This Week In Running: March 24, 2025

This was the year’s first big, big weekend. We’ll start it with the ABCs – Argentina, Barkley, and Chianti — and we’ve got the Skyrunner World Series, Big Alta, and more too.

You can also check out our race coverage from earlier in the week:

• 2025 Barkley Marathons Results: No Finishers but John Kelly Holds Out for Fun Run
• 2025 Chianti Ultra Trail by UTMB 120k Results: Fiona Pascall and Jim Walmsley Win Big

Chianti Ultra Trail by UTMB – Chianti, Italy

Ultra Trail Chianti Castles

Men

A year after only recording one ultra finish, Jim Walmsley (U.S.) won an ultra for the second time in three weeks. On the 120-kilometer (74 miles) course, Walmsley pulled away from chasers Kilian Jornet (Spain) and Vincent Bouillard (France) over the second half to finish in 9:59. Walmsley beat the 10-hour mark by 12 seconds and turned the early year showdown into a blowout.

On a course perhaps flatter than he likes, Jornet rallied to run down Bouillard late. Jornet pushed the uphills to finish second in 10:27 and Bouillard was third, also in 10:27 but 30 seconds back.

The race was a Golden Ticket race with two automatic entries to this year’s Western States 100. Walmsley is already entered, having won last year’s Western States 100, and so the automatic entries fell to second- and third-place Jornet and Bouillard. Jornet will return to the Western States 100 for the first time since 2011 when he won as a 23 year old.

The men’s top five was:

1. Jim Walmsley (U.S.) – 9:59:48
2. Kilian Jornet (Spain) – 10:27:27
3. Vincent Bouillard (France) – 10:27:57
4. Aubin Ferrari (France) – 11:16:11
5. Lambert Santelli (France) – 11:36:57

Women

Moving powerfully over the late race climbs, Fiona Pascall (U.K.) gained the women’s win in 12:34. She won her way into the Western States 100 where her older sister Beth Pascall won in 2021.

Johanna Antila (Finland) was second in 12:53, also earning a Western States 100 Golden Ticket, and 2024 race winner Azara García (Spain) was third in 13:12.

The women’s top five was:

1. Fiona Pascall (U.K.) – 12:34:59
2. Johanna Antila (Finland) – 12:53:22
3. Azara García (Spain) – 13:12:31
4. Abby Hall (U.S.) – 13:31:25
5. Stephanie Howe (U.S.) – 13:34:56

Chianti Ultra Trail

Men

The race ran 73k, or 45 miles, and it was close! Just eight minutes separated the first five men. Germain Grangier (France) got out front in 6:11, and then it was a dogpile for the next four spots. Davide Cheraz (Italy) was second in 6:17 and Dimitri Morel-Jean (France) was third in 6:18. The two were only 21 seconds apart. Robin Juillaguet (France) and Lucien Epiney (Switzerland) were fourth and fifth, both in 6:19 and only 25 seconds apart.

The men’s top five was:

1. Germain Grangier (France) – 6:11:26
2. Davide Cheraz (Italy) – 6:17:39
3. Dimitri Morel-Jean (France) – 6:18:00
4. Robin Juillaguet (France) – 6:19:22
5. Lucien Epiney (Switzerland) – 6:19:47

Women

The women’s race ran really close at the top too. Gemma Hillier Moses (U.K.) outran Rosanna Buchauer (Germany) for first. The two finished in 7:02 and 7:04, respectively.

And then the next three were closely packed too. Emily Schmitz (U.S.) got the line third in 7:27, and Anete Svilpe (Latvia) and Eleanor Davis (U.K.) were fourth and fifth, both in 7:31 and only 18 seconds apart.

The women’s top five was:

1. Gemma Hillier Moses (U.K.) – 7:02:09
2. Rosanna Buchauer (Germany) – 7:04:27
3. Emily Schmitz (U.S.) – 7:27:58
4. Anete Svilpe (Latvia) – 7:31:02
5. Eleanor Davis (U.K.) – 7:31:20

Chianti Marathon Trail

Race winners Francesco Puppi (Italy) and Judith Wyder (Switzerland) won in 3:16 and 3:43. They were seven- and eight-minute winners, respectively.

