Chianti, California, Carolina, and Chuckanut gave our sport a bit of its own March Madness excitement this weekend. Read up on how stars like Drew Holmen, Marianne Hogan, and Francesco Puppi did in races around the world.
You can also check out our race coverage from earlier in the weekend:
Chianti Ultra Trail by UTMB – Chianti, Italy
Ultra Trail Chianti Castles
The 120-kilometer (75 miles) distance was a Western States 100 Golden Ticket race and already competitive, but it really leveled up late in the week. Spain’s Tenerife Bluetrail by UTMB event was canceled due to inclement weather, and a few top runners shifted to Chianti as a result.
In the men’s race, between the 74k and 86k checkpoints, Thomas Cardin (France) shook free from Andreas Reiterer (Italy) and went on to win in 9:58. Cardin was 70 seconds better than Jim Walmsley’s 2025 winning time. It was Cardin’s longest race to date, and it came after a 2025 season that included sixth- and third-place finishes at the Zegama and Mont Blanc Marathons.
Thomas Cardin, 2026 Chianti Ultra Trail by UTMB 120k champion. Photo: Chianti Ultra Trail/Marzia Benigna
Reiterer did just enough to beat Vincent Bouillard (France) down the home stretch. Reiterer, the race’s 2024 winner who shifted to this event after Tenerife Bluetrail’s cancellation, finished second in 10:06, and Bouillard was third in 10:06 too, but 36 seconds behind Reiterer. It was Bouillard’s second-straight third-place finish here after a 10:27 run in 2025.
Race winner Cardin and third-place finisher Bouillard accepted the Golden Ticket entries to the Western States 100.
The top five men were:
- Thomas Cardin (France) – 9:58:38
- Andreas Reiterer (Italy) – 10:06:16
- Vincent Bouillard (France) – 10:06:52
- Tobias Geiser (Italy) – 10:21:35
- Baptiste Coatantiec (France) – 10:49:17
Jeff Mogavero was the first American in sixth at 10:55.
The 2026 Chianti Ultra Trail by UTMB 120k men’s podium (left to right): 2. Andreas Reiterer, 1. Thomas Cardin, 3. Vincent Bouillard. Photo: Chianti Ultra Trail/Marzia Benigna
The women’s race was one of the year’s early highlights, featuring late-race excitement.
Courtney Dauwalter (U.S.) wasn’t even supposed to be here. She was earlier signed up for the Tenerife Bluetrail race, like men’s runner-up Reiterer. With only 15k to run, Dauwalter was almost four minutes down to race-leader Yngvild Kaspersen (Norway), and a minute behind then second-place Rachel Entrekin (U.S.) too.
Courtney Dauwalter on her way to winning the 2026 Chianti Ultra Trail by UTMB 120k. Photo: Chianti Ultra Trail/Lorenzo Orlandi
She was still full of run, though, and over the final 15k Dauwalter flipped them both and won the race in 11:31. And Dauwalter was over an hour better than Fiona Pascall’s 2025 winning time. Kaspersen was second in 11:33, and Entrekin was third in 11:38. The third-place finish marked the end of Entrekin’s long, multi-year ultra win streak. Dauwalter and Entrekin will race again in six weeks at Arizona’s Cocodona 250 Mile. Entrekin is the two-time defending champ there. The first five women all ran faster than 2025’s winning time.
Runner-up Kaspersen and fifth-place Lauren Puretz accepted the Golden Ticket entries to the Western States 100.
The top five women were:
- Courtney Dauwalter (U.S.) – 11:31:55
- Yngvild Kaspersen (Norway) – 11:33:34
- Rachel Entrekin (U.S.) – 11:38:13
- Gemma Hillier Moses (U.K.) – 12:04:30
- Lauren Puretz (U.S.) – 12:25:13
Cheers to the 2026 Chianti Ultra Trail by UTMB 120k women’s podium (left to right): 2. Yngvild Kaspersen, 1. Courtney Dauwalter, 3. Rachel Entrekin! Photo: Chianti Ultra Trail/Antonio Conotti
Chianti Ultra Trail
Men’s 75k winner Andrzej Witek (Poland) ran 5:39, and Elísa Kristinsdóttir (Iceland) scored an upset win over Judith Wyder (France) in the women’s race. Kristinsdóttir ran 6:22 to Wyder’s 6:31.
