Here we go, again, Monday! This week’s results recap picks up the best from Australia, Italy, Oregon, and lots of other U.S. regional highlights.
[Editor’s Note: As you return to racing, we hope you’ll research and follow regulations and recommendations in your running-related travel. Here’s our science-based article on how to lower COVID-19 risks as you travel and race.]
Ultra-Trail Australia — Katoomba, Australia
Thanks to BOA for sponsoring this edition of TWIR!
The Ultra-Trail Australia 100-kilometer race was an Ultra-Trail World Tour contest, though travel restrictions look to have limited the field to mostly Australian and New Zealand runners. Many of the best from those two countries came to race the Blue Mountains course though.
Women
Racing well back of the leaders in the early going, Cecilia Mattas (Finland, living in Australia) gained the ultimate lead near halfway and stayed in front for a first-place 11:35. Sophie Brown (Australia) and Sarah Ludowici (Australia) chased to 11:51 and 11:53 second- and third-place finishes.
Ruth Croft (New Zealand) edged Paige Linegar (Australia) to win the 50k race. The pair finished in 4:52 and 4:56. Anna McKenna (Australia) was third in 5:12.
Cecilia Mattas, 2021 Ultra-Trail Australia 100k champion. Photo: Tim Bardsley-Smith
Men
Matthew Pellow, a former professional triathlete, topped the men’s group in 9:51. He only entered the race two weeks ago and this was his first time running longer than 66k. Vajin Armstrong (New Zealand) finished second in 10:04, and Michael Dimuantes (Australia) was a close third in 10:09.
Less than three minutes separated the front three in the men’s 50k. Tom Brimelow (Australia) put just enough distance over the final kilometer on Luke Taylor (Australia) and Gerald Macpherson (Australia) to win. The group finished in 4:35, 4:37, and 4:38, respectively.
The next Ultra-Trail World Tour race is the June 26 Western States 100.
Matthew Pellow, 2021 Ultra-Trail Australia 100k champion. Photo: Tim Bardsley-Smith
Porte di Pietra — Cantalupo Ligure, Italy
The 16th Porte di Pietra race had 72k (45 miles) and 37k (23 miles) race distances, and the 72k race was the Italian national championship and a qualifier for November’s Trail World Championships. The 72k race had some 500 starters.
Women
Camille Bruyas (France) finished the 72k to a standing ovation, winning in 7:38. Katie Schide (USA, lives in France) was second in 8:12, and Giuditta Turini (Italy) was third in 8:28. Turini’s strong finish earned her a narrow, two-minute national championship over Martina Valmassoi (Italy).
The 37k race was part of the national class Golden Trail Series, and Julie Roux (Italy) won in 3:45.
Men
Reigning national champ Andreas Reiterer (Italy) set a quick early pace and ran away from the field en route to a 6:42 winning time and new course record. Andre Rodrigues (Portugal) was second in 6:58 and Davide Cheraz (Italy) was third.
Davide Magnini (Italy) led the entire 37k race and won in 2:59.
Full results (when available).
Smith Rock Ascent 50k — Terrebonne, Oregon
On a lollipop course inside of Smith Rock State Park, the Smith Rock Ascent 50k gains just 4,100 feet, making for a fast course. Elise Langerstrom was victorious in 4:52, and Tish Hora and Andrea Scott ran 5:10 and 5:12 for second and third. Kimber Mattox, Amanda Basham, and Lauren Daniels podiumed in the 15-mile race in 2:06, 2:13, and 2:22, respectively.
Men’s 50k winner Matt Daniels really went for it with a 3:34 finish. He finished less than two minutes off Ryan Bak’s 2017 course record. Ryan Kaiser and Paul Young dueled for second and third in 4:07 and 4:09. In the men’s 15-mile race, Casey Campbell bested Brian Whitfield 1:42 to 1:44, and Jay Cech was third in 1:57.
Quest for the Crest 50k — Burnsville, North Carolina
The seventh annual Quest for the Crest 50k was certainly rugged. The point-to-point course gains 12,000 feet of elevation and packs 3,300 feet of that into the first 2.5 miles. The pre-dawn start puts runners up high for the sunrise.
Sabrina Stanley‘s bid for a repeat Hardrock 100 win is underway. The 2018 Hardrock winner raced to a 7:21 winning time, the race’s second-fastest ever. Second-place Kristy McBride and third-place Amanda Reynolds finished in 7:50 and 8:38, respectively.
Men’s champ Cory Keehn finished the mountain run in 6:20, 13 minutes ahead of runner-up Drew Antonisse. Devon Olson gained the final podium position in 7:02.
