With no clear favorite entering the 2026 Canyons by UTMB 100k, several runners could dream of a podium finish and a coveted Golden Ticket to the 2026 Western States 100 this summer. In the end, it was Adam Peterman and Riley Brady who took home the wins on a relatively cool day in California.
Adam Peterman, 2026 Canyons by UTMB 100k champion. Photo: Howie Stern/The Canyons Endurance Runs by UTMB
At 5 a.m. local time, on Saturday, April 25, nearly 700 runners started the race in brisk temperatures at the China Wall trailhead in the Sierra Nevada foothills to run the 62-mile (100k) course to downtown Auburn. The course, which has undergone several changes in recent years, had a late reroute earlier in the week due to inclement weather. Still, runners faced approximately 12,300 feet (3,750 meters) of elevation gain and 17,000 feet (5,181 meters) of descent. The race, in its 12th edition, is often considered a trial run of sorts for Western States, as a large chunk of the middle section traverses the iconic Western States Trail, including the notorious Devil’s Thumb climb, Deadwood Cemetery, and Cal Street, the latter of which is a section that offers runners nearly 20 miles of mostly flat and downhill miles.
The race also represents the final chance for runners to nab a Golden Ticket and automatic entry to this year’s Western States, the historic 100-mile race from Olympic Valley to Auburn in late June. There were three tickets on the line for both the men’s and women’s races, meaning the top three finishers who don’t already have a Golden Ticket or other entry to Western States could stake their spot on the start line in exactly nine weeks.
On the men’s side, it ended as a four-man race for those three Golden Tickets. Peterman took the lead about halfway through and never looked back to nab one ticket, while Zach Miller and Hayden Hawks put in another epic battle 10 years after one of the most famous head-to-heads in American trail running lore at the 20216 The North Face Endurance Challenge 50 Mile Championships. They took second and third, respectively, to stake their spots at Western States this summer. Can-Hua Luo (China) finished in a heartbreaking fourth after a gritty effort near the front of the race all day.
In the women’s race, Brady made a big move late in the race to take the win and a Western States Golden Ticket. Careth Arnold, after leading for much of the day, held on for a strong second-place finish, while Sarah Allaben surged ahead of a three-woman chase pack in the final 10k to take third. Arnold passed on her Western States 100 Golden Ticket in order to focus on the Hardrock 100 this summer, while Allaben accepted hers. Fourth-place Sarah Humble accepted the final women’s Golden Ticket.
Read on for full race details.
Riley Brady, 2026 Canyons by UTMB 100k champion. Photo: Howie Stern/The Canyons Endurance Runs by UTMB
2026 Canyons by UTMB 100k Men’s Race
With none of the top 10 finishers from last year’s race returning, this year’s edition was there for the taking. Entering the race, some of the top contenders included the veteran trio of Zach Miller, Adam Peterman, and Hayden Hawks, plus China’s always-ready Can-Hua Luo, as well as some up-and-coming runners like Will Murray, Canyon Woodward, and Cade Michael. Of those runners, only Murray and Woodward already had spots in Western States, so the race for the top three was set to be as competitive as ever.
Zach Miller giving it his all to take second at the 2026 Canyons by UTMB 100k. Photo: Howie Stern/The Canyons Endurance Runs by UTMB
Going through Deadwood for the first time at the 10.5-mile mark, a small group comprised of Peterman, Miller, Michael, and Luo had opened up a small gap on the rest of the field. At Michigan Bluff at mile 22, they were all still together, all coming through within two seconds of one another in under 3:12 elapsed. Timothy Reed was only a few seconds back in fifth, with 2023 race winner Cole Watson about 30 seconds ahead of Hawks in sixth. The top seven were separated by less than a minute, and the top 10 by less than four minutes. Watson would stay near the front of the race for a little longer but faded in the second half to finish in 23rd.
After the climb up to the Foresthill checkpoint and the long and runnable downhill on Cal Street, Peterman, who won the 2022 edition of the race with a then-course-record time, entered Cal 2 at 36 miles in the lead in 4:55 elapsed. Luo was in second, just over two minutes back, while Miller and Hawks came through together in third and fourth, respectively, in just under five hours elapsed and less than five minutes off the lead. Reed, Woodward, and Michael were next, all within a minute of one another and about seven minutes off the lead.
Nine miles later at Driver’s Flat (46 miles), the trio of Peterman, Hawks, and Miller came through in the podium spots, separated by less than three minutes. Luo was fourth, less than two minutes behind Miller.
Hayden Hawks soaking in his third-place finish at the 2026 Canyons by UTMB 100k. Photo: Howie Stern/The Canyons Endurance Runs by UTMB
So here they were: four men competing for three Golden Tickets in the final 15 miles of the final race of the year to earn one. It was set to be a remarkable finish. The battle between Miller and Hawks — two of the most well-known and successful American trail runners who have been competing at the highest levels of the sport for more than a decade — was reminiscent of their race at the 2016 The North Face Endurance Challenge 50 Mile Championships nearly 10 years ago.
The ever-steady Peterman continued rolling, coming through Mammoth Bar at 50.3 miles in 7:12 elapsed. But three minutes behind, Luo had caught up and was now running with Miller while Hawks loomed in fourth, only 10 seconds behind them.
By Confluence at 58 miles, the final checkpoint, Peterman had maintained his lead, but Miller had opened up a 10-second gap on Luo. Hawks was still an extremely close fourth, only 31 seconds behind Luo.
As long as Peterman didn’t blow up, the win — and one of the Golden Tickets — was his, so for the last four miles, it was a three-man race for the final two tickets.
Hawks, it seemed, was not going to be denied. During the final four miles, he made a move to pass Luo to secure the third Golden Ticket behind Peterman and Miller.
