The USATF 10k Trail National Championships in Arkansas, SkyMasters in Spain, and Kenya’s Mount Longonot shine in this week’s recap.
Read on to see who took the top spots.
Dirt Circus 10k – Bentonville, Arkansas
The second-year race was the USATF 10-Kilometer Trail National Championships. Runners competed for a prize purse that totaled $15,130, shared among the top three finishers.
Men
Two weeks after winning the USATF Trail Half Marathon National Championships, Christian Allen did it again. Allen sprinted from the starting line and didn’t let up until he finished first in 36:40. It was also his second straight win at this race.
Liam Meirow ran 37:44 for second and Jonathan Aziz was third in 38:03.
The men’s top five was:
- Christian Allen – 36:40
- Liam Meirow – 37:44
- Jonathan Aziz – 38:03
- Andy Wacker – 38:13
- Grant Colligan – 39:43
Christian Allen on his way to winning the 2024 Dirt Circus 10k. Photo: Jeremiah Justis/jjustisphotography.com
Women
It was a homecoming of sorts for Lauren Gregory. She competed collegiately at nearby University of Arkansas. Gregory led all of this one toward a 41:45 finish time.
Allie Ostrander ran 43:18 for second and Marisa Howard was third in 44:20. Howard competed at the 2024 Olympics in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.
The women’s top five was:
- Lauren Gregory -41:15
- Allie Ostrander – 43:18
- Marisa Howard – 44:20
- Summer Allen – 45:16
- Rachel Tomajczyk – 45:51
(In 2023, Ostrander was suspended for four months after testing positive for canrenone, a metabolite of spironolactone, after it was determined that she mistakenly took the drug without first obtaining a World Anti-Doping Agency Therapeutic Use Exemption.)
Lauren Gregory takes the win at the 2024 Dirt Circus 10k. Photo: Jeremiah Justis/jjustisphotography.com
SkyMasters Marató dels Dements – Eslida, Spain
The SkyMasters event marked the end of this year’s Skyrunner World Series, not to be confused with the separate September 2024 Skyrunning World Championships.
For clarity, the Skyrunner World Series is an independent annual series that culminates in its own championships event. The Skyrunning World Championships are administered by the International Skyrunning Federation, the federation that governs the discipline of skyrunning, and generally takes place every two years.
It went 42k and with 3,800 meters of climbing. The top 10 men and women shared a €93,500 cash purse.
Men
Roberto Delorenzi (Switzerland) gained the lead in the second half and outgunned Luca Del Pero (Italy) late for the win. It was Delorenzi’s fifth win of the year and he also won the overall Skyrunner World Series. Delorenzi scored a new course record in 4:45, Del Pero was just over a minute back in 4:46, and Manuel Merillas (Spain) was 27 seconds behind Del Pero at 4:47 for third.
The full men’s top five was:
- Roberto Delorenzi (Switzerland) – 4:45:48
- Luca Del Pero (Italy) – 4:46:49
- Manuel Merillas (Spain) – 4:47:16
- Lorenzo Beltrami (Italy) – 4:51:38
- Frédéric Tranchand (France) – 4:55:55
Roberto Delorenzi, the 2024 SkyMasters men’s champion. Photo: Antton Guaresti
Women
Women’s winner Anastasia Rubtsova (Russia) too found her legs in the race’s second half and ran 5:38 for the win. It was her sixth win of the year and she too won the overall Skyrunner World Series. Local ace Júlia Font (Spain) was a close second in 5:40, and Oihana Kortazar (Spain) ran 5:46 for third in a finish-line sprint.
The women’s top five was:
- Anastasia Rubtsova (Russia) – 5:38:53
- Júlia Font (Spain) – 5:40:58
- Oihana Kortazar (Spain) – 5:46:40
- Hillary Gerardi (U.S., lives in France) – 5:46:41
- Emma Cook-Clarke (Canada) – 5:47:32
Anastasia Rubtsova, the 2024 SkyMasters women’s champion. Photo: Antton Guaresti
Mount Longonot Trail Challenge – Longonot, Kenya
The first-year race was in Mount Longonot National Park in Kenya’s Rift Valley. The course was an up and down 11k trail with a summit of the 9,108-foot namesake peak.
