This Week In Running: May 8, 2023

This Week In Running’s trail and ultra recap for May 8, 2023.

By on May 8, 2023 | Comments

This Week in Running Justin Mock TWIRAh geez, we did it again and overloaded this column with too much good stuff. There was the Transvulcania Ultramarathon by UTMB, the Breakneck Point Trail Marathon which served as the USATF Trail Marathon National Championships for this year, the Strolling Jim 40 Mile, and a lot of other fun to share.

Transvulcania Ultramarathon by UTMB – La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain

iRunFar brought the Transvulcania details early. The premier race ran across the island for 72 kilometers (44 miles) and with 4,600 meters (15,000 feet) of elevation gain.

72k

Women

Italy’s Martina Valmassoi led the first-five women under the 10-hour mark. Valmassoi was out front in 9:09. Edyta Lewandowska, of Poland, and Meg Mackenzie, from South Africa, came next in 9:21 and 9:28. Valmassoi won last year’s TDS race as part of the big UTMB Mont Blanc weekend, and Lewandowska is a 2:33 marathoner going back to 2008.

Michelle Buncke was the top American woman in fifth at 9:59.

2023 Transvulcania Ultramarathon by UTMB - Edyta Lewandowska - Martina Valmassoi - Meg Mackenzie

The 2023 Transvulcania Ultramarathon by UTMB women’s podium (left-to-right): 2. Edyta Lewandowska, 1. Martina Valmassoi, and 3. Meg Mackenzie. Photo: Transvulcania Ultramarathon by UTMB

Men

Men’s winner Dakota Jones won here way back in 2012, then famously laying a rose on a defeated Kilian Jornet at the finish. Eleven years later, Jones, now an island legend, was victorious again in 7:02. French runner Damien Humbert and Andreas Reiterer, from Italy, were second and third in 7:10 and 7:17.

Americans Jeff Mogavero and Tim Tollefson were seventh and eighth in 7:32 and 7:39.

2023 Transvulcania Ultramarathon by UTMB - Damien Humbert - Dakota Jones - Andreas Reiterer

The 2023 Transvulcania Ultramarathon by UTMB men’s podium (left-to-right): 2. Damien Humbert, 1. Dakota Jones, and 3. Andreas Reiterer. Photo: Transvulcania Ultramarathon by UTMB

50k

South Africa’s Toni McCann and Spain’s Dimas Pereira won the shorter race in 4:49 and 4:20.

Full results.

Breakneck Point Trail Marathon – Beacon, New York

The marathon was both the USATF Trail Marathon National Championships and a national team selection race. The top-two finishers each earned spots on the U.S. team that will compete in the Trail World Championships’s 45k short course race in Austria in June. Race winners each won $1,000 too, uniquely paid in singles.

Women

Brittany Charboneau and Bailey Kowalczyk went 4:46 and 4:49 at the front of the race. Charboneau is the national champ, and that backs up a runner-up spot at the USATF 50k Road National Championships earlier this year.

Klaire Rhodes was third in 4:50, part of a big group that all ran better than Stef Bishop’s 2020 5:17 course record.

Men

One national team wasn’t going to be enough for Garrett Corcoran. He made the U.S. vertical team last weekend and came back for more. Corcoran won here in 3:55. Looking ahead to June, the vertical and 45k short course races will happen on back-to-back days at worlds.

Jackson Brill, despite finishing with a bloodied shoulder and chest, was second in 4:00.

Lars Arneson took third, and, as with the women’s race, all of the top finishers ran better than the old course record. That group included fourth-place finisher Max King as he too went faster than his own 4:11 course record from 2022.

Full results (when available).

Margaret River Ultramarathon – Wilyabrup, Australia

A huge field of 1,500 runners raced the sixth annual 80k race. The course goes point-to-point along the coast in western Australia.

Jayme Berman (Australia) and Petra Jerejian (Czech Republic) ran close with 7:49 and 7:55 first- and second-place finishes, and Kirsten Buist (Australia) was third in 8:12.

