The Golden Trail World Series and Skyrunner World Series both had races, and there were quite a few 50-kilometer races around the U.S. on the country’s Memorial Day holiday weekend.
You can also check out our race coverage from earlier in the week:
Ledro Sky Trentino – Valle di Ledro, Italy
The 22k race was the year’s second Golden Trail World Series (GTWS), or Global Trail World Series, as it was mistakenly called on the HBO broadcast a few times. Only a week after the Zegama-Aizkorri Marathon, a few runners doubled back from the series opener. Surely there was some points calculus between the two contests to maximize series standings. This one was the GTWS grand finale in 2025 on this same course.
Women
Start to finish, it was a runaway win for Caroline Kimutai (Kenya). Also the 2025 Sierre-Zinal winner, Kimutai pulled away from the chasers within the first 10 minutes and stayed in front the rest of the way. Kimutai won in 2:15, and that was over seven minutes faster than Lauren Gregory’s winning time on this course in last year’s race.
The 2025 series winner, Mădălina Florea (Romania), gave a big push on the race’s second half downhill. She couldn’t catch Kimutai, but got away from everyone else. Florea was second in 2:17, a seven-minute improvement on her second-place finish here last year.
The 2024 series winner, Joyce Njeru (Kenya), was third in 2:21, and Nina Engelhard (Germany) was fourth in 2:23. This was, I believe, Engelhard’s first GTWS race. In 2025, she was a double world champion across the World Mountain Running Championships Uphill and Up and Down races in Spain.
The top 10 women were:
- Caroline Kimutai (Kenya) – 2:15:48
- Mădălina Florea (Romania) – 2:17:52
- Joyce Njeru (Kenya) – 2:21:54
- Nina Engelhard (Germany) – 2:23:29
- Andrea Kolbeinsdóttir (Iceland) – 2:24:58
- Ruth Gitonga (Kenya) – 2:30:10
- Fabiola Conti (Italy) – 2:31:44
- Marie Nivet (France) – 2:31:46
- Silvia Schwaiger (Slovakia) – 2:32:04
- Céline Aebi (Switzerland) – 2:32:46
Elhousine Elazzaoui and Caroline Kimutai, the 2026 Ledro Sky Trentino winners. Photo: GTWS/@Koastalforest
Men
Respect. You’ve got to give it to Elhousine Elazzaoui (Morocco). Only a week ago, he beat a stacked field at the Zegama Marathon, and then came back and did it again here. In contrast, none of Elazzaoui’s top challengers here raced last week.
Elazzaoui stayed just off the lead Kenyan trio early. He caught them before the course’s high point and eventually ruled the race’s final downhill kilometers. It’s both frustratingly predictable and increasingly impressive. Elazzaoui races like this over and over, and no one can beat him. This one was a little more profound than most GTWS men’s races. Elazzaoui won by over a minute. He was almost three minutes better than his own winning time in this race last year, too.
Behind the winner, Philemon Kiriago (Kenya) got past Michael Selelo Saoli (Kenya) for second by a four-second margin, both finishing in 1:57, and Samwel Kiprotich (Kenya) was fourth in 1:58.
Seven of the top 10 men were Kenyan.
The top 10 men were:
- Elhousine Elazzaoui (Morocco) – 1:55:48
- Philemon Kiriago (Kenya) – 1:57:07
- Michael Selelo Saoli (Kenya) – 1:57:11
- Samwel Kiprotich (Kenya) – 1:58:16
- Patrick Kipngeno (Kenya) – 2:00:43
- Paul Machoka (Kenya) – 2:01:19
- Jan Torrella (Spain) – 2:01:34
- Ezekiel Rutto (Kenya) – 2:02:40
- Isacco Costa (Italy) – 2:02:57
- Nashon Kiplimo (Kenya) – 2:04:24
The next Golden Trail World Series race is the Quebec Mega Trail in Canada on July 5, quite a ways off.
Skyrace Gorges Du Tarn – St. Enimie, France
The race was part of the Skyrunner World Series, but it didn’t attract many of the series’ top runners.
Racing on a looped 25k course with more than 1,800 meters of climbing, Patricia Pineda (Spain) earned her second Skyrunner World Series win of the year in 3:00. Eva Delafosse (France) and Alice Bausseron (France) were next in 3:04 and 3:09.
