Everybody has a different path, but we try to collect all of them!
There was the road to Paris at the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon, the bike paths of the Jed Smith Ultras, and the trails at Elephant Mountain among the week’s highlights.
U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon – Orlando, Florida
Women
Marathon debutante Fiona O’Keefe made a bold move to the lead in the race’s 17th mile and scored an upset win in 2:22:10. The time was a new event record. American marathon record-holder Emily Sisson chased to second in 2:22:42, and Dakotah Lindwurm beat the chase group to third in 2:25:31.
Among the occasional, maybe even infrequent, trail runners and ultrarunners, we spotted a few finishers:
- Des Linden still holds the women’s 50k world record for a mixed gender race, from her 2021 2:59:54 effort. She finished in 2:28:04 for 11th place here.
- The 2023 Mount Washington Road Race runner-up Marybeth Chelanga was 23rd in 2:33:33.
- Peyton Thomas ran 2:36:56 as the 41st finisher. She was third at the 2022 Pikes Peak Marathon.
- Tenth at the 2021 Leadville 100 Mile, Flannery Davis Love ran 2:41:09 and finished 75th.
Men
Training mates Conner Mantz and Clayton Young broke free of everyone else after 23 miles and finished in a near tie. Mantz won in 2:09:05 after Young stepped back at the line. Young was clocked at 2:09:06 for second. Leonard Korir charged late to move into third in the final mile. He finished in 2:09:57.
After that, there were a number of runners with loose ties to trail running and ultrarunning.
- The 50k world record holder CJ Albertson moved up late to finish fifth in 2:10:07, a new personal best.
- Two-time Pikes Peak Marathon winner Jonathan Aziz was 38th in 2:17:50.
- Past U.S. mountain running team member David Fuentes came through in 2:21:37 for 74th.
- Tyler McCandless had a trail season in 2022, and he ran 2:23:57 for 104th place here.
- The 2019 USATF 50k Road National Championships winner Zachary Ornelas was 105th in 2:24:08.
- The 2015 IAU 50k World Championships participant Jesse Davis was 108th in 2:24:17.
- The 2017 USATF 50k Road National Championships winner Tyler Jermann finished in 2:26:01 for 122nd.
- Utah trail runner Travis Morrison ran 2:28:06 as the 130th-place finisher.
- The 2023 Silver State 50 Mile winner Adam Sjolund finished in 2:33:57 and 144th place.
- The 2023 Mount Washington Road Race runner-up Sam Chelanga dropped before finishing.
- The 50-mile world record holder Charlie Lawrence dropped just after halfway too.
Additional Races and Runs
Golden Gate Winter 50k – Rodeo Beach, California
Jennie Nicholson and Cameron Braaten won the 50k race in 5:20 and 5:11. Full results.
Jed Smith Ultras – Sacramento, California
It was the race’s 46th year and it was again a place for some really fast runs. Alexandra Tinsley won the 50-mile race in 7:56 and William Mertens, age 57, brought some lightning with a 5:48:51 time. That’s 6:59 minutes per mile, and a men’s 55-59 age group American record, incredible! Thia Angelo and Karl Schnaitter won the 50k in 3:46 and 3:32. Full results.
Elephant Mountain – Cave Creek, Arizona
Aravaipa Running dropped in on the Cave Creek Regional Park during some rainy weather for the Elephant Mountain group of races. In the 50 miler, Bailey Lange and Cordis Hall were tops in 10:40 and 7:44, and in the 50k Kelly Cockrell and Joe Corcione were champs in 5:46 and 4:36. Full results.
Running Up For Air Grandeur Peak – Salt Lake City, Utah
The charity run route totaled 2,600 feet of elevation gain on 5.8-mile laps. Folks compete in six-hour, 12-hour, and 24-hour divisions to rack up laps to the top of the peak and back. Kelly Halpin and Jared Campbell totaled 12 laps over 24 hours, Codie Muthi and Mike Cappi did six and eight roundtrips in 12 hours, and Leah Yingling and Zachary Garner won the six-hour event with four and five laps, respectively. Full results.
Arrowhead 135 Mile – International Falls, Minnesota
The deep winter run goes across far northern Minnesota by ski, bike, and foot. The race concluded on January 31, and on foot, Emily Kratz and Alan Chapman won in 43:17 and 34:42, respectively. Full results.
John Dick Memorial 50k – Dousman, Wisconsin
Katia Wanish and Evan Wetzel won the trip through Kettle Moraine State Forest in 4:12 and 4:04. Full results.
The start of the 2024 John Dick Memorial 50k. Photo: Jeff Weiss
Katia Wanish, the 2024 John Dick Memorial 50k women’s winner. Photo: Jeff Weiss
Evan Wetzel (right), the 2024 John Dick Memorial 50k men’s winner. Photo: Jeff Weiss
Rocky Raccoon – Huntsville, Texas
On the five-lap Huntsville State Park course, Lindsey Dwyer won the 100-mile run in 18:55, and men’s leader Terry Palmer dipped under 17 hours at 16:57. And in the 100k, Jessica Victor finished first in 10:44 and men’s winner Isaac Sanderson clocked a 10:50 finish. Full results.
