It was the Golden Trail World Series’s second-straight weekend in the U.S., the first year for the Grindstone by UTMB 100k, and more super technical racing in the Skyrunner World Series.
Mammoth Trail Fest – Mammoth Lakes, California
26k
The race was the year’s sixth Golden Trail World Series contest, and the last chance for runners to earn points to qualify for the finale in October in Italy. The top 30 runners in the series are eligible to compete in the finale.
The up-and-down Mammoth run went for 16.1 miles with 3,900 feet of elevation across a single loop with a starting point near 8,000 feet above sea level.
There was a $21,000 prize purse that delivered $3,000 to each winner with money stretching 10 deep.
Men
Only a week removed from his record-setting run at the Pikes Peak Ascent, Rémi Bonnet (Switzerland) was again victorious. The world all star separated from a chase group late in the climb, and ran alone over the race’s downhill second half. Bonnet finished in 1:54:48, establishing the course record on the first-year course at the second-year event.
Rémi Bonnet takes the win at the 2023 Mammoth Trail Fest 26k. Photo: Golden Trail Series | Mammoth Trail Fest 26k | The Adventure Bakery
While the race win was seemingly never in doubt, there was a lot of action just behind, and then some finish line drama.
Patrick Kipngeno (Kenya), Philemon Kiriago (Kenya), and Chad Hall (U.S.) hit the 7.5-mile course high point behind Bonnet, and then things got messy. The three bunched up on the downhill second half, and all three went off course. Hall found his way back to the course, but missed a checkpoint, while Kipngeno and Kiriago backtracked further. Hall crossed the finish second, but was later disqualified. Kipngeno and Kiriago were given official finishes, though they lost several places on the misdirection.
Hall’s disqualification vaulted Meikael Beaudoin-Rousseau (U.S.) into second in 1:58:48 on the official rankings. After blitzing the downhill, the trail rookie spent an extended amount of time on his back at the finish from exhaustion.
Roberto Delorenzi (Switzerland) dipped under the two-hour mark too in 1:59:53 for third.
The full top 10 was:
1 – Rémi Bonnet (Switzerland) – 1:54:48
2 – Meikael Beaudoin-Rousseau (U.S.) – 1:58:48
3 – Roberto Delorenzi (Switzerland) – 1:59:53
4 – Sam Hendry (Canada) – 2:00:24
5 – Daniel Osanz (Spain) – 2:02:17
6 – Eli Hemming (U.S.) – 2:02:31
7 – Daniel Pattis (Italy) – 2:02:44
8 – Philemon Kiriago (Kenya) – 2:05:54
9 – Patrick Kipngeno (Kenya) – 2:06:02
10 – Andy Wacker (U.S.) – 2:06:53
Women
Monica Mădălina Florea (Romania) hit the high point in first with Judith Wyder (Switzerland) and race local Dani Moreno (U.S.) just behind.
At the finish, Wyder, known for her downhill prowess, leaped across the line first in 2:18:20. Moreno was less than a minute back in 2:19:13. Wyder was second in last weekend’s race, and earned her second Golden Trail World Series win of the year.
Florea overcame a late-race wrong turn of her own and held on for third in 2:23:06.
Judith Wyder, the 2023 Mammoth Trail Fest 26k champion. Photo: Golden Trail Series | Mammoth Trail Fest 26k | The Adventure Bakery
The full top 10 was:
1 – Judith Wyder (Switzerland) – 2:18:20
2 – Dani Moreno (U.S.) – 2:19:13
3 – Monica Mădălina Florea (Romania) – 2:23:06
4 – Anna Gibson (U.S.) – 2:23:35
5 – Malen Osa (Spain) – 2:24:06
6 – Sylvia Nordskar (Norway) – 2:24:36
7 – Tabor Hemming (U.S.) – 2:26:31
8 – Elise Poncet (France) – 2:27:34
9 – Allie Ostrander (U.S.) – 2:27:50
10 – Rachel Tomajczyk (U.S.) – 2:28:46
(In 2023, Ostrander was suspended for four months after testing positive for canrenone, a metabolite of spironolactone, after it was determined that she mistakenly took the drug without first obtaining a World Anti-Doping Agency Therapeutic Use Exemption.)
50k
It wasn’t part of the Golden Trail World Series, but Saturday’s long course race winners each earned $1,400.
Nick Handel got out front in 4:22 for the men’s win, and Patrick Wachter edged out Chris Myers by just over a minute for second. The two ran 4:33 and 4:34.
Women’s winner EmKay Sullivan similarly gapped her chasers in 5:13, and second and third ran close. Keelah Barger was two minutes faster than Selena Langner as the pair ran 5:26 and 5:28 to get on the podium.
Grindstone by UTMB – Natural Chimneys, Virginia
It was the longtime race’s first year as part of the UTMB World Series, and the newly added 100k was a Western States 100 Golden Ticket race. That meant that the first two finishers in the 100k earned an automatic entry into the Western States 100.
