This Week In Running: May 6, 2024

This Week in Running’s trail and ultra recap for May 6, 2024.

By on May 6, 2024 | Comments

This Week in Running Justin Mock TWIRThere was one UTMB World Series race on the weekend, two race distances around wild ponies in Virginia, the year’s third Skyrunner World Series race, and a whole bunch more.

Happy Monday, runners!

Skyrace Des Matheysins – St. Honoré, France

The year’s third Skyrunner World Series race went 25 kilometers and with 1,930 meters of elevation gain. That’s 15.5 miles and 6,300 feet, and there was a lot of snow on the course’s high points and some intense ridgelines.

Men

Nadir Maguet (Italy) escaped the group for a minute-plus win in 2:25:43. After that, only 35 seconds separated the next four men.

Daniel Antonioli (Italy) and Manuel Merillas (Spain) were second and third in 2:27:06 and 2:27:33, respectively.

Early series frontrunner Roberto Delorenzi (Switzerland) was just fifth here in 2:27:41, while defending race champ Frédéric Tranchand (France) pushed the early pace, but he ultimately finished sixth, partly due to a wrong turn.

Manuel Merillas - Nadir Maguet - 2024 SkyRace des Matheysins - third and first men

Nadir Maguet (right) chasing Manuel Merillas before winning the 2024 Skyrace des Matheysins. Photo: Skyrunner World Series/Valentin Orange

Women

Women’s winner Anastasia Rubtsova (Russia) gapped the field by over seven minutes. She was a dominant winner in 2:53:52.

Alice Bausseron (France) and Bailey Kowalczyk (U.S.) were second and third in 3:01:12 and 3:04:33.

Surprise winner of the year’s first series race Lide Urrestarazu (Spain) was fourth in 3:05:29.

Full results.

Anastasia Rubtsova - 2024 SkyRace des Matheysins - first woman

Anastasia Rubtsova winning the 2024 Skyrace des Matheysins. Photo: Skyrunner World Series/Valentin Orange

The next Skyrunner World Series race is the May 18 Skyrace Gorges du Tarn, also in France.

Amazean Jungle Thailand by UTMB – Yala, Thailand

The races happened near the Thai-Malaysian border.

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A small field of 81 starters attempted the 92-mile run with a hefty 27,755 feet of elevation gain. Only 32 got to the finish.

Gediminas Grinius (Lithuania) led the men’s race by a wide margin. He finished in 24:23. Sangé Sherpa (Nepal) was second in 28:26 and Michal Lesniak (Poland) was third in 28:40.

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There was a really high DNF rate in the 66-mile run too, no doubt in part thanks to 19,225 feet of jungly elevation gain. Just 79 of the 184 starters reached the finish line here.

Disi Liang (China) fronted the men’s race with a 15:39 first-place run. Yutaro Yokouchi (Japan) and Nhon Do (Vietnam) came next in 16:51 and 18:44.

Vietnamese women Hau Ha Thi and Hang Le finished first and second in the women’s race, and Ha Thi was second overall in 16:12. Le’s second-place finish was quite a ways back in 22:41, and Siok Har Lim (Malaysia) was third in 22:42.

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Chinese all-stars Tao Luo and Pei-Quan You dueled over the 35-mile race and finished in 5:38 and 5:50, respectively. Davide Liu (Italy) was third on the podium at 6:13.

Women’s frontrunners Vanja Cnops (Belgium) and Jiang-Rong Yuan (China) were the only sub-eight-hour finishers, and they did it in 7:25 and 7:38. Elena Anisimova (Russia) was third in 8:10.

Full results.

Additional Races and Runs

Innsbruck Alpine Trail Run Festival – Innsbruck, Austria

The event’s ninth year brought some 5,000 runners from 65 countries to the Alps. Race distances stretched from 7k up to 110k. On the long course, Bernhard Achhorner (Austria) and Ida-Sophie Hegemann (Germany) went the fastest in 11:48 and 12:23.

The 65k Panorama Ultra Trail crowned Andreas Reiterer (Italy) and Carola Dörries (Germany) as winners in 4:57 and 6:15.

Full results.

Wildhorse Traverse 52k – Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada

The race ran point to point near Okanagan Lake from Kelowna to Naramata. Race winners Connor Meakin and Darbykai Standrick finished in 4:19 and 4:42. Full results.

McDonald Forest 50k – Corvallis, Oregon

Only 24 seconds separated men’s one-two Jonathan McInerney and Colin Welk. Both finished in 4:41 with McInerney scoring the win. Sierra Tucker took the women’s crown in 5:10. Full results.

