It’s only mid-April, but this was a blockbuster weekend! In the U.S., there was the prize-money-rich Gorge Waterfalls and the USATF 100k Road National Championships. Abroad, there was the Two Oceans Marathon and the Marathon des Sables. And a lot more. Settle in for all of the top results.
You can also check out our additional coverage from the weekend:
- 2026 Two Oceans Marathon Results: 7th Win for Gerda Steyn, Debut Victory for Arthur Jantjies
- 2026 Marathon des Sables Legendary Results: Mohamed El Morabity and Maryline Nakache Dominate
Gorge Waterfalls – Cascade Locks, Oregon
100k
All of the Gorge Waterfalls races paid prize money, but the Saturday 100-kilometer race had the most. Race winners earned $15,000, and $7,000 and $4,000 went to the second- and third-place finishers.
Back the, ahem, Brinks truck up for Lotti Brinks. She ran away with the women’s crown and the $15,000 first-place prize. Working toward June’s Western States 100, Brinks ran 9:06. That was eight minutes better than Shea Aquilano’s year-old course record.
Second- and third-place Liz Hogan and Erin Moyer ran 9:58 and 10:05. Aquilano was in this year’s race too, but did not finish.
The women’s top five was:
- Lotti Brinks – 9:06
- Liz Hogan – 9:58
- Erin Moyer – 10:05
- Cecelia Williams – 10:31
- Grace Phair – 10:36
It was a good tune-up for the Western States 100 for Jeshurun Small, too. Small won big in 8:07. He didn’t get the course record, instead finishing almost eight minutes back of Adam Peterman’s 2025 course record run.
Drew Holmen was second in 8:22, and Rob King was third in 8:44. Although little-known on the national stage, King ran 12:16 at last year’s Tunnel Hill 100 Mile and won last year’s San Diego 100 Mile.
The men’s top five was:
- Jeshurun Small – 8:07
- Drew Holmen – 8:22
- Rob King – 8:44
- Jordan Perry – 8:58
- Colton Gale – 9:08
50k
Sunday’s 50k race had a $15,000 cash purse, with $5,000 to the winners, and the women’s race was perhaps the most competitive of the Gorge Waterfalls weekend races.
Jennifer Lichter won a showdown versus Miao Yao (China). Lichter had just smashed the Black Canyon 100k course record in February, and Yao is the two-time defending OCC champion. The two were roughly together through halfway before Lichter gained some separation in the second half and won in 4:08. Yao was second in 4:11.
Tara Dower chased to third in 4:17, and all of the women’s podium bettered Keely Henninger’s former 4:19 course record from 2022.
The women’s top five was:
- Jennifer Lichter – 4:08
- Miao Yao (China) – 4:11
- Tara Dower – 4:17
- Bailey Kowalczyk – 4:17
- Caroline Alcorta – 4:24
Koken Ogasawara (Japan) and recent Big Alta 50k winner David Norris led the men’s race through halfway, and then Norris got dropped, and Anthony Costales moved up. Ogasawara, perhaps a new name to this column, won convincingly in 3:40. Costales was second in 3:48, and Norris just held onto a podium spot in 3:56.
The men’s top five was:
- Koken Ogasawara (Japan) – 3:40
- Anthony Costales – 3:48
- Davis Norris – 3:56
- Liam Meirow – 3:57
- Jacob Banta – 3:58
30k
The 30k race was the event’s first contest on Friday, and it paid $2,000 for the win.
Lauren Gregory outdueled Tayler Tuttle for the women’s win. The two were just over two minutes apart in 2:13 and 2:15, and Riley Brady was third in 2:20. (Brady identifies as non-binary and competes in the women’s race.)
The men’s race had a similar breakaway front two, with third place a little further back. Mason Coppi got ahead of Liam Meirow for the first-place prize money in 1:58. Meirow was 43 seconds behind in 1:59, and Grant Colligan was third on the podium in 2:03. Meirow raced the 30k on Friday and the 50k on Sunday.
