Ho, ho, ho! It’s a holiday week, and there wasn’t a lot of racing.
There was, though, the Desert Solstice Track Invitational and some fast times on the clock.
Desert Solstice Track Invitational – Phoenix, Arizona
Men
Charlie Lawrence, already the 50-mile world record holder, arrived to the track targeting a sub-6-hour 100-kilometer finish. That would’ve been a new 100k world record, too. Lawrence missed those marks but came away with a new American record. Among record-eligible courses, it is the fourth-fastest time for the distance ever. Lawrence finished in 6:07:10. That’s only 95 seconds back of Aleksandr Sorokin’s (Lithuania) 6:05:35 world record. Jim Walmsley’s former American record of 6:09:26 had stood since 2021.
In the 24-hour race, Piotr Chadovich totaled 155.6 miles. That’s the furthest of any American for 24 hours this year.
Charlie Lawrence sets a new men’s 100k American record at the 2025 Desert Solstice Track Invitational. Photo: Aravaipa Running/Jubilee Paige
Women
A small women’s field was led by Joyce Payne. She reached 100 miles in 17:41.
Joyce Payne, the 2025 Desert Solstice Track Invitational 100-mile and 24-hour women’s winner. Photo: Aravaipa Running/Jubilee Paige
U.S. and World Snowshoe Championships – Brillion, Wisconsin
The U.S. and World Snowshoe Championships were held on back-to-back days, giving top runners a chance to double up on medals.
The U.S. Showshoe Championships went first on a 5k track. Only 16 seconds separated the first three men. Eliot Soderholm pulled away from Andrew Allen and Erik Barkhaus over the second half to win in 19:18. Allen and Barkhaus followed in 19:31 and 19:34.
Jackie Hering ruled the women’s race in 22:41, and Laurel Moyer and Olivia Dietzel were second and third in 25:02 and 25:51.
The next-day World Snowshoe Championships doubled the distance to go 10k. Soderholm, age 20, doubled back to win another gold medal. Soderholm covered the track in 38:06, over two minutes better than everyone else. Julien Pinsonneault (Canada) came next in 41:32 for second, and Allen was third in 42:29.
It was a repeat in the women’s race, too. Hering came back for more and won in 46:30. Kaitlyn Vanias earned a silver medal in 48:37, and Dietzel was third for the second day in a row in 50:22.
Additional Races and Runs
Woodside Ramble 50k – Redwood City, California
The race was held at the Huddart County Park, and Kevin Stewart and Courtney Winterbauer won in 3:48 and 5:07. Full results.
Cave Creek Thriller – Cave Creek, Arizona
Men’s 50k winner Eric LiPuma went way under the old course record and won in 3:38. Jeff Browning and Brian King were second and third in 4:19 and 4:27. Joanna Fortier was atop the women’s podium in 4:46, and Rachel Buzzard and Rolonda Jumbo were next in 5:26 and 5:36, respectively. Full results.
SoMo Solstice Souleater 50k – Phoenix, Arizona
Ross Kiewiet and Joe Mlachak tied for the men’s race in 7:14, and Shelby Heinz won in 9:06.
Ross Kiewiet (left) and Joe Mlachak tied for the 2025 SoMo Solstice Souleater 50k men’s win. Photo: Mike Hopkins
Shelby Heinz, the 2025 SoMo Solstice Souleater 50k women’s winner. Photo: Mike Hopkins
Lookout Mountain 50 Mile – Lookout Mountain, Georgia
Race winners William Sickenberger and Amy Ross-Johnson led the fields in 7:27 and 9:21. Full results.
Ancient Oaks 100 Mile – Titusville, Florida
Racing in the Enchanted Forest Nature Sanctuary, Derek Daniels and Michelle Toppi won in 24:55 and 27:20. Full results.
2026 World Trail Majors
The third-year series has a 10-event schedule for 2026 with both the longer and shorter series returning. The schedule matches last year with two exceptions. Two 2025 series events — the Swiss Canyon Trail (Switzerland) and Grand Raid des Pyrrénées (France) — are not part of next year’s schedule.
- January 22-25 – Hong Kong 100k and 50k (China)
- February 14-15 – Black Canyon 100k and 50k (U.S.)
- March 4-8 – Transgrancanaria 126k and 47k (Spain)
- April 24-26 – Mt. Fuji 167k and 39k (Japan)
- April 25-26 – Madeira Island Ultra-Trail 118k and 56k (Portugal)
- June 13-14 – South Downs Way 161k and 50k (U.K.)
- July 2-5 – Quebec Mega Trail 135k and 51k (Canada)
- September 17-20 – Vietnam Mountain Marathon 100k and 50k (Vietnam)
- November 5-8 – Grampians Peaks Trail 162k and 50k (Australia)
- November 20-22 – Ultra-Trail Cape Town 100k and 55k (South Africa)
Caleb Olson, the 2025 Transgrancanaria men’s champion. Photo: Transgrancanaria/Miguel Travieso
2026 U.S. Track & Field Association (USATF) Mountain, Ultra, Trail Championships
- February 20 – 100-mile road national championships – Jackpot 100 Mile (Nevada)
- April 11 – 100k road national championships – MadCity Ultras (Wisconsin)
- June 7 – classic mountain running national championships – Sunapee Scramble (New Hampshire)
- June 19 – uphill mountain running national championships – Broken Arrow Ascent (California)
- August 15 – 50k trail national championships – Wy’East Trail Fest 50k (Oregon)
- November 7 – half marathon trail national championships – Moab Half Marathon (Utah)
- November 14 – 50-mile road national championships – Tunnel Hill 50 Mile (Illinois)
Anna Gibson, the 2025 Broken Arrow Ascent women’s champion. Photo: Broken Arrow Skyrace/Howie Stern
There are no World Mountain Running Championships in 2026, but the Sunapee Scramble and Broken Arrow Ascent will be selection races to name the U.S. team for the Mountain Running World Cup Uphill and Classic finales in Canada in October 2026.
Additionally, although not a national championships event, the Broken Arrow 23k, to be held on June 21, is the selection race for the U.S. team that will race at the Mountain Running World Cup Long Distance finale in Poland in September 2026.
Call for Comments
It happens once a year, we’re going to miss next week! Hang in there, though. We’ll be back to normal on Monday, January 5, 2026.
