Summer might be slowing down, but the races keep coming, especially from the Skyrunner World Series and the World Mountain Running Association World Cup. We’ve got the latest from those groups, and a trio of races in the Ultra-Trail World Tour at the top of this week’s card. And next weekend’s Run Rabbit Run 100 Mile has an incredible $75,000 cash purse and we highlight that competitive start list.
Canfranc-Canfranc – Canfran-Estación, Spain
The 15th Canfranc set of races in the central Pyrenees marked the year’s ninth and 10th World Mountain Running Association (WMRA) World Cup races. There was a 45k race, just longer than the marathon distance, on Saturday, and a 16k contest on Sunday. The longer race gained 4,000 meters (13,123 feet) of elevation across four big climbs, and the 16k ran as a single up and down, but with that one climb being 1,400 meters (4,600 feet).
45k
Peter Frano (Slovakia) won a very close men’s race in 5:38. Earlier this year Frano won the Tatra Skymarathon. Less than five minutes separated the front three. Iñigo Macias (Spain) and Raul Criado (Spain) came through in 5:42 and 5:43, respectively.
Charlotte Morgan (U.K.) finished the women’s race dusty and scraped up, but in front of everyone else. She ran 6:38, and second-place Olivia Magnone (France) followed in 6:57. Eva Mesado (Spain) was third in 7:01.
The 2021 Canfranc 45k women’s podium (l-to-r): 3. Eva Mesado, 1. Charlotte Morgan, and 2. Olivia Magnone. Photo: World Mountain Running Association
16k
Antonio Martinez (Spain) won a close men’s race. Barely two minutes separated the first three runners, with Martinez in front at 1:52. Sándor Szabó (Hungary) followed in 1:53 and Daniel Castillo (Spain) was third in 1:54.
The men’s race might’ve been close, but the women’s contest wasn’t at all. Grayson Murphy (USA) beat the course record by 10 minutes and beat everyone in this year’s race by 17 minutes. That’s a huge gap for a 16k race. Murphy finished in 1:57, and it was her second win of three European races in the last two weeks. She was also fifth overall. Núria Gil (Spain) and Nadege Servant (France) were second and third in 2:15 and 2:17.
The next WMRA World Cup race is Trofeo Ciolo in Italy on September 26.
Antonio Martinez and Grayson Murphy, 2021 Canfranc 16k champions. Photo: World Mountain Running Association
Pirin Extreme – Bansko, Bulgaria
The technical 33k race runs through Pirin National Park with 3,300 meters (10,826 feet) of elevation gain. It was part of the Skyrunner World Series.
Men
Spanish runners Jordi Alís and Ricardo Cherta ran one-two with 4:42 and 4:50 finish times on the challenging track. Kiril Nikolov (Bulgaria) got on the podium for the host country with a 4:56 third-place run.
Jordi Alís, 2021 Pirin Extreme 33k champion. Photo: Skyrunning
Women
Oana Mihalcea (Romania) did a fairy-like leap across the finish while dominating the women’s run in 6:45. Silviya Mladenova (Bulgaria) was second in 7:29, and Hilla Rudanko (Finland) was third in 7:35.
The next Skyrunner World Series race is the September 19 Grigne Skymarathon in Pasturo, Italy.
Oana Mihalcea on her way to winning the 2021 Pirin Extreme 33k. Photo: Skyrunning/Alexander Valchev
Additional Races and Runs
100 Miles of Istria – Umag, Croatia
There were three Ultra-Trail World Tour races on the weekend, including the 100 Miles of Istria. Race winners Tomáš Štverák (Czech Republic) and Eva Urbanc (Slovenia) finished in 21:17 and 26:31. Full results.
Ultra-Trail Harricana – La Malbaie, Quebec, Canada
Also part of the Ultra-Trail World Tour, 125k wins here went to David Hedges (USA) and Jenny Quilty in 14:40 and 16:15. Hedges, just 23 years old, won the UROC 100k earlier this year, and Quilty was second at the Canadian Death Race also earlier this year. Full results.
Ultra-Trail Snowdonia – Capel Curig, United Kingdom
This was the weekend’s third Ultra-Trail World Tour contest. The 100k run, dubbed “beautiful beyond belief, savage beyond reason,” packed in 6,700 meters (22,000 feet) elevation gain on a course that only had seven aid stations. Mark Darbyshire (U.K.) and Sarah Staveley (U.K.) won the adventure in 14:25 and 21:41, respectively. Full results (when available).
