It took four days to do the Golden Trail World Series Finals. Will the still-happening Big Dog’s Backyard Ultra take longer than that?
Those championships and races like the Grand Trail des Templiers and Diagonale Des Fous are up in this week’s rundown.
Golden Trail World Series Finals – Ascona, Switzerland
The 2024 Golden Trail World Series (GTWS) came to an end over four days of racing in Switzerland. The women raced a 7-kilometer Prologue on Thursday, October 17 and a 23k race on Saturday, October 19. The men did the same two courses, but on Friday, October 18, and on Sunday, October 20.
Men
Prologue
Elhousine Elazzaoui (Morocco) is on a hot streak. He won his third GTWS race in a row, and this one didn’t take a sprint finish to get there either. Elazzaoui finished in 25:48, splitting the 7k course and its time trial racing format 24 seconds better than anyone else. Rémi Bonnet (Switzerland) was the closest with a 26:12 second-place finish and Patrick Kipngeno (Kenya) ran 26:39 for third.
Elhousine Elazzaoui, the 2024 Golden Trail World Series Finals men’s Prologue winner. Photo: Golden Trail World Series/Grand Finals/@RisingStory
The full top 10 was:
- Elhousine Elazzaoui (Morocco) – 25:48
- Rémi Bonnet (Switzerland) – 26:12
- Patrick Kipngeno (Kenya) – 26:39
- Kevin Kibet (Kenya) – 27:06
- Roberto Delorenzi (Switzerland) – 27:34
- Christian Allen (U.S.) – 27:52
- Daniel Pattis (Italy) – 27:59
- Joey Hadorn (Switzerland) – 27:59
- Philemon Kiriago (Kenya) – 28:07
- Manuel Innerhofer (Austria) – 28:08
Final
Different day, same story. Elhousine Elazzaoui pulled away from everyone else late to win again. Elazzaoui had a small lead 100 minutes into the race and opened that up over the final 10 minutes. He finished in 1:50:18, 39 seconds better than everyone else.
Rémi Bonnet continued his strong end-of-season run and was second in 1:50:57, and Patrick Kipngeno was third for the second race in a row. Kipngeno was just behind Bonnet in 1:51:00.
Elazzaoui was the overall Golden Trail World Series champion.
Elhousine Elazzaoui, the 2024 Golden Trail World Series Finals men’s Final winner. Photo: Golden Trail World Series/Grand Finals/@risingstory_@colinolivero
The full top 10 for the Final race was:
- Elhousine Elazzaoui (Morocco) – 1:50:18
- Rémi Bonnet (Switzerland) – 1:50:57
- Patrick Kipngeno (Kenya) – 1:51:00
- Timothy Kibet (Kenya) – 1:53:06
- Philemon Kiriago (Kenya) – 1:54:03
- Robert Pkemoi (Kenya) – 1:55:44
- Daniel Pattis (Italy) – 1:55:46
- Christian Allen (U.S.) – 1:55:50
- Roberto Delorenzi (Switzerland) – 1:58:21
- Alain Santamaria (Spain) – 1:58:30
Women
Prologue
She hasn’t won every race this year, but Joyce Muthoni Njeru (Kenya) has won more than anyone else and has been a step up from the competition this year. She won the Prologue race in 31:37, 30 seconds better than second-place Lauren Gregory (U.S.). Mădălina Florea (Romania) was third in 32:14.
Joyce Muthoni Njeru, the 2024 Golden Trail World Series Finals women’s Prologue winner. Photo: Golden Trail Series/Grand Finals/@risingstory_@colinolivero
Gregory was one of four U.S. women inside the top 10, and three uniquely competed at the June 2024 U.S. Track & Field Olympic Trials too. At the Olympic Trials, Gregory was a finalist in the 5,000 meters. Seventh-place Allie Ostrander was a finalist in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, and eighth-place Anna Gibson was a semifinalist in the 1,500-meter run.
Further, fourth-place U.S. woman Sophia Laukli contested the 2022 Winter Olympics as a Nordic skier. That’s definitely some unique crossover between disciplines and sports among the top U.S. women.
The full top 10 was:
- Joyce Muthoni Njeru (Kenya) – 31:37
- Lauren Gregory (U.S.) – 32:07
- Mădălina Florea (Romania) – 32:14
- Sophia Laukli (U.S., lives in Norway) – 32:18
- Judith Wyder (Switzerland) – 32:38
- Sara Alonso (Spain) – 33:10
- Allie Ostrander (U.S.) – 33:36
- Anna Gibson (U.S.) – 34:29
- Naomi Lang (U.K.) – 34:33
- Eef Van Dongen (The Netherlands) – 34:41
(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.)
Final
Joyline Chepngeno (Kenya), this year’s Sierre-Zinal surprise winner, and Joyce Muthoni Njeru (Kenya), this year’s series leader, went at it early, but it wasn’t really that close. Chepngeno, who didn’t race the two days earlier Prologue, was seconds ahead of Muthoni Njeru just minutes into the race, and opened a big lead in the race’s second half. Chepngeno won the race in 2:08:39.
Joyline Chepngeno, the 2024 Golden Trail World Series Finals women’s Final winner. Photo: Golden Trail Series/Grand Finals/@RisingStory
Lauren Gregory ran down Muthoni Njeru late to earn another second-place finish. She came in at 2:13:00 and Muthoni Njeru was third in 2:13:30.
Muthoni Njeru was the overall series winner.
