Travel limitations kept the Skyrunning World Series’s start from reaching its highest levels, but that world tour did get underway at Japan’s Mt. Awa Skyrace. Elsewhere, there was scattered racing across the American West, and next weekend includes two chances for great competition at The Canyons 100k and the Jackpot Ultrarunning Festival 100 Mile. Both of those races are previewed.
[Editor’s Note: As you return to racing, we hope you’ll research and follow regulations and recommendations in your running-related travel. Here’s our science-based article on how to lower COVID-19 risks as you travel and race.]
Mt. Awa Skyrace — Sanjo, Japan
The 2021 Skyrunner World Series is now underway, though travel challenges kept the typically international event national. The Mt. Awa Skyrace was scheduled for 33k (20.5 miles) and with 2,300 meters (7,546 feet) of elevation gain, but a spring storm kept the route to lower elevations.
The women’s race wasn’t entirely competitive with Takako Takamura (Japan) way out front in 2:31. She was last on the iRunFar pages with a fourth-place run at the 2019 Madeira Skyrace. For the women it was Kishiko Suto and Luciana Nagaki in second and third at 3:14 and 3:24, respectively.
In the men’s run, less than a minute separated Yuya Kawasaki and Miki Ushida at the lead. Kawasaki won in 2:00 to Ushida’s 2:01, and Masato Kamishohara was third in 2:05.
The next Skyrunner World Series race is the June 5 Hochkönig Skyrace in Austria.
Takako Takamura, 2021 Mt. Awa Skyrace champion. Photo: Mt. Awa Skyrace
Whiskey Basin Trail Runs 92k — Prescott, Arizona
Aravaipa Running’s long course Whiskey Basin Trail Runs race runs the entire Prescott Circle Trail, around the historic old west town.
Meghan Slavin led the women’s 92k race in 10:37. Courtney Barnes was first female in the 60k at 5:12.
Nick Coury won the men’s 92k in 8:04, and Joey Defeo went 4:58 to win the 60k in 5:12. Watch our interview with Nick after his win.
Amasa 25k — Moab, Utah
A planned-for 50k race was scrapped for 2021, but 25k, 15k, and 10.5k distances were contested on the Amasa red-rock desert course.
In the 25k, all of the top-three females ran better than the previous course best. Bonnie Kaminsky was the furthest out front, running 2:05. Emma Patterson and Nichole Mairs followed in 2:16 and 2:19.
Men’s winner Timmy Parr topped his own course record from 2019 with a 1:49 finish. Ryan Guldan and Allan Ross chased with 1:54 and 2:07 podium times.
Desert Rats Trail Running Festival — Fruita, Colorado
Not that far east of the above Moab race, this time in far west Colorado, the Desert Rats Trail Running Festival included Saturday and Sunday races.
Women
Salynda Heinl won the women’s marathon in 4:05, five minutes better than second-place Marisa Cummings. Claire Cuthbert took third in 4:23.
Just a bit longer in the 50k, Brittany Charboneau, the “Funny Runner,” dipped under the four-hour mark with a quick 3:59:52 finish. A short Charboneau flick just dropped last week. Sarah Cummings edged Bryn McKillop for second, both in 4:19 but 52 seconds away.
Men
Andrew Butterworth topped Josh Eberly to win the marathon. Butterworth finished in 3:18, and, if his UltraSignup page is complete, pushed his win streak to five. Eberly, a past U.S. Mountain Running Team member, was second in 3:24. Ethan Kirk ran 3:31 for third.
The men’s 50k featured Jonathan Rea out front in 3:41. Dustin Simoens and Max Robinson were second and third in 3:50 and 3:52. Further down, friend of the family Nick Clark was seventh in 4:18.
Coyote Trail Run 50 Mile — Cleburne, Texas
Five race distances featured at the Trail Racing Over Texas Coyote Trail Run 50 Mile.
Heather Gothard was almost an hour better than second in the women’s 50 miler. She finished in 10:34. Sarah Teruel won the 50k in 7:21.
Just like in the women’s 50-mile race, men’s champ Chad Salyer was also almost an hour ahead of his closest challenger. Salyer ran 9:18. 50k winner Eric Gilbertson clocked 5:01 at the front of the race.
The start of the 2021 Coyote Trail Run 50 Mile. Photo: Trail Racing Over Texas
Additional Trail Races, Ultramarathons, and Runs
Des Linden’s 50k World Record
Early in the week, 2018 Boston Marathon winner Des Linden ran a 2:59:54 50k in Oregon. It was a new world record, or world best depending on your technicality.
Tortula Torture 54k
The Tortula Torture 54k takes place on Tortula island in the British Virgin Islands. Natasha Ruscheinski and Sam Thompson were race winners in 4:53 and 4:07, respectively. Full results.
Spitfire Ultra Trail Challenge 50k
Brianna Russell and Jakub Galczynski won Idaho’s Spitfire Ultra Trail Challenge 50k in 6:55 and 5:25. Full results.
Flint Hills 50 Mile
It was a new course record for Terri Payne at the Kansas Flint Hills 50 Mile. She finished in 6:56. Men’s winner Cory Logsdon crossed in 6:33, and that was a new best for the fourth-year race too. Full results.
