It can’t all be fun and games, but this weekend was! There were two Western States 100 Golden Ticket races and a bunch more to talk about.
You can also check out our race coverage from the weekend:
- 2026 Tarawera by UTMB 102k Results: Ruth Croft and Daniel Jones Win for 4th Time
- 2026 Black Canyon 100k Results: Hans Troyer and Jennifer Lichter Set Course Records
- 2026 Barkley Marathon Results: No Finishers, but Sébastien Raichon Completes Fun Run
Black Canyon 100k – Mayer, Arizona
The 62-mile point-to-point race was a super Golden Ticket race with three women’s and three men’s automatic entries to this year’s Western States 100 up for grabs. It was the year’s second World Trail Majors race, too, and there was just over $16,000 in prize money.
Women
While a small group of women ran together for the first half of the race, it was a second-half duel between Jennifer Lichter and Anne Flower. Lichter stayed just ahead of her chaser for all of the race’s more challenging, hillier second half and finished in 7:57. Flower was only 70 seconds behind at 7:58, and third-place Tara Dower came through in 8:11.
All three of the women bettered Riley Brady’s 8:16 course record from last year.
Lichter, Flower, and fourth-place Molly Seidel earned Western States 100 Golden Tickets. Dower was already in for this year’s race.
Jennifer Lichter looks stunned with her new 2026 Black Canyon 100k women’s course record. Photo: World Trail Majors
The women’s top 10 was:
- Jennifer Lichter – 7:57:05
- Anne Flower – 7:58:15
- Tara Dower – 8:11:46
- Molly Seidel – 8:25:13
- Abby Hall – 8:27:50
- Shea Aquilano – 8:34:03
- Ellaney Matarese – 8:56:27
- Riley Brady – 9:14:08
- Carla Molinaro (U.K.) – 9:21:18
- Nicole Hanson – 9:24:16
Riley Brady identifies as non-binary but competes in the women’s division.
Men
Hans Troyer was back on the Black Canyon 100k start line for the first time since a 10th-place run at the 2024 race that ended with rhabdomyolysis. One by one, the lead group fell off the fast pace until only Troyer remained. He ran the last 16 miles alone and won in 7:20. It too was a new course record. Troyer chipped almost five minutes off Seth Ruhling’s 7:24 mark from last year.
A big second-half charge vaulted Anthony Costales clear to second in 7:24, also just faster than the old course record, and it was faster than the 7:32 that Costales ran here when winning in 2023.
Tracen Knopp followed Costales onto the podium with a fast second half for a third-place finish in 7:26.
Troyer and fourth-place Canyon Woodward are already entered in this year’s Western States 100, and so the three Golden Tickets went to Costales, Knopp, and fifth-place Jordan Bramblett.
Hans Troyer on his way to a new course record at the 2026 Black Canyon 100k. Photo: World Trail Majors
The men’s top 10 was:
- Hans Troyer – 7:20:00
- Anthony Costales – 7:24:32
- Tracen Knopp – 7:26:45
- Canyon Woodward – 7:37:27
- Jordan Bramblett – 7:42:32
- Ferdinand Airault – 7:47:25
- Sage Canaday – 7:52:42
- Coleman Cragun – 7:54:16
- Zach Perrin – 8:09:47
- Andrew Quaal – 8:11:51
Black Canyon 50k – Mayer, Arizona
The next day’s 50k event ran the first half of the 100k course, and it was a World Trail Majors Short Series race. Prize money totaled almost $7,000.
Women
Between the women’s and men’s 100k and 50k races, this one had the biggest winning margin. Jane Maus was over five minutes better than everyone else. She finished in 3:47, and it was a near-miss of Allison Baca’s 3:45 course record from 2025.
Liz O’Connor and Lindsay Allison were next on the podium in 3:52 and 3:55.
Jane Maus, the 2026 Black Canyon 50k women’s winner. Photo: World Trail Majors/Andy Bottiglieri
The top 10 women were:
- Jane Maus – 3:47:04
- Liz O’Connor – 3:52:30
- Lindsay Allison – 3:55:44
- Bit Klecker – 4:06:44
- Erin Moyer – 4:10:42
- Takako Takamura (Japan) – 4:13:39
- Sydney Park – 4:17:09
- Melodie Gilbert – 4:17:27
- Chrissy Lofgren – 4:20:11
- Elena Ormon – 4:25:30
Des Linden, the 50k world record holder, was 13th in 4:30:21.
