Call it a one-week downsize. There just wasn’t a lot of racing this weekend. Top highlights included the Arches Ultra in Utah and the Jed Smith Ultra Classic in California.
Arches Ultra – Moab, Utah
The Mad Moose event had two ultra distances just outside of the race’s namesake national park.
50 Mile
The women’s race was led by Madison Armonda in 8:23, with Megan Power and Tarah Flahavan going 8:37 and 9:09 for podium runs too.
Men’s winner Ryan Clifford dueled past Mike McMonagle with 6:39 and 6:45 on the clock, and Adam Rylance was third in 7:18.
50k
Women’s winner Genevieve Harrison did it in 4:54, and Kayla Rhodes and Rebecca Peacock finished next in 5:13 and 5:31.
For Caleb Olson, the road to UTMB runs through arches. Olson came down from the Utah mountains for a 50k desert trail fight with Gavin Prior. The two were only 56 seconds apart, with Olson running 3:34 to Prior’s 3:35. Olson was second here in 2024 with a 3:32.
Third-place Ian Stuart finished in 4:12.
Jed Smith Ultra Classic – Sacramento, California
There are long-time races, and then there’s the Jed Smith Ultra Classic. It was the event’s 48th edition, with a number of race distances on a 4.85-mile loop.
50 Mile
There were just two women who finished the 50-mile event, but at the top, Beverley Anderson-Abbs ran really fast. Anderson-Abbs finished in 7:01, and did it at age 61. If her goal was a sub-7-hour finish, she missed it by just 91 seconds. A year ago, Anderson-Abbs ran the 50k here in 4:04. Rachel Wrightson was second in 8:33.
Anthony Fagundes won the men’s race in 5:24, and Eric Neill and Cooper Ras were second and third in 5:46 and 6:07, respectively.
50k
Women’s winner Jessy Herring came through in a quick 3:41, and Verity Breen edged Mei Yang for second. Breen finished in 4:14 to Yang’s 4:16.
The first six men all finished in less than four hours, and Blake Furman won in 3:21. Ian Sharman was second in 3:26, and Sergey Vasyliev ran 3:41 for third.
Marathon and 30k
The marathon had Ashley Relf on top in 3:25, and Emily Hawgood won the 30k in 2:04.
Noah Reid won the men’s marathon in 2:47, and Chris Badolato took the 30k crown in 2:02.
Additional Races and Runs
International Ski Mountaineering Federation (ISMF) Boí Taüll World Cup – Boí Taüll, Spain
The ski mountaineering world cup race had sprint and mixed relay races. Anna Gibson was 21st in the sprint race, and Cam Smith finished 40th. The next day, they paired up to finish seventh in the mixed relay. Full results.
Johannesbad Thermen Half Marathon – Bad Füssing, Germany
Hannes Namberger won the men’s race in 1:07:32. Full results.
Bootleg Boogie – Boulder City, Nevada
Running through Bootleg Canyon, Jill Wilkins and Ryan Keeping won the 100 miler in 24:07 and 20:07. They both won $1,250 for their efforts. Full results when available.
Jill Wilkins, the 2026 Bootleg Boogie 100 Mile women’s winner. Photo courtesy of the race.
Ryan Keeping, the 2026 Bootleg Boogie 100 Mile men’s winner. Photo courtesy of the race.
Winter Deception Pass 50k – Oak Harbor, Washington
Rainshadow Running’s rescheduled race had Sylvie Corwin and Zachary Szablewski run 4:38 and 4:01 at the front. Full results.
Millrose Games – New York, New York
Short-course trail runner Laurel Moyer finished the opening 1,200-meter leg of the Women’s Club Distance Medley in first, but her Garden State Track Club team finished second. Are there any other trail runners racing indoor track this winter? Full results.
Live Oak Ultra 50k – Biloxi, Mississippi
The second-year road ultra wins went to Bethany Madson and Zachary Vogt in 3:43 and 3:27. Both times were new course records. Full results.
The 2026 Live Oak Ultra 50k women’s podium (left to right): 3. Abby Darrah, 1. Bethany Madson, 2. MJ James. Photo courtesy of the race.
The 2026 Live Oak Ultra 50k men’s podium (left to right): 3. Ricky Greer, 1. Zachary Vogt, 2. Jamie Stevison. Photo courtesy of the race.
Forgotten Florida – Christmas, Florida
The race took on wild state forest trails in Florida, across two ultra distances. A pair of runners from Ohio scored the 100-mile wins. Jennifer Russo won for the women in 23:51, and Alec Cline, a prolific 100-mile runner, led the men in 16:08. Last year, Cline ran seven 100 milers. Luci Searels set a new women’s 50-mile course record in 8:41, and Eric Langdon won for the men in 7:29. Full results.
Call for Comments
- Michael Owens and the SE Ohio Trail Runners have a big 2026 coming up. The race group will direct the Athens Ohio Marathon, Canal Corridor 100 Mile, and Hocking Hills Trail Run this year. Have you run a SEOTR race?
- There’s not a lot of snow in the U.S. West, and Utah’s Bigfoot Snowshoe Challenge was canceled because of it.