Wild Canyon Ultra 100k and 50k
The Wild Canyon Ultra 100k and 50k, along with a couple shorter-distance races, took place in Texas, with Sanami Fottral and Miles Benevich winning the 100k in 16:55 and 12:36, respectively. Emily Lobacz was the women’s 50k winner in 4:30, and men’s winner Jeremy Swan finished in 4:40. Full results.
English’s Ridge Rumble 50k
Only 37 seconds separated frontrunners Rhonda Bullard and Bethany Titus in New York at the English’s Ridge Rumble 50k. The pair went 4:52:10 and 4:52:47, respectively. Men’s winner Jared Burdick set a new course record in 3:44. Full results.
Alpine Challenge Run 100 Mile
The Alpine Challenge Run 100 Mile played out in Australia’s Victorian Alps and crowned Millerine Brikker and Matthew Creehan champions in 31:50 and 22:26, respectively. This April event was a replacement for the 2020 edition which was rescheduled due to COVID-19, and the regular 2021 event will take place in November of this year. Full results.
COVID-19 Race Date Changes
It’s a bit of a tricky time with some earlier postponements now happening, and other races experiencing their first or second postponements, but here’s what caught our eye.
- Spain’s three-day Costa Brava Stage Run pushed back to October of 2021.
- The first-ever Calgonquin 50k in Tehachapi, California was called off.
- Both Washington state’s Run with Goats 50k and Spokane River Run 50k were skipped this weekend.
- The Badlands Mississippi Ultra 50 Mile went quiet for 2021.
Next Weekend — The Canyons 100k — Foresthill, California
This will be the eighth year of The Canyons 100k and it’ll be on an alternate course, but still as a Western States 100 Golden Ticket race. The top-two women and men stand to earn automatic entries to Western States. Last year’s Canyons 100k didn’t happen, but Kathryn Drew and Jimmy Elam won in 2019. We appreciate that 2021 start lists may be loose, but here’s what looks official, and it looks good!
Women
- Lindsey Hagen — 2nd 2019 Mountain Lakes 100 Mile
- Abby Hall — 1st 2020 Moab Red Hot 55k
- Emily Hawgood (Zimbabwe) — 7th 2021 Black Canyon 100k
- Nicole Monette — 1st (16:19) at 2020 Yeti 100 Mile
- Taylor Nowlin — 1st 2021 Badger Mountain Challenge 50k
- Beth Pascall (U.K.) — 4th 2019 Western States 100
- Audrey Tanguy (France) — 4th 2020 Transgrancanaria 128k
- Kristina Trygstad-Saari — 1st 2019 Bridger Ridge Run
- YiOu Wang — 1st 2019 The North Face 50-Mile Championships
- Leah Yingling — 1st 2021 Bel Monte Endurance Run 50k
Men
- Noah Brautigam — 1st 2020 Speedgoat 50k
- Avery Collins — 1st 2019 Fat Dog 120 Mile
- Anthony Costales — 1st 2021 Behind the Rocks 50 Mile
- Anthony Fagundes — 3rd 2020 Way Too Cool 50k
- Gus Gibbs — 5th 2020 Way Too Cool 50k
- Brett Hornig — 1st 2021 Peterson Ridge Rumble 36 Mile
- Max King — 2nd 2020 Pioneer Spirit 50 Mile
- David Laney — 1st 2019 Rocky Raccoon 100 Mile
- Drew Macomber — 1st 2019 Waldo 100k
- Paddy O’Leary — 3rd 2018 Chuckanut 50k
- Scott Trummer — 9th 2019 Canyons 100k
- Cole Watson — 3rd 2020 Bandera 100k
- Eli White — 1st 2020 Georgia Death Race
Next Weekend — Jackpot Ultrarunning Festival — Las Vegas, Nevada
Originally scheduled for February 2021, this year’s Jackpot Ultrarunning Festival will instead roll its dice outside of Las Vegas next weekend. It is the year’s USATF 100-Mile Road National Championships. Wow, even with some anticipated entry-list attrition, there are a lot of fast 100-mile runners here.
Women
- Stefanie Flippin — 1st 2020 (15:55) Tunnel Hill 100 Mile
- Marisa Lizak — 1st 2020 (14:44) Desert Solstice 100 Mile
- Micah Morgan — 2nd (15:11) 2018 Desert Solstice 100 Mile
- Suzi Swineheart — 1st (16:12) 2020 Daytona 100 Mile
Men
- Zach Bitter — 2nd 2019 JFK 50 Mile
- Martin Erl — 1st (15:15) 2020 Canal Corridor 100 Mile
- Jacob Jackson — 4th (14:10) 2020 Desert Solstice 100 Mile
- Ryan Montgomery — 3rd (13:35) 2020 Desert Solstice 100 Mile
- Rajpaul Pannu — 2nd (6:28) 2021 Project Carbon X2 100k
- Jean Pommier — 3rd (14:47) 2019 Jackpot Ultra Running Festival 100 Mile
- Patrick Reagan — 1st (13:33) 2020 Yeti 100 Mile
- Jim Sweeney — 2nd (14:30) 2019 Tunnel Hill 100 Mile
- Jeff Urbanski — 3rd (15:30) 2020 Rocky Raccoon 100 Mile
Call for Comments
We appreciate the response to TWIR’s return last week, let’s keep it going! What races did you take part in or spectate over the weekend?
