We’re back this week with big races around the world, including the Ultra-Trail Cape Town, JFK 50 Mile, Patagonia Bariloche by UTMB, and more.
You can also check out our race coverage from the weekend:
- 2025 Ultra-Trail Cape Town 100k Results: Jeff Mogavero and Sunmaya Budha Victorious
- 2025 JFK 50 Mile Results: Jade Belzberg and Hans Troyer Seize Wins
Ultra-Trail Cape Town – Cape Town, South Africa
UTCT 100 Mile
The long course had nearly 25,000 feet of climbing and paid 80,000 Rand ($4,597) to its winners.
It was an all-South African women’s podium in the 100-mile race. Nicolette Griffioen was way out front in 24:40. Simone Malan was second in 26:39, and 2024 race winner Kerry-Ann Marshall was third in 27:26.
Second in 2023, Douglas Pickard (South Africa) beat out defending champion Aleksei Tolstenko (Neutral) in the men’s race. Pickard ran 21:49, over two hours better than his 2023 finish, and Tolstenko was second in 22:40. Tolstenko won last year’s race in 21:06. Admire Muzopambwa (Zimbabwe) was third in 22:41, only 52 seconds behind Tolstenko.
It was an off day for American challengers Adrian Macdonald and Avery Collins. Both dropped before the finish.
UT 100k
Women
The 100k race was the event’s premier distance and was the last race of the 2025 World Trail Majors. The challenging course totaled 4,676 meters (15,341 feet) of climbing and paid 75,000 Rand to the winners. That’s about $4,390 with today’s conversion.
Sunmaya Budha (Nepal) turned the women’s race into a runaway. Two months after her second-place finish at the Trail World Championships Long Trail race, Budha won here in 12:25. It was over an hour later that Antonina Iushina (Neutral) finished second in 13:33. Tara Fraga (U.S.) was a close third in 13:47.
Among the pre-race challengers, Nicole Bitter (U.S.) and Rosanna Buchauer (Germany) did not finish.
Sunmaya Budha celebrates winning the 2025 Ultra-Trail Cape Town 100k. Photo: World Trail Majors
The women’s top five was:
- Sunmaya Budha (Nepal) – 12:25:55
- Antonina Iushina (Neutral) – 13:33:31
- Tara Fraga (U.S.) – 13:47:04
- Alyssa Clark (U.S.) – 14:03:11
- Sarah Humble (U.S.) – 14:46:08
Budha had earlier won the World Trail Majors Hong Kong 100k race, and with this victory, she also won the series. That was worth an extra 12,000 Euro for the World Trail Majors overall win.
Men
Dmitry Mityaev (Neutral) had dropped from three straight races, but with 20k to go in Cape Town, he had a four-minute lead. Mityaev won here in 2023 and 2022, but that didn’t stop Jeff Mogavero (U.S.) from going supernova late and vaulting from third to first over the final climb and descent.
Mogavero won in 11:04, and Mityaev was second in 11:05. The two were only 31 seconds apart. Matthew Healy (South Africa) scored a third-place finish in 11:11.
The U.S. placed two runners inside the top five, but Chris Myers (U.S.) did not finish.
Jeff Mogavero, the 2025 Ultra-Trail Cape Town 100k men’s winner. Photo: George Dayson/World Trail Majors
The men’s top five was:
- Jeff Mogavero (U.S.) – 11:04:53
- Dmitry Mityaev (Neutral) – 11:05:24
- Matthew Healy (South Africa) – 11:11:26
- Joaquín López (Ecuador) – 11:46:53
- Grant Barnette (U.S.) – 12:10:48
Nothing changed at the top of the men’s World Trail Majors ranking. Having won two contests — Transgrancanaria and the Grampians Peaks Trail 100 Mile — Caleb Olson (U.S.) was this year’s World Trail Majors overall winner and won 12,000 Euro for the two-run total.
PT 55k
The Peninsula Traverse race went 55k and was the final race in this year’s World Trail Majors Short Series. First-place prize money was 30,000 Rand, or about $1,725.
Rebecca Kohne (South Africa) scored victory in 6:11. Olivia Dubern (France) and Short Series challenger Ram Maya Budha (Nepal) were second and third in 6:16 and 6:21.
Budha needed a win to move up the World Trail Majors leaderboard, but her third-place finish meant that Fu-Zhao Xiang (China) was this year’s Short Series women’s winner.
Rebecca Kohne, the 2025 Ultra-Trail Cape Town 55k women’s winner. Photo: Zac Zinn/World Trail Majors
Men’s winner Johannes Wingenfeld (Germany) ran 5:13, finishing ahead of 2024, 2023, and 2022 race winner Robbie Simpson (U.K.), who was second in 5:20. Charles Hamilton (Australia) was third in 5:33.
After running much of the race near sixth place, recent Grampians Peaks Trail 50k winner Peter Fraňo (Slovakia) dropped before the finish. Jeshurun Small (U.S.) and Bongmusa Mthembu (South Africa) were also among the notable drops.
Jian-Jian Yang (China) was this year’s Short Series men’s winner after wins at the Hong Kong 56k and Vietnam Mountain Marathon.
Johannes Wingenfeld, the 2025 Ultra-Trail Cape Town 55k men’s winner. Photo: Pippa Yates/World Trail Majors
JFK 50 Mile – Boonsboro, Maryland
It was the long-time race’s 63rd year, and it was the second presidential-trail running crossover of the month.
