There’s a lot to get through this week. Speedgoat by UTMB was top dog in the U.S., the Mountain Running World Cup was again in action in Europe, and races across Central Europe were greatly impacted by weather.
Speedgoat by UTMB – Snowbird Resort, Utah
50k
The 32-mile race put in over 11,000 feet of climbing. There was a $7,000 prize purse that paid $2,000 to the winners.
Ryan Becker leveled up. He got himself on the U.S. team for the Trail World Championships after finishing third at the Broken Arrow Skyrace 46k, and for the second race in a row showed that he belongs among the best. Becker ran at the front of this one from the start and did just enough to come away with a win. Erik Sorenson was as far back as sixth at mile 20 and five minutes behind Becker. Remarkably only six seconds separated the men’s one-two at the finish with Becker scoring the win in 5:17. That’s 22 minutes better than his seventh-place run from 2024.
Anthony Williams was third in 5:20.
The men’s top five was:
- Ryan Becker – 5:17:26
- Erik Sorenson – 5:17:32
- Anthony Williams – 5:20:08
- Adam Loomis – 5:22:44
- Grant Barnette – 5:24:26
Just like at the recent Broken Arrow Skyrace 46, Jennifer Lichter led this one all day long. Out front early and uncatchable the rest of the way, Lichter won in 5:54. It was a new course record and the first-ever women’s sub-6-hour finish.
Emma Cook-Clarke (Canada) outran Grayson Murphy for second, just over a minute better in 6:01 to Murphy’s 6:02.
The women’s top five was:
- Jennifer Lichter – 5:54:45
- Emma Cook-Clarke (Canada) – 6:01:05
- Grayson Murphy – 6:02:36
- Jazmine Lowther (Canada) – 6:15:10
- Robyn Lesh – 6:18:48
28k
This one went 19 miles and with 6,500 feet of up.
Christian Allen and Sage Canaday, both former 50k winners here, dropped down to the 28k. The men’s podium was particularly spread out though. Allen was out front in 2:50, Canaday was second in 3:07, and third-place Seth Wealing finished in 3:25.
The 2024 50k third-placer Kodi Kleven came down in distance too and she gapped the women’s group with a 3:44 finish, and Shalyn Gieringer was 29 seconds in front of Sandi Nypaver for second. Gieringer ran 3:50 to Nypaver’s 3:51.
Giir di Mont – Premana, Italy
Both races were part of the Mountain Running World Cup.
Giir di Mont Uphill
The Saturday race went uphill 8k in distance and with 1,050 meters of elevation gain. The race was also the Italian Uphill Mountain Running Championships.
Kenyan men swept the top five finish spots. For the second week in a row Richard Omaya Atuya won the uphill race. He topped out in 39:49. Despite not being known for his climbing speed, Philemon Kiriago was second in 40:07, and Paul Machoka got up next in 40:17.
Richard Omaya Atuya, the 2025 Giir di Mont Uphill men’s winner. Photo: World Mountain Running Association/@marcogulberti_photography
The men’s top five was:
- Richard Omaya Atuya (Kenya) – 39:49
- Philemon Kiriago (Kenya) – 40:07
- Paul Machoka (Kenya) – 40:17
- Josphat Kiprotich (Kenya) – 40:32
- Michael Selelo Saoili (Kenya) – 40:45
Women
The race finishes with a steep 400-meter climb over the final kilometer in distance and Mountain Running World Cup leader Scout Adkin (U.K.) did just enough to edge out Francesca Ghelfi (Italy) for the win. The two hit the high point finish in 47:52 and 47:58.
Uphill legend Andrea Mayr was third in 48:31. Mayr won the 2023 World Mountain Running Uphill championships, but after a second straight loss in an uphill WMRA race, she’s not a favorite for this year’s 2025 championships event in September. Both Adkin and Ghelfi beat Mayr at the May 2025 Vertical Nasego race too when Mayr was fourth.
