Course records fell at Spartathlon and the Bear 100 Mile, a world champion struggled at Ultra Pirineu, and world champions were crowned at the XTERRA Trail Run World Championships. We looked all over and rounded it up here.
The Bear 100 Mile – Logan, Utah
The point-to-point race celebrated its 25th anniversary. The course climbed 22,816 feet from northern Utah to southern Idaho, finishing at Bear Lake.
Women
Kathryn Graham gained the women’s crown in 22:25. She was fifth here in 2020 in 26:14.
Recent Barkley Fall Classic winner Kris Rugloski, who’s an obstacle course-racer outside of trail running, came next in 25:28, and Rebekah Rose was a close third in 25:34.
Kathryn Graham on her way to winning the 2023 Bear 100 Mile. Photo: Bethany Draper
Men
It’d been over a decade since anyone had run under 18 hours at the Bear, and Christopher Kollar’s 17:50 course record had stood since 2012. That mark came way down this year though.
Twenty-three-year-old Zack Garner hit a home run in his 100-mile debut. Garner won in 17:11. He was almost two hours better than everyone else in this year’s race too. Previously, the Brigham Young University student was fifth at the Speedgoat by UTMB 50k each of the last two years.
Less than four minutes separated the next two finishers. Jake Krong edged out Jesse Rich for second in 19:09, and Rich was third in 19:13.
Zack Garner, the 2023 Bear 100 Mile winner. Photo: Bethany Draper
Nice Côte d’Azur by UTMB – Nice, France
The 115k (71 miles) race was the year’s third Western States 100 Golden Ticket race with the top two finishers earning an automatic entry to next year’s Western States 100.
Women
Eleanor Davis (U.K.) led the entirety of the women’s race. She finished first in 13:49, and was almost an hour better than everyone else.
Marjo Liikanen (Finland) was second in 14:44 and Giulia Vinco (Italy) ran 15:28 for third.
Eleanor Davis, the 2023 Nice Côte d’Azur by UTMB 115k champion. Photo: Nice Côte d’Azur by UTMB
Men
Jim Walmsley is going back to the Western States 100. The three-time winner and course record holder earned his way back in with a first-place finish in 11:21. Walmsley’s win here comes less than a month after also winning UTMB.
Walmsley’s training mate Simon Gosselin (France) was second in 11:46 and accepted his Golden Ticket too.
The rest of the top five included Philipp Ausserhofer (Italy), Thibaut Baronian (France), and Sylvain Camus (France) in 11:55, 12:24, and 12:35.
Jim Walmsley on his way to winning the 2023 Nice Côte d’Azur by UTMB 115k. Photo: Nice Côte d’Azur by UTMB
Spartathlon – Athens, Greece
The historic run goes 153 miles from Athens to Sparta. It was the race’s 40th year.
Women
Camille Herron (U.S.) won and set a new course record in 22:35. She bettered Patrycja Bereznowska’s former 24:48 best that had stood since 2017. Herron’s win avenged a drop at last year’s race, and she did it with some late race strength. Herron was just third as late as mile 88, over halfway into the race, and took the lead near mile 106. She was considerably faster than her competition over the last roughly 30 miles.
Flying Finns Noora Honkala (Finland) and Satu Lipiäinen (Finland) both ran faster than the old course record too. Honkala was second in 23:22, improving on her third-place finish from 2021, and Lipiäinen was third in 23:48.
What a year for the top women at Spartathlon.
Camille Herron takes the win at the 2023 Spartathlon in a new course record. Photo: Sparta Photography Club/Flickr
Men
It was a three-peat for Fotis Zisimopoulos (Greece), and he did it by beating a Yiannis Kouros (Greece) course record. Zisimopoulos ran 19:55, and that was better than Kouros’s 20:25 from way back in 1984.
Simen Holvik (Norway), this year’s Badwater 135 Mile winner, was second in 22:17, and Fernando Andrés Martínez (Spain) was third in 23:32.
Fotis Zisimopoulos (center) celebrates winning the 2023 Spartathlon. Photo: Sparta Photography Club/Flickr
Ultra Pirineu – Bagà, Spain
100k
The 100k was the event’s longest and premier race, and Marta Molist (Spain) was victorious in 12:30. María Mercedes Pila (Spain) was a distant second in 13:04, and Ragna Debats (The Netherlands, lives in Spain) was next in 13:12. The 2022 race winner Núria Picas (Spain) was fifth in 14:38.
Marta Molist takes the win at the 2023 Ultra Pirineu 100k. Photo: GRAVACS/ Sergi Colome
Miguel Arsénio (Portugal) led for the final 20k toward a 10:37 first-place finish. A 48-year-old Miguel Heras (Spain) was second in 10:53. Heras won the race a year ago when finishing in 10:38. Rodrigo Monasor (Spain) was third in 10:59. Attempting to step up in distance, two-time 40k Trail World Champion and recent OCC 55k winner Stian Angermund (Norway) dropped from the race at 88k with stomach problems.
