From Arkansas to Basque Country, Spain, we’re highlighting the best of the weekend. That means the Golden Trail World Series, the Mountain Running World Cup, and a little bit more too.
You can also check out our race coverage from earlier in the weekend:
Zegama-Aizkorri Marathon – Zegama, Spain
The prestigious race was also the year’s fourth Golden Trail World Series contest. It was the race’s 24th year and it ran as a full marathon, 42 kilometers or 26 miles, through Spain’s Basque Country.
Incredibly popular, the race had almost 12,000 applicants for 225 race spots.
Women
Race veteran Sara Alonso (Spain) took her first Zegama win and led a Spanish women’s group that placed seven runners inside the top 10. Alonso was the daylong leader with a 4:27 finish, but it was close.
Judith Wyder (Switzerland) took second in 4:29, her first appearance at the race, and 2024 runner-up Malen Osa (Spain) overcame recent illness to run a 4:31 for third place.
Sara Alonso, the 2025 Zegama Marathon women’s winner. Photo: Igor Quijano
The women’s top 10 was:
- Sara Alonso (Spain) – 4:27:25
- Judith Wyder (Switzerland) – 4:29:47
- Malen Osa (Spain) – 4:31:18
- Rosa Lara Feliu (Spain) – 4:32:00
- Theres Leboeuf (Switzerland) – 4:33:29
- Ikram Rharsalla Laktab (Spain) – 4:37:39
- Ida Amelie Robsahm (Norway) – 4:38:41
- Oihana Kortazar (Spain) – 4:42:59
- Patricia Pineda (Spain) – 4:44:22
- Marta Martínez (Spain) – 4:44:29
Men
Second here in 2024, and second at last weekend’s Golden Trail World Series race too, Elhousine Elazzaoui (Morocco) blasted the final downhill to win by over seven minutes. Elazzaoui finished in 3:43 to turn this one into a runaway.
Andreu Blanes (Spain), a former Sierre-Zinal winner, national-class steeplechaser, and world-class orienteer, was the best of the rest in 3:50, and Daniel Pattis (Italy) scored a third-place finish in 3:51.
A week after Kenyan runners took four of the top six men’s Golden Trail World Series finish spots, none raced here.
The men’s top 10 was:
- Elhousine Elazzaoui (Morocco) – 3:43:28
- Andreu Blanes (Spain) – 3:50:53
- Daniel Pattis (Italy) – 3:51:40
- Luca Del Pero (Italy) – 3:54:19
- Lorenzo Beltrami (Italy) – 3:54:58
- Thomas Cardin (France) – 3:55:34
- Antonio Martínez Pérez (Spain) – 3:56:42
- Nicolás Molina (Spain) – 3:58:51
- Stian Angermund (Norway) – 3:59:46
- Marcin Kubica (Poland) – 3:59:50
(Stian Angermund served a 16-month doping ban after testing positive for the prohibited masking agent chlortalidone at the 2023 OCC race in France.)
Elhousine Elazzaoui, the Zegama Marathon men’s winner. Photo: Igor Quijano
Mountain Running World Cup – Casto, Italy
The Vertical Nasego and Trofeo Nasego doubled up on the weekend and were the year’s second and third races in the Mountain Running World Cup, put on by the World Mountain Running Association.
Vertical Nasego
The all-uphill race ran on Saturday, climbing first on roads before getting increasingly technical higher up. The climb was just 4.2 kilometers in distance and 1,000 meters up.
Women
Andrea Mayr (Austria) had won here five times before and holds the course record, but she was outmatched today.
Second at last weekend’s Golden Trail World Series race, Philaries Kisang (Kenya) scored victory here in 38:55. Last year’s series winner Scout Adkin (U.K.) climbed up in 39:23 for second, and Francesca Ghelfi (Italy) ran 40:40 for third.
Mayr, now aged 45, was fourth in 41:57. Her course record from 2023 stands at 38:06.
Philaries Kisang, the 2025 Vertical Nasego women’s winner. Photo: World Mountain Running Association/Marco Gulberti
Men
A week ago, Philemon Kiriago (Kenya) won the Golden Trail World Series race and Richard Omaya Atuya (Kenya) was sixth. The pair came back for a redo, and Omaya Atuya had the uphill speed.
Omaya Atuya climbed up first in 33:23. That was over a minute better than second-place Kiriago, and it broke Patrick Kipngeno’s former course record. Kiriago got to the top in 34:50, and third-place Andrea Elia (Italy) hit the high point in 34:52.
