It’s Memorial Day in the U.S. and that quieted the race volume just a bit. Elsewhere though, we’ve got the Golden Trail World Series in Spain, the Skyrunner World Series in Mexico, and the UTMB World Series in South Africa, all among other racing.
Zegama Marathon – Zegama, Spain
After two new races in Asia, the Golden Trail World Series came home to Europe, and to the longtime Zegama-Aizkorri Marathon. iRunFar earlier recapped the greater race dynamics.
Women
Late in the race’s first half, Sylvia Nordskar (Norway) moved to the front and put time on the chase group the rest of the way. In the end, Nordskar was over six minutes better than everyone else. It was a dominating performance against the world-class field. After Nordskar, barely two minutes separated the next four finishers.
Malen Osa (Spain) led the chase group with a second-place 4:35 finish, and Marta Martínez (Spain) was third and also in 4:35, but 20 seconds behind.
Sylvia Nordskar on her way to winning the 2024 Zegama Marathon. Photo: Zegama Marathon/Igor Quijano
The full top 10 was:
- Sylvia Nordskar (Norway) – 4:29:12
- Malen Osa (Spain) – 4:35:19
- Marta Martínez (Spain) – 4:35:39
- Theres Leboeuf (Switzerland) – 4:36:16
- Lide Urrestarazu (Spain) – 4:37:20
- Elisa Desco (Italy) – 4:40:28
- Daniela Oemus (Germany) – 4:41:21
- Rosa Lara (Spain) – 4:42:54
- Ida Robsahm (Norway) – 4:44:31
- Caitlin Fielder (New Zealand) – 4:46:02
[From 2010 to 2012, Elisa Desco served a two-year doping ban from the IAAF after she tested positive for EPO at the 2009 World Mountain Running Championships.]
Men
Kilian Jornet (Spain, lives in Norway) won for an incredible 11th time, and it wasn’t at all close. Jornet, now 36 years old, was eight minutes better than everyone else. It was his 11th win in 12 starts at the race, and he was only two minutes back from his own course record.
As with the women’s race, the group behind the frontrunner was much closer. Less than two minutes separated the second- through fifth-place finishers.
Golden Trail World Series regulars Elhousine Elazzaoui (Morocco) and Bartłomiej Przedwojewski (Poland) were the next best. Both finished in 3:46 and 38 seconds apart.
Kilian Jornet, the king of the Zegama Marathon, won again in 2024. Photo: Zegama Marathon/Igor Quijano
The complete men’s top 10 was:
- Kilian Jornet (Spain, lives in Norway) – 3:38:07
- Elhousine Elazzaoui (Morocco) – 3:46:16
- Bartłomiej Przedwojewski (Poland) – 3:46:54
- Luca Del Pero (Italy) – 3:47:25
- Manuel Merillas (Spain) – 3:47:42
- Robert Pkemoi Matayango (Kenya) – 3:50:02
- Marcin Kubica (Poland) – 3:53:24
- Alain Santamaría (Spain) – 3:54:11
- Loïc Robert (France) – 3:55:52
- Léonard Mitrica (Romania) – 3:56:28
The next Golden Trail World Series race is the June 30 Marathon du Mont-Blanc in France.
Mexico Sky Challenge – Orizaba, Mexico
The fifth Skyrunner World Series race was one of just two North American races this year, alongside Canada’s Minotaur Skyrace on June 22. The Mexico mountain run was 35k with 3,200 meters of elevation gain. That’s just a little less than a traditional marathon in distance, but with 10,500 feet of climbing.
Official finish times haven’t yet hit the web, but social media revealed the podium finishers.
Karina Carsolio (Mexico) took the women’s crown ahead of Kelly Wolf (U.S.) and Emma Cook-Clarke (Canada).
And for the men, Abraham Hernandez of the host country was the race winner. He’s a 1:04 half marathoner as recently as November 2023. Miguel Perez (Mexico) was second and Johnny Luna Lima (Brazil, lives in U.S.) was third.
The next Skyrunner World Series race is next weekend’s Hochkönig Skyrace in Austria.
Ruby Lindquist was the fourth woman at the 2024 Mexico Sky Challenge 35k. Photo: Skyrunner World Series
Mountain Ultra Trail by UTMB – George, South Africa
The year’s only UTMB World Series event in South Africa brought 2,000 runners to the Garden Route National Park and wild Outeniqua Mountain Range. The field was mostly South African, with 95% of the race entrants coming from the host country.
MUT Miler
The event’s longest distance totaled 23,963 feet of elevation gain after 101 miles and had just 54 starters. Maria Marincowitz (South Africa) and Douglas Pickard (South Africa) scored wins. Marincowitz won the women’s race by just under half an hour in 32:15, while Pickard was over two hours better than everyone else in 22:25.
MUT 100k
Natalia Mastrota (Italy) and Axel Sleebus (Belgium) finished the 61-mile route and its nearly 16,000 feet of climbing first in 13:29 and 11:48.
Natalia Mastrota on her way to winning the 2024 MUT 100k. Photo: UTMB
MUT 60
The race went for 36 miles with just over 10,000 feet of climbing. Race winners Emily Djock (U.S.) and Andreas Lundegård (Sweden) finished in 7:17 and 6:08, respectively.
MUT Marathon
Rebecca Kohne (South Africa) bested the women’s field in 4:52, and South African legend Ryan Sandes won for the men in 4:12.
The 2024 MUT Marathon getting underway with Ryan Sandes already out in front. Photo: UTMB
Additional Races and Runs
Leavenworth Trail Festival – Leavenworth, Washington
Kelly MacDonald and Carter Shae earned victory over 55k in 6:39 and 5:14. Full results.
Nanny Goat 100 Mile – Riverside, California
A small group was led by Melanie Boone and Alexis Magill in 22:26 and 20:07, respectively. The race had several fixed time contests too. Full results.
Crown of the Crest 100 Mile – Fremont, Nebraska
Stacey Buckley and Dayton Rabe won the 10 x 10 mile race in 29:53 and 25:42. For Rabe, it was a new course record on the course at Calvin Crest Camp. Full results (when available).
Stacey Buckley after winning the 2024 Crown of the Crest 100 Mile. Photo courtesy of race.
Sugar Badger 50/50 – Belleville, Wisconsin
The races run out and back on the Badger Trail and Sugar River Trail. Amelia Driscoll and Jonathon Noll won the 50 miler in 7:24 and 6:23, and Alexandra Sielaff and Aaron Fearing were fastest over 50k in 4:56 and 4:12. Full results.
Fools 50k – Peninsula, Ohio
The race moved to a 5k loop course on private trails at Camp Manatoc, near the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. It added new distances too. Linda Orr and John Fabianich McClay won the 100k in 16:57 and 11:33, and Virginia Bibb-Golden and Mike Duma were best to 50 miles in 11:05 and 9:14. The race’s classic 50k distance crowned Angie Darbyson and Heath Goshorn as its winners in 5:09 and 3:47. Full results.
Capital Backyard Ultra – Lorton, Virginia
They might be going for a while still on the 4.16-mile loop. At the time of this writing on Sunday night, four runners had completed 39 laps totaling 162-plus miles. Levi Yoder, Jennifer Russo, Jeremy Shantz, and Scott Snell were all still running. Tracking.
Call for Comments
For the Americans on holiday today, what’s it going to be, a barbeque or a long run?
