This Week in Running: February 17, 2025

Things are picking up! The Tarawera 102k was a Western States 100 Golden Ticket race, the Jackpot Ultras was the USATF 100-Mile Road National Championships, and next week’s Transgrancanaria is a World Trail Majors event. Read up on the big hits.

You can also check out our race coverage from the weekend:

2025 Tarawera by UTMB 102k Results: Kiwis Daniel Jones and Ruth Croft Defend Titles

Tarawera Ultra Trail by UTMB – Rotorua, New Zealand

The event on New Zealand’s North Island is both the country’s biggest and most competitive. There were nearly 3,000 runners across four different races.

100 Mile

Sam Harvey (New Zealand) led three men under 16 hours on the 100-mile run. Harvey finished first in 15:16, and that was one spot and 13 minutes better than his 2024 race here. Further back, Harvey was ninth here in 2023 too. Simon Cochrane (New Zealand) and Ryan Whelan (U.K.) were second and third in 15:33 and 15:56.

Sam Harvey, the 2025 Tarawera Ultra-Trail 100 Mile men’s winner. Photo: Tarawera by UTMB/Tim Bardsley-Smith

Second in 2023 but a DNF in 2024, Kimino Miyazaki (Japan) got to the finish line first in the women’s race. She ran 17:40. That placed her ninth overall. Emma Timmis (New Zealand) and Sarah Parkins (Australia) were second and third in 18:50 and 19:11.

Kimino Miyazaki - 2025 Tarawera 100 Mile - women's winner

Kimino Miyazaki, the 2025 Tarawera 100 Mile women’s winner. Photo: Tarawera by UTMB/Tim Bardsley-Smith

102k

The race was the second Golden Ticket race in as many weeks. Two men and two women each earned automatic entry to this year’s Western States 100.

Men

Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs couldn’t finish a threepeat at the Super Bowl, but Daniel Jones (New Zealand) can do that at Tarawera. [Editor’s Note: Go Birds!]

Jones won for the third straight year and did it with a dominating 7:17 new course record. That was way ahead of everyone else, and was a lot quicker than his 7:46 cruise from 2024 and his 7:27 run in 2023 too. All that said, this course also sees regular, small changes too.

Daniel Jones - 2025 Tarawera by UTMB 102k champion 2

New Zealand’s Daniel Jones wins the 2025 Tarawera by UTMB 102k, his third victory of the race. Photo: Tarawera by UTMB/Tim Bardsley-Smith

Jones was already in the June 2025 Western States 100 following his fourth-place finish there last year, and so that set up a scramble among the chase pack for the Golden Tickets.

Barely five minutes separated Hiroki Kai (Japan), 2024 Tarawera 100 Mile winner Adrian Macdonald (U.S.), and Cody Lind (U.S.). Kai was at the front of the group in 7:48, Macdonald closed hard for third in 7:51, and Lind was fourth in 7:54. Kai and Macdonald both accepted their Golden Tickets.

The top five men were:

Daniel Jones (New Zealand) – 7:17:42
Hiroki Kai (Japan) – 7:48:45
Adrian Macdonald (U.S.) – 7:51:05
Cody Lind (U.S.) – 7:54:11
Marcel Höche (Germany) – 8:02:49

Women

Roughly halfway into the race, defending champion Ruth Croft (New Zealand) moved to the front and pulled away from the field. She won in 8:24. That’s way up on her 9:14 winning time from last year and eclipsed the old course record, too. Croft won here in 2021 too to become a three-time champ.

Ruth Croft - 2025 Tarawera by UTMB 102k champion 2

Ruth Croft, 2025 Tarawera by UTMB 102k champion. Photo: Tarawera by UTMB/Tim Bardsley-Smith

Caitlin Fielder (New Zealand) followed Croft through the hilly middle section too to move past early leader Beth McKenzie (U.S.). Fielder was right on Croft’s heels in second at 8:30, and 2024 runner-up McKenzie was nearly an hour faster than last year while running 8:46 for third.

Fielder accepted her Golden Ticket and the second one fell clear to fifth-place Nancy Jiang (New Zealand).

The top five women were:

Ruth Croft (New Zealand) – 8:24:34
Caitlin Fielder (New Zealand) – 8:30:45
Beth McKenzie (U.S.) – 8:46:09
Helen Mino Faukner (U.S.) – 9:03:01
Nancy Jiang (New Zealand) – 9:10:13

[From 2016 to 2018, Beth McKenzie (née Gerdes) served a two-year doping sanction after testing positive at the 2016 Ironman Australia for ostarine, a prohibited selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM).]

52k

The 52k race was the event’s biggest with 1,350 starters. Men’s 2024 “UltraRunning Magazine” (North American) Ultrarunner of the Year Hayden Hawks jumpstarted his 2025 year with a quick 3:18 first-place finish. Robbie Simpson (U.K.) was second in 3:20 and only 75 seconds back, and Michael Voss (New Zealand) ran 3:23 for third.

Hayden Hawks - 2025 Tarawera Ultra Trail 52k - men's winner

Hayden Hawks, the 2025 Tarawera by UTMB 52k men’s winner. Photo: Tarawera by UTMB/Harry Talbot

Bianca Tarboton (South Africa) got away from the women’s field and won big in 3:45. Madison Reynolds (Australia) and Julia Grant (New Zealand) were second and third in 4:11 and 4:13, respectively.