Andrzej Witek, 2026 Chianti Ultra Trail 75k champion. Photo: Chianti Ultra Trail/Marzia Benigna
Elísa Kristinsdóttir, 2026 Chianti Ultra Trail 75k champion. Photo: Chianti Ultra Trail/Marzia Benigna
Chianti Marathon Trails
The Sunday race ran 46k in distance, and Francesco Puppi (Italy) came back from a drop at last month’s Black Canyon 100k to win in 3:09. Daniel Pattis (Italy) and Alex García (Spain) chased to second- and third-place finishes in 3:11 and 3:13.
The 2026 Chianti Marathon Trails 46k men’s podium (left to right): 3. Alex García, 1. Francesco Puppi, 3. Daniel Pattis. Photo: Chianti Ultra Trail/Marzia Benigna
Women’s winner Ida Amelie Robsahm (Norway) finished in 3:39, and María La Chica (Spain) was second in 3:42. The third-place woman remained anonymous and finished in 3:47.
Ida Amelie Robsahm, 2026 Chianti Marathon Trails 46k champion. Photo: Chianti Ultra Trail/Marzia Benigna
The Big Alta – Marinwood, California
The three-day event had a single loop 50k on Friday, a point-to-point 100k on Saturday, and a Sunday 28k spiked by two big climbs.
50k
At mile 14, David Norris was third and over a minute back of then leader Dan Green. Nine miles later, Norris had jumped to the lead and was three minutes ahead of a now second-place Drew Holmen. Norris and Holmen would hold their first- and second-place spots the rest of the way, and Green would fall back to fifth as Ryan Montgomery jumped to third. The men’s podium was David Norris, Drew Holmen, and Ryan Montgomery, with times of 3:43, 3:50, and 3:57. This year’s race was run in hot temperatures, and no one approached Eli Hemming’s 3:19 run from last year. Norris’s 2026 winning time would only have been good enough for fifth in last year’s faster race.
Erin Moyer and Klaire Rhodes pushed the first half of the women’s race, and Rhodes ruled the second half. Rhodes won in 4:12. The time ranks third in the race’s two-year history. Helen Mino Faukner got ahead of Moyer for second in 4:15, and Moyer was third in 4:17. It was Moyer’s second year as the third-place runner. She ran 4:13 last year.
100k
Kellen Blumberg moved to two-for-two at the 100k distance. Last year’s Kodiak by UTMB 100k winner, Blumberg won the men’s race here in 8:18. Rob Molke and Matthew Zupan were second and third in 8:38 and 8:49.
Less than six minutes separated the front three women. Robyn Lesh backed up a Tarawera by UTMB 50k win with victory here in 9:45. Race local Anna Louden chased to second in 9:49, and early leader Sylvie Abel was third in 9:51.
28k
The event ended with Ares Reading and Tayler Tuttle winning the short course race in 1:51 and 2:06, respectively.
Chuckanut 50k – Fairhaven, Washington
It was the race’s 32nd year, and the purse was $4,000.
Race local Will Murray took the men’s crown in 3:33. That was seven minutes slower than Francesco Puppi’s 2024 course record time. Noah Dusseau outdid Dylan Flewelling by almost a minute for second. Dusseau was in at 3:41, and Flewelling came next at 3:42. The first 17 men all finished in under four hours.
Will Murray on his way to winning the 2026 Chuckanut 50k champion. Photo: Tad Davis
Andrea Lee upset defending champ Jade Belzberg in the women’s race. Lee ran 4:19 to Belzberg’s 4:22. Lee was ninth here in 2024 and third in 2023. Belzberg nearly matched her finish time from last year. She was three seconds faster this year. Sarah Paxson was third in 4:24.
