Skyrunning in February? Yep, it’s true, thanks to the new SkySnow class of events. It’s Monday again and we’re looking at that cold-weather run in Spain, a handful of races around the U.S., and anticipating next weekend’s blockbuster Black Canyon 100k.
SkySnow World Championships – Granada, Spain
SkySnow, a new Skyrunning discipline, celebrated its first world championship races. There were Vertical and Classic distances — both featuring runners using traction devices and poles — and 15 nations took part. The venue typically hosts the Spanish Snow Running Championships.
Vertical
Saturday’s Vertical race went 950 meters (3,100 feet) up over 4k in distance and, of course, on snow.
Luca Del Pero (Italy) earned the event’s inaugural gold medal, summiting the high-altitude run in 39:37. Multiple Italian runners dominated the men’s front group for much of the race, but Vitalii Chernov (Russia) sprinted through the Italian countrymen toward a second-place 39:41. Lorenzo Rota (Italy) was immediately behind in 39:42 for third. Mike Popejoy was ninth in 41:31 for the US.
Women’s winner Lina El Kott (Sweden) was out front in 46:31, and second-place Silvia Lara (Spain) followed just behind in 46:45, and Virginia Perez (Spain) was third in 48:09.
Fabiola Conti of Italy makes her way up during the Vertical SkySnow race. Conti finished in eighth place for the women. Photo: Skyrunning
Classic
The next day’s Classic race had just about the same amount of vertical gain, but stretched over 12k in distance. The race started at dusk in poor visibility.
Luca Del Pero doubled back with another gold-medal run, and Popejoy improved on his day prior with a second-place finish. Both finished in 1:06 but with Del Pero seven seconds ahead after a back-and-forth race. Aleksei Pagnuev (Russia) was third in 1:07, himself less than a minute back.
Del Pero earned the combined win, too, and took a fourth gold medal in leading Italy to victory in the team competition.
Virginia Perez (Spain) grabbed the women’s long-course win in 1:18, just less than a minute ahead of Joana Soares (Portugal) and Sanna El Kott (Sweden). The two chasers finished in 1:19 and 1:20, respectively.
Full results (when available).
Additional Races and Runs
Golden Gate Winter 50k – Rodeo Beach, California
Travis Gibson and Tiffany Eicholz won the Coastal Trail Runs race with 4:44 and 5:51 finish times. Full results.
Sean O’Brien 100k – Malibu, California
Official results haven’t yet hit the web, but social media shares that Jeff Browning and Jesse Haynes advanced through the men’s field in the race’s second half and had a friendly duel toward a close finish with Browning just in front for the win. Leave a comment to share how the women’s race shook out, thanks! Full results (when available).
Jed Smith 50k – Sacramento, California
It was the 44th year for this flat-and-fast group of races. Over the 50-mile distance, Brandon Costa and Beverley Anderson-Abbs won in 6:33 and 6:37. Jonah Backstrom and Britta Bookser won the 50k in 3:18 and 5:02. Full results.
Ordnance 100k – Salinas, California
The Inside Trail Racing course traversed the Fort Ord Trails with Alexander Kramer and Meghan Purdy out front in 10:15 and 11:46. Matt Ward and Emily Motz won the accompanying 50k in 4:17 and 5:00. Full results.
Bristow Trail Run 50k – Dexter, Oregon
Named for its Elijah Bristow State Park course, this 50k, run on a five-mile loop, crowned Matt Peharda and Shannon Black as its winners in 3:57 and 4:42. Full results.
Elephant Mountain 50 Mile – Cave Creek Arizona
Aravaipa Running’s latest event happened at the Cave Creek Regional Park. Ryan Behunin and Genia McKnight did 50 miles in 8:18 and 11:05, and 50k leaders Ruairi Moynihan and Abby Hotaling won in 4:11 and 5:07. Full results.
A runner makes her way through the Elephant Mountain course in Cave Creek, Arizona. Photo: Aravaipa Running
Running Up For Air – Utah
There were Running Up For Air races in both Salt Lake City and Ogden, Utah. The events are part of an effort toward improved air quality, and though not necessarily competitive, the events do attract competitive runners.
Let’s start with Salt Lake City. Twenty-four-hour winners Brian Culmo and Justine Hewitt did 13 and 11 laps up Grandeur Peak. The 12-hour winners Bryan Kerl and Courtney Dauwalter totaled eight and seven trips, and six-hour leaders Grant Barnette and Leah Yingling made it four times around.
