Weekend highlights included the year’s first World Trail Majors and UTMB World Series races. Check it all out!
You can also check out our race coverage from the weekend:
Hong Kong Ultra – Hong Kong, China
The 100k and 50k races were the year’s first World Trail Majors contests.
100k
Course changes left this year’s race short of the 100k distance. What the course lacked in distance, it made up for in climbing, collecting 5,073 meters (16,644 feet) over 93k (58 miles).
Men
Gui-Du Qin (China) started to separate from the field near the halfway mark and led all of the second half toward an 8:52 winning time. Qin had earlier placed inside the race’s top five twice before, in 2024 and 2025. Guang-Fu Meng (China), winner of the race’s 2024 and 2025 editions, chased to second in 8:58, and Guo-Min Deng (China) was third in 9:09. It was Deng’s third third-place finish at the race.
The men’s top five was:
- Gui-Du Qin (China) – 8:52:36
- Guang-Fu Meng (China) – 8:58:50
- Guo-Min Deng (China) – 9:09:48
- Dakota Jones (U.S.) – 9:15:49
- John Ray Onifa (Philippines) – 9:50:52
Gui-Du Qin wins the 2026 Hong Kong 100k. Photo: Hong Kong Ultra
Women
Veronika Leng (Slovakia, lives in Hong Kong) chased down race-long leader Hậu Hà (Vietnam) in the final hour, and the two finished together in a first-place tie. Behind the winners’ 10:43 finish, Ling-Jie Chi (China) was third in 10:52.
The women’s top five was:
- 1. Veronika Leng (Slovakia) – 10:43:35
- 1. Hậu Hà (Vietnam) – 10:43:35
- 3. Ling-Jie Chi (China) – 10:52:22
- 4. Ying Li (China) – 11:28:04
- 5. Wen-Li Jiang (China) – 11:29:46
Hậu Hà (left) and Veronika Leng (right) tie for the win at the 2026 Hong Kong 100k. Photo: Hong Kong Ultra
50k
The 50k event is part of the World Trail Majors Short Series. Only the top three men finished under four hours on the challenging course. Ru-Qin Wang (China) beat the men’s field in 3:56, and Anton Gustafsson (Sweden) and Guo Shi (China) were on the podium at 3:58 and only 27 seconds apart.
Barely three minutes split the first three women, and race winner and runner-up Xue-Mei Huang (China) and Yan Yang (China) were only 44 seconds apart in 4:48. Eszter Csillag (Hungary, lives in Hong Kong) was third in 4:51.
The next World Trail Majors event is the Black Canyon Ultras in Arizona on February 14 and 15.
Ru-Qin Wang, the 2026 Hong Kong 50k men’s winner. Photo: Hong Kong Ultra
Xue-Mei Huang, the Hong Kong 50k women’s winner. Photo: Hong Kong Ultra
Arc of Attrition by UTMB – Coverack, U.K.
It was the event’s 11th edition, all on point-to-point courses featuring coastal trails in winter weather. British runners dominated the races.
Arc 100
The top three men were all from the U.K., and only four minutes separated first and second. Hugh Tibbs and Simon Withers finished in 19:10 and 19:14, respectively. Third-place man Samuel Skinner was an hour back in 20:14.
Anne-Sofie Pollestad (Norway) prevented a complete British sweep of the 100-mile podium. Pollestad was way out front in the women’s race in 22:28. Charlotte Fisher (U.K.) and Hannah Rickman (U.K.) came next in 23:49 and 24:47.
Arc 50
British men took the first five finish spots, with Kristian Jones victorious in 7:09. Keith Wigley and Lewis Bowness were second and third in 7:27 and 7:38.
The women’s race was significantly more spread out. Gemma Hillier Moses (U.K.) dominated the group with an 8:12 winning time. That placed her eighth overall. Aroa Sío (Spain) edged Katie Kaars Sijpesteijn (U.K.) for the runner-up spot in 9:31 and 9:33.
Arc 25
The race was just short of the marathon distance, and Robbie Simpson (U.K.) and Raoul Raus (Belgium) were only 43 seconds apart. Simpson won in 2:45, and Raus was second in 2:46. Third-place Ben Rothery (U.K.) was barely a minute behind race winner Simpson in 2:46, too.
It wasn’t as close in the women’s race. Naomi Lang (U.K.) ran away with the win in 3:09. Núria Gil (Spain) came next in 3:16, and Maëlle Beauvir (France) was third in 3:25.
Additional Races and Runs
International Ski Mountaineering Federation (ISMF) Andorra World Cup – Andorra
The ski mountaineering world cup event again had Vertical and Sprint races, and Rémi Bonnet (Switzerland) again won the Vertical race. He finished in 27:21 with nearly a 10-second gap on second place. Cam Smith (U.S.) was sixth in 28:26. Axelle Mollaret (France) won the women’s Vertical race in 31:44. The Sprint race will happen today, January 26. Full results.
UTMS La Primavera – Guadalajara, Mexico
Gabriel Boin (France) and María Guadalupe Fregoso Nieves (Mexico) won the 51k race in 4:36 and 5:47, respectively. Full results.
Golden Gate Spartan Trail Classic – San Francisco, California
The 50-mile champs were Aidan Bohley and Mari Sullivan in 8:44 and 10:10, and Noah Seto and Julie Mooney won the 50k in 4:30 and 5:13. Full results.
Diplo’s Run Club 5k – Phoenix, Arizona
Trail runners took the famous DJ’s run and rave. Ruairi Moynihan won for the men in 15:13, and Tara Dower was second woman in 18:10. Full results.
Wilson Creek Frozen 50k – Melba, Idaho
Racing on the Wilson Creek Trail, Anthony Jacobs and Emily Soulek won in 4:21 and 5:34. Full results.
Pemberton Trail – Fountain Hills, Arizona
Racing through McDowell Mountain Regional Park, Steven Terry and Sarah Connor won the 50k in 4:08 and 4:23, and Jarred Ervin and Natalie Horn won the 25k event in 1:54 and 1:55. Full results.
Sarah Connor and Steven Terry, the 2026 Pemberton Trail 50k winners. Photo courtesy of the race.
Jarred Ervin and Natalie Horn, the 2026 Pemberton Trail 25k winners. Photo courtesy of the race.
Tatonka 50k – Waiteville, West Virginia
The first-year race saw Caleb Bowen and Anne Tisdell win in 3:54 and 5:59. Full results.
Southern Freeze – Columbus, Georgia
The small 50-mile race was led by Thomas Chelednik and Caroline Hively in 8:03 and 11:07. Full results.
Monroe Cross Trail 50 Mile – DeBary, Florida
The first man was Preston Berryman in 7:56, but he was only third overall. Women’s winner Addie Green beat everyone in 7:09. Full results.
Clearwater Running Festival – Clearwater, Florida
The road 50k wins went to Duane Wesemann and Kate Kornucik in 3:34 and 4:25. Full results.
Call for Comments
- The April 2026 Boston Marathon will be its 130th edition, and the just-dropped elite entrant list includes some trail runners and ultrarunners. The men’s list includes, listed alongside their personal bests, CJ Albertson (2:08:17), Christian Allen (2:09:58), Garrett Corcoran (2:15:46), Charlie Lawrence (2:16:10), and Petter Engdahl (debut).
- The 32nd edition of Alabama’s Mountain Mist 50k happened in cold weather, and results haven’t yet hit the web. Might a reader know something?