Scout Adkin, the 2025 Giir di Mont Uphill women’s winner. Photo: World Mountain Running Association/@marcogulberti_photography
The women’s top five was:
- Scout Adkin (U.K.) – 47:52
- Francesca Ghelfi (Italy) – 47:58
- Andrea Mayr (Austria) – 48:31
- Valentine Rutto (Kenya) – 48;46
- Gloria Chebet (Kenya) – 49:24
Giir di Mont 32k
The next day’s up-and-down race went 32k with three big climbs
Among the uphill first five, only Machoka and Selelo Saoili came back for the double. Selelo Saoli didn’t finish and Machoka was no match for the Europeans on this day. Davide Magnini (Italy) and Stian Angermund (Norway), both having a comeback year after time away, ran to 3:14 and 3:15 first- and second-place finishes. Mattia Tanara (Italy) was third in 3:18.
Davide Magnini, the 2025 Giir di Mont 32k men’s winner. Photo: World Mountain Running Association/ @marcogulberti_photography
The men’s top five was:
- Davide Magnini (Italy) – 3:14:03
- Stian Angermund (Norway) – 3:15:35
- Mattia Tanara (Italy) – 3:18:33
- Paul Machoka (Kenya) – 3:19:14
- Lorenzo Rota Martir (Italy) – 3:20:16
(Stian Angermund served a 16-month doping ban after testing positive for the prohibited masking agent chlortalidone at the 2023 OCC race in France.)
Uphill winner Adkin didn’t come back for the weekend double and without her, Valentine Rutto (Kenya) ran to a big win in 3:58. Italian runners Roberta Jacquin and Martina Cumerlato were next in 4:07 and 4:08.
Valentine Rutto, the 2025 Giir di Mont 32k women’s winner. Photo: World Mountain Running Association/ @marcogulberti_photography
The women’s top five was:
- Valentine Rutto (Kenya) – 3:58:27
- Roberta Jacquin (Italy) – 4:07:54
- Martina Cumerlato (Italy) – 4:08:45
- Cecilia Basso (Italy) – 4:13:47
- Mathilde Sagnes (France) – 4:18:40
Never Summer – Gould, Colorado
The gem of the Gnar Runners race group is in little-visited State Forest State Park in far north-central Colorado. The races average 10,200 feet above sea level while never going below 8,450 feet and never getting higher than 12,000 feet.
100k
Clint Anders started to separate from Andrew Lent and Mitch Klomp after 20 miles and stretched his lead the rest of the way. Anders won in 11:57 and Lent and Klomp followed in 12:34 and 12:40.
The 2025 Never Summer 100k men’s podium: (l-to-r) 3. Mitch Klomp, 1. Clint Anders, 2. Andrew Lent. Photo: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
Women’s winner Zoë Rom led for all of it too and she finished way ahead of the rest of the women’s field in 14:16. Brigit Noon and Katie Olwin were second and third in 16:25 and 16:34. Full results.
The 2025 Never Summer 100k women’s podium: (l-to-r) 3. Katie Olwin, 1. Zoë Rom, 2. Brigit Noon. Photo: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
60k
Jason Schlarb led the men’s group in 6:28, and Austin Gliottone and Andrew Wise were next in 6:39 and 6:48.
Nora Rex scored a women’s win and new course record in 7:11. Imogen Ainsworth and Charissa Kenny followed in 7:19 and 7:37.
Additional Races and Runs
Tatra Skymarathon – Kościelisko, Poland
Déjà vu. Last year the event’s 28k race was part of the Golden Trail World Series, this year its 45k was part of the Skyrunner World Series. And both were cut short due to weather. In 2024, the race was simply stopped with no results recognized in the GTWS rankings. This year the stopping point was recognized as an official finish with points counting toward the Skyrunner World Series charts. After 31k of running, Martin Nilsson (Sweden) was nearly five minutes in front of Luca Del Pero (Italy) for the men’s crown. The top two men hit the interim split in 3:22 and 3:27.
Martin Nilsson, the 2025 Tatra Skymarathon men’s winner. Photo: Skyrunner World Series
Romanian women Madalina Amariei and Denisa Dragomir had matching 2:46:58 finish times at their 23k finish line, but Amariei was given the win and Dragomir was second. Dragomir, who is leading the Skyunner World Series, questioned the decision on social media afterward. Full results.
