It’s our second Monday of 2024, and there were no big races this weekend, but we’re running down top scores and scorpions from California to Mississippi.
We’ve got a short look at next weekend’s HURT 100 Mile in Hawai’i too.
Races and Runs
Bob Graham Round – Lake District, England, United Kingdom
It happened again, another new men’s fastest known time on the 66-mile, 42-peak fell running route. This time Finlay Wild (U.K.) completed a solo and unsupported winter round in 15:35. It was the fastest winter round ever, made more challenging by the fact that he started at 4 p.m. and ran from dusk to dawn.
Avalon Benefit – Avalon, California
Believe it or not, Catalina Island’s where the bison roam. A small herd of bison are on the island off the coast of southern California, and 50-mile and 50k runners might’ve seen them on the island traverse. The race marked its 43rd year. Haley Hasty won the 50-mile race in 7:33 alongside men’s leader Michael Ruf in 6:30, and Laura Beresford and Sam Condon won the 50k in 4:24 and 4:00. Condon was only four seconds in front of second-place Matt Powers. Full results.
Del Dios 50k – Escondido, California
It was the ninth “race of the Gods” around Lake Hodges and Brittany Poor and John Oppermann were the closest to godlike in 5:45 and 4:38. Full results.
No Hands 50k – Auburn, California
It was all legs for Abigail Swift and Drew Macomber at the No Hands 50k. Swift and Macomber won the Inside Trail race in 5:26 and 4:26. Full results.
Drew Macomber, 2024 No Hands 50k winner. Photo: Jesse Ellis/Let’s Wander Photography
Runners crossing the bridge at the 2024 No Hands 50k. Photo: Jesse Ellis/Let’s Wander Photography
San Tan Scramble 50k – Queen Creek, Arizona
The Aravaipa Running race was at the San Tan Mountain Regional Park southeast of Phoenix. First- and second-place Allison Baca and Arden Young both ran under the old course record. Baca won in 4:13 and Young was second in 4:20. Third-place Lindsay Weigel gave the women three of the first four overall finishes with her 4:34 mark. Men’s winner Matt Hamilton was in that mix at 4:25. Full results.
Brazos Bend 100 Mile – Needville, Texas
There was a venue change this year from the Brazos Bend State Park to the private 7IL Ranch, but the course was likely still similarly fast. Rong Hu and Fernando Lopez won the 100-mile race in 20:16 and 18:13, and Sonja Stutz and Jonathan Morris were best in the 100k at 12:50 and 9:34. Full results.
Frozen Gnome 50k – Crystal Lake, Illinois
The race calls itself a triple black diamond run for its fun course that includes butt slide hill. Rachel Reyes scored a 34-second win over Briana Bower for the women, both finishing in 5:28, and Reese Slobodianuk led the men with a 4:21 mark. Full results.
Frozen Sasquatch 50k – Charleston, West Virginia
It was the race’s 14th year at Kanawha State Park and Nandini Satsangi was way out in front of the women’s group. She won in 5:38 and Katie Felton and Michelle Gray were up next in 6:19 and 6:22. Caleb Bowen protected his home state in the men’s race, gapping everyone with a 4:06 winning time. David Smith and Michael Owen got on the podium at 4:24 and 4:29. Full results.
Great Scorpion Trail 50k – Meridian, Mississippi
The race name pays tribute to its setting in Bonita Lakes Park and the area’s arachnid friends. Season Lane and Peter Kazery were the scorpion queen and king in 5:36 and 4:24. Full results.
Salem Lake Frosty 50k – Winston-Salem, North Carolina
On a wet and chilly day and along the namesake 365-acre lake, Bailey Reutinger and Zachary Vaslow won in 4:30 and 3:13. Full results.
Croom Zoom – Brooksville, Florida
The sunshine state run is inside the Withlacoochee State Forest. The 50k winners Elizabeth Myers and Sean Green finished in 5:40 and 4:09. Full results.
Next Weekend – HURT 100 Mile – Honolulu, Hawai’i
This year’s race will be run on an alternate course, avoiding a section of washed-out trail. The new course still totals 100 miles over five 20-mile loops, and adds an extra 350 feet of climbing per loop. That pushes the total gain to 26,750 feet.
There’s 133 runners on this year’s roster, and a few of the expected top entrants are listed below.
Women
- Jade Belzberg – 1st 2023 Cuyamaca 100k
- Candice Burt – 1st 2023 Creede 100 Mile
- Christal Cuadra-Keegan – 1st 2023 American River 50 Mile
- Tracy Garneau (Canada) – 4th 2023 HURT 100 Mile
Men
- Masazumi Fujioka – 6th 2022 HURT 100 Mile
- Art Hurtado – 1st 2023 Zion 100 Mile
- Ihor Verys (Ukraine, lives in Canada) – 1st 2023 Canadian Death Race 125k
- Takeshi Yamada – 5th 2023 HURT 100 Mile
Ihor Verys earlier in the 2023 Big Dog’s Backyard Ultra, where he was the second to last man standing. Photo: Keith Knipling
Call for Comments
- I had this queued up to ask, what was the latest in snowshoe racing and ski mountaineering? And then I saw that Sophia Laukli (U.S.) won her first-ever cross country ski world cup race in Val di Fiemme, Italy. Laukli’s win at age 23 is the youngest ever world cup victory for an American.
- So then, what other trail runners have had early crossover success this winter?
