Little bit of this, little bit of that. We’ve got some fun stuff to report. There were the U.S. National Snowshoe Championships, a downhill road marathon in Arizona, and three men going under 15 hours for 100 miles in Texas, all among other highlights. That’s the way we like it.
Marathon del Meridiano – Canary Islands, Spain
The Canary Islands are a bit of a winter hotspot and a bit of a trail running hotspot too.
Men
The top four men all came in under four hours. Anders Kjaerevik (Norway) was just minutes ahead of the chase group. He finished first in 3:46. Zaid Ait Malek Oulkis (Spain) followed in 3:48, and Yoel De Paz Baeza (Spain) was third in 3:49. After a strong comeback in 2022, pre-race favorite Miguel Heras (Spain) dropped just after halfway of this one.
Anders Kjaerevik, the 2023 Marathon del Meridiano winner. Photo: Marathon del Meridiano
Women
The women’s race wasn’t as close, and Azara García de los Salmones (Spain) ran 4:26 for gold. Ines Astrain Moreno (Spain) followed in 4:38, and Gemma Arenas Alcazar (Spain) took the final podium spot in 5:01.
Azara García on her way to winning the 2023 Marathon del Meridiano. Photo: Marathon del Meridiano
Additional Races and Runs
Ultra Fiord – Torres del Paine, Chile
It was the race’s seventh edition, with distances up to 55 kilometers. Finish times and official results aren’t yet online, but Erik Solli (USA) was first man in 3:38, and Olivia Amber (USA) was the 30k women’s winner in 3:36. Leave a comment to fill in other details from this event. Full results (when available).
Orcas Island 100 Mile – Orcas Island, Washington
A week after the Orcas Island 50k, Rainshadow Running was still on the island for the 100-mile race. Seth Orme and Kayla Meek won in 23:42 and 32:58, respectively. Full results.
Golden Gate Winter 50k – Rodeo Beach, California
Quinn Todzo and Debbie Solis were tops in the 50k in 4:37 and 6:13. Full results.
Jed Smith 50 Mile – Sacramento, California
James Scanlan ripped off a 6:03 50-mile win at age 53, and Beverley Anderson-Abbs was right there, too, in 6:32, incredibly at age 58. Over 50k, Peter Bromka and Jennifer Schmidt sped to 2:58 and 3:25 winning times. Full results.
Elephant Mountain 50k – Cave Creek, Arizona
Three weeks after a 100 miler, Jeff Browning won the Aravaipa Running event in 4:32. Meghan Slavin was victorious in the women’s 50k in 4:55. Jon-Erik Jardine and Sherianne Little led the 50-mile race in 8:54 and 11:09, respectively. Full results.
Mesa Marathon – Mesa, Arizona
Sometimes trail runner Chad Hall was the overall winner in 2:12, some seven minutes in front of everyone else. Autumn Ray, who also races ultra distances, led the women in 2:41. The downhill course drops 1,000 feet on a point-to-point route. Ruari Moynihan was among the half marathon finishers in 1:08. Full results.
U.S. National Snowshoe Championships – McCall, Idaho
Running 10k, Joseph Gray and Jackie Hering won gold in 40:59 and 47:33. Gray was 31 seconds in front of runner-up Eric Hartmark and Hering outpaced Amber Tookey by 57 seconds for the win. Full results.
Running Up For Air – Grandeur – Salt Lake City, Utah
The increasingly recognizable charity run went up Grandeur Peak on repeat for fixed times to raise awareness for clean air needs and fundraise for nonprofits working on this issue. Kevin Cantwell and Elsa Jaworski did 12 and 11 laps over 24 hours, Blaine Benitez and Codie Muthig won the 12-hour race with eight and six laps, and Josh Reddish and Leah Yingling won the six-hour duration with four and three laps, respectively. Running Up For Air – Grandeur has so far exceeded its $25,000 fundraising goal by almost $10,000. The Running Up For Air series now hosts six total events in the winter around the western USA, so the fundraising and racing continue. This coming weekend the series goes to Kyhv Peak in Provo, Utah, and Mount Sentinel in Missoula, Montana. Full results.
The view of the Salt Lake City Valley, Utah, from the summit of Grandeur Peak during the 2023 Running Up For Air – Grandeur event. The event is a fundraiser for clean air nonprofits, and this photo shows the visible air pollution that poses a problem to human and environmental health, for which the event is raising awareness and money. Photo: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
Rocky Raccoon 100 Mile – Huntsville, Texas
The top three men all went under 15 hours, with Daniel Frank leading Ferdinand-Clovis Airault and Zach Bitter to the line. The trio finished in 13:42, 14:51, and 14:57. The women’s podium straddled the 18-hour line with Tatiana Rypinski going 17:38 and Jacklyn Foroughi and Rachel Lindner finishing in 18:01 and 18:04. Full results.
