The Malaga Marathon, a Grassman reference, and a cross-country race around a polo field add some wild diversity to this week’s column. It was a surprisingly big weekend, and we like it!
Desert Solstice Track Invitational – Phoenix, Arizona
24 Hour
Women
Marisa Lizak was the overall winner with 156.7 miles. That distance bettered Lizak’s personal best for the fixed time by four miles, and again qualified her for the U.S. 24-hour team. Lizak now ranks third best on the all-time chart behind Camille Herron and Courtney Dauwalter. She was second at the Spartathlon earlier this year too.
Aly Allen was second in 141.1 miles. Allen, now living in Barbados, too is a past U.S. national team member. Jian Springer was really close behind with 140.2 miles too.
Men
Chad Lasater and Pat Hasler both reached the U.S. team qualifying benchmark. The pair totaled 152.9 and 147.4 miles, respectively.
Olivier Leblond totaled 200 kilometers (124.3 miles) in 18:25, setting an American record in the men’s 50-t0-54 age group.
100 Mile
Women
Camille Herron led everyone through 50 miles, hitting the distance in 5:57. The time bettered her own women’s 50-mile track American record by two minutes. Herron took an 11-minute break after 50 miles and then got back on the track. She ran 7:35 for 100 kilometers, again eclipsing her own previous women’s track American record. This time, she was just less than a minute better than the old record. And then she rallied again. Herron reached 91.96 miles at the 12-hour mark, just missing a world record, and finished 100 miles in 13:02. That, too, bettered Herron’s own women’s 100-mile track American record.
Camille Herron on her way to setting several women’s track American records at the 2022 Desert Solstice Track Invitational. Photo: Kevin McGinnis
Men
Jeff Browning ran 100 miles in 15:33, and Andrew Skurka stopped after 50 miles done in 6:40.
Doi Inthanon Thailand by UTMB – Chiang Mai, Thailand
The race’s marquee distance ran for 171k — that’s 106 miles — and with some 10,000 meters — that’s almost 33,000 feet — of elevation gain. It also served as a Western States 100 Golden Ticket Race, where two women and men each earned entries to the 2023 race edition.
Women
The lead women were stretched out, almost an hour apart at the finish, but 100-mile debutante Jenny Quilty (Canada) overcame the course and the competition to win in 27:24. Quilty was earlier 11th at the 2022 Canyons by UTMB 100k.
Jenny Quilty, the 2022 Doi Inthanon Thailand by UTMB 100 Mile women’s winner. Photo: Doi Inthanon Thailand by UTMB
Wen-Fei Xie (China) was second in 28:22, and Kaori Niwa (Japan) was third in 29:35.
The accompanying 100k — actually 104k — race ran much closer with Yuri Yoshizumi (Japan) finishing just ahead of Hannah Allgood (USA). The pair came through in 13:45 and 13:56, respectively.
Yuri Yoshizumi, the 2022 Doi Inthanon Thailand by UTMB 100k women’s winner. Photo: Doi Inthanon Thailand by UTMB
Men
Chinese runners locked down the first two men’s finishes. Jia-Ju Zhao and Can-Hua Luo finished in 21:53 and 22:11. Gediminas Grinius (Lithuania) was third in 22:47.
Jia-Ju Zhao, the 2022 Doi Inthanon Thailand by UTMB 100 Mile men’s winner. Photo: Doi Inthanon Thailand by UTMB
Huo-Hua Zhang (China) won the accompanying 104k race in 11:52, and 2022 Run Rabbit Run 100 Mile winner Rich Lockwood (USA) was second in 12:07.
Huo-Hua Zhang, the 2022 Doi Inthanon Thailand by UTMB 100k men’s winner. Photo: Doi Inthanon Thailand by UTMB
Hellgate 100k – Fincastle, Virginia
A midnight start adds to the challenge of the wintry run through the Blue Ridge Mountains, while this year also brought plenty of rain as well.
Women
Marisa Romeo led the women’s race in 13:04, and Leah Nicholson and Heather Dougherty ran 13:35 and 13:42 for second and third. Romeo’s had a hell of a year. She won the Hellbender 100 Mile in May too.
Men
Michael Dubova dominated the men’s run in 10:16. It was Dubova’s third straight win, and he finished just two minutes back of his own course record from 2021. He matched his 2020 finish time.
Brian Culmo and Jordan Chang followed next in 10:55 and 11:14.
USATF Club Cross Country Championships – San Francisco, California
A tree fell on the course and the potential for greater tree fall pushed some of the races onto a dirt track circling a polo field. That was perhaps the biggest story to come out of the race. Trail runners and ultrarunners are scattered through the races.
Chris Lundy, a past U.S. Mountain Running Team member, was 11th in the masters women’s 6k in 23:18.