And then in Ogden, Reid Woolsey and Karen Bishop did 12 and seven laps over 24 hours, and Andrea Christenson and Royce Hampton made it nine and eight times around over 12 hours. Six-hour winners Ryan Montgomery and Jane Maus totaled five and four laps, respectively. Full results.
Rocky Raccoon 100 Mile – Huntsville, Texas
Robert Landauer and Nicole Laughton won the 100-mile race in 14:50 and 17:47, and Terry Palmer and Sheila Cook were out front in the 100k in 8:37 and 11:27. Full results.
Frozen 50k – Cassadega, New York
Michael Cammarata and Francine Barchett led the cold-weather 50k in 4:50 and 4:59, respectively. Full results.
Mill Stone 50k – Fort Mill, South Carolina
The Mill Stone 50k runs as three 10.5-mile singletrack loops. Race winners were Mark Rebholz and Amanda Reynolds in 4:23 and 4:59. It was Reynolds’s fifth win at the event. Full results.
Forgotten Florida 100 and 45-Mile – Christmas, Florida
The second-year Run Bum event added a 100-mile race to last year’s 45-mile option. Three runners — Aden St. Charles, Maxwell Bennett, and John Parker — finished hand in hand in hand and with headlamps aglow at the front of the 100-mile race. The three dipped under the 20-hour mark with 19:59.56 unofficially. The 45-mile winners Charles Keeling and Julie Kenney came through in 6:26 and 8:08. Full results (when available).
Next Weekend – Black Canyon 100k – Mayer, Arizona
Aravaipa Running’s Black Canyon 100k is another Golden Ticket race with three automatic entries going up for the Western States 100. It is the second-to-last Golden Ticket race for the year too, and both the men’s and women’s races look compelling.
Men
- Jackson Brill – 1st 2021 Quad Rock 50 Mile
- Elliott Cardin (Canada) – 2nd 2020 Ultra-Trail Harricana 125k
- Preston Cates – 2nd 2021 Lake Sonoma 50 Mile
- Reid Coolsaet (Canada) – 1st 2021 Quebec Mega Trail 110k
- Anthony Costales – 1st 2021 Canyons 100k
- Justin Grunewald – 1st 2021 Golden Gate Trail Classic 50k
- Jared Hazen – 2nd 2019 Western States 100
- Jacob Jackson – 13:59 at 2021 Desert Solstice 100 Mile
- Eric LiPuma – 3rd 2021 JFK 50 Mile
- Adrian MacDonald – 1st 2021 Leadville Trail 100 Mile
- Seth Ruhling – 1st 2021 Broken Arrow Skyrace 52k
- Brian Whitfield – 5th 2021 Speedgoat 50k
Though already into the Western States 100, Reid Coolsaet is new to ultras and will be racing his most competitive ultramarathon to date. Of particular note, he’s a two-time Olympic marathoner for Canada. Cates had a standout year in 2021, Costales had a breakthrough 2021, and so too did MacDonald.
Women
- Jade Belzburg – 1st 2021 Zane Gray 100k
- Addie Bracy – 1st 2021 Run Rabbit Run 100 Mile
- Lauren Coury – 1st 2019 Mt. Hood 50 Mile
- Clare Gallagher – 2nd 2021 Devil on the Divide 50k
- Salynda Heinl – 1st 2021 High Lonesome 100 Mile
- Marianne Hogan – 1st 2022 Bandera 100k
- Anne-Marie Madden (Canada) – 2nd 2020 Tarawera 102k
- Taylor Nowlin – 2nd 2021 Speedgoat 50k
- Corinne Shalvoy – 2nd 2020 Javelina 100k
- Pam Smith – 3rd 2020 Rogue Gorge 50k
- Rachel Spaulding – 1st 2021 Hellgate 100k
- YiOu Wang – 1st 2019 North Face Endurance Challenge 50 Mile
- Devon Yanko – 1st 2022 Arches Ultra 50k
While Marianne Hogan already has a Western States 100 entry, she adds competitive depth to this fascinating women’s race that reads as a fun combination of established top North American runners and up-and-comers. Especially interesting entrants are the two previous Western States 100 champions: Pam Smith and Clare Gallagher.
Call for Comments
What’d you see that we didn’t? Tell us about it in the comments field below.