Madalina Amariei, the 2025 Tatra Skymarathon women’s winner. Photo: Skyrunner World Series
Grossglockner Ultra-Trail – Zell am See-Kaprun, Austria
This one too was impacted by weather. All of the 110k, 80k, and 55k races were stopped early. The force of nature was lightning in Poland and cold rain and wind in Austria. Mathias Deutschbauer (Austria) and Florian Grasel (Austria) and the first eight men appear to have finished the full 110k (68 miles, 21,325 feet of gain) prior to the stoppage. Deutschbauer and Grasel have identical 13:54 finish times. No women made it to the finish before the stoppage. Full results.
Bucovina Ultra Rocks – Campulung Moldovenesc, Romania
A fast-moving storm came through this event too, and unfortunately a male runner died during the 88k race. All of the event’s races were stopped. Seventeen runners made the 88k finish prior to this, including race winners Robert Hajnal (Romania) and Alexandra Ungureanu (Romania) in 12:06 and 14:43. Full results.
XTERRA Skyrace Comapedrosa – La Massana, Andorra
The XTERRA Trail Run World Series had marathon and half marathon races in mountainous Andorra. Rodrigo Monasor (Spain) and Irati Azkargorta (Spain) won the 36k long race in 5:12 and 6:24, and Jan Castillo (Spain) and Nikola Matkova (Slovakia) were tops in the 24k shorter race in 3:11 and 4:06. Full results.
Cirque Series – Alyeska, Alaska
The Last Frontier course went 6.1 miles and with almost 4,000 feet of climbing. Jackson Cole and Ruby Lindquist won the $1,500 first-place prize in 1:04:07 and 1:16:31. Full results.
Buckin’ Hell 50k – North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
The event at Mount Seymour Resort had Ivan Shvetsov (Canada) and Darbykai Standrick (Canada) as its winners in 5:34 and 5:46. Full results.
White River 50k – Crystal Mountain, Washington
Kyle Elliot and Nicole Cade won the northwest classic in 5:19 and 5:55. Full results.
Hood Hundred – Mount Hood, Oregon
Kevin Stewart and Erin Brunner won in 16:08 and 21:44. Full results.
Mountain Tiger Donner Summit – Soda Springs, California
The first-year race went 11 miles point-to-point. Matthew Zupan won his second race in as many weeks, and Helen Mino Faukner dominated the women’s run. The two finished in 1:41 and 1:50, respectively. Full results.
Yellowstone Trail Race – West Yellowstone, Montana
Just outside the national park, Jacob Schultz and Rachel Stewart won the 50k in 4:46 and 5:39. Full results.
Crazy Mountain 100 Mile – Lennep, Montana
Brandon Benefield and Cassi Knight won the big mountain challenge in 20:41 and 25:49. Full results.
Standhope – Ketchum, Idaho
Ben Stout scored a new 100-mile course record in 20:49 and Alexandra Wardwell won for the women in 31:14. Stout has the 60k record too. This year’s 60k crowns went to Joseph Pendleton and Alexis Crellin in 6:34 and 8:07. No joke, Stout has the 30k record too, but this year’s 30k wins went to Jordan Fields and Emily Hawgood in 3:00 and 3:51. Full results.
Tushars Mountain Runs – Eagle Point Ski Resort, Utah
Michael Versteeg and Cessair McKinney won the 100k in 12:38 and 17:50, and Nicolas Sondaz and Brier Youngfleish were best in the 70k at 9:34 and 10:02. Full results.
Pikes Peak Ultra – Colorado Springs, Colorado
Ryan Chio set a new 50-mile course record for the men in 7:33 and Sofia Jones won for the women in 10:36. Full results.
Burning River 100 Mile – Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
It was the 19th year for the 100-mile run. Alec Cline and Megan Alvarado won in 16:30 and 21:52. Cline is dominating Ohio. It was his fourth 100-mile win of the year and ninth ultra win of the year. Full results.
Call for Comments
What else happened at the weekend?
