Shoot, it’s August, and summer is flying by. The race calendar says otherwise, though, and there’s still a lot happening! More Skyrunner World Series, more World Mountain Running Association, and more fast finishes from all over the world are up in the queue.
Skyrace Comapedrosa – Arinsal, Andorra
The Skyrunner World Series race ran to the top of Andorra’s highest mountain, and did it on a day with super-hot temperatures too. It was a 24-kilometer course that gained 2,400 meters.
Men
Damien Humbert (France) picked up his second Series win of the year in 3:04. Marti Lázaro (Spain) chased to second in 3:07, and Nico Molina (Spain) was third in 3:11.
Damien Humbert, 2022 Skyrace Comapedrosa champion. Photo: Marc Sixto
Women
Lindsay Webster (Canada) won for the second time in as many weeks, finishing well clear of the field in 3:42. Like men’s winner Humbert, Webster too now leads the overall Series rankings. Almost two minutes split second- and third-place Onditz Iturbe (Spain) and Iris Pessey (France) in 3:51 and 3:52.
Lindsay Webster, 2022 Skyrace Comapedrosa champion. Photo: Marc Sixto
Giir Di Mont – Premana, Italy
The event included two days of racing in the mountains just west of Lake Como. Both the new uphill-only race and the classic up-and-down discipline were part of the World Mountain Running Association’s World Cup.
Uphill
Saturday’s uphill race went just 9k but with 1,050 meters of elevation gain. Things got super steep at the end, climbing over 400 meters in the final kilometer.
Patrick Kipngeno (Kenya) has been a revelation on this year’s tour. Kipgneno won his fifth Cup race of the year, finishing in 46:12. Philemon Kiriago (Kenya), only 19 years old, was second in 46:58, and Sylvain Cachard (France) topped out in 47:22 for third.
Later results included standouts Zac Hanna (Ireland) in fifth, Cesare Maestri (Italy) in sixth, and Henri Aymonod (Italy) in eighth.
Patrick Kipngeno, 2022 Gir Di Mont Uphill champion. Photo: Marco Gulberti/Corsa in Montagna
This year’s women’s Cup has completely gone to Joyce Njeru (Kenya). Like men’s winner Kipngeno, she too won for the fifth time this year. Njeru got up in 54:49, holding off Andrea Mayr (Austria) on the final section. Mayr clocked 55:07. Mădălina Florea (Romania) was a close third in 55:32.
Familiar names Francesca Ghelfi (Italy), Gloria Giudici (Italy), and Lucy Murigi (Kenya) were fifth, sixth, and seventh, respectively.
The 2022 Gir Di Mont Uphill women’s podium (l-to-r): 2. Andrea Mayr, 1. Joyce Njeru, and 3. Mădălina Florea. Photo: Marco Gulberti/Corsa in Montagna
Classic
Sunday’s 32k race celebrated its 28th year, and with 2,400 meters of gain. Runners from 14 countries took part.
The men’s race ran close and Petro Mamu (Eritrea) escaped Cristian Minoggio (Italy) by only 13 seconds as both finished in 3:11. Mattia Gianola (Italy) was third in 3:20.
[In 2017, Mamu failed two doping tests, after both the World Mountain Running Championships and the World Long Distance Mountain Running Championships. He was given a nine-month ban starting in September of 2017 by the IAAF for testing positive for fenoterol.]
The women’s race was close too with Elisa Desco (Italy) only 44 seconds in front of Lucy Murigi (Kenya). The pair finished in 4:00 and 4:01, and third-place Hillary Gerardi (USA) came in 4:06.
[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.]
Additional Races and Runs
Commonwealth Games Marathon – Birmingham, United Kingdom
2017 World Mountain Running Champion Victor Kiplangat (Uganda) won the road marathon race in 2:10. Full results.
La 6000D – Aime-la-Plagne, France
Beñat Marmissolle (France) finished the 67k race first in 6:20, and Lucie Bidault (France) won the women’s race in 7:41. Full results.
Megève Nature Trail – Megève, France
Mathieu Blanchard (Canada, lives in France) and Morgane Cretton (France) won the 74k run in 6:38 and 8:58, respectively. Full results.
Bucovina Ultra Rocks – Câmpulung Moldovenesc, Romania
The Lady’s Stones rock formation is among the many natural highlights of the forest-and-mountain run. Andrei Istina (Romania) and Fazakas Biborka (Romania) topped the 110k race in 17:01 and 19:55, and Valentin Toma (Romania) and Azara García (Spain) were best in the 88k at 10:25 and 11:55. Full results.
Montreux Trail Festival – Vaud, Switzerland
Clovis Chaverot (France) sped through the Swiss Alps on a 69k course in 8:11, and Ragna Debats (Netherlands) got back to racing with victory in 9:57. Chinese runners Can-Hua Luo and Fu-Zhao Xiang were close seconds in both races. Luo finished in 8:19, only eight minutes back of the men’s winner, and Fuzhao in 10:04, barely seven minutes away from Debats. Full results.
Canadian Death Race 125k – Grand Cache, Alberta, Canada
Ethan Peters and Lindsey Klassen led the 125k mountain run in 13:07 and 16:32, and Jeremy Thielmann and Priscilla Forgie won the marathon race in 5:01 and 4:06. Full results.
White River 50 Mile – Greenwater, Washington
Rainshadow Running’s event celebrated Gabriel Kline and Lauren Kersjes as race winners in 7:26 and 9:01. Full results.
Tushars Mountain Runs – Eagle Point Ski Resort, Utah
The Aravaipa Running event crowned Richard Lockwood and Elizabeth Butler as its 100k winners in 12:43 and 14:56, with Butler setting a new course record in the women’s race. Andrew Belus and Georgia Porter won over 70k in 9:19 and 9:24, again with Porter setting a women’s course record. Full results.
Never Summer 100k – Gould, Colorado
Barely two minutes separated Christopher Schurk and Christopher Copenhaver at the finish of the men’s race. The two frontrunners finished in 13:08 and 13:10, respectively, and women’s winner Meghan Morgan was right behind them too in 13:15. Second woman was Jane Maus in 14:45. Kyle Leto and Gwen Rudy were best in the separate 60k race in 6:05 and 7:12. Full results.
Berry Picker Trail Run – Vail, Colorado
The uphill race ran 4.5 miles at an average 14% grade. Joseph Gray and Janelle Lincks got the wins in 40:03 and 48:14. Full results.
Pikes Peak Ultra – Colorado Springs, Colorado
Four race distances were run, and Jim Rebenack and Anne Flower won Mad Moose Events’ 50k race in 4:47 and 5:50. Rebenack also won the race back in 2018. Graham Peet and Kristin Marshall won the 50-mile race in 9:44 and 11:08. Full results.
Badger Trail Races – Belleville, Wisconsin
Six race distances between a half marathon and 100 miles were featured at the Ten Junk Miles event. We’ll pull results from a couple of the races. Over 100k it was Michael Lesniak and Rebecca Leahy winning in 11:12 and 14:14, and over 50k it was Vikash Malik and Alison Huppert in 4:12 and 4:51. Full results.
Burning River 100 Mile – Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
It was the race’s 16th year and Luke Landis went 16:08 for the win, and Alyssa Hoffert got there in 20:08 to lead the women. Full results.
Call for Comments
- Everyone’s final preps for UTMB are in, or are they?
- What else was happening this weekend?