Andrea Lee en route to winning the 2026 Chuckanut 50k. Photo: Tad Davis
Additional Races and Runs
Ushuaia by UTMB – Ushuaia, Argentina
Another location, another weather-affected event. The race organization stopped the event’s two longest races, the 130k and 85k, early due to wind and rain. Runners were granted finishes at whatever aid station they were stopped at. Nearly all of the top spots in all of the races went to Argentinian runners. Franco Isorno won the men’s 130k in 13:31, and the women’s winner was declared as Barbara Gassmann, as she was leading when she was stopped at the 89k checkpoint. Remigio Huaman Quispe (Peru) went 85k in 9:31, nearly an hour better than everyone else, and Mayra Esparza won for the women in 12:56. Joaquin Narvaez and Anabel Oviedo Zelarayán were the fastest in the 50k race in 5:10 and 6:04. Full results.
Schiacche Trail – Cinque Terre, Italy
The race’s 100k winners were Aleš Frlic (Slovenia) and Guilia Saggin (Italy) in 12:06 and 14:34, and Luca Arrigoni (Italy) and Giuditta Turini (Italy) won the 46k in 4:22 and 5:32. Full results.
Ecotrail Paris – Paris, France
The urban trail race had three ultra distances, and most races finished on the first floor of the Eiffel Tower. Corentin Play (France) and Anne Luksengård Mjelva (Norway) won the 120k in 8:55 and 11:28, and Pierre Fossard (France) and Anna Carlsson (Sweden) were tops in the 80k in 5:39 and 6:46. Remi Thivolle (France) and Marianne Hogan (Canada) won the 47k race in 2:59 and 3:21. Full results.
Anglo Celtic Plate 100k – Limerick, Ireland
The event included a number of national championships within its race and overall winners David Barratt (U.K.) and Katie Young (U.K.) ran 6:31 and 7:50. Full results.
Redwood Trail Spring 50k – Oakland, California
Top spots went to Beverley Anderson-Abbs and Michael Palo in 4:56 and 4:31. Full results.
Rattlesnake Dick 50k – Cool, California
The third-year race was won by Anthony Fagundes in 4:08. The women’s winner finished in 5:10 but is unidentified. Full results.
Anthony Fagundes, 2026 Rattlesnake Dick 50k champion. Photo courtesy of the race.
Grasslands Trail Run – Decatur, Texas
The race was in the Lyndon B. Johnson National Grassland. The 100-mile winners were Nick Petterson and Sarah Loch-Test in 17:39 and 23:36, and Baker Herrin and Casey Timme went 7:21 and 10:54 at the front of the 50 miler. Full results.
Get Lucky 50/50 – Canal Fulton, Ohio
The races were on the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail. The 50-mile winners were Nigel Wright and Megan Lachner in 6:31 and 8:25, and Brian Polen and Angie Darbyson won the 50k in 3:48 and 4:02. Full results.
Blackbeard’s Revenge 100 Mile – Corolla, North Carolina
The race ran point-to-point on paved roads with coastal views. Joshua Lecrone and Marina Manson won in 14:44 and 20:57. Full results.
Cliffs of the Neuse Trail 50k – Seven Springs, North Carolina
At Cliffs of the Neuse State Park, Matt Patterson and Silke Sendlhofer won in 5:05 and 5:09. Full results.
Mount Mitchell Heartbreaker – Old Fort, North Carolina
The event held two race distances, a 50 miler and a 55k. Devon Brodmyer and Leah Nicholson took top honors in the 50 miler, in 8:17 and 10:06. The 55k champs were couple Brent Bookwalter in 4:59 and Jamie Bookwalter in 6 hours flat. Full results.
Leah Nicholson (left) and Devon Brodmyer, 2026 Mount Mitchell Heartbreaker 50 Mile champions. Photo: Rob Redding
Three Days of Syllamo – Fifty-Six, Arkansas
Running for its 22nd year, the event saw record-breaking temperatures, with highs reaching the 90s Fahrenheit on each day of the three-day stage race. Carley Ellis and Brady Poskin came away as champs, Poskin for the second time. Full results (when available).
Carley Ellis, the 2026 Three Days of Syllamo champion. Photo courtesy of the race.
Call for Comments
What else caught your attention over the weekend?
