This Week In Running: June 29, 2026

The last weekend of June always brings Western States, Lavaredo, and the Marathon du Mont Blanc. We’ve got all of that, and the Leadville Marathon, World Masters Mountain Running Championships, and the Skyrunner World Series, too.

You can also check out our race coverage from the weekend:

• 2026 Western States Results: Jenn Lichter and Vincent Bouillard Set Course Records in Cool Weather

Lavaredo Ultra Trail – Cortina, Italy

Lavaredo 120k

The king of Lavaredo is back. Hannes Namberger (Germany) won here in 2021, 2022, and 2024, and his 11:56 run in 2022 was the course record. But while Namberger was racing Western States last year, Ben Dhiman (U.S.) swooped in and broke that course record with an 11:49:16 finish.

Namberger came back in 2026 and won for the fourth time and regained his course record, too. Namberger pulled away from Andreas Reiterer (Italy) and Tobias Geiser (Italy) in the last 10 miles to finish in 11:45:31.

Longtime friends Reiterer and Geiser finished together in a second-place tie in 11:55:26.

The top five men were:

• 1. Hannes Namberger (Germany) – 11:45:31
• 2. Andreas Reiterer (Italy) – 11:55:26
• 2. Tobias Geiser (Italy) – 11:55:26
• 4. Peter Fraňo (Slovakia) – 12:32:57
• 5. Andreas Rieder (Austria) – 12:41:38

Sunmaya Budha (Nepal) and Lucy Bartholomew (Australia) dueled for all of the women’s race. At mile 50, Bartholomew was seven minutes in front. My mile 67, Budha had cut the lead to three minutes, and by mile 70, she’d gained the lead. Budha went on to win by just over a minute in 13:33. Bartholomew was second in 13:34, and both were way up on Rosanna Buchauer’s old 14:09 event best from 2024.

Emma Stuart (Ireland) was a distant third in 14:47.

The top five women were:

1. Sunmaya Budha (Nepal) – 13:33:18
2. Lucy Bartholomew (Australia) – 13:34:59
3. Emma Stuart (Ireland) – 14:47:42
4. Manon Gras (France) – 15:07:51
5. Eszter Csillag (Hungary) – 15:11:25

Lavaredo 80k

Race winners Bartłomiej Przedwojewski (Poland) and Elísa Kristinsdóttir (Iceland) finished in 7:40 and 8:59, respectively.

Lavaredo 50k

After second-place runs at the Zegama Marathon and European Off-Road Championships in May and June, Daniel Pattis (Italy) scored a win and a new course record. Pattis ran 4:00, and that bettered Francesco Puppi’s old record of 4:02 from the race’s 2024 edition. Nadir Maguet (Italy) and Lorenzo Rota (Italy) were second and third in 4:06 and 4:13, respectively.

Malen Osa (Spain) won for the women in 4:49, and that just missed Toni McCann’s 4:45 course record from 2025. Patricia Pineda (Spain) was only three minutes behind in 4:49, and Silvia Schwaiger (Slovakia) was third in 5:01.

Lavaredo 20k

As with the 50k, Italian men swept the men’s 20k podium, and Andrea Rostan was way ahead in 1:32. Isacco Costa and Luca Pescollderungg were second and third, both in 1:38 and 30 seconds apart.

The women’s race was closer, but Anna Hofer (Italy) was out front for the win in 1:51, and it was her second straight win at this race. Klara Velepec (Slovenia) and Sonia Samuels (U.K.) finished next in 1:54 and 1:56, respectively.

Full results.

Western States 100 – Olympic Valley, California

Men

Four-time winner and course record holder Jim Walmsley, 2011 winner Kilian Jornet (Spain), and 2022 winner Adam Peterman were all among the field, but it was Hans Troyer who pushed the early pace. Taking advantage of historically cool weather, Troyer set a pace for many miles that was way under the course record.

Francesco Puppi (Italy), a 100-mile rookie, eventually left a chase group of Walmsley and Vincent Bouillard (France) and chased Troyer down. Bouillard moved past Walmsley near mile 55 and entered the Foresthill aid station at mile 62 in third. Walmsley exited the race here.

After taking over the lead from Troyer, Puppi led from miles 70 to 85. Troyer went backward down the leaderboard and dropped from the race at mile 78.

Behind Puppi, Bouillard was now hauling and took over the ultimate race lead after mile 85.