Sisters Country 50k – Sisters, Oregon

Alpine Running’s second-year event added a 50k distance to its half marathon. Race winners Evan Moreau and Sarah Foster set the course marks at 3:51 and 4:10. Full results.

Miwok 100k – Stinson Beach, California

The longtime northern California favorite saw Robert Ressl and Lindsay Dwyer win in 9:06 and 10:44. This very rainy Miwok saw 85 did not starts and 117 did not finishes to go with 252 finishers. Full results.

Mike Ambrose - 2024 Miwok 100k - third man

Mike Ambrose getting wet on his way to taking third at the 2024 Miwok 100k. Photo: Tony DiPasquale

Folsom Lake Trail Run – Folsom, California

The Inside Trail event ran on the lake’s southeastern side. Mike Borsuk and Ashley Silva won the 50k in 4:53 and 4:37 with Silva crossing the line first overall, and AJ Simons and Christine Arneson were tops in the 35k in 3:18 and 4:11. Full results.

Heavens Gate 20 Mile – Riggins, Idaho

The challenging race took on a spectacular course with jaw-dropping views, abundant wildlife, and unforgettable mountain running terrain. Mac Moss and Haylee Stocking won in 3:44 and 5:12. Full results.

2024 Heavens Gate Trail Races

Part of the course for the 2024 Heavens Gate Trail Races. Photo courtesy of race.

Collegiate Peaks Trail Run – Buena Vista, Colorado 

The two-lap 50-mile race saw Pat Cade and Aleksandra Wronka come through in 7:08 and 9:25, and Joel Shores and Kasey Sutherlin won the 25 miler in 2:59 and 3:26. Full results.

Aleksandra Wronka - 2024 Collegiate Peaks 50 Mile - first woman

Aleksandra Wronka on her way to winning the 2024 Collegiate Peaks 50 Mile. Photo: Jordan Chapell

Wildflower Trail Runs – Bastrop, Texas

The Trail Racing Over Texas event dropped in on Bastrop State Park for four different races. Over 50k, Jared Rothlauf and Brandi Hearn were victorious in 4:38 and 6:09, and in the 25k, Jason Wyles and Cat Bradley won in 2:04 and 2:18, respectively. Full results.

The Forgotten 50k – Cleveland, Ohio

The free event took place in Forest Hill Park, the forgotten former estate of John D. Rockefeller. Running on an eight-mile loop, Chad Jones and Amanda Debevc won in 5:12 and 5:29. Full results.

Amanda Debevc - 2024 Forgotten 50k - first woman

Amanda Debevc with her rockin’ award for winning the 2024 Forgotten 50k. Photo: Jim Van Orman

Strolling Jim 40 Mile – Wartrace, Tennessee

Miller Groome and Caitlin Jones won the longtime road race in 4:45 and 5:31. Full results.

Grayson Highlands – Mouth of Wilson, Virginia

The Run Bum race runs through Grayson Highlands State Park, a place best known for its wild mini ponies. The 50-mile winners Isaiah Norton and Rebecca Johnson finished in 8:31 and 10:49, and 50k leaders Cameron Holman and Katie Roche did it in 4:48 and 5:10. Full results.

Perfect Day 50k – Keezletown, Virginia

Mike Fox and Laura Trissel struck gold in 3:37 and 4:58. Full results.

Rock the Ridge – New Paltz, New York

The 50-mile race is run in the Shawangunk Mountains of the Hudson Valley. Zandy Mangold and Mariel Feigen were race winners in 6:52 and 7:31. Full results.

Big A 50k – York, Maine

Nathaniel Bourne and Jeff Beaudoin tied for first in the men’s race while Lucy Hoch took the women’s win in this long-standing race at Mount Agamenticus in Maine. Bourne and Beaudoin crossed the line in 5:30 and Hoch in 5:53. Full results.

Lucy Hoch - 2024 Big A 50k - first woman

Women’s winner Lucy Hoch with co-race director Rich Collins at the 2024 Big A 50k. Photo: Allyn Genest

Call for Comments

What did you follow, attend, or get up to this weekend? Let us know in the comments section!

Justin Mock

Justin Mock is the This Week In Running columnist for iRunFar. He’s been writing about running for 10 years. Based in Europe, Justin has run as fast as 2:29 for a road marathon and finished as high as fourth in the Pikes Peak Marathon.