Timothy Kibet led the men with a 1:02:04 finish time. Michael Selelo Saoli edged out Ephantus Njeri for second, by a single second. The two finished in 1:04:05 and 1:04:06.
Trail debutante Ruth Gitonga surprised in the women’s race with a 1:14:50 winning time. Mountain Running World Cup regular Philaries Kisang was second in 1:15:25 and 2024 Sierre-Zinal winner Joyline Chepngeno was pushed back to third in 1:16:45.
Full results (when available).
Additional Races and Runs
Malaysia Ultra-Trail by UTMB – Taiping, Malaysia
The event was new to the UTMB World Series. In the 100k race, on a course with 16,197 feet of climbing, Ji Duo (China) won the men’s race in 11:01, while Lin Chen (China) and Hậu Hà (Vietnam) finished together in 13:15 in the women’s race, saying afterward they intended to tie for the win. The event declared Chen the women’s winner, and Hà second place. Full results.
Ji Duo, the 2024 Malaysia Ultra-Trail by UTMB 100k men’s winner. Photo: Zam Arjuna
Lin Chen (right) and Hậu Hà (left), the 2024 Malaysia Ultra-Trail by UTMB top women. They crossed the line together, and said they made the decision to finish in a tie. Ultimately the race declared Chen first, Hà second. Photo: Zam Arjuna
Run Bibbulmun Track Stage Race – Australia
The three-day run had both long- and short-course options on the Bibbulmun Track in the Great Southern Region of Western Australia. Joel Gray and Victoria Cole won the long course with 9:11 and 10:34 totals, and short-course leaders Lachie McDougall and Christie Lori finished the adventure in 5:44 and 6:03. Full results.
Casper Trail Races 50k – San Juan Capistrano, California
Eric Wostenberg and Shu-Jung Chiang were victorious in 4:13 and 5:28. Full results.
Mount Tam Trail Run 50k – Stinson Beach, California
The Inside Trail race inside Mt. Tam State Park saw Ryan Becker and Lindsay Allison up front in 3:54 and 4:35. Full results.
Lake Chabot 50k – Casto Valley, California
Dylan Merrell was the first man but third overall in 4:52 and Catherine Swallow led everyone in 4:32. Full results.
Revel Big Bear Half Marathon – Big Bear, California
I don’t care if the road race drops 3,161 feet, this is nuts to me. Ian Sharman ran 1:03:42 at age 44 to finish second. That’s 4:51 per mile, and that’s pretty incredible. Full results.
Dead Horse Ultra – Moab, Utah
The Mad Moose Events race happened just outside Arches National Park. Franklin Reilly and Sarah Biehl won the 50 miler in 7:05 and 7:10, and Biehl’s mark was a new course record. A big 50k field had 414 finishers. Anders Hekkli outran Caleb Olson in the men’s race, 3:09 to 3:16, and Soleil Gaylord ran a quick 3:53 for the women’s win. Full results.
Looking Glass 100k – Pisgah Forest, North Carolina
Bhushan Suresh and Marisa Romeo took the course in 11:32 and 12:19. Full results.
Dizzy Fifties 50k – Huntsville, Alabama
The longtime race had Dylan Glass and Malia Gill atop its leaderboard in 4:22 and 5:16. Full results.
NYC Trail Mix 50 Mile – Staten Island, New York
Jordan Buck and Carre Zatwarnytsky won the 50 miler in 7:29 and 8:36, and Chase Smith and Brittany Blitzer were best in the 50k at 4:03 and 4:29. Full results.
Wild Florida Trail Run 50k – Canttell, Florida
The race went point to point on the Florida Trail. Tommy James and Donna Eads won in 3:48 and 5:21. Full results.
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