Bouillard, the 2024 UTMB winner, avenged a drop at last year’s race and won the 2026 Western States 100 in 13:46. That reset Walmsley’s old 14:09 course record from 2019. Puppi finished second in 13:51.

Ryan Montgomery was just minutes behind Puppi for much of the second half but couldn’t quite fully close the gap. Montgomery finished third in 13:53. A year earlier, he was seventh in 15:54. Montgomery identifies as non-binary but competes in the men’s division.

Bouillard, Puppi, Montgomery, and fourth-place Thomas Cardin (France) all ran faster than the old course record.

We go long here. The pre-race preview had 27 top men start the race, and here’s how they all did.

• 1. Vincent Bouillard (France) – 13:46:15
• 2. Francesco Puppi (Italy) – 13:51:08
• 3. Ryan Montgomery – 13:53:55
• 4. Thomas Cardin (France) – 14:07:58
• 5. Zach Miller – 14:20:09
• 6. Adam Peterman – 14:26:11
• 7. Jeff Mogavero – 14:38:36
• 8. Canyon Woodward – 14:45:24
• 9. Will Murray – 15:23:12
• 10. Hiroki Kai (Japan) – 15:26:34
• 11. Jørgen Jevne (Norway) – 16:24:35
• 12. Jupiter Carera Casas (Mexico) – 16:26:00
• 13. Jeshurun Small – 16:27:25
• 14. Colton Gale – 16:27:45
• 16. Justin Grunewald – 16:34:28
• 17. Jacob Banta – 16:43:25
• 18. Anthony Costales – 17:18:41
• 19. Tracen Knopp – 17:36:59
• 22. Jeff Browning – 18:03:38
• 23. John Kelly – 18:15:42
• 42. Jordan Bramblett – 21:07:53

Drops included Hayden Hawks, Dan Jones (New Zealand), Kilian Jornet (Spain), Hans Troyer, Jim Walmsley, and Max Yanzick (New Zealand).

The biggest overachiever — the first man not identified in the preview — was 15th-place Isaac Frank.

Women

A deep women’s field included eight of last year’s top 10 finishers, including defending champ Abby Hall. Challengers included 100-mile debutante Jenn Lichter, 2020 Olympic Marathon bronze medalist Molly Seidel, and recent Canyons 100k winner Riley Brady, among others.

By mile 30, Lichter and Brady had moved into the lead ahead of a deep chase group. Lichter climbed past Brady to Devil’s Thumb at mile 48, and the two held those first- and second-place positions for the rest of the race.

The gap was only three minutes at Green Gate at mile 80, but Lichter added minutes to the lead in the race’s final 20 miles.

Lichter won the women’s race in 15:28:05, and that was a new course record. Lichter’s time was just over a minute better than Courtney Dauwalter’s prior record of 15:29:33 from the race’s 2023 edition.

Brady, who identifies as non-binary and competes in the women’s division, was second in 15:42. It was the race’s third-fastest finish ever.

Despite incredibly improving her personal best for the race, Hogan became a three-time third-place finisher in 15:51.

The women’s race was historically fast, with seven of the race’s 10-fastest finishes all happening this year. While finishing seventh, Fu-Zhao Xiang (China) is now the race’s 10th-fastest woman ever.

Just like with the men, it’s fun to see how every woman in the pre-race preview did.

• 1. Jenn Lichter – 15:28:05
• 2. Riley Brady – 15:42:14
• 3. Marianne Hogan (Canada) – 15:51:44
• 4. Caitlin Fielder (New Zealand) – 15:57:09
• 5. Lotti Brinks (Germany) – 16:04:38
• 6. Tara Dower – 16:13:07
• 7. Fu-Zhao Xiang (China) – 16:25:59
• 8. Fiona Pascall (U.K.) – 16:32:05
• 9. Hậu Hà (Vietnam) – 16:40:38
• 10. Hannah Allgood – 16:45:56
• 11. Honoka Akiyama (Japan) – 16:57:41
• 12. Sarah Humble – 17:03:50
• 14. Lauren Puretz – 17:24:37
• 15. Holly Ranson (Australia) – 17:46:45
• 16. Ellaney Matarese – 17:54:04
• 17. Emily Hawgood (Zimbabwe) – 18:10:59
• 18. Amy Cameron – 18:55:16
• 20. Addie Bracy – 19:08:27
• 22. Sarah Ostaszewski – 23:01:03
• 28. Molly Seidel – 24:29:27

Drops included Abby Hall, Yngvild Kaspersen (Norway), and Martyna Młynarczyk (Poland)

The first woman to finish that wasn’t in the prerace preview was 13th-place Laura Hansen.