Full results.

Bianca Tarboton - 2025 Tarawera Ultra Trail 52k - women's winner

Bianca Tarboton, the 2025 Tarawera by UTMB 52k women’s winner. Photo: Tarawera by UTMB/Harry Talbot

Jackpot Ultras – Las Vegas, Nevada

The Friday, February 14, 100-mile race was again the USATF 100-mile Road National Championships. The race was contested on a really flat 1.19-mile loop and there was a $4,000 prize purse. The winners each earned $1,200.

Cody Poskin won the men’s championships in 13:26, Nathan Brown dipped under 14 hours in 13:59 for second place, and Braden Roggow was third man in 15:36.

Rajpaul Pannu was the first finisher in the men’s race, and originally declared the winner. Post-race, however, the race organizers removed his result from the USATF championships results, after it was determined his shoes exceeded the maximum stack height allowed by the USATF. Further details are available in the race organization’s social media post. [Updated, 17 February 2025, 2 p.m. MST]

Jian Springer ruled the women’s race in 15:29. At age 54, Springer’s early 2025 run should stand as one of the year’s best age-group performances. Sierra DeGroff and Erin Karara were second and third in 17:41 and 18:14. DeGroff was third last year in 16:38.

Full results.

Arctic Spine Race – Abisko, Sweden

The second-year Arctic Spine Race in Sweden went nonstop on the Kungsleden Trail in subzero Fahrenheit temperatures across deep snow, frozen lakes, and mountain passes. There were 293-, 129-, and 66-mile race distances. Racers carried all of their own gear on a sled in the super-harsh conditions.

Leif Abrahamsen (Norway) became the first-ever 293-mile finisher in 8 days, 8 hours, and 14 minutes. There were no women finishers.

Leif Abrahamsen - 2025 Arctic Spine Race - men's winner

Leif Abrahamsen, the 2025 Arctic Spine Race men’s winner. Photo: Spine Race

The 129-mile Arctic Spine Challenger started back on February 8, and 60 hours and 20 minutes later Bjørn Haugum (Denmark) finished the challenge. As with the 293-mile, there were no women finishers.

Nic Baldwin and Caroline Barrett won the 66-mile Arctic Spine Explorer race in 31:21 and 51:44.

Full results.

Additional Races and Runs

Yaberoo Trail Ultra – Joondalup, Australia

Run on the Yaberoo Budjara Heritage Trail, race winners Phil Gore (Australia) and Petra Jerejian (Australia) won the 50k in 4:03 and 4:39. Full results.

Coastal Challenge – Costa Rica

A small group of 28 started the 240k (149 miles), six-day stage race. At the end, it was Pierre Meslet (France) and Katie Young (U.K.) in first with 28:38 and 32:39 cumulative times. Full results.

Barcelona Half Marathon – Barcelona, Spain

Jacob Kiplimo (Uganda) ran 56:42 to set a new men’s world record for the half marathon distance, and Joyciline Jepkosgei (Kenya) won for the women in 1:04:12. But among trail runners, Alex García (Spain) was 29th in 63:35, and in the women’s race, Sara Alonso (Spain) and Alice Gaggi (Italy) finished in 71:46 and 73:29. Full results.

Run Forest Run 50k – Montesano, Washington

Second in 2024 and third in 2023, Zachary Szablewski won this year’s race in 4:31. Faith Heisler was the top woman in 6:30. Full results.

FOURmidable 50k – Cool, California

Only 31 seconds separated Josh Park and Casey Campbell at the front of the men’s race, both in 3:43, and Sarah Trautman won for the women in 4:36. Full results.

The Ranch 50k – Escondido, California

The two-loop course saw Timothy Wheeler and Arwen Bleksley finish first in 4:24 and 5:41. Full results.

Lake of the Woods 50k – Farmersville, Ohio

Alec Cline and Abigail Kamalian won the race in 3:59 and 6:16. Full results.

Cabin Fever 50k – New River Gorge National Park, West Virginia

Race leaders Ryan Ramsby and Skyla Taglieri went 4:12 and 4:41 on the point-to-point national park course. Full results.

Holiday Lake 50k – Appomattox, Virginia

The course circles Holiday Lake and Patrick Wachter and Steph Hill did it in 3:53 and 5:01. Full results.

Sylamore Trail 50k – Allison, Arkansas

Adam Thompson and Isabel Van Camp won the out-and-back race in 4:44 and 5:07. Full results.

Yonah Mountain Vertical Race – Cleveland, Georgia

The 50k race went up its namesake mountain six times to total 10,000 feet. Clint Johnson and Izzie Keaton did it in 6:46 and 7:44. Full results.

Raven 24 Hour – Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina

Pat Hasler totaled 151.366 miles. That’s enough to move him into sixth on the six-man U.S. 24-hour team qualifying chart. Viktoria Brown (Canada) led the women with 139.187 miles. Full results.

Sandhills Trail Ultra – Columbia, South Carolina

Andrew Burness and Macy Weeks led the 50k in 4:21 and 5:10. Full results.

Next Weekend – Transgrancanaria – Gran Canaria, Spain

The 126k (78 miles) Classic race is the year’s third World Trail Majors contest. There’s a star-studded group ready to line up for the island traverse and its 6,866 meters (22,526 feet) of climbing.

Men