Women
Jade Belzberg (Canada) dueled with Shea Aquilano for most of the race and finally gained some separation late. Belzberg won in 6:07 and Aquilano was second in 6:09. The two finishes are the race’s fourth- and fifth-fastest in history.
Third-place finisher Hannah Allgood also broke into the top 10 all-time with a 6:15 finish.
Jade Belzberg, the 2025 JFK 50 Mile women’s winner. Photo: Greg Holder/H3 Photography
The women’s top five was:
- Jade Belzberg (Canada) – 6:07:53
- Shea Aquilano – 6:09:32
- Hannah Allgood – 6:15:09
- Sarah Morrison – 6:21:44
- Jeanne Mack – 6:46:38
Men
Hans Troyer dropped defending champion and course record-holder David Sinclair near mile 15 and ran alone at the front the rest of the way. Troyer was just under course record pace as late as mile 40, but finished just over the mark in 5:10. It was the race’s second-fastest finish ever.
Sinclair was second in 5:18, and Stephen Kersh was third, also in 5:18 and only 25 seconds behind Sinclair. Sinclair and Kersh’s runs were the race’s third- and fourth-best ever.
Hans Troyer winning the 2025 JFK 50 Mile. Photo: Greg Holder/H3 Photography
The men’s top five was:
- Hans Troyer – 5:10:24
- David Sinclair – 5:18:06
- Stephen Kersh – 5:18:31
- Josh Park – 5:34:31
- Ferdinand-Clovis Airault (France) – 5:34:50
Patagonia Bariloche by UTMB – Bariloche, Argentina
Tronador 130k
After 82 miles of racing, just 25 minutes separated the front three women, and the first five were nearly within an hour of each other. It was a largely Argentinian group, with Mariana Fernández winning ahead of Rachel Spaulding (U.S.) and Milagros Rivas. The three finished in 21:10, 21:29, and 21:35, respectively.
Ethan Peters (Canada) led for almost all of the men’s race and won in 15:01. Remigio Huaman Quispe (Peru) and Noam Franchi (France) were second and third in 15:46 and 16:20. Earlier in 2025, Peters won the Ultra-Trail Snowdonia 100 Mile and Canadian Death Race 118k.
Frey 80k
Lindsay Allison (U.S.) scored a women’s win over a bunch of Argentinian runners. Allison got to the 53-mile finish in 11:06. Ayelén Liberal (Argentina) and Emiliana Bolontrade (Argentina) were next on the podium in 11:33 and 12:33.
Patricio Gonzalez did it for the host country and won the men’s race in 9:08. As with the women, it wasn’t especially close. Marco Ramos (Spain) and Thibaut Baronian (France) came next in 9:30 and 10:02.
Bella Vista 55k
Anna Tarasova (Spain) stormed the women’s 35-mile race. She won in 6:06 with a big separation from the rest of the field. Second- and third-place runners Blanca Llumiquinga (Ecuador) and Anabel Oviedo Zelarayán (Argentina) were only 15 seconds apart, both finishing in 6:30.
The men ran it closer. Anders Kjærevik (Norway) escaped Valentin Benard (France) by just over a minute to win in 5:23. Benard was in at 5:24, and Brian Palacios (Argentina) was third in 5:29.
Additional Races and Runs
IAU 100k Asia and Oceania Championships – Bangkok, Thailand
Women’s winner Mel Aitken (New Zealand) finished with a 14-minute lead on the field in 9:04, and men’s leader Amar Singh Devanda (Indonesia) dipped under the 7-hour mark in 6:59. Full results.
Legacy Trail 60k – Sarasota, Florida
This free event saw Lindsey Vera win in 5:54, and Andrew Kelly set a new course record by running 4:49 on the out-and-back course. Full results when available.
Lindsey Vera, the 2025 Legacy Trail Ultra 60k women’s winner. Photo courtesy of the race.
Andrew Kelly, the 2025 Legacy Trail Ultra 60k men’s winner. Photo courtesy of the race.
Fat Ox – Buckeye, Arizona
The race hosted the USATF 24-Hour National Championships and paid $1,200 to the winners. New national champions Polina Hodnette and Scott Traer totaled 117.6 and 137.4 miles. Full results.
Colorado Cold Rush 50k – Colorado Springs, Colorado
Kristina Chang won it with a time of 5:10, and Joe Lange set a new course record in 3:54. Full results (when available).
Kristina Chang, the 2025 Colorado Cold Rush 50k women’s winner. Photo courtesy of the race.
Joe Lange, the 2025 Colorado Cold Rush 50k men’s winner. Photo courtesy of the race.
Dinosaur Valley Endurance Run – Glen Rose, Texas
At Dinosaur Valley Star Park, Sarah Loch-Test and Mark Wooten won the 100 miler in 23:48 and 19:34, and Laura Arnold and Meng Zhao were tops in the 100k in 12:23 and 9:57. Full results.
XTERRA Trail Half Marathon – Los Cabos, Mexico
Race winners Steve Croucher and Sarah Morrison finished in 1:34 and 2:04. Full results.
Call for Comments
The first-year Pacific Trails California was canceled due to heavy rain in the week leading up to the race, and the IAU 50k World Championships scheduled for December 7 were postponed to an unknown future date.
But what other results should be highlighted?
