Hans Troyer, Robert Pkemoi, Toni McCann, and Ruth Croft were among the top stars to race on the last weekend of May. For top runners, this weekend’s races were likely preparation for bigger contests later this summer.
MaXi Race – Annecy, France
Tour du Lac 100k
The big event happened on mountain trails around Lake Annecy. French men swept the marquee 100k podium. Hugo Deck won for the second straight year with 9:48 on the clock. Théo Detienne was second in 9:56, and Yannick Noël took third in 10:10. Deck was 35 minutes faster than in 2025. Cody Lind (U.S.) was just off the men’s podium in fifth in 10:29.
Toni McCann (South Africa) won big in the women’s race. She was over an hour faster than everyone else with an 11:25 winning time. Anna Llewellyn (U.K.) and Blandine Orsini (France) were second and third in 12:28 and 12:30.
Demi Tour du Lac
The short course was 57k. Simon Paccard (France) was first in 5:16, and Samuel Ponce (Andorra) and Dimitri Morel-Jean (France) finished next in 5:26 and 5:29.
Ruth Croft (New Zealand) scored a repeat win in the women’s race in 6:20. Louise Serban-Penhoat (France) and Anaïs Guillot (France) were second and third in 6:32 and 6:38.
Twisted Fork Trail Festival – Park City, Utah
It rained, and there were some pretty incredible finish pictures of mud-caked legs. In the 68k, it was Liam Fleming winning over Gavin Prior and John Raneri. Fleming finished the 42-mile race in 5:25, and Prior and Raneri got there in 5:31 and 5:38. Fourth-place Cade Michael came in at 5:51, and he will get two mentions this week. Only 32 seconds separated women’s winner Rachel Drake from runner-up Kristin Johnson. The two were both in at 6:39, and third-place Becca Bramley finished in 6:57.
Rachel Drake, the 2026 Twisted Fork Trail Festival 68k women’s winner. Photo: Mike McMonagle
Hans Troyer won the 30k ahead of Caleb Olson. Troyer finished in 2:02, and Olson was 63 seconds back in 2:03. Sean O’Connor was less than a minute behind Olson in third at 2:04. Olson was third in last year’s race in 2:04. Elizabeth O’Connor won for the women in 2:21, and Sarah Humble and Kodi Kleven got on the podium in 2:24. Humble beat Kleven by eight seconds.
Hans Troyer, the 2026 Twisted Fork Trail Festival 30k men’s winner. Photo: Photo: Mike McMonagle
The 15k was competitive too. Christian Allen ran 57:15 to get ahead of Hawk Call and Seth Sonerholm. Call and Sonerholm finished in 61:18 and 65:55. It was a repeat win for Allen after last year’s 55:39 finish. Alexa Aragon won for the women in 69:11, with Oakley Olson second in 72:26 and Sarah Hutchings third in 72:54.
Alexa Aragon, the 2026 Twisted Fork Trail Festival 15k women’s winner. Photo: Mike McMonagle
Swiss Canyon Trail – Couvet, Switzerland
The event brought some 3,000 runners across five distances to a region near the French border. In the long course 111k, Ramon Manetsch (Switzerland) beat Ionel Manole (Spain) and Aleix Toda (Spain). The three were only 17 minutes apart, with Manetsch winning in 10:31 and Manole and Toda in at 10:40 and 10:48. The lead three women were nearly as close too. Marjo Liikanen (Finland) finished in 13:10, and Azara García (Spain) and Jasmin Nunige (Switzerland) were second and third in 13:25 and 13:29.
Clovis Chaverot (France) and Manon Campano (France) won the 81k in 7:12 and 9:07.
The 51k had Clément Durance (France) and Beatriz Parrón (Spain) as its winners in 4:03 and 4:46.
And in the 31k, it was Titouan Haan (France) and Kim Schreiber (Germany) who won in 2:25 and 2:51.
