2015 UltraRunners of the Year

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David Laney

David Laney  is the men’s Ultra Runner of the Year for 2015. Laney won both the Chuckanut 50K and the Bandera 100K, and finished third at UTMB – the highest place ever for an American man at Europe’s top ultra. He rounded out a highly varied year of racing with a top-10 finish at Western States and strong placing at the IAU World Trail Championships in France. Laney grew up in Portland, Oregon and led Southern Oregon State University to the team title at the NAIA Cross Country Championships in 2010, before making his ultra debut in 2013. He currently lives in Ashland, Oregon.

2015 Race Results

Magdalena Boulet

Magdalena Boulet is the women’s Ultra Runner of the Year for 2015. Boulet’s spectacular year included six ultra wins, including the Western States 100, the Chuckanut 50K, and the UROC 100K. Boulet was born in Jastrzębie-Zdrój, Poland, became a U.S. citizen in 2001, and earned a spot on the US Olympic team in the marathon in 2008. She lives in Oakland, California where she is Vice President of Innovation, Research and Development for GU Energy Labs.

2015 Race Results

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Ian Sharman

Ian Sharman of Bend, Oregon is the number two ranked runner for 2015. Sharman won the Rocky Raccoon and Leadville Trail 100s – each for the second time – and notched his sixth straight top 10 finish at Western States. Trained as an economist, the British ex-pat now owns a coaching business and directs the U.S. Skyrunning  series.

 

2015 Race Results

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Camille Herron

Camille Herron burst onto the ultra scene in April with a win at the Mad City 100K, where her 7:28:24 time vaulted her into second place behind only Ann Trason on the all-time US list. She went on to lower that time to 7:08:35 in winning the IAU World 100K Championship at Winschoten, Netherlands. Herron, who lives in Oklahoma City, also won the IAU World 50K Championship in Doha, Qatar, and set a world best 50-mile time of 5:38:41 at the Door County 50.

 

 

 

2015 Race Results

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Stephanie Howe

Stephanie Howe of Bend, Oregon is the number three ranked woman for 2015. Howe’s impressive year featured a course record win at the Lake Sonoma 50 and top ten finishes at the world’s top two 100 milers, Western States and UTMB. Howe has a PhD in exercise physiology and operates a coaching and nutrition business.

 

2015 Race Results

Seth Swanson

Seth Swanson checks in at number three for the men. The Missoula, Montana college professor placed second at Western States and fourth at UTMB, along with strong runs at Lake Sonoma 50 and Sean O’Brien 100K. Although he didn’t win any races, he was  the most consistent runner among the top vote getters.

 

 

 

2015 Race Results

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Kaci Lickteig

 

Kaci Lickteig of Omaha, Nebraska is the fourth ranked woman. The remarkably consistent physical therapist only finished off the podium once in six races, taking fifth at the Lake Sonoma 50. Her second place finish at Western States featured the fastest second half of any woman in the field. Photo Derrick Lytle

2015 Race Results

Rob Krar

Rob Krar, Ultra Runner of the Year in both 2013 and 2014, finished fourth in the voting this year. Krar won Western States for the second straight year, posting the second fastest time in the 42-year history of the race. The Flagstaff, Arizona pharmacist had a bit of an abbreviated season, competing only from March through June. Photo Alexis Berg/Grand Trail

 

 

2015 Race Results

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Dylan Bowman

Dylan Bowman of Mill Valley, California checks in at number five. D-Bo won Tarawera 100K in New Zealand and the Ultra Trail Australia 100K in the spring, and placed ninth at the Osierre-Chmpex-Chamonix 55-km in August. The Hypoxico sales manager even found time for a couple of strong races in the good ole U.S. of A. Photo Credit: Ken Schuh

2015 Race Results

Katalin Nagy

Katalin Nagy of Sarasota, Florida is the fifth-ranked woman, based on an undefeated season that featured wins at the IAU World 24-hour Championship in Italy, and the famed Spartathlon 153-mile race in Greece. Originally from Gyöngyös, Hungary, Nagy also won the Burning River 100 and the Desert Solstice 24-hour.

 

2015 Race Results

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Nicole Studer

Nicole Studer is the sixth ranked woman for 2015. The Dallas, Texas resident ran the fastest ever 100-mile trail race, winning the Rocky Raccoon 100 in a stunning 14:22:18. She also was second at Bandera 100K and sixth at Western States. She completed nine ultras during the year, winning four of them. Photo courtesy of Nicole Studer

2015 Race Results

Zach Miller

Zach Miller of Manitou Springs, Colorado is the sixth ranked man. His three races were a shorter résumé than most, but they included impressive wins at Courmayeur-Champex-Chamonix, the 101-km sister race to UTMB, and at The North Face Challenge Championship 50 Mile in San Francisco, where he beat a star-studded field.

2015 Race Results

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Aliza Lapierre

Aliza Lapierre of Williston, Vermont checks in at number seven. Lapierre had a travel-filled year with strong performances in Japan, Spain, Texas and California, as well as two wins in her native New England. photo by Matt Trappe

2015 Race Results

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Brian Rusiecki

Another New England standout, Brian Rusiecki of South Deerfield, Massachusetts, finished seventh for the men. Rusiecki had a busy year, with ten ultra finishes – four of them wins. photo by Catherine Harding

2015 Race Results

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Alex Nichols

Alex Nichols of Colorado Springs is the eighth ranked runner in 2015. Nichols spent part of the year in France, winning a 51-mile race on Mount Blanc, and placing well at the IAU World Trail Championships and Des Templiers. Stateside, he won the Moab Red Hot 55K, and placed second at the Speedgoat 50K.

2015 Race Results

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Ellie Greenwood

Ellie Greenwood, a three-time previous winner, was voted eighth this year. The North Vancouver, British Columbia runner recovered from an injury-plagued early spring to finish sixth at Comrades. Later in the summer she won Des Templiers in France and took second at The North Face 50 in San Francisco in December. Photo by iRunFar.com Bryon Powell

2015 Race Results

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Darcy Piceu

Darcy Piceu is the ninth ranked female for 2015. Piceu, a mental health intervention specialist in Boulder, Colorado, is one of the top mountain runners in the world, placing second at Hardrock and fifth a mere seven weeks later at UTMB. She also broke the course record while winning the Bighorn 52 Mile in June.

2015 Race Results

 

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Joe Fejes

Multi-day specialist Joe Fejes grabbed the number nine spot for men. Fejes broke the modern-day American Record for the 6-day race, clocking a stunning 606.243 miles at the EMU race in Hungary, which earned him the Performance of the Year. The Norcross, Georgia attorney won four races during the year, all 24 hours or longer.

2015 Race Results

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Bob Shebest

Bob Shebest of Santa Rosa, California is number 10 in the 2015 Ultra Runner of the Year rankings. A middle school math teacher, Shebest took full advantage of his summer holiday, winning the San Diego 100 and the Tahoe Rim Trail 50 Mile, and placing second in the Run Rabbit Run100. He also finished fifth in the Gorge Watefalls 100K, losing two places after missing a turn less than a mile from the finish.

2015 Race Results

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Bethany Patterson

Bethany Patterson of Richmond, Virginia checks in at number 10 for women. Patterson dominated the Commonwealth of Virginia, winning all five races she ran there. She also placed a close second at the White River 50 east of Seattle.

2015 Race Results