Oh shoot, it’s the shortest column of the year. There were only a handful of trail races and ultramarathons around the country that we picked up on. With the Christmas holiday next weekend precluding most racing, this will be the last “This Week In Running” column of the year. We’ll see you right here on Mondays in 2022!
Races and Runs
Ancient Oaks 100 Mile – Titusville, Florida
Josh Cline and Amy Guevara were victorious at this 100-mile event on the 29-lap Florida course in 19:42 and 25:10, respectively. Race participant and longtime ultrarunner Earl Blewett went missing during the race on Saturday night, some 14 hours into the event, but was found safe on Monday morning. Read more in our in-depth story. Full results.
Paramount Ranch Trail Runs 50k – Calabasas, California
An old movie ranch has given way to trails and the Paramount Ranch Trail 50k. Nick Allen and Stacia Watson won the late-year contest in 3:51 and 4:59. Full results.
Woodside Ramble Winter 50k – Woodside, California
Inside Trail’s winter edition of the Woodside Ramble raced around Huddart County Park, for a number of different race distances. Logan Williams was way out front, 45 minutes better than everyone else with a 3:39 finish. Zuzana Trnovcova won the women’s race in 4:37. Full results.
Cave Creek Thriller 50k – Cave Creek, Arizona
This Aravaipa Running event happened in the Cave Creek Regional Park. In the 50k, Ryan Raff and Megan Kupres triumphed in 3:51 and 4:20, respectively. Full results.
Runners during the 2021 Cave Creek Thriller Trail Runs. Photo: Aravaipa Running
The HUFF 50k – Albion, Indiana
It was rainy and muddy for the 25th annual HUFF 50k. Sam Skeels and Shea Aquilano slipped and slid to 3:58 and 4:12 winning times, respectively. Full results.
Mel Williams Memorial Seashore Nature Trail 50k – Virginia Beach, Virginia
The top four men all went under four hours with Steven Keller leading in 3:33. Judy Doldorf was first for women in an also fast 4:06. Full results.
Pilot Mountain Goat – Pinnacle, North Carolina
A late-year fire forced the Pilot Mountain Goat race from Pilot Mountain State Park to Stone Mountain State Park. Erick Ramirez and Tina Parsons won the seven-mile race in 50:24 and 69:08, respectively. Full results.
Mason-Dixon Shortest Day 50k+ and 50k- Challenge – Wrightsville, Pennsylvania
Both courses are point-to-point fatass-style trail races held on the Mason-Dixon Trail in Pennsylvania. The 50k+ course is 36 miles and the 50k- is 27 miles. Both races start at sunrise and the goal is to beat the sun and finish by sunset.
For the 50k+ course, the first male was Noah Dusseau in 6:04:23 and the first female Kathleen Cusick in 8:24:53. On the 50k- course, the first male was Ryan Leppo in 5:43:11 and the first female was Rachel Slusher in 6:33:15. More information.
Lookout Mountain Trail Race – Lookout Mountain, Georgia
We haven’t yet found 50-mile race results, but in the 18-mile contest, Christian Thompson won in 2:12, and Rachel Vedder led the women in 3:00. Full results.
Tallahassee Ultra Distance Classic – Wakulla Springs, Florida
The longtime Florida event hosted 50-mile and 50k races. Over 50 miles, Charlie Johnson was way out front in 6:37 with Teresa Lucas being the only women’s finisher in 9:36. Scott Abshire and Alyssa Moore won the 50k in 4:04 and 4:28. Full results.
Next Week – Across the Years – Phoenix, Arizona
The Aravaipa Running cross-year event starts on December 28 and has fixed time races from 10 days on down.
Mongolian multi-day runner Budjargal Byambaa is in the 10-day race. He totaled 561 miles at the Six Days in the Dome race earlier this year. John Geesler, who did 403 miles in that same race, as a 61-year-old, is also in for 10 days.
Sandra Villines-Burruss ran 422 at the 2021 Six Days in the Dome race, and she’s again up for six days. Pete Kostelnick will go for six days too.
First overall at this year’s Plain 100 Mile, Rachel Entrekin will likely lead the 48-hour field.
The 200-mile ace Michael McKnight is signed up for the 24-hour race.
Call for Comments
That’s almost it for 2021! What highlights will you remember? I called out Harvey Lewis‘s Big’s Backyard Ultra win and record as my vote for the men’s (North American) Ultra Performance of the Year. It beat out both Nick Coury‘s new American 24-hour record and Jim Walmsley‘s 100k near-world record, in my mind. For the women, Courtney Dauwalter‘s new UTMB record ranked higher than both Camille Herron‘s Javelina Jundred record and her Desert Solstice 100-mile, for me.
