This week’s mixtape has Frozen Head State Park and a frozen race in Nome, Alaska, among other highlights.
Warm up and read up, friends.
Barkley Marathons – Wartburg, Tennessee
iRunFar earlier did a deep dive on the Barkley Marathons.
There were a record five finishers at this year’s Barkley Marathons, including the first female finisher in the race’s 38-year history.
The five-lap, roughly 130-mile run around Frozen Head State Park started early on Wednesday, March 20 and ran for the next 60 hours toward a down-to-the-wire finish on Friday, March 22.
Ihor Verys (Ukraine, lives in Canada) was the race’s first finisher in 58:44. He was runner-up at last year’s record-breaking Big’s Backyard Ultra. Race legends John Kelly earned his third Barkley finish in 59:15, and Jared Campbell came in next at 59:30 for his fourth Barkley finish. It was Campbell’s first finish since 2016. Trying for the third time, Greig Hamilton (New Zealand) scored his finish in 59:38.
Ihor Verys wins the 2024 Barkley Marathons on his first attempt. Photo: Howie Stern
But much of this year’s starshine was on Jasmin Paris (U.K.). Paris ran three Barkley loops in 2022, and part of four in 2023. This year she became the race’s first-ever female finisher with a dramatic 59:58 run. Paris beat the race’s 60-hour cutoff by 99 seconds. The finish was celebrated even in mainstream media with coverage on both ESPN and the New York Times, among other media outlets.
While growing, the exclusive race now has just 20 different finishers across its history.
Jasmin Paris, the first ever woman finisher of the Barkley Marathons at the event’s 2024 edition, with now four-time finisher Jared Campbell. Photo: Howie Stern
Chianti Ultra Trail by UTMB – Chianti, Italy
Ultra Trail Chianti Castles 100k
The 64-mile race totaled 13,123 feet of elevation gain. It took a sub-9-hour run to get on the men’s podium. Andreas Reiterer (Italy) was the race winner in 8:40 and Sébastien Spehler (France) edged out Paul Cornut Chauvinc (France) for second. Both Spehler and Cornut Chauvinc finished in 8:52, but Spehler was 35 seconds in front.
The men’s top 10 was:
- Andreas Reiterer (Italy) – 8:40
- Sébastien Spehler (France) – 8:52
- Paul Cornut Chauvinc (France) – 8:52
- Jonas Russi (Switzerland) – 9:00
- Aubin Ferrari (France) – 9:00
- Scott Hawker (New Zealand) – 9:12
- Pau Capell (Spain) – 9:28
- Jérémie Marin – (France) – 9:47
- Lewis Ryan (U.K.) – 9:48
- Jorge Maravilla (U.S., lives in France) – 9:54
The women’s race wasn’t close at the top, but the back half of the top 10 ran tighter. Azara García (Spain) dominated the women’s run. Her 10:12 finish was over an hour better than everyone else.
Heidi Annemarie Schwartz (Germany) and Nicoletta Gossa (Italy) got on the podium with 11:34 and 12:15 second- and third-place finishes.
The women’s top 10 was:
- Azara García (Spain) – 10:12
- Heidi Annemarie Schwartz (Germany) – 11:34
- Nicoletta Gossa (Italy) – 12:15
- Francesca Canepa (Italy) – 12:20
- Shefi Xhaferaj (Luxembourg) – 12:24
- Karolina Sopa (Poland) – 12:31
- Héloïse Aeberli (France) – 12:53
- Antea Pellegrino (Italy) – 12:57
- Vanya Dimitrova (Bulgaria) – 13:41
- Ieva Upmace-Grivina (Latvia) – 13:52
One of the views from the 2024 Chianti Ultra Trail. Photo: UTMB/Francesco Mazzei
Chianti Marathon Trail
The marathon went for about 26.7 miles and with 5,413 feet of elevation gain.
Robbie Simpson (U.K.) was victorious in 2:50, two minutes better than second-place Simon Paccard (France). Bertie Houghton (U.K.) finished third in 2:56.
The men’s top 10 shows some familiar names here too.
- Robbie Simpson (U.K.) – 2:50
- Simon Paccard (France) – 2:52
- Bertie Houghton (U.K.) – 2:56
- Hannes Perkmann (Italy) – 2:57
- Cristian Minoggio (Italy) – 3:00
- Daniel Osanz (Spain) – 3:00
- Sergi Garcia (Spain) – 3:02
- Genis Porqueras (Spain) – 3:02
- Manuel Merillas (Spain) – 3:02
- Mattia Bertoncini (Italy) – 3:03
Núria Gil (Spain) took the women’s crown with a first-place 3:20 finish. Camilla Magliano (Italy) chased to second in 3:23 and Theres Leboeuf (Switzerland) ran 3:27 for third.
The women’s top 10 include:
- Núria Gil (Spain) – 3:20
- Camilla Magliano (Italy) – 3:23
- Theres Leboeuf (Switzerland) – 3:27
- Greta García (Spain) – 3:32
- Clémentine Geoffray (France) – 3:33
- Robyn Lesh (U.S.) – 3:39
- Chelsea Creak (U.K.) – 3:39
- Maryke Van Zyl (Zimbabwe) – 3:42
- Lucille Germain (France) – 3:43
- Sara Lagomarsino (Italy) – 3:46
Núria Gil winning the 2024 Chianti Trail Marathon. Photo: UTMB/Lorenzo Orlandi
Behind the Rocks Ultra – Moab, Utah
The Mad Moose Events race had 50-mile, 50k, 30k, and 10-mile distances, next to the Behind the Rocks Wilderness Study Area.