The 2026 Canyons by UTMB 100k men’s podium (left to right): 3. Hayden Hawks, 1. Adam Peterman, 2. Zach Miller. Photo: Howie Stern/The Canyons Endurance Runs by UTMB
In the end, Adam Peterman took the win in 8:18:47, Zach Miller held on for second in 8:21:05, and Hayden Hawks was third in 8:23:28. Can-Hua Luo, after 62 miles of gutsy racing, was a close fourth in 8:25:17.
Canyon Woodward rounded out the top five in 8:38:43 to continue his remarkable form, and Timothy Reed ran strongly all day to finish sixth in 8:42:33.
2026 Canyons by UTMB 100k Men’s Results
- Adam Peterman — 8:18:47
- Zach Miller — 8:21:05
- Hayden Hawks — 8:23:28
- Can-Hua Luo (China) — 8:25:17
- Canyon Woodward — 8:38:43
- Timothy Reed — 8:42:33
- Adam Loomis — 8:53:56
- Noah Dusseau — 8:58:41
- Blake Slattengren — 8:59:48
- Joshua Park — 9:11:55
2026 Canyons by UTMB 100k Women’s Race
The women’s race was similarly difficult to predict entering Saturday. Only one of the top 10 finishers from last year’s race — Careth Arnold, who was fifth in 2025 — started the race, with Leadville 100 Mile course-record holder Anne Flower, along with fellow American Riley Brady and Spain’s Claudia Tremps, among a pack of women vying for the podium. With Arnold running the Hardrock 100 in July and therefore likely not accepting a Golden Ticket if she were to receive one, and Flower already having booked her spot at Western States, the race for the Golden Tickets was on.
Arnold, the 2025 TDS winner, took the race out fast. She was joined by Brady early on, and they were together the first time through Deadwood with 1:37 on the clock. By their second time through the aid station, about 17 miles in, Arnold had opened up a nearly five-minute lead on second-place Brady, which she held through Michigan Bluff at 22 miles and Foresthill at 28.5 miles, entering the latter in 4:30 elapsed. Sarah Allaben came through in third about 15 minutes behind Arnold, with Sarah Humble in fourth. They were followed by a chase pack of Ellaney Matarese, Britta Clark, and others, who all entered Foresthill around the five-hour mark. Even early on, Flower and Tremps were off the pace, and both would retire from the race early.
Careth Arnold finished second at the 2026 Canyons by UTMB 100k. Photo: Howie Stern/The Canyons Endurance Runs by UTMB
After the runnable Cal Street section — all downhill except for the uphill parts — Brady, who finished ninth at this year’s Black Canyon 100k and thus wasn’t able to nab a Golden Ticket there, closed the gap on Arnold slightly, entering Cal 2 at 37 miles just over four minutes back. During the next nine miles on the climb up to Driver’s Flat, Brady made a huge move, passing Arnold to enter Driver’s Flat at 46 miles now with a near five-minute lead over Arnold.
Brady wouldn’t look back. By Confluence at 58 miles, their lead had grown to almost 12 minutes, and four miles later, Riley Brady claimed the win in 9:41:09 to grab the first Western States Golden Ticket.
Sarah Allaben after placing third at the 2026 Canyons 100k and securing her Golden Ticket. Photo: Howie Stern/The Canyons Endurance Runs by UTMB
Behind them, though, there was a compelling race for the podium and the final two Golden Tickets. Despite falling off the lead, Careth Arnold held steady, holding off the chase pack to claim second place in 9:56:36. As predicted, she declined her Golden Ticket, leaving two tickets still up for grabs.
So it came down to a three-woman battle for the final spot on the podium. Allaben came through Driver’s Flat in third with a healthy lead over her chasers, with Matarese and Humble behind her by about nine minutes and separated by just over 30 seconds. By Mammoth Bar at 54 miles, though, Allaben’s lead had shrunk to under four minutes, with Matarese closing the gap and Humble close behind.
The women who won Western States 100 Golden Tickets at the 2026 Canyons by UTMB 100k (left to right): Riley Brady, Sarah Allaben, Sarah Humble. Photo: Howie Stern/The Canyons Endurance Runs by UTMB
Over the next three-plus miles, Humble moved up while Matarese faded. Allaben still held a slight lead over the others, coming through Confluence at 58 miles in 9:35 elapsed, but Humble was chasing hard and entered just over a minute back. Matarese, meanwhile, dropped to fourth, about five minutes behind Humble.
Who would it be, then, to take the third and final spot on the podium? They had just over four miles to answer that question.
Sarah Humble (left) and Careth Arnold hug at the finish of the 2026 Canyons by UTMB 100k. After taking second, Arnold passed her Western States 100 Golden Ticket to fourth-place Humble. Photo: Howie Stern/The Canyons Endurance Runs by UTMB
Ultimately, Sarah Allaben used a strong finish to take third in 10:14:58, while Sarah Humble finished fourth in 10:18:43. Both of them eagerly accepted Western States Golden Tickets.
Ellaney Matarese was fifth in 10:29:16, and Britta Clark never strayed far from the front of the field and finished in sixth in 10:47:47.
2026 Canyons by UTMB 100k Women’s Results
- Riley Brady — 9:41:09
- Careth Arnold — 9:56:36
- Sarah Allaben — 10:14:58
- Sarah Humble — 10:18:43
- Ellaney Matarese — 10:29:16
- Britta Clark — 10:47:47
- Elena Ormon — 10:56:36
- Peyton Bilo — 10:58:30
- Leah Handelman — 11:05:53
- Kenzie MacPhail — 11:07:30
Brady identifies as non-binary, but competes in the women’s race.