Patricia Pineda, the 2026 Skyrace Gorges Du Tarn women’s winner. Photo: Skyrunner World Series
Only 20 seconds separated the top two men, Baptiste Massot (France) and Tom Spencer (U.K.). Both finished in 2:34. Third-place Finlay Grant (U.K.) was about two minutes back of the winner in 2:36.
Baptiste Massot, the Skyrace Gorges Du Tarn men’s winner. Photo: Skyrunner World Series
It’s nearly a full month until the next Skyrunner World Series race on June 20 in China at the Yading Skyrace.
Mozart 100k by UTMB – Fuschl am See, Austria
The event moved from Salzburg to a start and finish just east of town to take in more alpine trails.
In the 120k race, Jana Dobrovolná (Czech Republic) and Alessandro Affolati (Italy) won in 13:25 and 11:42.
The 72k race had Severine Petersen (Germany) and Miłosz Szcześniewski (Poland) on top in 7:50 and 6:14.
Isabell Speer (Austria) and Tobias Geiser (Italy) won the 44k marathon-ish race in 3:38 and 3:18, respectively.
Additional Races and Runs
Cape Town Marathon – Cape Town, South Africa
The road marathon had at least one familiar name. Past 50k world record-holder Stephen Mokoka (South Africa) was 13th in 2:10:48. Full results.
London 2 Brighton Ultra Challenge – Brighton, United Kingdom
In the 100k race, Emily Fairs and Henry Hart won in 10:50 and 8:22. Full results.
Transylvania 100k – Bran, Romania
Host country runners Oana Marina and Alin Bâtea won in 17:19 and 16:18. Social media showed 100k runners navigating some very icy mountainsides in challenging weather. Full results.
Stumptown Trail Runs 50k – Portland, Oregon
Inside Portland’s Forest Park, Kelly Flaminio won the women’s race, Baby Timm won the non-binary category, and Ajay Hanspal won it for the men in 5:22, 4:12, and 3:51. Full results.
Kelly Flaminio, the 2026 Stumptown Trail Runs 50k women’s winner. Photo courtesy of the race.
Baby Timm, the 2026 Stumptown Trail Runs 50k non-binary winner. Photo courtesy of the race.
Ajay Hanspal, the 2026 Stumptown Trail Runs 50k men’s winner. Photo courtesy of the race.
Bear Mountain – Mission, British Columbia, Canada
At Bear Mountain Park, Jenny Quilty and Brandon Miller won the 30k in 3:01 and 2:47. Full results.
Sugar Badger 50/50 – Belleville, Wisconsin
The races were on the Badger Trail and the Sugar River Trail, and 50-mile winners Andrea Stabelfeldt and Martin Erl ran 7:30 and 6:07. Jen O’Leary and Reese Slobodianuk were 50k champs in 4:58 and 3:16. Full results.
Andrea Stabelfeldt, the 2026 Sugar Badger 50-50 women’s winner. Photo courtesy of the race.
Martin Erl, the 2026 Sugar Badger 50-50 men’s winner. Photo courtesy of the race.
Leavenworth Trail Fest 55k – Leavenworth, Washington
In the 50k, Anna Louden and Carter Shae won in 4:53 and 4:16, and Caroline Alcorta and Max King led the 25k in 2:10 and 1:46. Full results.
May Madness 50k – Hoffman, North Carolina
The race was 10 consecutive 5k loops, starting at the top of each hour. Anne Popek and Jeffrey Bochey won in 4:33 and 3:47. Full results.
Anne Popek, the 2026 May Madness 50k women’s winner. Photo courtesy of the race.
Jeffrey Bochey, the 2026 May Madness 50k men’s winner. Photo courtesy of the race.
Drummer Hill Trail Races 50k – Keene, New Hampshire
A small 50k field was led by Alanna April and Marty Nelligan in 6:41 and 4:21. Full results.
Trail Festival at Pineland Farms – New Gloucester, Maine
In the 100k, it was Nicole Negowetti and Jason Bigonia winning in 11:23 and 9:05, and Deidre Lowe and Sapan Bhatt were fastest in the 50k in 5:01 and 3:30. Full results.
Call for Comments
It’s the Memorial Day holiday weekend in the U.S., and the giant BolderBoulder 10k in Colorado is today. Andy Wacker is in the elite race. Might any of Boulder’s other top trail runners race, too?
