted utter dominance over the men’s field. His lead grew slowly at first, and rapidly in the race’s final miles, until he crossed the line in 17:24:41. This was about 47 minutes clear of the second man and 35 minutes faster than his 2022 victory.
Richard Lockwood, 2024 Run Rabbit Run 100 Mile men’s champion, greeted at the finish by race director Fred Abramowitz. Photo: Kellie Thompson/Hidden Antelope Photography/@hiddenantelope
Men’s second-place finisher Adam Loomis avenged a drop at this event last year with a solid start-to-finish performance that saw him pushing the men’s leaders in the race’s first half before clearly demarcating the second-place position in the race’s final third. His 18:12:17 was well clear of third place.
With three prior finishes at this event, including fifth and sixth places, Christopher Hammes knows how to run this race. Letting some of the racing games happen around him while running in the middle of the men’s top 10 for most of the race, he moved into his ultimate third-place position after mile 82 to finish in 18:56:34, close to an hour faster than his best prior finish. This follows a win at the 2024 High Lonesome 100 Mile less than two months ago.
Tyler Green and Nicholas Lightbody rounded out the men’s top five. With this finish, Green caps off a summer 100-mile double that saw him take seventh at the 2024 Western States 100 before finishing fourth at this race, and Lightbody continuing to develop his trail-ultra career, following up on sixth at the Black Canyon 60k and second at the Canyons by UTMB 100 Mile in 2024.
2024 Run Rabbit Run 100 Mile Men’s Results
- Richard Lockwood – 17:24:41
- Adam Loomis – 18:12:17
- Christopher Hammes – 18:56:34
- Tyler Green – 19:09:46
- Nicholas Lightbody – 19:34:08
- Aaron Slabach – 19:34:55
- Clint Anders – 19:47:39
- Zach Eagle – 20:48:26
- Matthew Bigman – 21:04:03
- Robert Irr – 21:45:21
2024 Run Rabbit Run 100 Mile Women’s Race
In winning the women’s race, Emilie Mann of Canada made event history, setting a new course record and besting a record time that had stood for 11 years. Her approach was to chill amongst the lead women early, run a steady middle race, and totally slay the final miles. At the top of the first climb, Mann arrived amongst a passel of fast women, running a minute and change behind earliest leader and course record holder Michele Yates. As late as mile 89, Mann was still running in second place behind then-leader Leah Yingling before assuming the lead, running away with things, and finishing in 19:48:05, a win of over 30 minutes.
Second-place Yingling put up a heckuva fight, running amongst the top women early, assuming the women’s lead for some of the race’s middle to late miles, and ultimately taking second in 20:19:24, just 2.5 minutes shy of the prior course record. This hopefully closes a big year of racing for Yingling, which has included participating in the lululemon FURTHER six-day event in the spring and taking 10th at the 2024 Western States 100 in the summer.
Shea Aquilano took third place in the women’s race, which might be her second finish in the 100-mile distance. Her effort showed particular late-race strength, where she held even in places where other women slowed. Is this a sign of more longer-distance trail races in the future for Aquilano, whose five-year ultra career shows lots of success so far at the 50- to 100-kilometer distances?
Barrett Gray and Nicole Laughton rounded out the top five women, and early race pace pusher Yates finished in eighth. This event appears to be Gray’s 100-mile debut, while for Laughton, this performance follows up on past wins at events like the Rocky Raccoon 100 Mile and Arkansas Traveler 100 Mile in recent years.
Emilie Mann, 2024 Run Rabbit Run 100 Mile women’s champ, on the first climb. Photo: Kellie Thompson/Hidden Antelope Photography/@hiddenantelope
2024 Run Rabbit Run 100 Mile Women’s Results
- Emilie Mann (Canada) – 19:48:05
- Leah Yingling – 20:19:24
- Shea Aquilano – 21:31:32
- Barrett Gray – 21:41:28
- Nicole Laughton – 21:52:56
- Stacey Marion – 22:09:58
- Sandi Nypaver – 22:12:26
- Michele Yates – 22:29:46
[Editor’s Note: At the time of this article’s publishing, eight women have finished. We’ll update the article once the top 10 women have finished.]
