The post This Week In Running: October 28, 2024 appeared first on iRunFar.
There were costumes in Arizona, championships in South Korea, and an Olympic bronze medalist racing trails in Ohio. Our Halloween bucket is already overflowing.
You can also check out our greater race coverage from earlier this past week:
Asia Pacific Trail Running Championships – Ulju, South Korea
The inaugural championships included Short Trail and Long Trail races in the Yeongnam Alps, with runners from 19 different countries. The biennial event next happens in 2026.
Short Trail
Running on a rocky 41-kilometer course with 2,783 meters of elevation gain across two major climbs, Takako Takamura (Japan) led all of it to earn individual gold in 4:36. Priya Rai (Nepal) was second in 4:41 and Honoka Akiyama (Japan) was third in 4:53.
Men’s winner John Ray Onifa (Philippines) gained his lead on the technical descent from the course high point. Onifa then held off a late race challenge to win in 3:47. Koken Ogasawara (Japan) was second in 3:49 and Blake Turner (Australia) won a sprint to finish third in 4:00.
Long Trail
A day later runners tackled a 76k course with 4,870 meters of elevation gain. That’s 47 miles and nearly 16,000 feet of climbing.
Fu-Zhao Xiang (China) overtook Ha Thi Hau (Vietnam) with 30k to go and cruised to victory in 8:26. Hau was second in 8:36, and Yuri Yoshizumi (Japan) was third in 8:57.
Men’s winner Min Qi (China) grabbed the lead 50k into the race and barely held off fast-closing Kai Hiroki (Japan) at the end. Qi ran 7:37 and Hiroki 7:40. Mikey Dimuantes (Australia) was third in 7:44.
Javelina 100 Mile – Fountain Hills, Arizona
The Halloween-themed 100-mile run went on a five-loop course through the McDowell Mountain Regional Park. The race was again a Western States 100 Golden Ticket contest with the top two women and men each earning automatic entry to the June 2025 Western States 100.
Women
Barely an hour separated the first five women, and it was a day of historically fast finishes. Riley Brady won the race in 14:19, and it was the race’s second-fastest finish ever. Brady ran 14:45 in 2022 and 15:29 in 2023 too, when finishing second and third. Brady identifies as non-binary, but competes in the women’s race.
Hannah Allgood ran 14:38 for second and, like Brady, also accepted the Western States 100 Golden Ticket. Allgood’s time ranks fifth-best ever at Javelina.
Third-place Lauren Puretz finished in 15:00, just two minutes in front of Erin Clark. Puretz and Clark’s times are the race’s ninth-and 10th-best ever.
The top five was:
1 – Riley Brady – 14:19
2 – Hannah Allgood – 14:38
3 – Lauren Puretz – 15:00
4 – Erin Clark – 15:02
5 – Corinne Shalvoy – 15:24
Men
David Roche moved to 2-0 for the 100-mile distance. Barely two months after resetting the longstanding Leadville 100 Mile course record, Roche won again and just missed the Javelina course record. His 12:45 winning time was only two minutes off Jon Rea‘s 2023 record.
Second-place Jeff Mogavero ran 12:54, the race’s third-fastest finish ever. Mogavero, as with Roche, accepted his Golden Ticket entry to the Western States 100. The 2023 fourth-placer Dan Green moved up one spot. He was third in 12:58, and that was the race’s sixth-best run ever.
The men’s top five was:
1 – David Roche – 12:45
2 – Jeff Mogavero – 12:54
3 – Dan Green – 12:58
4 – Rajpaul Pannu – 13:16
5 – Blake Slattengren – 14:03
2 Peaks SkyRace – Ulju County, South Korea
It was the year’s 17th Skyrunner World Series race and Anastasia Rubtsova (Russia) has now won five of those races. At the same venue as the Asia Pacific Trail Running Championships, Rubtsova mastered the 26k trail and its 2,080 meters of gain in 3:24. Irina Rachinskaia (Russia) and Veronika Leng (Slovakia) in 3:42 and 3:46, respectively.
Gianluca Ghiano (Italy) scored the men’s win in 2:53, just over a minute better than second-place Ruy Ueda (Japan). Lorenzo Beltrami (Italy) was third in 3:05.
Sobrescobio Skyrace – Rioseco, Spain
A day after the 2 Peaks SkyRace in South Korea, there was another Skyrunner World Series race in Spain. This one went 32k with 2,100 meters of climbing along Redes National Park. Already technical, rain and strong winds added to the course challenge.
Lucille Germain (France) ruled the women’s race in 3:25. Spanish runners Oihana Kortazar and Júlia Font were second and third in 3:37 and 3:38, respectively.
Men’s winner Luca Del Pero (Italy) set a new course record and outdueled Manuel Merillas (Spain) late. Del Pero ran 2:49 and Merillas was second in 2:50, 37 seconds later than Del Pero. Antonio Martínez (Spain) was third in 2:56.
Additional Races and Runs
Snowman Race – Bumthang, Bhutan
The 115-mile (186k), five-day stage race concluded today local time, after starting on Thursday, October 24. Sixteen participants traveled on the famous Snowman Trek in the Bhutanese Himalayas, reaching as high as over 17,900 feet (5,400 meters) to bring awareness to climate change there and worldwide. Germany’s Rosanna Buchauer won the women’s race in 31:58:02 and Bhutan’s Sangay Wangchuk won the men’s race in 28:31:14. Full results (when available).
Javelina 100k – Fountain Hills, Arizona
The little sister to the Javelina 100 Mile saw women take three of the top four overall finish spots. Anne Flower won in 8:23 ahead of Jane Maus’s 8:32, and Jordan Brett was the first man in 8:39. Full results.
Canyonlands Ultra – Moab, Utah
The Mad Moose Events race marked its second year with a string of new distances. Thirty-eight runners finished the 100k, led by Charlotte Cadow and Jonathan Kuplack in 11:49 and 8:58. Kristen Little and Grant Roper won the 50 miler in 9:44 and 7:36. Full results.
Door County Fall 50 Mile – Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
Elizabeth Cinquegrani and Jordan Janusiak rolled the point-to-point course in 7:04 and 6:04. Full results.
Chippewa Creek Half Marathon – Brecksville, Ohio
Sarah Jane Kerwin won the women’s race in 1:31 and 2016 Olympic 800-meter bronze medalist Clayton Murphy led the men in 1:28. Full results.
Mammoth Cave 50k – Mammoth Cave, Kentucky
The fourth annual race is out and back on the Bike & Hike Trail inside the national park. Belle Thomas and Anthony Groft were victorious in 4:51 and 3:44. Full results.
No Business 100 Mile – Jamestown, Tennessee
The loop course crosses into and out of Kentucky while traversing the Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area. Amy Holpuch conquered the course and the women’s crown in 23:53 and David Sullivan led the men in 22:09. Full results.
Marine Corps Marathon 50k – Arlington, Virginia
Anna Staats and Calum Neff won the road ultra in 3:44 and 2:56. Full results.
Triple Lakes Trail Race – Greensboro, North Carolina
Avery Mathias and Devon Softic won the 40 miler inside Bur-Mil Park in 6:43 and 6:37. Only six minute separated the first four overall 40-mile finishers. Full results.
Call for Comments
Here for the boos! What else is brewing?
