The Javelina 100 Mile, two Skyrunner World Series races, and a sub-12-hour 100 miler by Zach Bitter are all among the weekend highlights.
You can also check out our race coverage from earlier in the week:
Javelina 100 Mile – Fountain Hills, Arizona
The race is one of the biggest 100 milers in the country. The five-lap course, held at the McDowell Mountain Regional Park, is flat and fast, with just 6,296 feet of climbing. It is a Golden Ticket race, too, with the first two women and men earning automatic entry to next year’s Western States 100.
Women
Tara Dower was second at the Black Canyon 100k at the start of the year, but illness kept her from getting to the Western States 100 finish in June.
She got that 100-mile finish here, and then some.
Dower ran 13:31 on trails for 100 miles. She won by almost a full hour, and it was way up on Camille Herron’s old 14:03 course record from 2021. The time makes Dower the second-fastest North American woman over 100 miles ever, and the win also offers an automatic entry back into Western States in 2026 for a redemption run.
Running 100 miles for the first time, Beth McKenzie was second in 14:31, and Addie Bracy ran a giant 100-mile personal best for third in 14:45. McKenzie’s time ranks fifth best ever at Javelina, and Bracy’s time is the race’s eighth best ever.
Pre-race contenders Valérie Arsenault (Canada) and Careth Arnold did not finish.
Social media is reporting that Dower and Bracy received and accepted the Western States 100 Golden Tickets.
[From 2016 to 2018, Beth McKenzie (née Gerdes) served a two-year doping sanction after testing positive at the 2016 Ironman Australia for ostarine, a prohibited selective androgen receptor modulator (SARM).]
Tara Dower, the 2025 Javelina 100 Mile women’s winner. Photo: Howie Stern
The women’s top five were:
- Tara Dower – 13:31:47
- Beth McKenzie – 14:31:14
- Addie Bracy – 14:45:02
- Lauren Puretz – 14:52:07
- Lucie Rathbun – 15:02:44
Men
He’s not totally a 2025 ultra rookie, but what a breakout year it’s been for Will Murray. The 30-year-old was a shock runner-up at February’s Black Canyon 100k when finishing under the old course record. Then he was eighth at the Chuckanut 50k, a late scratch at the Western States 100, and set a new course record at Colorado’s Grand Traverse 40 Mile in August.
And now this.
Murray smashed the old Javelina 100 Mile course record and upset defending champion David Roche. Murray won in 12:10. That’s 33 minutes better than Jon Rea’s old course best from 2023. Murray did it by breaking the race open in the third lap, and now he’s the fifth-fastest North American man over 100 miles, ever.
Second-place Roche, and third-place Canyon Woodward, blew up the old course record, too. The two ran 12:18 and 12:19, respectively. Woodward was almost five minutes back of Roche at mile 90, but closed really well to make up time on both Roche and Murray.
Social media is showing that Murray and Woodward received and accepted the Western States 100 Golden Tickets.
Will Murray, the 2025 Javelina 100 Mile men’s winner. Photo: Howie Stern
The men’s top five were:
- Will Murray – 12:10:12
- David Roche – 12:18:06
- Canyon Woodward – 12:19:58
- Chris Andrews – 12:48:39
- Caleb Bowen – 13:09:59
Early frontrunner Gavin Prior didn’t finish, and neither did Rajpaul Pannu, who has run 100 miles in 11:52 before as the second-fastest North American man over the distance.
Big Dog’s Backyard Ultra – Bell Buckle, Tennessee
The race started at 7 a.m. on Saturday, October 18 with 72 runners from 40 different countries and ended after 114 hours, nearly five days later.
Current backyard ultra record holder Phil Gore (Australia) won with 114 “yards” or laps, each 4.16 miles in distance, that totaled 475.0 miles over 114 hours. Gore typically ran his laps the fastest of the lead group, banking minutes of sleep that added up to hours when compared to the others.
That’s incredible, but it didn’t get to Gore’s 119-lap, or 495.8-mile backyard ultra record from June 2025.
Ivo Steyaert (Belgium) and Harvey Lewis (U.S.), both former world record-holders, were second and third with 113 and 111 yards, respectively, or 470.8 and 462.5 miles.
Jon Noll (U.S.) matched Lewis with 111 yards but a greater cumulative time running.
The top five men were:
- Phil Gore (Australia) – 114 yards, 475.00 miles
- Ivo Steyaert (Belgium) – 113 yards, 470.83 miles
- Harvey Lewis (U.S.) – 111 yards, 462.50 miles
- Jon Noll (U.S.) – 111 yards, 462.50 miles
- Kazuhiro Kawahata (Japan) – 106 yards, 441.66 miles
The race doesn’t have men’s and women’s divisions, but Sarah Perry (U.K.) set a new women’s backyard ultra record with 95 yards, or 395.8 miles, in 95 hours. That bested Megan Eckert’s former 87-yard, 362.5-mile record.
Eckert herself topped that old mark too with 92 yards and 383.3 miles here.
The four women’s competitors were:
- Sarah Perry (U.K.) – 95 yards, 395.83 miles
- Megan Eckert (U.S.) – 92 yards, 383.33 miles
- Edit Fűrész (Hungary) – 76 yards, 316.66 miles
- Jennifer Russo (U.S.) – 52 yards, 216.66 miles
Sarah Perry on her way to a new women’s backyard ultra record. Photo: Jacob Zocherman
Additional Races and Runs
2 Peaks Skyrace – Yeongnam Alps, South Korea
Women’s winner Anastasia Rubtsova (Neutral) blasted the women’s field on the 22k course with a 3:12 winning time that placed her sixth overall. That was 20 minutes faster than everyone else, and it was Rubtsova’s fifth series win of the year. Natalie Beadle (U.K.) and Svetlana Tkachenko (Neutral) were second and third in 3:32 and 3:42. Italians Gianluca Ghiano and William Boffelli had each won two Skyrunner World Series races this year, but Nicolás Molina (Spain) took both down here. Molina ran 2:45 to be a minute better than Ghiano and Boffelli. Both Ghiano and Boffelli finished in 2:46, with Ghiano three seconds in front. Full results.
