A Skyrunner World Series double header ran at the top of the card, and the year’s ninth World Trail Majors event raced through the Pyrénées.
Watch this space as UTMB Mont Blanc festival coverage goes big this week on iRunFar.
Matterhorn Ultraks – Zermatt, Switzerland
Extreme
The first of two Skyrunner World Series races on the weekend left Zermatt on Friday morning for a 27-kilometer route with 3,175 meters of elevation gain. That’s 17 miles and 10,400 feet.
Local runner and 2021 runner-up Martin Anthamatten (Switzerland) won the men’s crown in 3:44. Luca del Pero (Italy) and Gianluca Ghiano (Italy) were just over a minute apart in 3:48 and 3:49 for second and third.
Martin Anthamatten, the 2024 Matterhorn Ultraks Extreme men’s winner. Photo: Skyrunner World Series/Antton Guaresti
Defending champion Anastasia Rubtsova (Russia) destroyed the women’s field. She was over 30 minutes better than everyone else with a 4:20 finish time. Second- and third-place Olivia Magnone (France) and Lide Urrestarazu (Spain) dipped under five hours in 4:54 and 4:59, respectively.
Anastasia Rubtsova, the 2024 Matterhorn Ultraks Extreme women’s winner. Photo: Skyrunner World Series/Antton Guaresti
VertiNight
The uphill race went 4.9k in distance and up 691 meters. Pablo Vanhoorn (The Netherlands) went up in 33:05 to lead the men and Americans Jessica Brazeau and Leah Yingling were the first women in 37:36 and 39:27, respectively.
Trofeo Kima – Valmasino, Italy
All Skyrunner World Series races are technical, and then there’s Trofeo Kima. Known as the “Everest of skyrunning,” the 52k race and its 4,200 meters of gain are full of exposure, technical ridges, and sheer rock faces.
Finlay Wild (U.K.) won and broke Kilian Jornet’s course record with a 6:05 finish. Second-place Jack Kuenzle (U.S.) also went under the old record with a 6:08 run. Cristian Minoggio (Italy) was third on the podium in 6:11.
The 2024 Trofeo Kima men’s podium (left-to-right): 2. Jack Kuenzle, 1. Finlay Wild, and 3. Cristian Minoggio. Photo: Skyrunner World Series/Mauri Torri
The women’s race was close too. Hillary Gerardi (U.S., living in France) escaped Elisa Poncet (France) for the crown in 7:32. Poncet was less than three minutes back in 7:35, and Henriette Albon (Norway) finished in 7:40 for third.
The 2024 Trofeo Kima women’s podium (left-to-right): 3. Henriette Albon, 1. Hillary Gerardi, and 2. Elisa Poncet. Photo: Skyrunner World Series/Mauri Torri
Additional Races and Runs
Grand Raid des Pyrénées – Vielle-Aure, France
The event hosted almost 8,000 runners across its seven race distances, and the 100-mile race was the year’s ninth and penultimate race of the first-year World Trail Majors series. The long course went for 163k and 9,843 meters of elevation gain, or 101 miles and 32,293 feet. Rémi Gillie (France) and Anne Champagne (Canada) pulled away from everyone in the race’s second half to win in 24:39 and 31:23. Full results (when available).
Rémi Gillie, the 2024 Grand Raid des Pyrénées men’s winner. Photo: World Trail Majors
Anne Champagne, the 2024 Grand Raid des Pyrénées women’s winner. Photo: World Trail Majors
Cirque Series – Grand Targhee, Wyoming
The latest Cirque Series race went 7.1 miles and with 2,212 feet of elevation gain, going almost up to 10,000 feet above sea level. Only 59 seconds separated the first three men. Hawk Call got to the finish first in 50:29, Mason Coppi chased in second at 50:54, and Zachary Erickson was third in 51:28. The women’s podium was even closer. Mariah Bredal led the group in 62:55, just ahead of Alexa Aragon’s second-place 63:11, and Samantha Diaz was third in 63:27. Full results.
Continental Divide Trail Run 50k – Steamboat Springs, Colorado
Devon Olson dipped under four hours with seven seconds to spare and set a new course record in 3:59. Women’s winner Shannon Dowlearn slayed the mountain run in 4:45. Full results.
Rock Hawk 50k – Castle Rock, Colorado
The Aravaipa Running race saw Scott Schrader and Corinne Shalvoy win in 4:03 and 4:33, respectively. Full results.
SnoCo50 – Long Grove, Iowa
The men went fast. The first four were all under four hours. Up front, 2022 winner Steve Froeschle beat back 2023 runner-up and winner Nathan Shaffer and Phil Young to regain the crown. Froeschle was just over a minute back of his 2022 course record with a 3:23 run. Shaffer was second in 3:37 and Young third in 3:40. Women’s winner Kasey Froeschle did get a new course record in 4:43, and she was way up on everyone else. Erin Dial-Duran and Eileen Yi Ni Tan were second and third in 5:45 and 5:47, respectively. Full results.
Habanero Hundred – Cat Spring, Texas
It’s Texas’s hottest 100 miler. Temperatures were over 90 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the day. German Garcia was the first man in 21:29, but women’s winner Kelly Swanson was the overall winner in 21:16. Full results.
Midwest States 100 Mile – Westboro, Wisconsin
The race went through the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. Kyle Kalbus and Kelley Gibson did it the fastest in 23:36 and 26:53. Full results (when available).
Race to the Top of Vermont – Stowe, Vermont
The race went up 4.3 miles and 2,564 feet. Joseph Gray scored a new course record in 32:45, six seconds better than Eric Blake’s 2013 best, and Jenna Gigliotti won the women’s race in 40:10. Gray picked up a $500 cash bonus for the record. Full results.
Call for Comments
Anything coming up this week for you? Stick with us for TDS, OCC, and CCC results during the week, and of course lots of UTMB coverage all week long, too.
