Vive la France! This week’s column is definitely French-heavy. French men swept the Hardrock 100 podium, the country held national championships at the High Trail Vanoise event, and a pair of former French Hardrock winners won at Trail Verbeier St. Bernard by UTMB in Switzerland.
You can also check out our race coverage from earlier in the weekend:
Hardrock 100 – Silverton, Colorado
The wild and tough run totaled 33,000 feet of elevation gain, all at an average elevation of 11,000 feet. This year’s race ran counterclockwise, a direction characterized as “up the ramps and down the walls” for its longer and more gradual uphills and shorter but steeper downhills. This year’s race was marked by smoky air early in the race and above-average heat during the day.
Sadly, the race also suffered tragedy when runner Elaine Stypula unfortunately passed away due to an unknown medical event. According to official reports, attempts to resuscitate her by both the Hardrock course sweepers and search and rescue personnel were unsuccessful. iRunFar extends its condolences to all who are affected by this enormous loss. We are so sorry.
The start of the 2025 Hardrock 100. Photo: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
Men
French runners Ludovic Pommeret, Mathieu Blanchard, and Germain Grangier swept the entirety of the men’s podium. Pommeret, age 49, scored a repeat win from last year in 22:21. It was the race’s fifth-fastest finish ever and second-best in this direction. He opened the race up on the descent into the Sherman aid station and increased it on the climb to the 14,048-foot Handies Peak near mile 40, and his lead grew the rest of the way.
Ludovic Pommeret running through Ouray with pacer Jim Walmsley on the way to winning the 2025 Hardrock 100. Photo: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
Blanchard and Grangier were solidly second and third for most of the race, with Grangier getting close to his countryman late. Blanchard was second in 23:44, and Grangier was third in 24:04.
David Ayala was the first American and fourth overall in 24:04.
The all-French men’s podium (l-to-r): 3. Germain Grangier, 1. Ludovic Pommeret, and 2. Mathieu Blanchard. Photo: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
Women
Katie Schide built up a big gap on Courtney Dauwalter’s counterclockwise course record from 2023 through the race’s first half. She gave time back to the record in the cold and challenging overnight hours but finished in 25:50 for both a new directional course record and a new overall course record. Schide was 24 minutes better than the previous counterclockwise record and 21 minutes better than the overall course record. She was hours better than any other woman in this year’s race.
Katie Schide touches the rock after winning the 2025 Hardrock 100 in course record time. Photo: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
Manon Bohard Cailler (France), last year’s Diagonale des Fous winner, ran in second for almost all of the race and finished as runner-up in 28:36. It was the race’s 11th-fastest finish ever. Last year’s third-place finisher Katharina Hartmuth (Germany) kept that same position this year with a time of 32:39 and suffered the same vision problems late in the race that she struggled with last year.
From left to right, Katie Schide, Manon Bohard, and Katharina Hartmuth chat before the start of the 2025 Hardrock 100. This trio went on to become the women’s podium finishers. Photo: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
Badwater 135 Mile – Lone Pine, California
Simen Holvik (Norway) regained the top spot in the men’s race. A year after dropping from the event, Holvik rolled the one-way, 135-mile run through Death Valley in 21:47. He was not too far off Japan’s Yoshihiko Ishikawa’s 21:33 course record from 2019. Holvik won the 2023 edition of the race in 22:28. Perennial runner-up Iván Penalba (Spain) made up time on Holvik late but was again second in 22:07. Pete Kostelnick, the race’s 2016 winner, was third in 22:42.
Marisa Lizak won the women’s race in a duel with new six-day world record-holder Megan Eckert. Lizak won in 25:07 to Eckert’s 26:24. Ali Young (U.K.) was third in 28:56.
High Trail Vanoise – Val-d’Isère, France
The event was the French national championships and a qualifier for the September 2025 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships.