Full results.

Marathon du Mont Blanc – Chamonix, France

90k 

The event’s long course ran in a giant mountain loop around the Chamonix Valley with 6,200 meters (20,341 feet) of climbing. Race winners earned 3,000 Euro, and there was prize money paid five deep.

Only 40 seconds separated the men’s winner Louison Coiffet (France) and Ben Dhiman (U.S.). The two finished in 9:37 and 9:38, respectively, and third-place Cristian Minoggio (Italy) was close in 9:41.

Coiffet and Dhiman dueled for all of the race. At 70k, Dhiman was 70 seconds in front. Coiffet took the lead by 76k and was almost two minutes ahead at 81k. Dhiman closed some of the gap in the final 7k. Minoggio was ahead of Coiffet as late as 70k, too, before slowing in the final 20k.

The men’s top five was:

1. Louison Coiffet (France) – 9:37:22
2. Ben Dhiman (U.S.) – 9:38:02
3. Cristian Minoggio (Italy) – 9:41:54
4. Baptiste Chassagne (France) – 10:02:39
5. Baptiste Coatantiec (France) – 10:20:50

The women’s race wasn’t as close, and Candice Fertin-Baccon (France) won for the host country. She finished in 11:53 and was the only sub-12-hour woman. Fertin-Baccon gained the lead near 40k and held that position for the rest of the race.

Audrey Tanguy (France) and Ekaterina Mityaeva (Neutral) were second and third in 12:12 and 12:15, and, like Fertin, they were in those spots for all of the second half. Mityaeva ran 13:03 in 2025 to finish third then, too.

The women’s top five was:

1. Candice Fertin-Baccon (France) – 11:53:31
2. Audrey Tanguy (France) – 12:12:31
3. Ekaterina Mityaeva (Neutral) – 12:15:12
4. Katharina Hartmuth (Germany) – 12:21:05
5. Eléa Kopf (France) – 13:01:43

42k

There was a big 57,200 Euro prize purse for the marathon. Winners earned 10,000 Euro, and money went ten deep.

Men

Rémi Bonnet (Switzerland) bounced back from a late-race slide at the Zegama Marathon to win here in 3:33. Bonnet took the lead near halfway from red-hot Frédéric Tranchand (France) and won by over two minutes. Bonnet also won here in 2023, then running 3:35.

Tranchand was second in 3:35, one spot but six minutes better than frequent challenger Manuel Merillas (Spain).

The top ten men were:

1. Rémi Bonnet (Switzerland) – 3:33:14
2. Frédéric Tranchand (France) – 3:35:46
3. Manuel Merillas (Spain) – 3:41:43
4. Adrien Briffod (Switzerland) – 3:46:20
5. Kevin Kibet (Kenya) – 3:46:42
6. Antonio Martínez (Spain) – 3:51:16
7. Loïc Robert (France) – 3:53:10
8. Miquel Corbera (Spain) – 3:53:35
9. Sammy Chelangat (Kenya) – 3:54:00
10. Pierre Galbourdin (France) – 3:54:54

Women

Tove Alexandersson (Sweden) is the best in the world right now, and she was without challenge here. She led all of the women’s race and finished in 3:55, almost a full minute per mile faster than anyone else.

Ida Amelie Robsahm (Norway) and Naomi Lang (U.K.) were second and third in 4:18 and 4:21, respectively.

The top ten women were:

1. Tove Alexandersson (Sweden) – 3:55:07
2. Ida Amelie Robsahm (Norway) – 4:18:28
3. Naomi Lang (U.K.) – 4:21:23
4. Emilie Bulle (France) – 4:35:58
5. Bianca Tarboton (Zimbabwe) – 4:43:35
6. Agnes Josefsson (Sweden) – 4:45:29
7. Kirsten De Baey-Ruszin (Germany) – 4:47:48
8. Anaïs Chevalier-Bouchet (France) – 4:49:58
9. Holly Wootten (U.K.) – 4:53:04
10. Camille Poquet (France) – 4:54:25

23k 

The 23k race paid out 2,000 Euro to its winners. Benjamin Polin (France) won the men’s race by nearly a minute in 2:06, and Oria Liaci (Switzerland) was just over a minute in front of the women’s race in 2:26.

