Clear your morning. There’s a lot here to catch up on! The last weekend of June always hits hard with the Western States 100, the Marathon du Mont Blanc, and the Lavaredo Ultra Trail by UTMB.
Enough chit chat, let’s get right to it.
Marathon du Mont Blanc – Chamonix, France
90k du Mont Blanc
The long course went for 92 kilometers and with 6,330 meters of gain. That’s 57 miles and 20,767 feet.
It was a double win for married couple Dmitry Mityaev (Andorra) and Ekaterina Mityaeva (Andorra). Both were dominant with 10:44 and 12:40 finish times that gapped their chasers by 18 and 29 minutes, respectively.
Behind men’s winner Mityaev’s 10:44 mark, second-place Thibaut Baronian (France) finished in 11:02 and Baptiste Petit Jean (France) was third in 11:13.
Women’s best Mityaeva ran 12:40, and was followed by Julie Roux (France) and Laure Rebuffet (France) in 13:09 and 13:51.
42k du Mont Blanc
The marathon distance race was the year’s fourth Golden Trail World Series (GTWS) contest.
Men
At the front of the race it was a duel between last year’s GTWS finale double-winner Elhousine Elazzaoui (Morrocco) and last year’s Marathon du Mont Blanc winner Rémi Bonnet (Switzerland). Only 46 seconds separated the pair, and both in 3:30, but Elazzaoui was in front. It was Bonnet’s first GTWS race of the year.
Third-place Roberto Delorenzi (Switzerland) followed three minutes later.
Elhousine Elazzaoui, 2024 Marathon du Mont Blanc champion. Photo: Golden Trail Series | Marathon du Mont Blanc | Mathis de Croux
The top-10 men were:
- Elhousine Elazzaoui (Morrocco) – 3:30
- Rémi Bonnet (Switzerland) – 3:30
- Roberto Delorenzi (Switzerland) – 3:33
- Kevin Kibet (Kenya) – 3:35
- Ezekiel Rutto (Kenya) – 3:37
- Robert Pkemoi Matayango (Kenya) – 3:38
- Frédéric Tranchand (France) – 3:39
- Francesco Puppi (Italy) – 3:42
- Miguel Corbera (Spain) – 3:43
- Daniel Pattis (Italy) – 3:45
Women
The women’s race wasn’t that different. Just like Elazzaoui, at the end of last year’s GTWS, Mădălina Florea (Romania) emerged as a world-class star. And just like Bonnet, last year’s Marathon du Mont Blanc winner Sophia Laukli (U.S.) was racing in the GTWS for the first time this year too.
Judith Wyder (Switzerland) beat both Florea and Laukli though, and everyone else too. She won in 4:11. Florea was second in 4:13, and Miao Yao (China) was third in 4:18.
Judith Wyder, 2024 Marathon du Mont Blanc champion. Photo: Golden Trail Series | Marathon du Mont Blanc | Mathis de Croux
The top-10 women were:
- Judith Wyder (Switzerland) – 4:11
- Mădălina Florea (Romania) – 4:13
- Miao Yao (China) – 4:18
- Sophia Laukli (U.S.) – 4:19
- Rosa Lara Feliu (Spain) – 4:25
- Caitlin Fielder (New Zealand) – 4:25
- Maude Mathys (Switzerland) – 4:26
- Anna-Stiina Erkkilä (Finland) – 4:26
- Theres Lebouef (Switzerland) – 4:29
- Ikram Rharsalla Laktab (France) – 4:29
[In 2015, Maude Mathys received a warning without suspension from the Disciplinary Chamber for Doping Cases of Swiss Olympic for two positive tests for clomifene (previously clomiphene) after it was determined that she was mistakenly taking the drug without first obtaining a World Anti-Doping Agency Therapeutic Use Exemption.]
Lavaredo Ultra Trail by UTMB – Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy
Lavaredo 120k
Men
Hannes Namberger (Germany) outgunned Tom Evans (U.K.) at the front of the men’s race. The 75-mile run went for 19,000 feet of elevation gain, and Namberger became a three-time winner. His 11:57 finish this year was less than a minute off his 2022 course best. Evans was really close in 12:00 for second, and Yannick Noël (France) was third in 12:12.
The top five men were:
- Hannes Namberger (Germany) – 11:57
- Tom Evans (U.K.) – 12:00
- Yannick Noël (France) – 12:12
- Jonas Russi (Switzerland) – 12:27
- Thibaut Garrivier (France) – 12:33
Hannes Namberger, 2024 Lavaredo Ultra Trail by UTMB champion. Photo: Lavaredo Ultra Trail/Alexis Berg
Women
As close as the men’s race was, the women’s was not at all. Rosanna Buchauer (Germany, living in Austria) was over an hour better than everyone else. She finished in 14:09. Giuditta Turini (Italy) edged out Michaela Wolf (Germany) for second, 15:19 to 15:22.