HTV FFA
The long course went 72k through the French Alps. Winner of the 2023 Trail World Championships – Long Trail, Benjamin Roubiol, is presumably going back to worlds this year after a 7:48 winning time at this event. Louison Coiffet was a very close second in 7:50, and Baptiste Chassagne ran 7:57 for third.
American Hillary Gerardi spoiled the French podium with a first-place finish of 9:25 in the women’s race. Jennifer Lemoine and Anne-Cecile Thevenot of France were second and third in 9:32 and 9:34.
6 Cols FFA
The event’s shorter race was 32k in distance. Skyrunning ace Frédéric Tranchand won in 3:06, and Sylvain Cachard and Thomas Butez were next on the podium in 3:10 and 3:17.
Cécile Jarousseau gapped the women’s group with a 3:48 run. Lucille Germain and Émilie Menuet were second and third in 3:54 and 4:01, respectively.
Additional Races and Runs
Trail Verbier St. Bernard by UTMB – Verbier, Switzerland
It was the event’s 16th edition with 5,400 runners across its four different races, and French runners finished at the top of the two longest races. Beñat Marmissolle and Céline Finas won the 140-kilometer X-Alpine race in 18:41 and 24:43. It was a new course record for Marmissolle. Aurélien Dunand-Pallaz and Caroline Chaverot, who were the respective 2023 and 2017 Hardrock 100 winners, were the best in the 76-kilometer X-Traversée race in 9:08 and 11:08. Full results.
Beñat Marmissolle, the 2025 Trail Verbeier St. Bernard 140k men’s winner. Photo: UTMB World Series
Céline Finas, the 2025 Trail Verbeier St. Bernard 140k women’s winner. Photo: UTMB World Series
North Downs 50 – Guildford, U.K.
The 50k race saw Theo-Brenner Roach (U.K.) and Jemina Bean (U.K.) run 4:16 and 4:58. Full results.
Knee Knackering North Shore Trail Run – North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
In the 30-mile event, Simon Widmann (Belgium) led all of the men’s race in 5:05, and Darbykai Standrick (Canada) was way up in the women’s race at 5:33. Full results.
Mt. Hood Races – Timothy Lake, Oregon
The 50 miler had Sidney Noble and Lindsey Hagen atop its podium in 6:16 and 7:55. Full results.
Siskiyou Out Back – Ashland, Oregon
Men’s 50k winner Dylan Humberger finished with a 3:48, and Caitlin Standifer led the women in 4:57. Jamie Hunyor and Cheryl Matson took wins in the 100k in 10:05 and 12:47. Full results.
The Peak 50k – Julian, California
Both Kelsey Davis and Melissa Anderson set new course records. The two winners finished in 6:06 and 4:41. Full results.
Mt. Baldy 5000 – Mt. Baldy, California
Sage Canaday and Allie McLaughlin won the uphill 5k. Full results when available.
Beaverhead Endurance Runs – Salmon, Idaho
Canyon Woodward was hours out front in the men’s 100k race at 9:57. Women’s winner J.T. Wynn was second overall in 11:32. Nick Cornell and Lana Dalton were tops in the 55k in 5:23 and 7:27. Full results.
Cirque Series – Snowbird Resort, Utah
The 8.7-mile race totaled 3,610 feet of climbing, and race winners each earned $1,000. Mason Coppi won a tight men’s race over Hawk Call and Sam Hendry (Canada). Coppi ran 1:20:28, Call finished in 1:21:20, and Hendry completed the podium in 1:21:57. The front three women were all about three minutes apart. Jane Maus got to the front in 1:37, Alexa Aragon came next in 1:40, and Rachel Tomajczyk was third in 1:43. Full results.
Teton Mountain Runs – Teton Village, Wyoming
Taylor Neil and Lindsay Allison finished together at the front of the 30k in 3:07. Full results.
Silver Rush 50 Mile – Leadville, Colorado
Thomas Croshaw was 25 minutes in front of everyone at 6:36, and Anne Flower was nearly an hour ahead in the women’s race with a time of 7:08. Full results.
Call for Comments
How was your weekend, and what other races did you see?