Additional Races and Runs
Pennine Way FKT — United Kingdom
John Kelly (US, but living in UK) broke the 268-mile Pennine Way FKT in the UK less than a year ago, only to lose that record to Damian Hall (UK) a week later. Kelly’s back on the path and late into the run. At the time of this writing, he’s going on 3.5 hours up on Hall’s FKT of 2 days, 13 hours, and 35 minutes. Live tracking is online.
Keys 100 Mile — Key West, Florida
It sounds like it was a hot and humid day for the Keys 100 Mile, which stretches between Key Largo and Key West in Florida. The 100-mile race crowned Liza Howard and Bret Sanborn champions in 17:49 and 14:27, respectively. And the 50 miler saw winners in Erin Churchill and Jordan Tropf. The pair ran 8:29 and 6:43, respectively. Full results.
Liza Howard, 2021 Keys 100 Mile champion. Photo courtesy of Liza Howard.
Tapteal Greenway 50k Run or Paddle — Benton City, Washington
The first-year Tapteal Greenway 50k is certainly unique. Run on the trail next to the river in the footrace, or paddle on the river for the water race. It was close, but the runners ultimately finished in front. Leanne Smith was the first female in 4:14, and men’s winner Michael McNeill ran 3:56. The first paddlers finished in 4:08. Full results.
Tiger Mountain Trail Run 50k — Issaquah, Washington
Inside its namesake state forest, Tiger Mountain Trail Run 50k wins went to Emily Davis and AJ Osborne in 6:10 and 5:13. Full results.
Mary’s Peak Trail Run 50 Mile — Blodgett, Oregon
4,097-foot Mary’s Peak is the highest peak in the Oregon Coast Range, and up and around this area ran the Mary’s Peak Trail Run 50 Mile. Megan Flanagan and Jeremy Provenzola went for 9:57 and 8:39 first-place runs, and Camelia Mayfield and Emmett Saulnier won the 50k in 5:23 and 4:13. Full results.
Flower Moon 50 Mile — Pawhuska, Oklahoma
Twenty-three-year-old Teresa Brady won the Flower Moon 50 Mile in 9:57. Brady competed in cross country at the Air Force Academy. Men’s best William Kent won in 8:46. Full results.
Glacier Ridge 50 Mile — Portersville, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania’s Glacier Ridge 50 Mile crowned Anna Balouris as its women’s winner in 8:08. Brett Mason was first male in 8:20 on a “back to the ice age” course that gained 6,600 feet of elevation. Leslie Kramer and Mike Bonarski won the 50k race in 6:05 and 4:37. Full results.
Peak Blood Root 100 Mile — Pittsfield, Vermont
Two-hundred-, 100-, 50-mile, and 50k filled up Vermont’s Green Mountain National Forest and the Peak Blood Root group of races. Sofi Santilo (Argentina) was the only 200-mile finisher in 48:36. Matthew Guarino was the first of only two male 100-mile finishers in 23:44. Catie Markesich and Nigel Bates led the 50-mile runners in 13:45 and 10:18, and Melissa Milne and Joshua Ferenc won over 50k in 7:23 and 5:13. Full results.
Hidden Hills 50 Mile — Strawn, Texas
Ultra Expeditions’s Hidden Hills 50 Mile runs through Texas’s Palo Pinto State Park, the state’s newest state park. Elizabeth Hingley and Brandon Coats topped the fields with 9:37 and 8:28 winning times. Full results.
Cruel Jewel 105.9 Mile — Blue Ridge, Georgia
Sheila Vipert and Canyon Woodward won the Cruel Jewel 105.9-mile run. Vipert crossed the line in 27:56, good for second-best ever on the difficult route, and Woodward set a new course record in 22:36. In the 50-mile distance, it was Tory Grieves in 12:32 and Zach Andrews in 11:20 with the wins. Andrews’s performance was a course record as well. Full results.
Canyon Woodward, 2021 Cruel Jewel 100 Mile champion. Photo: Grant Carmichael
Firebreak 50 Mile — Columbia, South Carolina
Named for the Firebreak Trail within 2,100-acre Harbison State Forest, the Firebreak 50 Mile is run on a 10-mile loop. Karen Padula and John Bruno ringed the forest five times in 9:25 and 8:11, respectively. Full results.
Call for Comments
Results for Nevada’s Silver State 50/50 and a few others hadn’t hit the web at the time of this writing. Can you share those results or any other highlights you took part in this weekend?