100 Mile
Ace photographer Mike McMonagle was in focus late. He gained the ultimate lead only in the last 10 miles and won in 19:10. Grant Barnette and Joey Miller were second and third in 19:50 and 20:54.
Mike McMonagle, the 2023 Grindstone by UTMB 100 Mile men’s winner. Photo: Grindstone by UTMB
Women’s winner Alissa St Laurent (Canada) was out front in 24:39 on the course and its 21,000 feet of elevation gain. Shelby Johnson and Serena Eley were next on the podium at 26:17 and 27:53, respectively.
Alissa St Laurent takes the win at the 2023 Grindstone by UTMB 100 Mile. Photo: Grindstone by UTMB
100k
Caleb Olson and Caleb Bowen dueled for the 100k crown. Olson led the final 13 miles, but Bowen barely surrendered any time. The two finished in 8:54 and 8:59, respectively. Olson and Bowen both accepted their Western States 100 Golden Tickets. Justin Grunewald was third in 9:12. The course gained 11,000 feet of elevation.
The women’s race was nearly as close. Lotti Brinks and Devon Yanko were at the front in 10:37 and 10:43, just over six minutes apart, and third-place Anna Fisher trailed in 11:11. Both Brinks and Yanko accepted the Western States 100 Golden Tickets too.
Gorbeai Suzien Skyrace – Zeanuri, Spain
The Skyrunner World Series race went 32k with 2,400 meters of elevation gain. It was the race’s 10th year, and both the men’s and women’s course records fell.
Men
Barely a minute separated the front three. Alain Santamaría (Spain) finished in 2:57 for the win. Antonio Martínez (Spain) was only 56 seconds back at 2:58 for second, and third-place Frédéric Tranchand (France) also ran 2:58 and was only 26 seconds behind Martínez.
Alain Santamaría takes victory at the 2023 Gorbeai Suzien Skyrace. Photo: Brian Sharp
Women
Clementine Geoffray (France), this year’s Trail World Championships 40k winner, can run super technical races too. She just edged out Iris Pessey (France) for the women’s win. Geoffray finished in 3:34 and Pessey in 3:35 with only 85 seconds in between the two. Third-place Anastasia Rubtsova (Russia) finished in 3:39.
Clementine Geoffray win the 2023 Gorbeai Suzien Skyrace. Photo: Brian Sharp
Additional Races and Runs
Berlin Marathon – Berlin, Germany
Back in June, Laura Hottenrott (Germany) was fourth in the World Mountain Running Championships Uphill race. At the Berlin Marathon, she was 24th in 2:29:38. Her personal best is 2:28:02 from 2021. At the front of the race, Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya) defended his title with a 2:02:42 win, while Tigst Assefa (Ethiopia) reset the women’s world record for the marathon in 2:11:53. Full results.
Three Sisters Skyline 50k – Sisters, Oregon
The Alpine Running event took in views of the Three Sisters, three close together peaks (North, Middle, and South Sisters). The race climbed 3,700 feet, all in the first 10 miles. Todd Simpson and Heather Jackson won in 4:08 and 4:10, and Jackson’s time was a new course record. Full results.
The start of the 2023 Three Sisters Skyline. Photo: James Holk
West Line Winder 50k – Buena Vista, Colorado
Bradley Stroz pulled away from Nico de Vries late and won in 4:16. De Vries did just enough to stay in front of a faster-closing Ryan Kaiser, and the two were second and third in 4:22 and 4:24. Women’s frontrunners Whitney Barrett and Sarah House were together with five miles to go, but at the finish Barrett scored an exactly one-minute win in 4:44. House clocked 4:45, and Gwen Golaszewski was third in 4:54. Megan Sand was top non-binary runner in 6:28. Full results.
Sawatch Ascent 50k – Nathrop, Colorado
Down five minutes at mile 26, Jeason Murphy hit the gas and overtook longtime leader Zachary Smith. Murphy won in 5:45 and Smith was second in 5:48. Kristopher Mendoza ran 5:51 for third. Women’s winner Lauren Puretz was in front of everyone with a 5:42 winning time. Imogen Ainsworth and Sarah House were second and third in 5:53 and 6:09, with House running the double.
Shoutout to longtime TWIR reader Jon Teisher. He pulled off the Pikes Peak Ascent-Pikes Peak Marathon double and West Line Winder 50k-Sawatch Ascent 50k double on back-to-back weekends. Full results.
Vermont 50 Mile – Brownsville, Vermont
The 50-mile winners Benjamin Lane and Lila Gaudrault ran 7:31 and 7:54, and 50k champs Ansel Dickey and Crystal Ross finished in 4:34 and 6:00. Full results.
Call for Comments
See you in October! What’s coming up next month?