Marathon Des Sables Legendary – Sahara Desert, Morocco
It was the 40th edition of the famed self-supported desert stage race. The race went for six stages over seven days, and with almost 270k (168 miles) of sand running.
Women
It was a repeat win for Maryline Nakache (France) in the women’s race, and it wasn’t at all close. Nakache won for the second straight year, and her 25:54 total was more than three hours better than everyone else’s.
Aziza El Amrany (Morocco) totaled 29:22 for second, and two-time Olympic marathoner Des Linden (U.S.) was third in 30:16.
Maryline Nakache, the 2026 Marathon des Sables women’s winner. Photo: Marathon des Sables/Ian Corless
The women’s top five was:
- Maryline Nakache (France) – 25:54:29
- Aziza El Amrany (Morocco) – 29:22:34
- Des Linden (U.S.) – 30:16:32
- Rajaa Hamdaoua (France) – 32:16:08
- Floriane Sabatte (France) – 32:33:20
Men
It’s always Rachid or Mohamed El Morabity (Morocco) at the top of the men’s race. Older brother Rachid had won the race 11 times, but younger brother Mohamed championed this year’s event. It was Mohamed’s second win here, alongside seven second-place finishes.
Mohamed won five of the race’s six stages, and Rachid won the other stage. Mohamed totaled 20:47 for the event, Rachid was second in 21:16, and Ludovic Pommeret (France) was third in 21:18.
Mohamed El Morabity, the 2026 Marathon des Sables men’s winner. Photo: Marathon des Sables/Florent Fournier
The men’s top five was:
- Mohamed El Morabity (Morocco) – 20:47:39
- Rachid El Morabity (Morocco) – 21:16:25
- Ludovic Pommeret (France) – 21:18:43
- Ahmed Ouikhalfen (Morocco) – 22:10:39
- Ryan Sandes (South Africa) – 23:21:05
Mad City Ultras 100k – Madison, Wisconsin
Women
The race was the USATF 100k Road National Championships, and the women’s field was small, with just four entrants. They ran fast, though! Sarah Morrison won in 7:17, and that cut nine minutes from Camille Herron’s old record that had stood since 2015. Morrison won $650 for the win plus a $1,200 course-record bonus.
Allison Mercer was second in 7:30. Both Morrison and Mercer earned Team USA spots for the IAU 100k World Championships in September in Spain. Amber Arvidson was third in 8:00.
The 2026 Mad City Ultras 100k women’s podium (left to right): 3. Amber Arvidson, 1. Sarah Morrison, 2. Allison Mercer. Photo courtesy of the race.
Men
No one got to Geoff Burns’s 6:30 course record from 2016, but the first five men all ran under seven hours.
Brogan Austin was the fastest in 6:34. Brogan was the 2018 USATF Road Marathon National Champion and, more recently, ran 5:02 at the 2025 Tunnel Hill 50 Mile.
Second – and third-place Phil Young and Anthony Fagundes came next in 6:45 and 6:47, respectively.
Brogan Austin, the 2026 Mad City Ultras 100k men’s winner. Photo courtesy of the race.
Desert RATS by UTMB – Fruita, Colorado
50k
Only 12 seconds separated women’s winner Sarah Carter from runner-up Claudia Tremps (Spain). Both were in at 4:09, and third-place Flannery Davis finished in 4:14.
Men’s winner Taylor Stack was further ahead of his chasers. Stack won in 3:39, and Justin Grunewald and Preston Cates were next in 3:44 and 4:02.
100k
Just like in the 50k, the women ran the 100k closer than the men. Heather Jackson led the race in 9:45, and Tay Cavett and Corinne Shalvoy were next on the podium in 9:52 and 10:20.
You had to have an alliterative name to get on the men’s podium. Men’s winner Spencer Shellberg was way ahead in 8:19, setting a new course record by 38 minutes, and second- and third-place Michael Mitchell and Cody Cook finished in 9:21 and 9:24.