Josh McAdams, who won the Bogus 50k in Idaho in October, was second in the masters men’s 10k in 29:05. His race was run on the altered course and likely not a full 10k. Eric Blake, like Lundy also a past U.S. Mountain Running Team member, was 14th in the masters men’s race in 30:34, with Chikara Omine was immediately behind in 30:35.
Courtney Olsen, a week after racing a marathon, was 86th in 20:16 in the open women’s 6k.
This year’s JFK 50 Mile winner Garrett Corcoran ran 28:14 for 45th in the open men’s (shortened) 10k.
Additional Races and Runs
Hitchcock Experience 100 Mile – Honey Creek, Iowa
The races happen inside the Hitchcock Nature Center land. Jodi Semonell and Jefferey Pratt championed the 100 miler in 24:52 and 20:29. Full results.
Jodi Semonell, the 2022 Hitchcock Experience 100 Mile women’s winner. Photo courtesy of Ron Ruhs.
Jeff Platt, the 2022 Hitchcock Experience 100 Mile men’s winner. Photo courtesy of Ron Ruhs.
Kaci Lickteig and Desmond Cariveau won the 50 miler in 8:17 and 8:19. Lickteig holds the course record at 7:54, dating to 2016. Full results.
Kaci Lickteig, the 2022 Hitchcock Experience 50 Mile women’s winner. Photo courtesy of Ron Ruhs.
Desmond Cariveau, the 2022 Hitchcock Experience 50 Mile men’s winner. Photo courtesy of Ron Ruhs.
Personliga Rekordens Tävling – Växjö, Sweden
Translated as “Personal Records Race,” the indoor 375-meter track was set up for fast times. Lina Karlsson (Sweden) ran 133.0k (82.6 miles) over 12 hours, and as a 24-hour split, to set a new Swedish national record. Louise Kjellson (Sweden) totaled 230.1k (143 miles) to win the 24-hour race outright and reach the qualifying standard for Sweden’s 24-hour national team toward next year’s world championships. Magnus Högfeldt (Sweden) totaled 220.3k (136.9 miles) to lead the men’s 24-hour field. 18-year-old Alfons Enell (Sweden) split 15:58 for 100 miles as part of his third-place 207.8k (129.1 miles) 24-hour run. Full results.
Malaga Marathon – Malaga, Spain
A week after dropping from the Valencia Marathon, 50k world record holder CJ Albertson ran 2:13 for 10th place in this one. Full results.
Skyrun Zimbabwe – Zimbabwe
Official results aren’t yet out, but Emily Hawgood (Zimbabwe, lives in the U.S.) won the women’s race and got to second overall in 8:13 on the 56k course. The race leveled up the challenge by going without course markings. Full results (when available).
K42 Canarias Marathon – Canary Islands, Spain
Gemma Arenas (Spain) sped past the women in 4:49 and Miguel Heras (Spain) kept his throwback year going with a 3:44 win. Full results.
Tucson 50k – Oro Valley, Arizona
Contested as part of a bigger marathon event, the 50k wins went to Vivian Camille Bobbitt and Nathan King in 3:41 and 3:24. Full results.
Colossal-Vail 50/50 – Vail, Arizona
Kylie Aldaz won the 50-mile race in 8:40, and Ryan Raff led the men in 6:38. Raff’s time was a new course record. Tracy Thelan and Emilio Anaya Happel won the 55k race in 5:46 and 4:17, respectively. Full results.
Mosaic Trail Run 50k – Liberty Hill, Texas
The 50k winners Samantha Bradley and Luis Resendiz finished in 5:25 and 4:29. Full results.
Bigfoot 50k – Lore City, Ohio
I only recently learned this, but Bigfoot is also known as Grassman in Ohio. It’s Bigfoot that they most frequently see in Salt Fort State Park though, and Grassman is elsewhere in Ohio. And so the Bigfoot 50k winners were Mia Yeager and Eric Limkemann in 5:10 and 4:42. Full results.
Seashore Nature Trail 50k – Virginia Beach, Virginia
Anne Spillane and Robert Mazzanti were the day’s best in 4:34 and 3:41. Full results.
Freight Train 100k – Farmville, Virginia
The fourth-year event crowned Amber Lewis and Chet Luther as 100k winners in 10:46 and 8:56, and Kristin Herring and John Stilling took the 50k in 4:11 and 3:26. Herring’s time was a new course best. Full results.
Beast of the East 100 Mile – Kings Mountain, North Carolina
Both Lee Conner and Jake Moreau set new course records in 28:27 and 20:30. Full results.
Prisoner of War Ultra – Spartanburg, South Carolina
It was Lindsay Walter and Luke Jordan touching the 50k finish first in 5:42 and 5:36. Full results.
Call for Comments
- It’s the final countdown, and just two more TWIRs remain on the 2022 calendar. What races are left?
- And what races were you at this weekend and from which you can share details? Leave a comment!
