This Week In Running: January 27, 2020

This Week In Running’s trail and ultra recap for January 27, 2020.

By on January 27, 2020 | Comments

This Week in Running Justin Mock TWIRThere were plenty of catchy, interesting, and tragic news headlines this week, but trail and ultramarathon race results were a little sparse. It seems it was a quiet weekend in January for the trail and ultra world! We’re still here though and dropping familiar names like David RiddleLiz Canty, and Hayden Hawks in a column made up of generally smaller regional races. It’s Monday again, go get it friends.

Trail and Ultramarathon Races

Paramount Ranch Trail Runs 50k

Lights, camera, action! Jesse Haynes and Mari Bennett starred at the southern California Paramount Ranch Trail Runs 50k. Haynes won and set a new course record in 3:36, and Bennett topped the women’s field in 4:54. Both were certainly fatigued, but neither needed the post-race services of one-time ranch resident, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman. Full results.

Eldrith 50k

Bob Shebest and Felicia Baeza led a small group of finishers at the San Francisco Bay Area Eldrith 50k. The two frontrunners finished in 4:54 and 7:03, respectively. The race is named in celebration of 78-year-old ultrarunner Eldrith GosneyFull results.

Arches Ultra 50 Mile

A little snow on the red rock didn’t change things at the Arches Ultra 50 Mile in Moab, Utah. Well, except the courses, anyway, as this year’s races were diverted off the most snowy and icy terrain, making the 50 miler and 50k each a little short on distance. Jeason Murphy, the race’s 2019 winner, did it again with a 6:20 finish. Nora Weathers won the women’s race and was sixth overall in 7:13. In the accompanying 50k, Hayden Hawks dominated with a 3:20 run, and Hannah Kligman edged Wendy Stalnaker by just over a minute to win in 4:18. Hawks is building toward the February 15 Black Canyon 100k in Arizona. Full results.

Jeason Murphy, 2020 Arches Ultra 50 Mile champion. Photo: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks

Ski Santa Fe Fireball Rando Race

There was both a Vertical and an Individual ski mountaineering race on back-to-back days in New Mexico, part of the Ski Santa Fe Fireball Rando RaceRory Kelly and Tess Amer won the Vertical race in 24:31 and 34:06, and doubled back to win the Individual race in 1:39 and 2:28. Trail runners Rickey Gates and Travis Macy raced too. Gates was fifth and eighth in the two races, and Macy was sixth in the Individual race. Rea Kolbl was second in both women’s races too. Vertical and Individual full results.

Running the Rose 108k

The Trail Racing Over Texas Running the Rose 108k happens in east Texas at Tyler State Park, and for Trevor Meding and Jenna Jurica, everything, well, came up roses. The pair won the long race in 10:37 and 14:11. Mark Bottenhorn and Michelle Leong won the 54k in 4:30 and 5:38, and in the 22 miler, Matt Daniels–he’s originally from Texas–won in 2:15 alongside Amber Ellsworth’s 3:41. Full results.

Trevor Meding, 2020 Running the Rose 108k champion. Photo: Trail Running Over Texas

Goodwater Double Marathon

The Goodwater Trail rings Lake Georgetown, north of Austin, Texas over 26.2 miles. The Goodwater Double Marathon 52-mile race then does the loop twice. Race winners were Nick Pedatella and Des’arae Stephens in 8:08 and 11:42. Pedatella’s pacing was near perfect with 4:00 and 4:08 marathons. Full results.

Chehaw Challenge 50 Mile

Shawn Dobbs won Georgia’s Chehaw Challenge 50 Mile race for the second-straight year, and broke his own course record with a 7:52 finish. Anna Calcaterra was a repeat winner too, though her 2020 finish matched her same place from 2016. Calcaterra led the women’s race in 8:49. Full results.

Mountain Mist 50k

Nine times David Riddle has run the Mountain Mist 50k in sweet home Alabama, and eight times he’s won. That win streak includes 2020, and it was Riddle’s fourth in a row here too. Liz Canty was also a repeat winner in the women’s race. Official results–and finish times–could not yet be located at the time of this writing. Full results (when available).

Skydive Ultra Run

“The fastest first two miles of any race, guaranteed,” says the Skydive Ultra Run in Florida about itself. With a 60-second freefall from a plane at 13,500 feet, they’re probably right. Addie Green won the 100-mile race in 18:32, a new course record. Sam Brasfield was the men’s winner, and third overall, in 24:20. Todd McAuley and Tammy Massie won the 50-mile race in 9:45 and 11:56. The event also had several other distances. Full results.

Clearwater Running Festival

Florida’s Clearwater Running Festival had a number of race distances, and in the 50k, Marina Germain was the overall winner in 4:19. She bested men’s winner Charles Catalano by 52 seconds. Full results.

Next Weekend – Rocky Raccoon 100 Mile – Huntsville, Texas

Historically the USATF 100-Mile Trail National Championships, the Rocky Raccoon 100 Mile isn’t this year. The Brazos Bend 100 Mile will hold that title instead.  Still, there are plenty of Texas-and-other all stars coming to make this an interesting race.

Ronnie Delzer excels at flat-and-fast races like Rocky Raccoon, and has run as fast as 13:44 (2017) here. Though likely not challenging Delzer’s speed, veterans Steven Moore and Steve Speirs will be poised to move up if Delzer falters.

2019 winner Maria Sylte will return in the women’s race, but Shandra Moore–18:16 here in 2017–is expected to race too.

Full entrant list.

Call for Comments

  • What’d you see or do this weekend that we didn’t? Tell us about it!
  • Who are you looking at for a podium position at Rocky Raccoon this weekend?
Justin Mock

Justin Mock is the This Week In Running columnist for iRunFar. He’s been writing about running for 10 years. Based in Europe, Justin has run as fast as 2:29 for a road marathon and finished as high as fourth in the Pikes Peak Marathon.