The top five women were:
- Rosannna Buchauer (Germany, living in Austria) – 14:09
- Giuditta Turini (Italy) – 15:19
- Michaela Wolf (Germany) – 15:22
- Britta Clark (U.S.) – 15:58
- Ingrid Lid (Norway) – 16:32
Cortina 50k
Men
Antonio Martínez (Spain) won for the second time here. This year’s finish was in 4:15, two minutes better than when he won in 2021. Luca Del Pero (Italy) was only 50 seconds back in 4:16, and Mattia Gianola (Italy) was third in 4:19. The course totaled 8,530 feet of climbing.
Women
Women’s winner Elisa Desco (Italy) broke free from the field with a 4:54 finish. It was a lot closer behind her, only three minutes separated the next three women. Sofiia Porokhnavets (Ukraine) was the best of the chase group in 5:08, and Andreea Alina Piscu (Romania) was third in 5:09.
[From 2010 to 2012, Elisa Desco served a two-year doping ban from the IAAF after she tested positive for EPO at the 2009 World Mountain Running Championships.]
Western States 100 – Auburn, California
iRunFar went deep earlier and separately on the race dynamics. It was another thriller with ever-increasing performances for both the men and women.
Men
Three-time winner Jim Walmsley dueled with recent Canyons by UTMB 100k winner Rod Farvard late into the race. Walmsley finally gained the ultimate lead some 15 miles from the finish and hit the tape in 14:13. It was the race’s second-fastest finish ever, trailing only Walmsley’s 2019 14:09 course record.
Farvard held on for second, sprinting the final 300 meters to hold off hard-charging Hayden Hawks. Both Farvard and Hawks finished in 14:24, and only 16 seconds apart. Farvard and Hawks became the second- and third-fastest men ever at Western States, with the third- and fourth-fastest finish times ever.
Jim Walmsley at mile 94 of the 2024 Western States 100, on his way to winning the race. Photo: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
You’ve probably already seen the top 10, but the iRunFar preview included some 25 men and we chased each’s result down.
1 – Jim Walmsley – 14:13
2 – Rod Farvard – 14:24
3 – Hayden Hawks – 14:24
4 – Dan Jones (New Zealand) – 14:32
5 – Caleb Olson – 14:40
6 – Jon Albon (U.K., living in Norway) – 14:57
7 – Tyler Green – 15:05
8 – Jia-Sheng Shen (China) – 15:09
9 – Jonathan Rea – 15:13
10 – Chris Myers – 15:18
11 – Blake Slattengren – 15:18
12 – Ji Duo (China) – 15:35
13 – Petter Engdahl (Sweden, living in Norway) – 16:22
14 – Guo-Min Deng (China) – 16:37
15 – Cole Watson – 16:44
16 – Simon Gosselin (France) – 17:04
17 – Jupiter Carera (Mexico) – 17:14
18 – Dakota Jones – 17:41
20 – Ryan Montgomery – 18:34
23 – Caleb Bowen – 19:02
24 – Robert Hajnal (Romania) – 19:06
25 – Harvey Lewis – 19:21
29 – Paul Jacobs – 19:51
92 – Nick Coury – 25:14
Jeff Colt did not finish and Drew Mueller must have been a late scratch and did not start the race.
The first man to finish who was not highlighted in the pre-race preview was 19th-place Devin Vennard at 18:22.
Rod Farvard would go on to take second at the 2024 Western States 100. Photo: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
Women
Pre-race favorite Katie Schide (U.S., living in France) led for all of the race, and was ahead of course record pace for most of the way. She finished first in 15:46. That’s 17 minutes back of Courtney Dauwalter’s 15:29 course record from last year, but almost an hour better than her own 16:43 mark from last year. Schide’s 15:46 now ranks as the race’s second-fastest ever.
Behind her, everyone else ran fast too. Fu-Zhao Xiang (China) was second in 16:20. That’s the race’s third-fastest finish ever, and Eszter Csillag (Hungary, living in Hong Kong) repeated as the race’s third-place finisher. Csillag ran 16:42, just ahead of Schide’s 2023 time.
Katie Schide on her way to winning the 2024 Western States 100. Photo: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
Twenty-six women made the preview article. How’d they all do?