Full results.

Valhöll by UTMB – Belgrano, Argentina

The event’s at the far southern end of Argentina and runs through Patagonia’s spectacular end-of-the-world landscapes.

Epic 130k

Beñat Marmissolle (France) rolled to the men’s win in the 80-mile race, finishing in 13:46. Aleksei Tolstenko (Neutral) and Pablo Nadalez (Argentina) came in next at 14:21 and 14:38.

Women’s winner Mariana Hammond (Argentina) was way ahead of everyone else in 19:54. Barbara Gassmann (Argentina) and Leticia Da Silva Saltori (Brazil) came next in 21:34 and 21:41, respectively.

Advance 85k

Men’s champ Alejandro Mayor (Spain) squeaked under the 9-hour mark at 8:59:57. Race veterans Gediminas Grinius (Lithuania) and Jason Schlarb (U.S.) got on the podium second and third in 9:16 and 9:36.

Anabel Oviedo gave the host country the women’s win in 10:14. Ariane Wilhem (Switzerland) chased to second in 10:21, and Cristina Santurino (Spain) was a bit further back in 11:04.

Challenge 50k

Men’s frontrunners Antonio Martínez (Spain) and Joaquin Narvaez (Argentina) pulled to 4:46 and 4:56 finish times, and Nicolas Ignacio Benavides (Chile) was third in 5:04.

Alison McPherson (Canada) led the women in 5:58, and second- and third-place Maria Jose Saavedra (Chile) and Noelie Lucia Fantin (Argentina) were only five seconds apart both in 6:11.

Full results.

Acantilados del Norte – La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain

It’s already show time for the Skyrunner World Series. The first of the year’s 24 races ran 29k all over the island’s northern cliffside trails. The first eight men and first ten women all bettered the previous course records.

Men

Luca Del Pero (Italy) and Roberto Delorenzi (Switzerland) gapped the field, and Del Pero scored an 11-second win over Delorenzi. Del Pero gained the lead over Delorenzi 18k into the race and held off a late charge for the win.

Lorenzo Beltrami (Italy) followed the front two three minutes later for a second-place 2:33 finish.

The men’s top five was:

1. Luca Del Pero (Italy) – 2:30:08
2. Roberto Delorenzi (Switzerland) – 2:30:17
3. Lorenzo Beltrami (Italy) – 2:33:26
4. Miguel Benítez (Spain) – 2:34:04
5. Alejandro Forcades (Spain) – 2:34:34

Women

Barely a minute separated the second- through fifth-place finishers, but Marta Martínez (Spain) ran down early leader Denisa Dragomir (Romania) 20k into the race and was minutes better than everyone on the final uphill section. Martinez won in 3:02.

Dragomir and Oihana Kortazar (Spain) came out of the chase group to get on the podium in 3:07.

The women’s top five was:

1. Marta Martínez (Spain) – 3:02:06
2. Denisa Dragomir (Romania) – 3:07:24
3. Oihana Kortazar (Spain) – 3:07:57
4. Lide Urrestarazu (Spain) – 3:08:15
5. Naiara Irigoyen (Spain) – 3:08:27

Full results.

The Big Alta – Marinwood, California

50k

Men

The second-year race ran as a single loop, but on a different course than last year. It was still the same at the top of the leaderboard though. Eli Hemming won for a second-straight year. Hemming’s 3:19 finish was 19 minutes better than last year’s winning time on a course with more climbing.

Eddie Owens was second in 3:26 and Rémi Leroux (Canada) was third in 3:28.

Counted on as a pre-race contender, David Roche dropped from the race near halfway with an ankle injury.

The men’s top five was:

1. Eli Hemming – 3:19:30
2. Eddie Owens – 3:26:36
3. Rémi Leroux (Canada) – 3:28:30
4. John Luna-Lima – 3:38:30
5. Joshua Park – 3:41:50

Women

Tabor Hemming gave the Hemming household a sweep. Hemming stepped up in distance after winning last year’s 28k race and took the 50k crown in 4:04.