Spencer Shellberg, the 2026 Desert RATS 100k men’s winner. Photo: UTMB/Glen Delman
Heather Jackson, the 2026 Desert RATS 100k women’s winner. Photo: UTMB/Glen Delman
21k
The next day’s half marathon had Janelle Lincks win for the women in 1:36, and Whit Blair led the men in 1:23.
Istria by UTMB – Umag, Croatia
The UTMB World Series event had five different race distances on Croatia’s northwestern tip.
The long course went 168k (104 miles), and race winners Marina Oana (Romania) and Bartosz Gorczyca (Poland) took it in 21:36 and 17:56.
Anna-Stiina Erkkilä (Finland) and Patrik Milata (Slovakia) won the 110k (68 miles) race in 11:05 and 9:27.
The 69k (43 miles) race crowns went to Rosanna Buchauer (Germany) and Gianluca Ghiano (Italy) in 6:00 and 5:39.
Camilla Magliano (Italy) and Roberto Delorenzi (Switzerland) were tops in the 42k (26 miles) in 3:21 and 2:50.
Calamorro Skyrace – Benalmádena, Spain
It was the year’s fourth Skyrunner World Series race, held on a 30k loop in the Costa del Sol of southern Spain. The race had separate women’s and men’s late-afternoon starts, with the women going at 5:00 p.m. and the men starting 30 minutes later.
Women
Sara Alonso (Spain) dominated the women’s race and won in 3:25. She was eight minutes better than everyone else, and it was already her second series win of the year.
American runners don’t often feature in the Skyrunner World Series, but Jane Maus was second in 3:33. She won the Black Canyon 50k earlier this year. Shangave Balendran (Norway) was third in 3:36.
Men
Manuel Merillas (Spain) and Frederic Tranchand (France) are developing quite a rivalry. For the second Skyrunner World Series race in a row, Merillas topped Tranchand. Only 24 seconds separated the two, with both in at 2:51.
Third-place Tom Spencer (U.K.) was only a minute behind Tranchand in 2:52.
The next Skyrunner World Series race is the Penang Skyrace in Malaysia on April 26.
Sara Alonso and Manuel Merillas, the 2026 Calamorro Skyrace winners. Photo: Nacho Gimeno
Two Oceans Marathon – Cape Town, South Africa
The famous road race went 56k (35 miles) on a backloaded course. While not a lot by trail-race standards, the race’s second half featured challenging climbs up Chapman’s Peak Drive and Constantia Nek, totaling 700 meters (2,300 feet) of elevation gain. The race had a huge $158,300 (2.6 million South African Rand) prize purse, with 380,000 South African Rand paid to the winners. That’s just over $23,000 to the champs.
Women
South African legend Gerda Steyn won the women’s race for the seventh time. Her 3:27:43 finish was almost six minutes better than everyone else. It was, though, just back of her own 3:26:54 course record from 2024.
Margaret Jepchumba (Kenya) and Nobuhle Nobukhosi Tshuma (Zimbabwe) were second and third in 3:33:31 and 3:38:34, respectively.
Gerda Steyn, 2026 Two Oceans Marathon champion. Photo: Two Oceans Marathon
The women’s top five was:
- Gerda Steyn (South Africa) – 3:27:43
- Margaret Jepchumba (Kenya) – 3:33:31
- Nobuhle Nobukhosi Tshuma (Zimbabwe) – 3:38:34
- Shelmith Muriuki (Kenya) – 3:39:14
- Rholex Jelimo (Kenya) – 3:40:38
Men
Twice a Two Oceans half marathon winner, Arthur Jantjies (South Africa) won in his debut at the marquee, longer distance. Jantjies used the more challenging second half to climb up the leaderboard. He finished in 3:09:25.
Second- and third-place Onalenna Khonkobe (South Africa) and Blessing Waison (Zimbabwe) finished in 3:10:00 and 3:11:13.