John Dick Memorial 50k – Dousman, Wisconsin
Evan Wetzel and Doe Scharenbroch won in 3:47 and 5:04. Full results.
TARCtic Frozen Yeti 30-hour Ultra – Westwood, Massachusetts
Temperatures were -9 degrees Fahrenheit at the start of the Trail Animals Running Club event on Saturday, and with the wind chill, it was -28 degrees Fahrenheit. Owww. For the group that went the distance, it had warmed up to nearly 50 degrees by the Sunday finish. Full results have yet to be published, but Brian Burke collected his second win at the event and set a new course standard with 110 miles. Tiffany Woodger led the women with 60 miles.
Brian Burke on his way to winning the 2023 Frozen Yeti 30 Hour Ultra. Photo: Chris Wristen
Algonquin 50k – Pocomoke, Maryland
It was the race’s seventh year, and Tyler Muse scored a new course record in 3:43, and María Miller scored the women’s crown in 4:29. Full results.
Frozen Falls 50 Mile – Spencer, Tennessee
At Fall Creek Falls State Park, Zack Jordan and Liane Jennings championed the 50-mile race in 7:26 and 10:47, and Sam Reed and Natalie Boucher won the 50k in 4:43 and 6:39. Full results.
Rut Rogue 40s – Edgefield, South Carolina
There were just ten 40-mile finishers, but James Lovuolo was first man in 7:30, and Lindsey Clemens won in 6:25. The 50k was even smaller, and Dylan Ricke was first man in 5:16, and Sarah Hansel won for the women in 4:55. Full results.
Mill Stone 50k – Fort Mill, South Carolina
Michael McVea and Amanda Reynolds were the race’s best in 4:24 and 5:30. Full results.
Forgotten Florida – Christmas, Florida
Run Bum’s got some pretty wild courses in the southeast United States. This one did just what its name suggests and went back in time to old Florida on a wild point-to-point course that linked up several state parks. Maxwell Bennett set a new course best for the second-year 100-mile race in 18:18, and Natalie Daniel won for the women in 20:14. Brian Sharbono and Rebecca Whitman led the 50-mile race in 7:11 and 8:42, respectively. Full results.
Brian Sharbono on the course of the 2023 Forgotten Florida 50 Mile. Photo: Run Bum
Lost 118 Mile – Okeechobee, Florida
In the 118-mile event, it looks like there were just three starters and one finisher, Derek Kirkman, in 30:51. Fifty-mile winners Casey Sparks and Paige Douglass finished first for the men and women, respectively, in 8:52 and 8:21. Full results.
Next Weekend – Tarawera Ultramarathon by UTMB – Rotorua, New Zealand
It’s been raining a lot on New Zealand’s North Island, so much so that the longer courses at the Tarawera Ultramarathon by UTMB are likely to be rerouted, said the organization over the weekend. It’s hopefully still going to go, though; the 50k, 102k, and 100-mile races all shine with some familiar names.
Allie McLaughlin (USA) is among the 50k entrants, and Zach Miller (USA), Cat Bradley (USA), and Ragna Debats (Spain) will challenge in the 100-mile race.
The premier 102k race on Saturday, February 11, is part of both the UTMB World Series and a Western States 100 Golden Ticket Race. In contention for those tickets, here’s who we spotted.
Male
- Hayden Hawks (USA) – 1st 2022 Ultra-Trail Kosciuszko by UTMB 100k
- Daniel Jones (New Zealand) – 1st 2023 Kepler Challenge 60k
- Sam McCutcheon (New Zealand) – 3rd 2022 Ultra-Trail Australia by UTMB 100k
- Vlad Shatrov (Australia) – 2nd 2022 Ultra-Trail Kosciuszko by UTMB 100 Mile
Female
- Stephanie Auston (Australia) – 3rd 2020 Black Canyon 100k
- Amanda Basham (USA) – 4th 2023 Bandera 100k
- Nancy Jiang (New Zealand) – 1st 2020 Kepler Challenge 60k
- Aroa Sio (Spain) – 8th 2022 UTMB
Nonbinary
- Ryan Montgomery (USA) – 2nd 2021 Javelina 100 Mile
Call for Comments
What else is rockin’ this month?
The 2023 Marathon del Meridiano women’s podium (l-to-r): 2. Ines Astrain, 1. Azara García, 3. Gemma Arenas. Photo: Marathon del Meridiano