Lindsay Allison caught Erin Moyer late for a second-place 4:11 finish. Moyer was third in 4:13.

The women’s top five was:

1. Tabor Hemming – 4:04:58
2. Lindsay Allison – 4:11:02
3. Erin Moyer – 4:13:00
4. Keely Henninger – 4:24:12
5. Lindsey Dwyer – 4:30:35

Full results.

28k

Men

Andy Wacker is turning the clock back. At age 36, he’s running really well and won here in 1:47. It wasn’t close. Darren Thomas was second in 1:55 and Johen Deleon went 2:00 for third.

The men’s top five was:

1. Andy Wacker – 1:47:15
2. Darren Thomas – 1:55:09
3. Johen Deleon – 2:00:16
4. Paddy O’Leary (Ireland) – 2:01:29
5. Alan Kalbfleisch – 2:04:18

Women

Ruby Lindquist was a runaway winner in the women’s race in 2:18. Over eight minutes back, Sylvie Abel was second in 2:26, and Julia Schultz was almost a minute behind Abel in third at 2:27.

The women’s top five was:

1. Ruby Lindquist – 2:18:32
2. Sylvie Abel – 2:26:34
3. Julia Schultz – 2:27:23
4. Rebecca Wheeler – 2:29:54
5. Katie D’Ambrosia – 2:33:13

Full results.

Barkley Marathons – Frozen Head State Park, Tennessee

A year after a record five finishers, no one made it through the notorious race’s five 20-mile laps in time. Only three-time finisher John Kelly finished the three laps for a “fun run” finish.

Tomokazu Ihara (Japan), Maxime Gauduin (France), and Sébastien Raichon (France) all finished two laps.

Kelly Halpin went further than any other woman but finished with a near-miss of the first lap within the cutoff time.

Additional Races and Runs

Ecotrail Paris – Paris, France

The urban 83k race finishes part way up the Eiffel Tower. Andreu Simon (Spain) and Anna Carlsson (Sweden) were champs in 5:49 and 6:51. Full results.

Badger Mountain Challenge – Richland, Washington

Nick Doelman was the men’s 100-mile winner in 20:55, but Rachel Entrekin won overall in 19:03. Entrekin won the race in 2024 and 2021 too. Full results.

Crown King Scramble – Phoenix, Arizona

Uphill all-star Eric Blake won his ultra debut in 4:12, and Courtney Dauwalter tuned up for the Cocodona 250 Mile with a 4:19 women’s win. Dauwalter’s win added to a trail marathon victory in Colorado three weeks ago. Full results.

Behind the Rocks 50k – Moab, Utah

If there’s a friendly Boulder versus Salt Lake City rivalry, Matt Daniels scored big for Boulder. Daniels hammered a new 3:29 course record. Salt Lake City’s Anthony Costales was second in 3:44, and Adam Merry and Bryan Kerl tied in third at 3:51. McKendree Hickory and Corinne Shalvoy went 4:42 and 4:47 at the top of the women’s race, and Mara Scallon was third in 5:29. Full results.

Prairie Spirit Trail – Ottawa, Kansas

Official results haven’t yet hit the web, but social media points to Pete Kostelnick and Angela Smith going quick in the 100 miler at 14:02 and 15:51. Full results (when available.)

Ohio’s Backyard Ultra – Lucasville, Ohio

They’re still going in southeastern Ohio. Some 44 hours into the race at the time of this article’s writing, it’s down to Jeff Walker and backyard legend Harvey Lewis. Lauren Jones was the last woman standing, going 38 yards. Full results.

Cliffs of the Neuse Trail 50k – Seven Springs, North Carolina

The race had Matt Patterson and Clarissa Smith atop its podium in 4:37 and 4:46. The fifth annual race was inside a state park of the same name. Full results.

Blackbeard’s Revenge 100 Mile – Corolla, North Carolina

Shad Mika was over two hours ahead of everyone in 16:55, and Christelle Douillet won for the women in 23:32. The race was point-to-point on the Outer Banks. Full results.

Call for Comments

There was a lot of racing this weekend. What didn’t we highlight that deserves a shout out?