We’re dropping into New Zealand, Puerto Rico, and South Africa for the weekend highlights. There was the Skyrunner World Series, the XTERRA Trail Run World Series, and the Two Oceans Marathon at the top.
Two Oceans Marathon – Cape Town, South Africa
The famed 56-kilometer (35 miles) race is dubbed the “world’s most beautiful marathon” for its Cape Peninsula course. Although perhaps commonly thought of as a lead-in to the Comrades Marathon later this year, Two Oceans stands alone as both a big and competitive race too. Some 13,000 runners took part and the race winners each earned R250,000, or roughly $13,000.
Men
The men’s race went into the final kilometers when Khoarahlane Seutloali (Lesotho) ultimately gapped his chasers. Seutloali finished in 3:10:47, and South Africa’s Sboniso Sikhakhane and Lucky Mohale came next in 3:11:18 and 3:11:27. It was the slowest men’s winning time since 2016.
The men’s top five was:
- Khoarahlane Seutloali (Lesotho) – 3:10:47
- Sboniso Sikhakhane (South Africa) – 3:11:18
- Lucky Mohale (South Africa) – 3:11:27
- Nkosikhona Mhlakwana (South Africa) – 3:11:53
- Mphatso Nadolo (Malawi) – 3:12:09
Women
The women’s race was entirely different with Gerda Steyn (South Africa) winning for the sixth straight year, and by a wide margin. Steyn finished in 3:29:11. The time was just over two minutes back of her course record run from 2024. It was her, and the race’s, third fastest time on the course. Shelmith Muriuki (Kenya) and Neheng Khatala (Lesotho) were second and third in 3:37:51 and 3:40:39.
- Gerda Steyn (South Africa) – 3:29:11
- Shelmith Muriuki (Kenya) – 3:37:51
- Neheng Khatala (Lesotho) – 3:40:39
- Carla Molinaro (U.K.) – 3:43:45
- Dikeledi Majara (Lesotho) – 3:46:24
Calamorro Skyrace – Benálmadena, Spain
It was already the year’s third Skyrunner World Series race. The course went 27k and with 2,700 meters of gain. That’s 17 miles and 8,900 feet.
As in the series’ first race, it was again Luca Del Pero (Italy) and Roberto Delorenzi (Switzerland) finishing first and second. Del Pero beat Delorenzi, and broke Delorenzi’s former course record too. That was worth a €500 bonus for the new record setter. Del Pero finished in 2:24:19, Delorenzi was second in 2:26:01, and Nicolas Molina (Spain) ran 2:26:56 for third.
Luca Del Pero, the 2025 Calamorro Skyrace men’s champion. Photo: Skyrunner World Series/Antton Guaresti
Patricia Pineda (Spain) chased down race-long leader Denisa Dragomir (Romania) to score a late upset win in 3:01:51. Dragomir was second in 3:02:43 and Elisa Desco (Italy) ran 3:05:13 for third.
[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.]
Patricia Pineda, the 2025 Calamorro Skyrace women’s champion. Photo: Skyrunner World Series/Antton Guaresti
Reventón El Paso – La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain
The Canary Islands don’t go too many weeks without a mention this time of year.
Zaid Ait Malek (Spain) and Cristofer Clemente (Spain) have matching 7:12:05 finish times at the top of the 70k Ultra Trail race. Silvia Puigarnau Coma (Spain) led a small women’s group in 8:34.
In the Maratón, Francisco José Anguita (Spain) took the win eight seconds ahead of Yoel de Paz (Spain). The men’s leaders finished in 3:30 and 3:31, respectively. Women’s winner Vanessa Caba (Spain) was 24 minutes better than the women’s runner up in 4:31.
The event’s most popular and oldest distance, the 31k Classic race, had Andreu Simon (Spain) and Maria Milara (Spain) atop its podium in 2:23 and 3:14. The women’s race was particularly competitive with only 49 seconds separating Milara and second- and third-place Myriam Báez (Spain) and Veronica Suarez (Spain).