Men
It was a give-and-take weekend for Seth Ruhling. He lost his 100k course record and gained the 50k course record. Ruhling pulled away from the chase group in the race’s second half to win in 3:16.
Adam Peterman and Cade Michael were second and third, both in 3:18 and separated by just 25 seconds. The top three men all bettered Jeshurun Small’s former 3:22 course record from a year ago.
Seth Ruhling, the 2026 Black Canyon 50k men’s winner. Photo: World Trail Majors/Andy Bottiglieri
The top 10 men were:
- Seth Ruhling – 3:16:29
- Adam Peterman – 3:18:18
- Cade Michael – 3:18:43
- Johen Deleon – 3:23:47
- Ryan Sullivan – 3:24:34
- Jupiter Carera Casas (Mexico) – 3:25:11
- Cole Campbell – 3:28:01
- Jeshurun Small – 3:29:54
- Dylan Pust – 3:34:02
- Eric Hamel – 3:34:31
Tarawera Ultras by UTMB – Rotorua, New Zealand
The UTMB World Series race on New Zealand’s North Island had three ultra distances. The T102 — a 102k race — was a Golden Ticket contest with two women’s and two men’s automatic entries to this year’s Western States 100 on the line.
TMiler
The long course went for 101 miles (163 kilometers) with over 12,400 feet (3,800 meters) of climbing.
Devon Yanko (U.S.) led for essentially all of the women’s race and finished first in 19:58. Hannah McRae (Australia) and Sarah Parkins (Australia) were second and third in 20:25 and 21:34, respectively.
Men’s winner Simon Cochrane (New Zealand) scored victory for the host country in 16:26, and Japan’s Yutaro Yokouchi and Takumi Sawayanagi podiumed with 17:28 and 17:59 finishes.
Devon Yanko, the 2026 Tarawera 100 Mile women’s winner. Photo: Tarawera by UTMB
T102
The Western States 100 Golden Tickets made the 63-mile race (102k) the weekend’s premier distance.
Both Ruth Croft (New Zealand) and Daniel Jones (New Zealand) won for the fourth time. It was Croft’s third win in a row and Jones’ fourth consecutive win. Wet and muddy course conditions kept both from breaking their own course records, but Croft won in 8:41 and Jones in 7:31.
Caitlin Fielder (New Zealand) was a repeat second-place finisher in 8:45, and third- and fourth-place Honoka Akiyama (Japan) and Holly Ranson (Australia) scored the two women’s Golden Tickets.
Since champ Jones already has a Western States 100 entry, the men’s Golden Tickets went to second- and third-place Jacob Banta (U.S.) and Max Yanzick (New Zealand). They finished in 7:57 and 8:01, respectively.
The women’s top 10 was:
- Ruth Croft (New Zealand) – 8:41:11
- Caitlin Fielder (New Zealand) – 8:45:35
- Honoka Akiyama (Japan) – 9:00:24
- Holly Ranson (Australia) – 9:17:50
- Katie Asmuth (U.S.) – 9:37:47
- Zoe Manning (Australia) – 9:43:24
- Annie Myrvang (U.S.) – 10:08:25
- Juliette Soule (New Zealand) – 10:19:11
- Stephanie Auston (Australia) – 10:19:45
- Lucy Bartholomew (Australia) – 10:40:11
Daniel Jones, the 2026 Tarawera 102k men’s winner. Photo: Tarawera by UTMB/Graeme Murray
The men’s top 10 was:
- Daniel Jones (New Zealand) – 7:31:27
- Jacob Banta (U.S.) – 7:57:39
- Max Yanzick (New Zealand) – 8:01:56
- Nick Handel (U.S.) – 8:07:43
- Janosch Kowalczyk (Germany) – 8:08:02
- Jia-Sheng Shen (China) – 8:28:35
- Michael Voss (New Zealand) – 8:30:12
- Gary Carleton (New Zealand) – 8:31:12
- Cole Watson (U.S.) – 8:34:35
- Leonard Terry (U.K.) – 8:48:37
T50
The 32-mile (52k) race saw Robyn Lesh (U.S.) and Samuel Macaulay (New Zealand) as its winners in 4:05 and 3:36.