Full results.

World Masters Mountain Running Championships – Janské Lázně, Czech Republic

Nearly 1,000 masters runners, aged 35-plus, challenged the Krkonoše Mountain courses. There were Uphill, Long Distance, and Up and Down races across three days of racing.

Andrew Douglas (U.K.) and Nadine Hübel (Germany) won the Uphill race in 42:15 and 50:22, respectively. The Uphill race was nearly 8k in distance with an 851-meter climb up Černá Hora.

The Long Distance race was roughly a half marathon at 22k in distance with 1,332 meters of climbing, and the aid station count was more than doubled in response to exceptional heat. Miłosz Szcześniewski (Poland) won for the men in 1:39:45, and Olga Krčálová (Czech Republic) was the fastest woman in 1:58:07. 

The end-of-weekend Up and Down race was almost 9k with 594 meters of climbing, and Andrew Douglas doubled back for another individual gold. Douglas won the men’s race in 38:09. Not to be outdone, Nadine Hübel doubled back too and won for the second time on the weekend in 45:34.

Full results.

Additional Races and Runs

Ibarra Skyrace – Ibarra, Ecuador

The normally 21k race was the latest in the Skyrunner World Series and was supposed to reach a 4,650-meter (15,256 feet) high point, but the race course was modified due to inclement weather. Social media indicated it was 16k long. Jose Manuel Quispe (Peru) and Amanda Nilsson (Sweden) won in 1:57 and 2:26. Full results (when available).

Minotaur Skyrace – Crowsnest Pass, Alberta, Canada

The 33k race was the Canadian National Skyrunning Championships, and race winners earned $1,400. Adam Loomis won for the men in 4:18, and second- and third-place Alexandre Campbell and Jackson Cole finished in 4:28 and 21 seconds apart. Women’s winner Ailsa MacDonald was almost two minutes better than second-place Nicole Gilman. The two finished in 5:31 and 5:33, and third-place Megan Cooke came in at 5:44. The separate 4k VK race climbed 970 meters up, and $500 went to winners Jessie McAuley and Emma Cook-Clarke for their 41:27 and 47:16 runs. Full results.

Wy’east Wonder – Parkdale, Oregon

The race ran point-to-point alongside Mount Hood. Peter Buckley and Leah Drebin won the 50 miler in 7:33 and 9:28, and Leif Van Acker and Ally Bray were best in the 50k in 4:44 and 4:48. Full results.

Yeti 100 Mile – North Bend, Washington

In the Cascade Mountains, Matt Chan and Emily Erickson won the 100 miler in 14:24 and 17:55. Full results.

Leadville Marathon – Leadville, Colorado

The race to the top of 13,185-foot Mosquito Pass and back went to Seth Demoor and Caitlin Standifer in 3:39 and 4:37. Full results.

Black Hills 100 Mile – Sturgis, South Dakota

The race was nearly 108 miles on an out-and-back from Sturgis to Silver City and back. Jefferey Pratt and Eleanor Willkie won in 22:12 and 27:46. And in the 50 miler, it was Corbin Lehn and Heidi McCarty finishing first in 8:29 and 10:44. Full results.

Buckeye Trail 50k – Brecksville, Ohio

It was a second-straight win here for Aiman Scullion. He won the men’s race in 3:52, and Emily Moran won for the women in 4:38. Scullion bettered a 3:53 course record that had stood since 2017. Full results.

Cirque Series – Killington, Vermont

The mountain run was 8.2 miles in distance with 3,010 feet of climbing. The first-place $1,000 prize went to Everett Hackett and Lindsay Webster (Canada) in 1:05 and 1:16. It was Webster’s second-straight Cirque Series win. Full results.

Mount Washington Road Race – Pinkham Notch, New Hampshire

It was the 65th edition of the 7.6-mile road climb. Meikael Beaudoin-Rousseau scored a rare sub-hour finish and won for the men in 59:52. Remi Leroux (Canada) and eight-time winner Joseph Gray were second and third in 61:54 and 62:24. Beaudoin-Rousseau won a $1,000 first-place prize and a $500 time bonus. The 2023 race winner Amber Ferreira won again for the women in 73:54. Hali Hafeman and Hannah Rowe were on the podium next in 77:03 and 78:09. Full results.

Call for Comments

Was that a good weekend or what?