50 Mile
Ben Handrich and Keavy Baylor won the 50-mile race in 7:47 and 9:50.
50k
A big field of 250 finished the 50k. The race marked the end of the Triple Crown of Moab and its $20,000 prize purse. Triple Crown winners each earned $3,000 with prize money going five deep.
Cole Campbell won the men’s race in 3:41, and that was 10 minutes better than Jonathan Rea’s 2023 course best. Caleb Olson and Brian Whitfield were second and third in 3:56 and 4:01. Campbell also earned the Triple Crown win and Olson was second. Just 24 years old, Campbell could be one to watch on a bigger stage at June’s Broken Arrow Skyrace 46k.
Just like Campbell, women’s 50k winner Anne Flower also set a new course record and won the Triple Crown. She finished in 4:23, almost four minutes faster than Taylor Nowlin’s old record from 2018. Flower won the recent Dead Horse 50k and Arches 50k races too as part of the Triple Crown. Lauren Kersjes and Riley Brady were second and third in 4:30 and 4:37. Brady identifies as non-binary but races in the women’s division.
30k
Whit Blair and Brittany Charboneau were race champs in 1:57 and 2:16, respectively.
The 2024 Behind the Rocks 50k men’s podium (left-to-right): 2. Caleb Olson, 1. Cole Campbell, and 3. Brian Whitfield. Photo courtesy of Mad Moose Events.
Additional Races and Runs
SciaccheTrail – Monterosso al Mare, Italy
The event through the Cinque Terre had 100k and 47k distances. On the long course, Simone Corsini (Italy) and Marta Cunico (Italy) won in 13:15 and 16:04, and in the 47k it was Christian Stern (Austria) and Amanda Basham (U.S.) that were victorious with 4:31 and 4:58 finish times. Full results.
Iditarod Trail Invitational – Nome, Alaska
The event includes 1,000- and 350-mile races, and foot, bike, and ski competitions. Gavin Hennigan (Ireland) won the 1,000-mile foot race in 24 days, 17 hours, and 46 minutes. Faye Norby was the first woman to finish in 26 days, 18 hours, and 50 minutes. Tracking.
Badger Mountain Challenge – Richland, Washington
The 100-mile race is run as two 50-mile loops. Race winners Chad Allen and Rachel Entrekin finished in 20:08 and 19:51. Entrekin beat her own 2021 winning time by three minutes. Notably, Barkley Marathons winner Ivor Verys set the men’s course record of 15:44 last year.
The race had several ultra distances and in the 100k it was Kevin Gustafson and Lisa Wonneberg finishing first in 11:34 and 11:59. Jeffrey Barrington and Brooke Deans led the 50 miler in 7:18 and 8:09. Full results.
Owyhee Off-Road Challenge – Adrian, Oregon
The race was held in far eastern Oregon, near the Idaho border. Rocque Lefaive and Elizabeth Hingley finished the single loop 55k first in 5:42 and 6:34. Full results.
Griffith Park Trail 50k – Los Angeles, California
Colin Henderson scored the win in 3:55 and Alyssa Clark set a new course record in 4:23. The first four women all went under the old course best. Full results.
Crown King Scramble 50k – Crown King, Arizona
The point-to-point race goes from Lake Pleasant through the desert to the old mining town of Crown King. The uphill course gains 6,815 feet of elevation. Ryan Raff scored a new course record in 3:41. That was almost six minutes better than David Nilsson’s old record from 2019. David Roche did some work, some play and was second in 3:44. That also bettered the old record. Makai Clemons was third in 3:52.
Women’s winner Megan Roche finished in 4:30, the race’s second-fastest time ever. Lindsay Allison and Abbie Tuomi were second and third in 4:55 and 5:08, respectively. Full results.
Prairie Spirit Trail – Ottawa, Kansas
The races were run out and back on a rails-to-trails course. Cody Jones blitzed the 100 miler in 14:11, and Andrea White won the women’s race in 17:15. Michael Dunn and Carrie Grant won the 100k in 10:47 and 10:04, and Samuel Holland and Kayla Straub led the 50 miler in 6:19 and 7:11. Full results.
Ramble in the Brambles 29 Mile – Muenster, Texas
Steve Hoogland dipped under four hours with a 3:57 winning time and Maddi Edds was the first woman in 6:12. Full results.
Ohio’s Backyard Ultra – Lucasville, Ohio
In the 38th hour, when this article was written on Sunday evening, there are two runners still going, Tyler Keenan and Jennifer Russo. At this point, they’ve totaled over 166 miles. Tracking.
Hone Quarry 40 Miler – Dayton, Virginia
David Yoder and Amy Stulman won the second-year race in 6:45 and 8:20. Full results.
Call for Comments
Let’s play would you rather? At the Crown King Scramble 50k, David Roche finished second but beat the old course record. Megan Roche won but missed the course record. Of course, both are excellent, but which finish would you rather have?