Robyn Lesh, the 2026 Tarawera 50k women’s winner. Photo: Tarawera by UTMB/Diego Belli
Barkley Marathons – Wartburg, Tennessee
The secretive race, five laps and roughly 100 miles, inside Frozen Head State Park, started on Saturday, February 14. It was a month earlier than its usual calendar and saw cold temperatures, rain, and fog. Of the 40 starters, this year’s event saw no finishers, but Sébastien Raichon (France) finished a three-lap Fun Run in 38:05:46. Raichon, who won this year’s 268-mile Winter Spine Race in the U.K. only a month ago, missed the cutoff to go out for a fourth loop by just over two hours. A total of four racers made it out onto the third lap. Joining Raichon were Mathieu Blanchard (France), Max King, and Damian Hall (U.K.), but they all failed to complete the third loop.
Blanchard earned his entry to the race after winning last year’s Barkley Fall Classic 50k. King was back after an early knee injury ended his 2025 Barkley attempt mid-race. Hall had made it to lap five during the 2024 race.
While it’s known that one of the 10 women starters made it out onto the second lap, the identities of racers aren’t made public until they start a third lap. We believe, however, it was Séverine Vandermeulen of Belgium.
France’s Sébastien Raichon finished a Fun Run at the 2026 Barkley Marathons. Photo: Jacob Zocherman
Additional Races and Runs
Seville Marathon – Seville, Spain
Spanish road races are fast, and there are a few trail runners and ultrarunners in the top results. Tereza Hrochová (Czech Republic) was ninth in the women’s race in 2:25:58 and 2025 Comrades Marathon 10th-placer Melissah Gibson (U.K.) was 18th in 2:36:38. For the men, 2025 Comrades Marathon sixth-placer Alex Milne (U.K.) ran 2:11:44 for 30th, and Alex García (Spain) was 34th in 2:12:10. 2024 Comrades Marathon winner Piet Wiersma (The Netherlands) was 54th in 2:18:02. Full results.
Barcelona Half Marathon – Barcelona, Spain
Some trail names popped up here, too. Oria Liaci (Switzerland) was the 13th woman in 1:10:31, and Xavier Chevrier (Italy) ran 1:01:47 to finish 23rd in the men’s race. Full results.
Hagg Lake Mud Runs – Forest Grove, Oregon
Race winners Debby Tanimoto and David Barram finished in 5:15 and 4:12. Barram won by just 16 seconds over Joe Carroll. Full results.
Skunk Ape’s Revenge – Dade City, Florida
Aden St Charles won the women’s 60k event in 5:55, her second consecutive win at the event, and Markus Fuerst won it for the men in 5:08. In the 30k race, Melissa Reyes won the women’s race with a time of 2:41, and Andrew Wylie won the men’s in 2:40. Full results when available.
Melissa Reyes, the 2026 Skunk Ape’s Revenge 30k women’s winner. Photo courtesy of the race.
Markus Fuerst, the 2026 Skunk Ape’s Revenge 60k men’s winner. Photo courtesy of the race.
The Ranch 50k – Escondido, California
New course records were set by Maija Hitchings and Brian Marshburn in 4:47 and 4:15. Full results.
Mesa Half Marathon – Mesa, Arizona
Golden Trail World Series star Lauren Gregory won the downhill half marathon in 1:10:39. She won last year’s race in 1:09:12. Allison Baca raced too, finishing ninth in 1:15:47. The 50-mile world record-holder Charlie Lawrence was seventh in 1:04:44. Full results.
Run Forest Run 50k – Montesano, Washington
Running through Lake Sylvia State Park, Forest Astill won it for the women in 6:50:23, Zach Hogue was first back for the men in 4:52:50. Full results when available.
Rocky 50 – Huntsville, Texas
It was the second weekend in a row at the Huntsville State Park. Laura Mantilla and Terry Palmer won the 50 miler in 8:41 and 7:05. Stephanie Knowlton and Beth Scallan tied in the 50k in 5:09, and Cameron Theriot won for the men in 4:04. Full results.
Austin Marathon – Austin, Texas
Max Joliffe, a 200-mile ace, was eighth in the marathon in 2:35:02. Full results.
Holiday Lake 50k – Appomattox, Virginia
It was Amanda Presgraves and Nathan Moore on top in 4:34 and 3:53. Moore won by only 45 seconds over Linford Fritz. Full results.
Amanda Presgraves, the 2026 Holiday Lake 50k women’s winner. Photo courtesy of the race.
Nathan Moore, the 2026 Holiday Lake 50k men’s winner. Photo courtesy of the race.
Call for Comments
It was a big weekend! What else can you share?
