Backcountry, Headlands, and Mid Mountain, this weekend’s races covered some geography.
And we’re covering those races, the Leadville 100 Mile, and several others too. Happy Monday, let’s dig in.
Leadville 100 Mile – Leadville, Colorado
It’s been a year of milestone anniversaries and for the Leadville 100 Mile, it was year 40. The longtime “Race Across the Sky” went out and back from downtown Leadville, elevation 10,200 feet, to the Winfield ghost town and back. The double crossing of 12,600-foot Hope Pass, and climbs up Powerline and Sugarloaf, totaled 15,744 feet of elevation gain.
Women
Jacqui Mannhard moved into the women’s lead after the second checkpoint, near mile 24, and led for the next 76 miles. She finished first in 21:24. She was nearly two hours better than everyone else. Mannhard was seventh at 2021’s Run Rabbit Run 100 Mile.
Jacquie Mannhard celebrates winning the 2023 Leadville 100 Mile. Photo: Life Time
The next four women all finished under 24 hours too. Lucie Hanes came in second at 23:16, and Madeline Wighardt was third in 23:32. Wighardt, just 22 years old, moved up considerably throughout the race. She was as far back as 30th at mile 12 and still only sixth at mile 88 before getting onto the podium.
The full top 10 was:
1 – Jacquie Mannhard – 21:24
2 – Lucie Hanes – 23:16
3 – Madeline Wighardt (Canada) – 23:32
4 – Colleen Noonan – 23:33
5 – Carrie Stafford – 23:48
6 – Kate LeVasseur – 24:10
7 – Emily Wanless – 24:25
8 – Summer Frazier – 24:39
9 – Emma Wood – 24:50
10 – Cecelia Williams – 25:40
Devon Yanko, the race’s 2017 winner, dropped early on with injury.
Men
JP Giblin was second to halfway, seven minutes behind race leader Matthew Vira. Vira didn’t go any further and dropped from the race, and Giblin led the return trip back to Leadville. He finished first in 17:07 and was over an hour faster than his own 2022 runner-up 18:07 finish. Giblin was 18th at the Western States 100 earlier this summer too.
JP Giblin, the 2023 Leadville 100 Mile men’s winner. Photo: Life Time
Second- and third-place Luke Paulson and Scott Traer came in under 18 hours too at 17:47 and 17:54. This might’ve been Paulson’s 100-mile debut, whereas Traer was 15th at the Western States 100 back in June.
All of the top 10 was:
1 – JP Giblin – 17:07
2 – Luke Paulson – 17:47
3 – Scott Traer – 17:54
4 – Ry Webb (U.K.) – 18:38
5 – Patrick Cade – 19:34
6 – Paul Terranova – 19:43
7 – Corey Kallembach – 19:53
8 – Reid Burrows (Canada) – 20:12
9 – Daniel Metzger – 20:31
10 – Sean Bowman – 20:40
It was challenging day for many that were expected to challenge at the front. Mario Mendoza was 12th in 20:58. Rob Krar, who won the race in 2018 and 2014, dropped at halfway. Tyler Andrews, fourth in 2022, and Matt Flaherty, runner-up in 2021, both dropped near mile 40.
Ultravasan 90k – Sälen, Sweden
Women
Ida Nilsson (Sweden) took a wrong turn early, following a group of about 13 leading men down a wrong trail. The group collectively ran an extra 4 kilometers. It wasn’t until 15k to go that Nilsson gained the lead, but Sophia Sundberg (Sweden) barely ceded any ground. Nilsson finished first in 7:23 and Sundberg was second in 7:25. Just over two minutes separated the pair. The race was Nilsson’s last tune-up before the CCC.
Malin Barrulf (Sweden) was third in 7:31.
Men
It took a sub-7-hour run to get on the men’s podium. Olle Meijer (Sweden) did it for the home country in 6:46. Andrzej Piotrowski (Poland) and Elov Olsson (Sweden) were second and third in 6:53 and 6:58.
Additional Races and Runs
Squamish 50/50 – Squamish, British Columbia, Canada
The race popularly has 50-mile and 50k races across back-to-back days across the weekend. Emilie Mann (Canada) and race local Karl Augsten (Canada) won Saturday’s 50 miler in 8:38 and 7:14, and Robyn Mildren (USA) and Brandon Gardiner won the 50k in 5:30 and 4:45. Full results.