Dolomitenmann – Lienz, Austria
The unique mixed sports relay combines running, paragliding, mountain biking, and kayaking. Joseph Gray was part of the first-place team and the second-best individual run. His 1:22 was eclipsed by Rémi Bonnet‘s 1:20 climb. Bonnet’s team would only finish sixth however. Full results.
Wasatch Front 100 Mile – Kaysville, Utah
“One hundred miles of heaven and hell,” is this race’s motto, and it seemingly delivered on the event’s 41st edition. Cody Priest was the men’s winner in 21:24, and Rebecca Rick took home the women’s win in 26:09. Full results.
Mogollon Monster 100 Mile – Pine, Arizona
Racing on a point-to-point course, Jeff Browing won in 20:52. It was his 23rd 100-mile win and moves him ahead of Ann Trason for second most 100-mile wins all time. It was also his 42nd 100-mile finish. Wow, congrats! Sarah Ostaszewski was first woman in 27:55. Full results.
IMTUF 100 Mile – McCall, Idaho
They’ve got one of the best acronyms in ultrarunning. Officially it’s the Idaho Mountain Trail Ultra Festival, but IMTUF just sounds so much cooler. Jeffrey Colt and Christie Richards won in 20:16 and 24:27. Full results.
Black Squirrel Half Marathon – Bellvue, Colorado
In this Gnar Runners race, Clint Anders edged Tony White to win the men’s crown. The pair finished in 1:31 and 1:33, and women’s winner Janelle Lincks repeated her crown in 1:40. Ladia Albertson-Junkans was second in 1:45. Full results.
Superior 100 Mile – Lutsen, Minnesota
Thomas Carr and Katie Kubont won the 100-mile race in 21:09 and 27:14. Harvey Lewis was second in 22:22, two weeks after he ran 124 miles at the FANS 24-hour race. Full results.
Ice Age Trail 50 Mile – La Grange, Wisconsin
Sidney Noble and Shea Aquilano were the men’s and women’s Ice Age Trail winners in 6:57 and 7:28. Full results.
Race Cancelations
If it’s not one thing, it’s the other. Both California’s Tahoe 200 Mile and Oregon’s Pine to Palm 100 Mile were canceled.
Next Weekend – Run Rabbit Run 100 Mile – Steamboat Springs, Colorado
It’s almost too good to be true, but the Run Rabbit Run 100 Mile is up to an incredible $75,000 cash purse with $15,000 to each of the race winners.
Men
- Julien Chorier (France) – 4th 2021 Hardrock 100
- Jackson Cole – 1st 2021 Sinks Canyon 50k
- Anthony Costales – 1st 2021 Canyons 100k
- Morgan Elliott – 6th 2021 Bandera 100k
- Tyler Fox – 1st 2021 Bighorn 100 Mile
- Christopher Hammes – 11th 2021 Leadville Trail 100 Mile
- Mark Hammond – 1st 2021 Elephant Rock 50k
- Dakota Jones – 2nd 2021 The Rut 28k
- Cory Logsdon – 1st 2021 Black Hills 100 Mile
- Jeff Mogavero – 1st 2021 Beaverhead 100k
- Kyle Pietari – 6th 2021 Western States 100
Women
- Melissa Beaury – 2nd 2019 Run Rabbit Run 100 Mile
- Nicole Bitter – 2nd 2021 Tushars Mountain Run 70k
- Amelia Boone – 5th 2019 Big’s Backyard Ultra
- Addie Bracy – 1st 2021 Never Summer 100k
- Kerrie Bruxvoort – 5th 2021 Grand Traverse 40 Mile
- Meredith Edwards – 1st 2021 Moab Red Hot 55k
- Salynda Heinl – 1st 2021 High Lonesome 100 Mile
- Sarah Keyes – 12th 2021 Western States 100 Mile
- Abby Levene – 5th 2019 The North Face Endurance Challenge 50 Mile Championships
- Sally McRae – 1st 2021 Badwater 135 Mile
- Alissa St. Laurent (Canada) – 5th 2018 UTMB
- Arden Young – 3rd 2020 Bandera 100k
Call for Comments
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