Jayme Bergman - 2023 Margaret River Ultramarathon - female winner

Jayme Bergman winning the 2023 Margaret River Ultramarathon. Photo: Astrid Volzke/Photos4Sale

Joshua Chugg (Australia) repeated as men’s champ, and broke his own course record by four minutes with a 6:36 finish. Richard Schwalb (Australia) and Sjoerd Algera (The Netherlands, lives in Australia) were a distant second and third in 7:24 and 7:44.

Full results.

Joshua Chugg, the 2023 Margaret River Ultramarathon men's winner

Joshua Chugg, the 2023 Margaret River Ultramarathon men’s winner. Photo: Astrid Volzke/Photos4Sale

Cocodona 250 Mile – Flagstaff, Arizona

Not many races grab our fascination like this one. The point-to-point race went on a diverse path from Black Canyon City to Flagstaff. iRunFar earlier covered the greater race excitement.

250 Mile

Women

Third a year ago, Sarah Ostaszewski won this year’s race in 72:50. That’s about 11.5 hours faster than in 2022. Her time looks to be the third-year event’s second fastest finish ever too, though the courses have changed each year.

Aliza Lapierre and Mika Thewes were second and third in 77:04 and 78:27, respectively.

Sarah Ostaszewski - 2023 Cocodona 250 Mile - photo 1

Sarah Ostaszewski, 2023 Cocodona 250 Mile champion (center), along with her crew. Photo courtesy of Sarah Ostaszewski.

Men

Michael McKnight won in 69:41. McKnight was second in 2022 in a 65-hour finish.

Josh Perry did the adventure in 70:57 and Michael Greer was third in 72:47.

Michael McKnight - 2023 Cocodona 250 Mile - photo 1

Michael McKnight at a 2023 Cocodona 250 Mile aid station with some of his crew. Photo courtesy of Michael McKnight.

125 Mile

The event’s Sedona Canyons race went on the back half of the longer route. That took runners from Jerome, through Sedona, to the common finish in Flagstaff. Rachel Buzzard and Jeff Browning won in 33:22 and 25:29, respectively.

Full results.

Additional Races and Runs

Tillamook Burn Trail Run – Timber, Oregon

Lotti Brinks set a new 50-mile course record in 7:52, and men’s winner Mack Robertson was barely in front at 7:45. Full results.

Miwok 100k – Stinson Beach, California

The iconic race went for 11,800 feet of gain with views of San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge, Mount Tamalpais, redwoods, and coastline. The first couple of hours of the race happened in light rain. Sarah Clark won the women’s race in 10:54, and Zachary Sonoga was men’s winner in 9:26. Full results.

Salt Lake Foothills 50k – Salt Lake City, Utah

Madison Armonda and Richard Wolferz won the inaugural event in 4:53 and 4:28. Full results.

Collegiate Peaks Trail Run – Buena Vista, Colorado

Melissa Tencza and Matthew Warriner won the two-lap 50-mile race just east of town in 9:49 and 8:13, and Georgia Porter and Brian Whitfield led the 25 miler in 3:20 and 3:03. Full results.

Quad Rock 50 Mile – Fort Collins, Colorado

Anna Fisher and Ryan Montgomery were the 50-mile race winners in 9:31 and 7:42. Montgomery identifies as non-binary but competed in the men’s division. Jenna Bensko and Ryan Gil took the 25-mile crowns in 4:17 and 3:36. Full results.

Strolling Jim 40 Mile – Wartrace, Tennessee

This year’s race lacked the star power of recent years, but Allison Mercer got to second overall in 4:57, a time that ranks fourth-best ever. Mercer was second in 2022 when Camille Herron broke a longstanding course record. Men’s winner Dan Green finished in 4:18. Full results.

Grayson Highlands – Mouth of Wilson, Virginia

The Run Bum Tours race happens at Grayson Highlands State Park, a place best known for its wild mini horses. Laura Matacia and Thomas Adam won the 50k race in 5:15 and 4:21. Full results.

Rock the Ridge 50 Mile – New Paltz, New York

The technical upstate challenge celebrated Lisa Schwartz and David Stawski as winners in 7:46 and 7:22. Full results.

Call for Comments

It’s Monday, so may this column have eased your start to the work week! Chat with us below, we’re always here.

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.