Emilie Mann, the 2023 Squamish 50 Mile women’s winner. Photo: Scott Robarts
Karl Augsten, the 2023 Squamish 50 Mile men’s winner. Photo: Scott Robarts
Backcountry Rise Trail Run – Toutle, Washington
Hannah Erdy and Evan Moreau led the 50 miler in 11:07 and 9:20, and Abbigale Forsman and Talon Hull won the 50k in 5:58 and 4:33. Hull’s mark was a new course record. Full results.
Tamalpa Headlands 50k – Muir Beach, California
The revived event awarded a $3,500 prize purse with $1,000 to each of its winners. The top-four women got in under five hours, but Jennifer Schmidt was a runaway winner out front in 4:22. Sarah Biehl edged out Sylvie Abel for second, 4:40 to 4:43. In the men’s race, Preston Cates and Paddy O’Leary (Ireland, lives in USA) dueled to 3:55 and 3:56 finishes, just over a minute apart, and Drew Macomber got on the podium in third at 4:08. Full results.
Bulldog 50k – Calabasas, California
Rosa Kwak and Scott Munson ripped through the course in 4:39 and 4:00 to finish first. Full results.
Rosa Kwak on the way to winning her ultra debut at the 2023 Bulldog 50k. Photo: Noah Klabin
Scott Munson on his way to winning the 2023 Bulldog 50k. Photo: Noah Klabin
Lean Horse 100 Mile – Custer, South Dakota
The race is held on the Mickelson Trail through the Black Hills. Race winners Sarah Graves and Austin Baade finished in 21:38 and 18:34. Full results.
Mid Mountain 50k – Park City, Utah
Leah Lange and Spencer Strohm were victorious in 5:16 and 4:12. Full results.
Leah Lange on her way to winning the 2023 Mid Mountain 50k. Photo: Brett Pelletier
Spencer Strohm, the 2023 Mid Mountain 50k men’s winner. Photo: Brett Pelletier
Cirque Series – Alta, Utah
The year’s fourth series race went 7.1 miles and with 2,545 feet of elevation gain. As with all Cirque Series races, the winners took home $1,000. Less than three minutes separated the first-three women. Giselle Slotboom finished in 1:03, 48 seconds faster than second-place Janelle Lincks. Third-place Megan Drake chased to the line in 1:06. Series regulars Christian Allen and David Norris were again at the front of the men’s race, and Allen was again first. He broke the tape in 52:54, almost two minutes better than Norris and his 54:53 finish. Sam Hendry was third in 55:17. Full results.
Cloudcroft Ultra 53k – Cloudcroft, New Mexico
Sophia Torres set a new course record in 6:30, and Josh Torres won the men’s race in 5:14. Full results.
Marquette Trail 50 – Marquette, Michigan
The race was way up on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Elaine Sheikh and Charles Hornburg were best over 50 miles in 9:26 and 9:08, and 50k champs Gretchen Metsa and Nick Arndt ran 5:05 and 4:12, respectively. Full results.
Jigger Johnson Ultras – Waterville Valley, New Hampshire
I had to look it up. Wikipedia reports that Jigger Johnson “was a legendary logging foreman, trapper, and fire warden.” His real name was Albert Lewis Johnson and he also went by nicknames of Wildcat Johnson, Jigger Jones, or The Jigger. And his namesake races must’ve been super challenging. The 100 miler gained 32,000 feet of elevation, the 100k was good for 20,000 feet, and the 50 miler went for 17,000 feet. The 100-mile champs Lee Conner and Justin Kousky ran 52:13 and 31:06. The 100k winners Mark Young and Adeline Casali finished in 17:35 and 27:32. And 50-mile leaders Claudine Soucie and Ryan Grimaldi came back in 16:56 and 17:50, respectively. Full results.
Twisted Branch Trail Run – Finger Lakes, New York
Danielle Snyder and Benjamin Linne won the point-to-point 100k run in 13:36 and 10:36. Full results.
Fahnestock Races – Cold Spring, New York
The inaugural event was held in its namesake state park in the Hudson Valley. Running on a 50k route with 5,000 feet of elevation gain, Shannon Capps and Richard Chmielecki were race winners in 5:50 and 6:11. Full results.
Call for Comments
- The World Athletics Championships (aka track and field) just started in Budapest, Hungary. Are you following that spectacle too, or simply looking ahead to UTMB?
- How about other races from the weekend? Leave a comment to share results from an event you were at!