Additional Races and Runs
XTERRA Rotorua Festival – Rotorua, New Zealand
The XTERRA Trail Run World Series rolled on. The trail run was part of a seven-race event, including triathlon and duathlon contests too. On the North Island half marathon course, Andrew Briant (New Zealand) and Baiba Muzikante (New Zealand) scored 1:33 and 1:52 wins. The race winners were three and five minutes better than the rest of the field. Full results.
Runners on the leafy route of the 2025 XTERRA Rotorua Festival. Photo: XTERRA
XTERRA Puerto Rico – Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico
This one too was part of the XTERRA Trail Run World Series and paid out $1,200 in prize money for its half marathon race. As in New Zealand, the race had a pair of breakaway winners minutes in front of the competition. Kelvin González Ramírez (Puerto Rico) and Maria Medina (Puerto Rico) ran 1:35 and 1:53 at the front. Full results.
Ötzi Trailrun – Naturns, Italy
On a 30k course, Daniel Pattis (Italy) won big over Andreas Reiterer (Italy). Pattis won in 2:43 and Reiterer, stepping way down in distance from his usual ultrarunning, was second in 2:53. Anna Plattner (Austria) led the women’s race in 3:14. Full results.
Shotgun Blast 50k – Marcola, Oregon
At the Shotgun Creek Recreation Area, Gavin Ross and Kim Slate led a small group in 4:06 and 4:52. Full results.
American River 50 Mile – Folsom, California
Timothy Smith and Jennifer Sunahara won the point-to-point classic in 7:20 and 8:58. Full results.
Diablo Trails Challenge 50k – Walnut Creek, California
Race winners Brandon Costa and Christina Cazares went 4:32 and 6:31. Full results.
Carlsbad 5000 – Carlsbad, California
Andy Wacker is on a roll. He ran 14:05 for eighth at the highly-competitive 5k road race. Full results.
Running Up For Air – Moab, Utah
It was the second year for the charity run in Moab on a course that climbed 890 feet in just less than a mile. Brennan and Alexis Crellin won the three-hour contest with seven laps done. In the six-hour race, Samuel Collins and Michaela Holst Blomqvist totaled 14 and 11 laps, and in the 12-hour group, Kyle Zelt and Anita Ortiz went for 20 and 21 laps. Full results.
From left to right are Darcy Piceu, Sarah Lavender Smith, Meghan Hicks, Maggie Guterl, and Sarah Ostaszewski at the 2025 Running Up for Air Moab. Photo: Running Up for Air/Buzz Burrell
Hells Hills Trail Run – Smithville, Texas
At Rocky Hill Ranch, Jerry Hanna and Samantha Braun ran 10:04 and 12:50 for 50 miles, and Kwok Hin Lai and Sarah June were best in the 50k at 4:15 and 5:55. Full results.
Brazos Bend 50 – Needville, Texas
Russ Ford and Ally Hagen won the 50 miler in 7:36 and 8:33, and Timothy Nolan and Courtney Rouse led the 50k in 4:43 and 4:25. Rouse was the overall winner, and second woman Laura Keaton in 4:31 also came in ahead of the lead man. Full results.
Fall Creek Falls 50k – Spencer, Tennessee
First man Todd Randles finished in 6:15, but that was only good for fourth overall and Shannon Wheeler DeBoef was the first to finish in 5:16. Full results.
Bootlegger 100 Mile – Flovilla, Georgia
Jeff Browning racked up another 100-mile win, this time in 17:22. He was almost five hours better than the old course record for the third-year race. Loan Vo won for the women in 22:38 and that was a new course record too. Full results.
Bull Run Run – Clifton, Virginia
It was the race’s 31st year and Andrew Simpson and Justyna Wilson were victorious in 7:06 and 8:13. Full results.
Mt. Toby Ultra 50k – Sunderland, Massachusetts
Matt Pacheco and Lila Gaudrault won in 5:05 and 5:30, respectively. The race summited its namesake peak three times. Full results.
Umstead 100 Mile – Raleigh, North Carolina
The first four men all ran under 16 hours and Brian Zickefoose edged Christopher Miller for the win, 15:28 to 15:31. Kate Pallardy and Jana Grindheim were atop the women’s leaderboard in 18:16 and 18:46. Full results.
Call for Comments
What else happened this past weekend?