Miguel Arsénio, the 2023 Ultra Pirineu 100k men’s champion. Photo: GRAVACS/ Sergi Colome
42k
Julia Font (Spain) stormed the women’s marathon with a 4:17 winning time. Ines Moreno (Spain) was just in front of Ruth Croft (New Zealand) for second. The two finished in 4:24 and 4:26, respectively, and the top nine women all finished under five hours on the mountainous route.
Men’s leader Robert Pkemoi Matayango (Kenya) was a repeat winner. He finished in 3:28, nine minutes better than a year ago. Racing for the third straight weekend, Roberto Delorenzi (Switzerland) was second in 3:32, and Victor Pellicer (Spain) was third in 3:42.
XTERRA Trail Run World Championships – Sugarloaf Mountain, Maine
The event left its longtime Hawai’ian course for one in Maine centered around the Sugarloaf Mountain ski area, and split its field between marathon and half marathon races. The longer race paid out $6,800 with $2,000 to the winners, and the half marathon awarded $3,200 with $1,000 to each winner.
Marathon
Caitlin Patterson kept the women’s win in state. The Maine runner edged out Vermont’s Joanna Fortier 4:02 to 4:06. Britta Clark took the final money spot at 4:13.
Men’s marathon winner Mason Coppi clocked 3:17 for his payday, and Eric LiPuma was second in 3:22. Third-place Thomas Bartoli (France) was quite a ways back at 3:51.
Half Marathon
Rachel Tomajczyk and Andy Wacker were each 10th at last weekend’s Mammoth 26k, and both moved to the top spot here. Tomajczyk won in 1:50, outpacing Hannah Rowe and Corey Dowe. Rowe and Dowe finished in 1:55 and 1:56.
Wacker’s 1:31 run was three minutes better than second-place Dan Curts, and Phil Royer was a distant third in 1:41.
Additional Races and Runs
Primiero Dolomiti Trail – Primiero, Italy
The first-year race was part of the World Mountain Running Association’s World Cup. Susanna Saapunki (Finland) led a small elite women’s field with a 51:00 finish time. Lucy Wambui Murigi (Kenya) and Sara Willhoit (U.K.) were second and third in 52:33 and 52:42. Men’s champ Xavier Chevrier (Italy) was out front in 43:22, and Remi Leroux (Canada) and Henri Aymonod (Italy) were next in 43:56 and 43:58. Full results.
EcoTrail Wicklow – Wicklow, Ireland
It was a super soaker day in Ireland. Runners were drenched in rain. Deidre O’Gorman (Ireland) and Yoann Stuck (France) won the 80k in 8:36 and 6:34, and Hillary Allen (USA) and Enda Cloake (Ireland) led the 47k in 4:56 and 3:58. Full results.
Hillary Allen takes the win in the 2023 EcoTrail Wicklow 47k. Photo: EcoTrail Wicklow/Visit Wicklow
Enda Cloake, the 2023 EcoTrail Wicklow 47k men’s winner. Photo: EcoTrail Wicklow/Visit Wicklow
Perpetua Coast 50k – Yachats, Oregon
Lindsay Eysenbach and Dylan Humberger won the race in 4:38 and 4:07. Full results.
Dick Collins Firetrails – Castro Valley, California
The longtime 50-mile race celebrated winners Katherine Song and Zachary Speno in 7:52 and 7:17. Full results.
Bogus 50/50 – Boise, Idaho
The 50-mile winners Jenna Maffey and Anthony Jacobs finished in 9:00 and 7:42, and Mindy Kaufman and Ben Holland were tops in the 50k in 4:39 and 4:48. Full results.
Crested Butte Ultra – Crested Butte, Colorado
The Mad Moose Events race saw Lauren Bruns Buchheit and Justin Watkins finished the 50-mile race first in 10:46 and 8:29, and 55k frontrunners Chloe Dodge and Emilio Anaya Happel come through in 5:34 and 4:37. Full results.
Yeti 100 Mile – Abingdon, Virginia
The 2021 winner Mary Cates won again, this time in 17:06, and Barry Thomas was out front in 15:12 for the men’s lead. Full results.
Cat’s Tail Marathon – Shandaken, New York
The race’s ninth running went point to point through the Slide Mountain Wilderness Area of the Catskill Mountains. It was rainy with slick and sloppy trails, and Amy Demarco won in 5:45 alongside men’s best Alex Faravich in 5:04. Full results (when available.)
Pilot Mountain to Hanging Rock – Pinnacle, North Carolina
The race connects its two namesake state parks. Tiffany Bjornstad and Marshall Daniels won the 50 miler in 10:38 and 9:37, and Julia Draughn and Samuel Haynes took the 50k in 5:56 and 4:28. Full results.
Call for Comments
The Twin Cities Marathon in Minnesota canceled its big marathon because of heat. How were your race conditions this weekend?