Mountain Ultra Trail by UTMB – George, South Africa
Tahirinirina Jeannot Avotraniaina (Madagascar) won the 104-mile MUT Miler men’s race in 23:53. Women’s winner Lodelia Kombrink (South Africa) was fourth overall in 26:07.
Daniel Claassen (South Africa) and Kerry-Ann Marshall (South Africa) won the MUT 100k in 10:29 and 13:00.
Daniel Claassen, the 2026 Mountain Ultra Trail men’s winner. Photo: Olivia McCulla
Kerry-Ann Marshall, the 2026 Mountain Ultra Trail 100k women’s winner. Photo: Olivia McCulla
Additional Races and Runs
Trail En Vallée D’Aure – Saint-Lary-Soulan, France
French runners Olivier Bauzil and Lucie Legendre won the 40k in 4:18 and 6:05, and Robert Pkemoi (Kenya) and Charlotte Fumard (France) were best in the 23k in 1:57 and 2:48. Pkemoi, who was fifth at the Zegama Marathon two weeks ago, was the lone non-French runner to podium across all of the event’s race distances. Full results.
Pacifico Ultra 50k – Palmdale, California
For the men, Cody Leventhal won in 4:11, and women’s champ Clara Caspard scored a $500 course record bonus in 4:37. Full results.
Cody Leventhal, the 2026 Pacifico Ultra 50k men’s winner. Photo courtesy of the race.
Clara Caspard, the 2026 Pacifico Ultra 50k women’s winner. Photo courtesy of the race.
North Fork 50/50 – Pine, Colorado
The 50-mile winners were Tripp Hipple and Lindsey Benkelman in 7:24 and 9:52, and Matthew Vira and Ann Miller were best in the 50k in 3:50 and 4:42. Vira won last year’s race in 3:48. Full results.
BolderBoulder 10k – Boulder, Colorado
There were some 54,000 people running on the roads in Boulder on May 25, 2026, for the annual Memorial Day event. In the pro race, Andy Wacker was seventh in 29:51. In the citizen’s race, Cade Michael ran 33:07, Josh Eberly ran 33:36, and Chris Mocko was in at 33:43. For the women, Janelle Lincks got into the top 10 in 36:03. Full results.
Smith Rock Classic – Terrebonne, Oregon
All of the 50-mile and 50k course records were broken at this year’s race. Alec Carne and Rachel Hawkins won the 50 miler in 7:07 and 7:55, and Cully Brown and Ellie Clawson won the 50k in 3:52 and 4:27. Full results.
Alec Carne, the 2026 Smith Rock Classic 50 Mile men’s winner. Photo courtesy of the race.
Rachel Hawkins, the 2026 Smith Rock Classic 50 Mile women’s winner. Photo courtesy of the race.
The Full Mo 50k – Sheridan, Indiana
The sixth annual race ran from the corn fields to the city. Mark Weghorst repeated as men’s winner in 3:08, and Alison Ray won for the women in 3:33. Both times were new course records. Full results.
Mohican Trail Run – Loudonville, Ohio
Prolific 100-miler Alec Cline won the men’s race in 18:04, and Brenda Johnson won for the women in 19:04. Cline won last year’s race in 17:51. Full results.
Worlds End Ultramarathon – Forksville, Pennsylvania
The 100k and 50k races went through the Endless Mountains in the Loyalsock State Forest and Worlds End State Park. Jesse Stauffer and Kaylee Frederick were best in the 100k in 11:50 and 12:24, and Michael Busada and Emily Fisk won the 50k in 4:48 and 6:22. Full results.
Rabid Raccoon 100 Mile – Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania
Racing on an eight-loop course, Alex Minor was a major winner. His 15:42 finish was over five hours better than second place. Stephanie Kos won for the women in 22:04. Full results.
Call for Comments
Next weekend, it’s time for short courses to shine. In Colorado, there’ll be the GoPro Mountain Games. New Hampshire’s Sunapee Scramble will host the USATF Mountain Running Championship. And in Slovenia, there’s the European Off-Road Running Championships.