Richard Omaya Atuya, the 2025 Vertical Nasego men’s winner. Photo: World Mountain Running Association/Marco Gulberti
Trofeo Nasego
The next day’s up-and-down race went almost 21k in distance with a big climb three-fourths of the way through, which was followed by a steep downhill to the finish. Almost all of the top runners came back for the second race of the weekend.
Women
Philaries Kisang and Scout Adkin were at the front for all of it, and Adkin could never quite overtake Kisang. Only six seconds separated the two at the finish, with Kisang winning in 1:46:16 to Adkin’s 1:46:22.
Defending champion Joyce Muthoni Njeru (Kenya) took third in 1:51, and Valenine Jepkoech Rutto (Kenya) and Andrea Mayr ran 1:52 and 1:53 for fourth and fifth, respectively.
Philaries Kisang, the 2025 Trofeo Nasego women’s winner. Photo: World Mountain Running Association/Marco Gulberti
Men
Kenyan runners took the top four spots, but the order shifted from the Vertical race. Defending champion Philemon Kiriago was back on top with 1:31 on the clock. He was over two minutes ahead of the next runner, and only 26 seconds separated the second- through fourth-place finishers.
Paul Machoka, Michael Selelo Saoli, and vertical race winner Richard Omaya Atuya all ran 1:34. Machoka came in at 1:34:17, and Selelo Saoli and Omaya Atuya had matching 1:34:43 finishes, but with Selelo Saoli taking third.
Fifth-place Luciano Rota (Italy) hit the finish in 1:35.
Philemon Kiriago, the 2025 Trofeo Nasego men’s winner. Photo: Photo: World Mountain Running Association/Marco Gulberti
Mountain Ultra Trail by UTMB – George, South Africa
It was a lot of South African runners at the top of each of the race’s podiums. The races ran through the Outeniqua Mountains on the country’s east coast.
MUT Miler
The long course went for 101 miles and 26,574 feet of climbing. Race winners Nicolette Griffioen (South Africa) and Andrea Biffi (Italy) led a small group of 43 finishers with 26:33 and 24:10 on the clock.
Nicolette Griffioen, the 2025 MUT Miler women’s winner. Photo: Claudia Robson
Andrea Biffi, the 2025 MUT Miler men’s winner. Photo: Claudia Robson
MUT 100
This one went for 61 miles and almost 16,000 feet of elevation gain. Emily Djock (U.S.) and Daniel Jung (Italy) did it in 12:29 and 11:01.
MUT 60
Sister and brother Samantha Reilly (South Africa) and Kane Reilly (South Africa) won the 36-mile race in 6:30 and 6:06.
Additional Races and Runs
Transylvania 100k – Bran, Romania
It was the event’s 10th year, and the races started under Dracula’s Castle. Emily Keddie (U.S.) and François D’Haene (France) won the 100k run in 18:30 and 12:47. Full results.
Emily Keddie, the 2025 Transylvania 100k women’s winner. Photo: Transylvania 100k
François D’Haene, the 2025 Transylvania 100k men’s winner. Photo: Transylvania 100k
Ottawa Marathon – Ontario, Canada
The 50k world record-holder CJ Albertson was third in the men’s race in 2:08:55. Full results.
Sugar Badger 50/50 – Belleville, Wisconsin
Diane Rathje and Brian Hall won the 50 miler in 7:24 and 7:10, and Therese Howe and Martin Erl were tops in the 50k at 4:21 and 3:12. Erl won last year’s 50 miler here, and next up has the Badger Trail Race 100 Mile in August. Full results.
Feel the Burn 50k – North Little Rock, Arkansas
A small group of 50k finishers was led by Molly Black and Chase Howerton in 6:14 and 5:11. Full results.
Manchester to Monadnock 55 Mile – Manchester, New Hampshire
The race ran point to point toward its finish in Monadnock State Park. Erin Shaffer and Aaron Stevens were victorious in 11:14 and 8:31. Full results (when available).
May Madness 50k – Hoffman, North Carolina
It was the race’s first time back since 2022. Race winners Tiff Joh and Anthony Kamps ran 4:58 and 3:41. Full results.
Crown of the Crest 100 Mile – Fremont, Nebraska
The race is run on a 10-mile singletrack loop with 900 feet of elevation gain. Adam Berens won the 100-mile race in 26:31:57, and there were no women finishers. Full results (when available).
Adam Berens, the Crown of the Crest 100 Mile men’s winner. Photo: Crown of the Crest
Call for Comments
It’s Memorial Day holiday in the U.S. In Boulder, Colorado, and that means it’s time for the BolderBoulder 10k. What’s your personal Memorial Day tradition or remembrance?