Arthur Jantjies, 2026 Two Oceans Marathon champion. Photo: Two Oceans Marathon
The men’s top five was:
- Arthur Jantjies (South Africa) – 3:09:25
- Onalenna Khonkhobe (South Africa) – 3:10:00
- Blessing Waison (Zimbabwe) – 3:11:13
- Dennis Kipkosgei (Kenya) – 3:11:29
- Tumelo Moja (South Africa) – 3:12:07
Lake Sonoma – Healdsburg, California
100k
All of the women’s podium got into the overall top 10. Fiona Pascall (U.K.) was first in 10:13, and Emily Hawgood (Zimbabwe) was second in 10:31. Both are next in for June’s Western States 100. Last year, Pascall was fifth, and Hawgood was 10th at Western States. Behind those two, Audry Lawrence was third in 11:51.
Men’s winner Ryan Sullivan absolutely crushed his competition in 8:36. Nick Reschetnikov and Kevin Walker were second and third in 10:20 and 10:43.
50k
Hannah Allgood turned the women’s race into a runaway. She was way out front in 4:19. Taylor Nowlin and Lily Berwanger were second and third in 4:59 and 5:07, respectively.
Robbie Simpson (U.K.) got past Cole Campbell in the men’s race. The two ran 3:39 and 3:42, and Marcel Hoeche (Germany) was third in 3:50.
Trail Sisters Half Marathon
Identical twin sisters Evelin Ramirez and Jackie Ramirez were first and second in 1:54. Evelin bettered Jackie by two seconds for the win. Novella Light ran 1:55 for third, and she was only 18 seconds behind second place.
Additional Races and Runs
Paris Marathon – Paris, France
The road marathon had Victor Kiplangat (Uganda) in 12th at 2:08:29 and Matthias Kyburz (Switzerland) in 13th at 2:08:37. Kiplangat is the 2017 World Mountain Running Champion, and Kyburz has run Sierre-Zinal in the past. Full results.
Diez Vista 50k – Port Moody, British Columbia, Canada
Race winners Elizabeth Hirsch and Jeremy Pelletant ran 5:09 and 4:33. Full results.
Jeremy Pelletant, the 2026 Diez Vista 50k men’s winner. Photo: Liam Dueck
Elizabeth Hirsch, the 2026 Diez Vista 50k women’s winner. Photo: Liam Dueck
Zion Ultras – Virgin, Utah
Just outside the race’s namesake national park, Lydia Oldham and Kevin Slider won the 100 miler in 22:29 and 18:49. Sarah Edwards and Rafal Jura led the 100k in 11:18 and 9:56, and Sarah Gage and Johen Deleon won the 60k in 5:51 and 5:04. Full results.
Brazos Bend 50 – Needville, Texas
The flat-and-fast race had Krystine Beneke and Cole Jones run 8:31 and 6:53 over 50 miles, and Ana Escobar and James Romano were the fastest in the 50k at 4:38 and 4:23. Full results.
Forget the PR Mohican 50k – Loudonville, Ohio
At Mohican State Park, Rebecca Achey won for the women in 5:38, and Jordan Lafreniere set a new men’s course record in 4:00. Full results.
Jordan Lafreniere, the 2026 Forget the PR Mohican 50k men’s winner. Photo courtesy of the race.
Rebecca Achey, the 2026 Forget the PR Mohican 50k women’s winner. Photo courtesy of the race.
Go One More Ultra – Liberty Hill, Texas
The backyard-style race had five runners go over 200 miles, and as of this writing on Sunday evening, Harvey Lewis, Kim Gottwald (Germany), Kendall Picado Fallas (Costa Rica), and Mark Dowdle are all still going. Full results.
Zumbro – Theilman, Minnesota
The race was at the Zumbro River Bottoms Management Unit in the Bluff Country in Southeastern Minnesota. Anna Twinem and Korey Konietzki won the 100 miler in 26:33 and 22:07, and Kalin Johnson and Christian Hall were tops in the 50 miler in 11:19 and 7:56. Full results.
Call for Comments
What other good stuff was there over the weekend?