Anastasia Rubtsova, the 2025 2 Peaks Skyrace women’s winner. Photo: Skyrunner World Series
Nico Molina, the 2025 2 Peaks Skyrace men’s winner. Photo: Skyrunner World Series
Sobrescobio Skyrace – Asturias, Spain
Naiara Irigoyen led a Spanish sweep of the women’s podium in 3:23. Patricia Pineda and Greta García came next in 3:30 and 3:32. Irigoyen’s time was a new course record. For the men, Frédéric Tranchand (France) made it two in a row. A month after winning the Trail Running World Championships Short Trail race, Tranchand won his first Skyrunner World Series race of the year. As in Spain a month ago, Tranchand won out over Alain Santamaría (Spain) and Manuel Merilllas (Spain). Merillas had jumped to the lead after a late downhill surge, but he couldn’t hold it and got run down. Tranchand ran 2:40 on the 32k course with 2,100 meters of elevation gain for a new course record. Santamaria and Merillas ran 2:46 and 2:49, respectively, for second and third. Full results.
Naiara Irigoyen, the 2025 Sobrescoio Skyrace women’s winner. Photo: Skyrunner World Series
Frederic Tranchand, the 2025 Sobrescoio Skyrace men’s winner. Photo: Skyrunner World Series
Javelina 100k and 31k – Fountain Hills, Arizona
Women’s winner Katie Asmuth got to second overall in 8:32, and Jordan Maddocks won for the men in 8:29. Asmuth’s time was the race’s third-fastest women’s time ever. In the 31k, Rachel Hurley and John Raneri won in 2:47 and 1:59, and Raneri’s finish was a new course record. Full results.
Autumn Leaves 50/50 – St. Paul, Oregon
In the 50-mile race, Bethany Pflug was first for the women in 9:23, and Casey Kemp won the men’s race in 6:37. In the 50k, Christine Haas and Riley Bier won in 5:11 and 4:39, respectively. Full results.
Bethany Pflug, the 2025 Autumn Leaves 50 Mile women’s winner. Photo: Lester Tsai
Casey Kemp, the 2025 Autumn Leaves 50 Mile men’s winner. Photo: Lester Tsai
Equalizer Endurance Run – Des Moines, Iowa
According to social media, Zach Bitter ran 11:48 for 100 miles and 11:55 for 101.5 miles on a 1.9-mile loop hosting 6-, 12-, and 24-hour races. Bitter, who was in the 12-hour race, holds the 100-mile North American record at 11:19 from 2019. Official results haven’t yet been posted, and it’s not clear who won all the other races, including for the women. Leave a comment to share more information on this event! Full results (when available).
Door County Fall 50 Mile – Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Erika Miller and Adam Sanchez won the point-to-point road run in 6:41 and 6:02. Full results.
Bridge Burner 50k – Canon City, Colorado
Natalie Nicholson won the women’s race in 4:47, and Isaac Overmyer brought it home in 4:16. Full results.
Natalie Nicholson, the 2025 Bridge Burner 50k women’s winner. Photo courtesy of the race.
Isaac Overmyer, the 2025 Bridge Burner 50k men’s winner. Photo courtesy of the race.
No Business 100 Mile – Jamestown, Tennessee
The ninth annual race ran as a giant loop through the Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. Michelle Magagna and Anthony Groft won in 20:27 and 19:31. Both times were new course records for the clockwise direction. Full results.
Mammoth Cave 50k – Mammoth Cave, Kentucky
Race winners Crystal Wheatley and Ben Camuel did it in 5:01 and 4:11. Full results.
Cactus Rose 100 Mile – Rocksprings, Texas
Madeline Green led the women’s field in 34:05, and Philip Arneson won it for the men in 25:08. Full results.
Madeline Green, the 2025 Cactus Rose 100 Mile women’s winner. Photo courtesy of the race.
Philip Arneson, the 2025 Cactus Rose 100 Mile men’s winner. Photo courtesy of the race.
Stone Steps 50k – Cincinnati, Ohio
Molly Kash and Jonathan Pahren won in 5:21 and 4:56. Full results.
Coldwater Trail 50k – Anniston, Alabama
The inaugural event had Raven Johnson and Justin Grunewald as its first-year winners in 5:17 and 4:01. Both earned automatic entry to next year’s Leadville 100 Mile. Full results.
Womp Womp 50k – Hingham, Massachusetts
Race leaders Holly Proulx and Jason Baker finished in 5:00 and 3:54. Full results.
Holly Proulx, the 2025 Womp Womp 50k women’s winner. Photo courtesy of the race.
Jason Baker, the 2025 Womp Womp 50k men’s winner. Photo courtesy of the race.
Pria Parker, the 2025 Womp Womp 50k non-binary winner. Photo courtesy of the race.
Mendon Trail Run 50k – Mendon, New York
Women’s winner Jessie George won the overall in 4:22, and Bryan Ruggeri led the men in 4:27. Full results.
Ozark Trail 100 Mile – Steelville, Missouri
Heidi Williams won it for the women in 28:16, and Chris Roberts led the field home in 19:23. Full results.
Heidi Williams, the 2025 Ozark Trail 100 Mile women’s winner. Photo courtesy of the race.
Chris Roberts, the 2025 Ozark Trail 100 Mile men’s winner. Photo courtesy of the race.
Call for Comments
Course records fell this week! Which one did you think was the most impressive?
