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The final weekend of April included 64 ultramarathons on the UltraRunning Magazine race calendar, including the last chance for runners to earn an automatic bid into the 2025 Western States Endurance Run. In this week’s Ultra Weekend Recap, we journey to California, Michigan and Maryland.
The Canyons Endurance Runs by UTMB®
We kick things off in Auburn, California, for The Canyons Endurance Runs by UTMB® (100-mile, 100k and 50k ultra distances). This year’s cold and wet 100k marked the last chance for elite trail runners to earn a HOKA Golden Ticket, with the top three male and female finishers receiving a highly coveted automatic entry into the 2025 Western States Endurance Run in late June. In the men’s race, Italian Francesco Puppi took control before the halfway point and sped to victory in a new course record time of 8:04:36. Hans Troyer of the United States raced to second (8:27:00), and German Hannes Namberger (8:32:17) claimed the final podium spot in third. Puppi turned down his Golden Ticket, while Troyer and Namberger accepted theirs. With fourth-place finisher Jeff Mogavero already entered into Western States, the final Golden Ticket rolled down to Ryan Montgomery, who came in fifth. Top female honors went to Emily Hawgood (Zimbabwe) in 9:46:44. Canadian Marianne Hogan finished in second (9:50:44). Keely Henninger (USA) snagged third (9:58:10). Hogan and Henninger accepted their Golden Tickets. Hawgood had already earned her spot into Western States, so the last women’s Golden Ticket rolled down to fourth-place finisher, Erin Clark.
Friday’s 100-miler was not a Golden Ticket race, but it did attract 235 runners from around the world gunning for their Canyons 100 belt buckle. On the women’s side, Lin Chin (China) ran a new course-record time of 18:33:15 on her way to claiming victory and finishing sixth overall. Aroa Sio (Spain) finished second female and seventh overall (18:39:19). Canadian Madeleine Hawkins (20:11:20) came in third. Frenchman Ferdinand Airault took the overall title and set a new men’s course mark to beat in 16:18:13. Runners Tommy Sullivan (16:24:36) and Ben Quatromoni (17:0236), both from the US, finished second and third. Full results from the 100-mile, 100k and 50k races here.
Thumb Coast Ultra
Our second stop takes us to Caseville, Michigan, for the second annual Thumb Coast Ultra (50-mile and 50k). Beginning in the 50-miler, results show that Stephen Sensoli cruised to victory in 7:00:10. Anthony Traub claimed second (7:39:37), and Alex Pieters (7:48:04) earned the final podium spot in third. Maggie Wood finished first female in 8:39:36. Kristy Beckholt ran to second (9:22:17), and Lauren Hutchens (9:24:43) came in just behind in third.
Beth Brunk (4:53:47) took the women’s win and finished third overall in the 50k race. Jacqueline Zimny was the second woman to cross the line in 5:19:01. Christina Bray (5:21:34) was third. Derek Ralls won the men’s race and broke the 4-hour mark in 3:55:49. Corry Goodpaster placed second male (4:18:12), and Elijah Meek (4:59:19) was third. Full results of both races here.
C&O Canal 100
Our final stop is in Knoxville, Maryland, for the popular C&O Canal 100, first run in 2013. In the men’s race, Oleksandr Skorokhod earned the win and shattered the course record in a crazy-fast time of 14:03:12. Adam Kimble finished second and ran the second-fastest course time ever in 14:18:05. Michael Stevens (14:57:39) was third. Top female honors went to Whitney Richman who took the win and finished fifth overall in (17:28:59). Karen Smith finished second woman and sixth overall, sneaking in just under the 18-hour mark in 17:59:43. Kristen Kelman (18:39:06) came in third and tenth overall. Full results here.
Other results from this weekend include: Pick Your Poison Trail Run (Barrie, ON), Chippewa Trail Races (New Auburn, WI), Troublesome Hollow 50K (Bristol, VA), BC Backyard Ultra (Salmon Arm, BC), Earth Day 50K (Crystal Lake, IL), Fondren Urban Ultra (Jackson, MS), Thelma and Louise 50K (Moab, UT), Royal Gorge Grove (Cañon City, CO), Cheyenne Mountain Trail Race (Colorado Springs, CO), Banana Slug Backyard Ultra (St. Paul, OR), Badwater Salton Sea (Borrego Springs, CA), Weiser River Trail (Boise, ID), Las Virgenes Canyon Trail Races (Los Angeles (West Hills), CA), Pandora’s Box of Rox (Burnet, TX), and Childish Nonsense (Palatine, IL).
Full list of results here.
Congratulations to everyone who raced this weekend!