Hippity, hoppity, it was Easter weekend, for those who celebrate.
There’s no golden egg here, but we’ve got the start of this year’s Golden Trail World Series, more from the Skyrunner World Series, and several other races worldwide. Hop on!
Kobe Trail – Kobe, Japan
It was the event’s second year on the Golden Trail World Series, and this year’s race marked the start of the 2025 series. The race was run on a four-loop, 21-kilometer course that totaled 2,109 meters of climbing. That’s 13 miles and almost 7,000 feet of gain.
Men
The men started the race 20 minutes after the women, and Joey Hadorn (Switzerland) rocketed to the lead on the early downhill stair sections. As they took the second loop, uphill all-star Patrick Kipngeno (Kenya) climbed into the lead and comfortably stayed in front the rest of the way. Kipngeno won for the second-straight year with a 2:29 finish.
Patrick Kipngeno, the 2025 Kobe Trail men’s winner. Photo: GoldenTrailSeries/KobeTrail/ @rising.story/@mathisdecroux
Behind Kipngeno, Philemon Kiriago (Kenya) held off Bogdan Damian (Romania) for second. The two both finished in 2:31 and only three seconds apart. Eighth here in 2024, Damian had his finest race yet on the circuit. Early pacesetter Hadorn was fourth.
This year’s races might not have been as deep as last year with several series regulars absent. There was nearly a 20-minute gap between the first- and 10th-place finishers, whereas a year ago the spread was 11 minutes.
The 2025 Kobe Trail top five men: 5. Ryunosuke Omi, 2. Philemon Kiriago, 1. Patrick Kipngeno, 3. Bogdan Damian, 4. Joey Hadorn. Photo: GoldenTrailSeries/KobeTrail/@rising.story/@mathisdecroux
The top 10 men were:
- Patrick Kipngeno (Kenya) – 2:29:46
- Philemon Kiriago (Kenya) – 2:31:53
- Bogdan Damian (Romania) – 2:31:56
- Joey Hadorn (Switzerland) – 2:33:45
- Ryunosuke Omi (Japan) – 2:35:49
- Daniel Pattis (Italy) – 2:37:21
- Theo Bourgeois (France) – 2:39:38
- Koken Ogasawara (Japan) – 2:39:48
- Ruy Ueda (Japan) – 2:46:45
- Juho Ylinen (Finland) – 2:49:11
Women
Second in 2024, Sara Alonso (Spain) aced this year’s run in 2:53. Alonso was nearly three minutes better than everyone else. Mădălina Florea (Romania) overcame heavily taped quadriceps to finish second in 2:59, and Malen Osa (Spain) was third in 3:02.
Sarah Alonso, the 2025 Kobe Trail women’s winner. Photo: Golden Trail Series/Kobe Trail/ @rising.story/@mathisdecroux
Early leader and race favorite Joyce Njeru (Kenya) was pushed back to sixth after a mid-race wrong turn.
As in the men’s race, the women’s race looked less deep than in 2024. There was a 34-minute window between the first- and 10th-place finishers, and that compares to only 14 minutes in 2024.
2025 Kobe Trail women’s top five. Photo: Golden Trail Series/Kobe Trail/ @rising.story/@mathisdecroux
The top 10 women were:
- Sara Alonso (Spain) – 2:53:57
- Mădălina Florea (Romania) – 2:59:46
- Malen Osa (Spain) – 3:02:10
- Takako Takamura (Japan) – 3:02:55
- Sara Willhoit (U.K.) – 3:17:15
- Joyce Njeru (Kenya) – 3:21:19
- Honoka Akiyama (Japan) – 3:21:55
- Yoshimi Tanaka (Japan) – 3:24:28
- Betty Bergstrand (U.K.) – 3:26:19
- Courtney Coppinger (U.S.) – 3:27:57
The tour next moves to China for the April 26 Great Wall 24k.
Skyrace des Matheysins – La Mure, France
Snow and high winds kept the course off its most technical ridge and steepest climb, but the race still ran on a 27k course with over 2,000 meters of climbing, and it was the year’s fifth Skyrunner World Series race.
Men
Luca Del Pero (Italy) and Roberto Delorenzi (Switzerland) have been the men to beat on the Skyrunner World Series this year. Del Pero had won two of the first four races and Delorenzi was second in those same two races. Both were upset here though by Alex Oberbacher (Italy). Oberbacher gapped the field on the first climb and finished 90 seconds ahead of everyone in 2:25:50.
Alex Oberbacher, the 2025 Skyrace des Matheysins men’s winner. Photo: Skyrunner World Series
Only 17 seconds separated the second- through fourth-place finishers and Delorenzi led this chase group in 2:27:20. Jan Torrella (Spain) was third in 2:27:28 and series leader Del Pero was fourth in 2:27:37.
The men’s top five was:
- Alex Oberbacher (Italy) – 2:25:50
- Roberto Delorenzi (Switzerland) – 2:27:20
- Jan Torrella (Spain) – 2:27:28
- Luca Del Pero (Italy) – 2:27:37
- Frédéric Tranchand (France) – 2:28:05
Women
The women’s race wasn’t as close at the top. Lucille Germain (France) took the lead on the race’s first climb and pulled away toward a dominant 2:51:20 win.
Julie Roux (France) and Marta Martínez (Spain) were second and third in 2:59:39 and 3:02:04. It was Martínez’s third series race on the year and she earned points to jump to the top of the early series rankings.
Spanish and French runners took the first nine finish spots.
Lucille Germain, the 2025 Skyrace des Matheysins women’s winner. Photo: Skyrunner World Series
The women’s top five was:
- Lucille Germain (France) – 2:51:20
- Julie Roux (France) – 2:59:39
- Marta Martínez (Spain) – 3:02:04
- Greta García (Spain) – 3:02:13
- Patricia Pineda (Spain) – 3:03:13
The Skyrunner World Series keeps going next weekend at the Penang Skyrace in Malaysia.
Additional Races and Runs
Belfast to Dublin Ultra – Dublin, Ireland
Despite heavy rain throughout, Mark Walker (U.K.) won in a speedy 16:42 and Jo Zakrzewski (U.K.) set a new women’s course record in 17:15 at the 107-mile race. Full results (when available).
Squak Mountain 50k – Issaquah, Washington
DJ Remi (Canada) was the men’s winner in 6:22, but Isabella Poulos won overall in 5:44. Full results.
Trail Mix 50k – Rockford, Minnesota
Women’s winner Breanne Hegg squeaked under the 5-hour mark with a 4:59 finish and men’s leader Ted Heikkila was almost 30 minutes better than everyone else with 3:40 on the clock. Full results.
Loud Thunder 50 – Illinois City, Illinois
Nate Truckenbrod scored a new 50-mile course record in 7:55 and Ellyse Ungs won the women’s race in 9:53. The 50k winners Brent Blanchard and Nora Bosslet ran 5:16 and 6:15. Full results.
Traprock 50k – Simsburg, Connecticut
It was the race’s 16th year and James Boeding and Lila Gaudrault won in 5:18 and 6:49. Full results.
Call for Comments
Both 50k world record holders Des Linden and CJ Albertson are racing today’s Boston Marathon, and so too is 2015 IAU 50k World Championships fifth-placer Jesse Davis. And then there is 2:05 man and 2017 World Mountain Running champion Victor Kiplangat (Uganda) on the elite entrant list too. What other trail- and ultra-adjacent runners will be at Boston?