The full top 10 in the Final race was:
- Joyline Chepngeno (Kenya) – 2:08:39
- Lauren Gregory (U.S.) – 2:13:00
- Joyce Muthoni Njeru (Kenya) – 2:13:30
- Judith Wyder (Switzerland) – 2:13:57
- Sara Alonso (Spain) – 2:14:07
- Sophia Laukli (U.S., lives in Norway) – 2:14:39
- Naomi Lang (U.K.) – 2:17:51
- Oria Liaci (Switzerland) – 2:18:26
- Malen Osa (Spain) – 2:20:04
- Rachel Tomajczyk (U.S.) – 2:20:13
Grand Trail des Templiers – Millau, France
The giant event included some 14 different races. Of those, the 80k (50 miles) Grand Trail des Templiers is the premier race.
Thomas Cardin (France) ran away with the men’s crown in 6:38. Miguel Arsénio (Portugal) came in under seven hours too for a second-place 6:57 finish, and Andreu Simón (Spain) was third in 7:02.
Thomas Cardin, the 2024 Grand Trail des Templiers men’s winner. Photo: Cyrille Quintard
The women ran closer with less than six minutes separating the front three. Caitlin Fielder (New Zealand) won in 7:42, Sylvia Nordskar (Norway) was second in 7:45, and Blandine L’Hirondel (France) was third in 7:48.
Clémentine Geoffray (France) and Jennifer Lichter (U.S.) were fourth and fifth in 7:49 and 8:00 among the competitive front women’s group.
Caitlin Fielder, the 2024 Grand Trail des Templiers women’s champion. Photo: Cyrille Quintard
Diagonale des Fous – Réunion Island, France
The longtime Indian Ocean island traverse stretched 102 miles and with 32,800 feet of elevation gain.
Mathieu Blanchard (France) avenged a drop at this year’s UTMB to win here in 23:25. Jean Philippe-Tschumi (Switzerland) and Ben Dhiman (U.S., lives in France) were second and third in 24:08 and 24:42. Philippe-Tschumi was third here in 2023.
French women dominated the race taking eight of the top 10 finish spots, and sweeping the podium. Manon Bohard led Maryline Nakache and Pauline Grardel with 31:49, 33:01, and 33:46 finish times.
Big Dog’s Backyard Ultra – Bell Buckle, Tennessee
This year’s race was the Backyard Ultra World Team Championships. U.S. runners raced on the traditional 4.16-mile course and nearly 1,000 others from 63 countries raced at other locations around the world.
At the time of this writing on late Sunday evening, 11 U.S. runners, including world record-holder Harvey Lewis, had run for 41 hours and 170 miles, and Belgium led the team rankings.
Additional Races and Runs
Marathon Des Sables Morocco – Saharan Desert, Morocco
This was the third edition for a three-day stage race totaling 120k. Barely a minute separated the first three men and only four seconds separated Rachid El Morabity (Morocco) and Abdelkader El Mouaziz (Morocco). The two totaled 9:37:12 and 9:37:16, and Thomas Benjamin Bertin (Italy) was third in 9:38:21. French runners swept the women’s podium. Lucie Matt, Emilie Garcia, and Carine David finished in 13:01, 13:30, and 13:58, respectively. Full results.
Rogue Gorge – Union Creek, Oregon
The Daybreak Racing event happened along the upper Rogue River. Casey Campbell beat Max King in the 50k, 3:50 to 3:53, and Dominique Stasulli won the women’s race in 4:30. Full results.
SAMO Trail Runs – Pacific Palisades, California
The 50-mile winners Travis Burleson and Anne Delmarre ran 8:58 and 9:10, and 50k champs Rocco Addante and Laura Liedle finished in 4:29 and 5:33. Full results.
California Fall Classic – Healdsburg, California
Temperatures peaked at 92 degrees Fahrenheit on the 100k course. Kevin Stewart overcame the hot conditions to improve on last year’s third-place finish with a first-place 9:59. Women’s winner Charlotte Cox slipped into the top 10 overall with a 12:22 run. Matt Seidel and Pauline Loulier won the accompanying 55k race in 4:23 and 5:00, respectively. Full results.
Kevin Stewart, the 2024 California Fall Classic men’s winner. Photo: John Medinger
Charlotte Cox, the 2024 California Fall Classic women’s winner. Photo: John Medinger
City to Sky 50k – Missoula, Montana
Adam Peterman was over an hour better than everyone else at his hometown ultra. Peterman won in 4:13 and Caroline Hardin championed the women’s race in 5:20. Full results.
Bobcat Trail Race 50k – Colorado Springs, Colorado
Race leaders Stefan Schuster and Salynda Heinl clocked 4:47 and 5:37 finish times on the Palmer Park course. Full results.
Mines of Spain 100 Mile – Dubuque, Iowa
Nathan Shaffer won the men’s race in 18:49 and Mary Namestnik scored a new women’s course record in 22:05. Full results.
Des Moines Marathon – Des Moines, Iowa
The 2023 and 2020 UTATF 50k national champion Kallin Khan won the men’s road race in 2:22:59, while Angela Chaney took the women’s title in 2:52:29. Full results.
Stone Steps 50k – Cincinnati, Ohio
The course is held on a series of loops inside Mount Airy Forest. Frontrunners Johathan Pahren and Molly Kash finished the circuit in 4:56 and 5:21. Full results.
Laurel Highlands Ultra 50k – Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania
Jesse Irwin and Sara Zambotti won the race in 4:42 and 5:35. Full results.
Call for Comments
What’d you like from this weekend? What didn’t you like?