1 – Katie Schide (U.S., living in France) – 15:46
2 – Fu-Zhao Xiang (China) – 16:20
3 – Eszter Csillag (Hungary, living in Hong Kong) – 16:42
4 – Emily Hawgood (Zimbabwe, living in the U.S.) – 16:48
5 – Yngvild Kaspersen (Norway) – 16:50
6 – Ida Nilsson (Sweden, living in Norway) – 16:56
7 – Heather Jackson – 17:16
8 – Rachel Drake – 17:28
9 – Priscilla Forgie (Canada) – 17:30
10 – Leah Yingling – 17:33
11 – Anna Louden – 17:53
12 – Emily Schmitz (U.S., living in France) – 18:39
13 – Lauren Puretz – 18:52
14 – Careth Arnold – 18:53
15 – Lotti Brinks – 18:53
16 – Becca Windell – 19:38
17 – Kellie Angel (Australia) – 19:47
18 – Kaci Lickteig – 20:45
19 – Giulia Vinco (Italy) – 20:46
21 – Ragna Debats (The Netherlands, living in Spain) – 22:00
23 – Jo Meek (U.K.) – 23:28
24 – Madeline Wighardt (Canada) – 23:39
31 – Sally McRae – 23:24
Drops included Lin Chen (China), Eleanor Davis (U.K.), and Anna Li (China).
The first finisher not named in the pre-race preview was 20th-place Alina Edwards at 21:59.
Fu-Zhao Xiang took second at the 2024 Western States 100. Photo: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
Additional Races and Runs
XTERRA Garmin Mountain Festival – Vall de Boí, Spain
The festival was set amidst the Aigüestortes and Lake Sant Maurici National Park. The marathon distance race was part of the XTERRA Trail Run World Series and put in 5,600 meters, or 18,370 feet, of elevation gain. Marc Pinsach Rubirola (Spain) took first place with a time of 4:16. In the women’s race, Noelia González Pérez (Spain) led the pack with a time of 6:19. Full results.
Kaiserkrone Skyrace – Scheffau am Wilden Kaiser, Austria
It’s already the 10th race of this year’s Skyrunner World Series. This one went 25k and with 2,770 meters, or 15.5 miles and 9,087 feet, and it was really hot out there. It was 86 degrees Fahrenheit at the start. And at the finish it was Manuel Merillas (Spain) and Anastasia Rubtsova (Russia) were first in 3:29 and 4:04. Full results.
Manual Merillas and Anastasia Rubtsova, 2024 Kaiserkrone Skyrace champions. Photo: Antton Guaresti
U.S. Olympic Trials – Eugene, Oregon
Let’s look at trail runners who competed in the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials. On Monday, June 24, Allie Ostrander ran 9:29 to finish fifth in her heat of the 3,000-meter steeplechase preliminary round. That time qualified her for the final. And in that final on Thursday, June 27, Ostrander ran a 9:21 personal best to finish seventh. The race went fast with the first nine women all running a personal best.
(In 2023, Ostrander was suspended for four months after testing positive for canrenone, a metabolite of spironolactone, after it was determined that she mistakenly took the drug without first obtaining a World Anti-Doping Agency Therapeutic Use Exemption.)
On June 24, Lauren Gregory was 13th in the 5,000-meter final in 15:44.
Six days after finishing second in the Broken Arrow Vertical Kilometer, Anna Gibson raced the first round of the 1,500-meter run. She finished in 4:10 for seventh place in her heat, and that advanced her to the semifinal round the next day. And in that semifinal round Gibson bettered her time to 4:09, but finished 11th and didn’t qualify for the final.
Cirque Series – Brighton, Utah
The year’s first Cirque Series race went 6.7 miles and with 3,015 feet of elevation gain. It paid $1,000 to each winner. Patrick Kipngeno (Kenya) was almost three minutes ahead in the men’s race with a 1:04 finish, and Laurel Moyer won a closer women’s race in 1:25. Full results.
Leadville Marathon and Heavy Half – Leadville, Colorado
The out-and-back marathon went up 6,167 feet to a 13,185-foot high point before ripping back to Leadville, and the Heavy Half stretched 15.4 miles with 3,421 feet of elevation gain. Marathon winners Jacob Skraba and Mary Denholm finished in 3:47 and 3:59, and Heavy Half leaders Seth Demoor and Chrissy Lofgren clocked 1:52 and 2:30. Full results.
Black Hills 100 Mile – Sturgis, South Dakota
The Black Hills 100 Mile has four race distances from 30k to 100 miles. While the results aren’t yet online at the time of this article’s writing on Sunday evening, we know Dalton Struck and Jill Dennes won the 100 miler in 21:41 and 21:50, respectively. Full results (when available).
Jill Dennes, 2024 Black Hills 100 Mile champion. Photo: Legendary Randy Ericksen Films
Call for Comments
That was a big weekend! What say you about it all?