Uwharrie Mountain Run 40 Mile – Ophir, North Carolina
The race marked its 33rd year, and did it with Grace McDermott and Max Tiemann atop the 40-mile podium in 8:02 and 5:56. The 20-mile winners Christina Norris and Benjamin Godfrey won in 3:04 and 2:41. Full results.
Max Tiemann (center), the 2024 Uwharrie Mountain Run 40 Mile men’s winner, with race directors Kim Chapman and Jason Page of Bull City Running Co. Photo: Uwharrie Mountain Run
2024 USATF Mountain, Ultra, Trail Championships
Another championships calendar is out, and the first event is coming up in two weeks.
- February 16 – Jackpot Ultrarunning Festival (Nevada) – 100 Mile Road National Championships
- March 10 – Caumsett 50k (New York) – 50k Road National Championships
- April 20 – Mad City 100k (Wisconsin) – 100k Road National Championships
- July 7 – Loon Mountain Race (New Hampshire) – Vertical Mountain Running National Championships
- July 13 – Cirque Series Snowbird (Utah) – Mountain Running National Championships
- August 17 – Tamalpa Headlands 50k (California) – 50k Trail National Championships
- September 28 – Birkie Trail Run Festival (Wisconsin) – Marathon Trail National Championships
- October 27 – Tussey Mountain Back 50 Mile (Pennsylvania) – 50 Mile Road National Championships
- November 2 – Moab Trail Half Marathon (Utah) – Half Marathon Trail National Championships
- November 16 – Dirt Circus (Arkansas) – 10k Trail National Championships
- November 23 – Fat Ox (Arizona) – 24 Hour National Championships
Next Weekend – Black Canyon 100k – Mayer, Arizona
The Black Canyon 100k in Arizona is coming up next weekend, and it’s the year’s first big, really competitive race. It’s both a Western States 100 Golden Ticket race and a World Trail Majors series race. Here are some of the top entrants.
Women
- Shea Aquilano – 1st 2024 Coldwater Rumble 60k
- Allison Baca – 6th 2023 Trail World Championships 80k
- Lucy Bartholomew (Australia) – 2nd 2023 Ultra-Trail Australia by UTMB 100k
- Sarah Biehl – 1st 2022 JFK 50 Mile
- Cat Bradley – 1st 2021 Javelina 100k
- Riley Brady – 3rd 2023 Javelina 100 Mile
- Tara Dower – 1st 2023 Run Rabbit Run 100 Mile
- Rachel Drake – 4th 2023 Kodiak by UTMB 50k
- Kathryn Drew (Canada) – 6th 2022 Javelina 100 Mile
- Anna Mae Flynn – 7th 2022 Canyons by UTMB 100k
- Anna Kacius – 1st 2023 Javelina 100k
- Marci Klimek – 1st 2023 Waldo 100k
- Rachel Lemcke – 4th 2023 Grindstone by UTMB 100k
- Heather Jackson – 1st 2023 Javelina 100 Mile
- Anne-Marie Madden (Canada) – 3rd 2022 Black Canyon 100k
- Jacquie Mannhard – 1st 2023 Leadville 100 Mile
- Katherine Short – 1st 2023 Way Too Cool 50k
- EmKay Sullivan – 1st 2023 Mammoth Trailfest 50k
- Rachel Tomajczyk – 1st 2023 Austin Rattle Run 50k
- Arden Young (Canada) – 1st 2023 Quad Dipsea
Riley Brady identifies as non-binary, but competes in the women’s race.
Men
- Andrew Bumbalough – 2:10 at 2019 Chicago Marathon
- Makai Clemons – 1st 2023 San Diego 100 Mile
- Rod Farvard – 1st 2023 Kodiak by UTMB 100k
- Justin Grunewald – 3rd 2023 Grindstone by UTMB 100k
- Mark Hammond – 1st 2023 IMTUF 100 Mile
- Hayden Hawks – 1st 2023 Canyons by UTMB 50k
- Jared Hazen – 6th 2023 Speedgoat by UTMB 50k
- Craig Hunt – 2nd 2023 American River 50 Mile
- Stephen Kersh – 9th 2023 Black Canyon 100k
- David Laney – 4th 2023 Canyons by UTMB 100k
- Eric LiPuma – 7th 2023 Trail World Championships 80k
- Adam Merry – 1st 2023 Chuckanut 50k
- Ryan Miller – 1st 2023 Kauai 50 Mile
- Ryan Montgomery – 3rd 2023 Javelina 100 Mile
- Cal Neff (Canada) – 2nd 2023 JFK 50 Mile
- Rajpaul Pannu – 2nd 2023 Tunnel Hill 50 Mile
- Luke Paulson – 2nd 2023 Leadville 100 Mile
- Bobby Peavey – 1st 2023 Quad Rock 50 Mile
- Jon Rea – 1st 2023 Javelina 100 Mile
- Matt Seidel – 4th 2023 Canyons by UTMB 50k
- Jeffrey Stern – 1st 2024 Mountain Mist 50k
- Tim Tollefson – 8th 2023 Transvulcania Ultramarathon
- Hans Troyer – 1st 2024 Bandera 100k
- Cole Watson – 9th 2023 Western States 100
Ryan Montgomery identifies as non-binary, but competes in the men’s race.
Call for Comments
- Whoo, lots and lots of names on the Black Canyon list. Who ya’ picking?
- Did you watch the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials? What did you think?
