After two weeks of light racing, trail running and ultrarunning came back with some figurative thunder and lightning. There were two World Mountain Running Association championships in Argentina, and the U.S. won three individual gold medals there, and then there was the prize-money-rich The North Face Endurance Challenge 50 Mile Championships in California too. Weve got all that as well as a quick look at next weekends JFK 50 Mile. Its just another manic Monday, friends.

Thanks to Boa for sponsoring this edition of TWIR!

Fridays up-and-downWorld Mountain Running Championships were marked by heavy rain. The men and women raced on a 14-kilometer course with a river crossing that swelled to waist deep, and the junior boys and girls competed on a weather-altered, two-loop 8k route. It was the first time since 2006 that the championships had been held outside of Europe, and the first time ever that it was held in South America. That perhaps made for a cool race location, but it mightve also thinned the field. 106 men finished last years race, and just 77 this year. 61 women finished this year, against 77 in 2018. Lets not let that overshadow a great day for many though.

Women

Grayson Murphy (USA) is pretty much a trail running rookie and, get this, now a mountain running world champion. It sounds contradictory, but Murphy, 24 years old and a five-time All-American while at the University of Utah, went to the front right away and finished in 1:15:20.

Murphys quick entry into the discipline also includes a first- and second-place finish at two Cirque Seriesraces, a second at this yearsBridger Ridge Runrace in Montana, and of course a win at theU.S. Mountain Running Championshipsin New Hampshire earlier too.

Elise Poncet(France) chased to a second-place 1:15:41, and Phillipa Williams(U.K.) was third in 1:16:45.

The 2019 World Mountain Running Championships womens podium (l-to-r): 3. Phillipa Williams, 1. Grayson Murphy, and 2. Elise Poncet. Photo: World Mountain Running Association

The rest of the top 10 ran as:

4 Adela Stranska(Czech Republic) 1:17:535 Lizaida Thalia Valdivia Margarino(Peru) 1:18:106 Christel Dewalle(France) 1:18:167 Anais Sabrie(France) 1:18:308 Elisa Sortini(Italy) 1:18:579 Amily Colling(U.K.) 1:19:0310 Tereza Hrochova(Czech Republic) 1:19:39

Dewalle previously served a four-month doping ban after a positive test for the stimulant Heptaminol at the 2016 Skyrunning World Championships.

Other U.S. runners were:

Kenyan and Ugandan runners took three of the top-four finish positions a year ago, but logistical issues prevented them from attending this years race.

France won the team gold, the Czech Republic team silver, and the U.K. bronze.

Men

Joe Gray(USA) won this race back in 2016 in Bulgaria in an all-uphill year, and did it again. A perennial member of the U.S. mountain running team, Gray won his second mountain running world championships in form just like womens winner Murphyby going to the front at the start and leading the entire way. Gray finished in 1:05:13, though second-place Cesare Maestri(Italy) was just eight seconds back. Marek Chrascina (Czech Republic) was a surprise third in 1:05:57.

Joe Gray, 2019 World Mountain Running Champion. Photo: World Mountain Running Association

The rest of the top 10 included:

4 Jan Janu(Czech Republic) 1:06:005 Alexandre Fine(France) 1:06:076 Manuel Innerhofer(Austria) 1:06:157 Andrew Douglas(U.K.) 1:06:228 Jacob Adkin(U.K.) 1:06:339 Xavier Chevrier (Italy) 1:07:2110 Jachym Kovar(Czech Republic) 1:07:27

Other U.S. runners included:

The Czechs scored an upset win in the team competition, besting second-place U.S. and third-place Italy. Uganda had won team gold each of the last two years, but as noted above, did not compete this year.

Full results.

For the first time, the shorter, or classic, World Mountain Running Championships, and the World Mountain Running Long Distance Championshipswere held on back-to-back days at the same locale. That allowed a few ambitious runners to double, but similar to the classic race, race numbers were down. Just 29 women finished versus 52 a year ago, for instance.

Women

Admit it armchair quarterbacks, Cristina Simion(Romania) wasnt on your radar. Four days shy of her 28th birthday, Simion shocked the world and won individual gold in 3:49:57. French teammates Adeline RocheandBlandine LHirondel ran 3:51:56 and 3:52:07 for second and third. LHirondel won the Trail Running World Championshipsearlier this year.

Cristina Simion, 2019 World Mountain Running Long Distance Champion. Photo: World Mountain Running Association

Also in the top 10 were:

4 Silvia Rampazzo(Italy) 3:565 Sheila Avils(Spain) 3:566 Ainhoa Sanz(Spain) 3:577 Charlotte Morgan(U.K.) 3:588 Denisa Dragomir(Romania) 3:599 Eli Gordon(Spain) 4:0110 Emily Schmitz (USA) 4:01

Other U.S. runners were:

Men

Much like in the mens and womens short-course races,Jim Walmsley(USA) bolted from the start line and led the entire way, finishing in 3:12:16. Francesco Puppi(Italy) never gave up the chase and surrendered only a small gap. He was second in 3:13:04. 2019 Skyrunner World Series runner-up Oriol Cardona(Spain) was a distant third in 3:20:24.

Jim Walmsley, 2019 World Mountain Running Long Distance Champion. Photo: World Mountain Running Association

Well go top 10 here too:

4 Jonathan Albon(U.K.) 3:225 Andreu Simon(Spain) 3:256 Hayden Hawks(USA) 3:267 Antonio Martinez(Spain) 3:278 Gabrielle Bacchion(Italy) 3:289 Nicolas Martin (France) 3:2810 David Sinclair(USA) 3:29

The fourth U.S. runner was 31st-placeMario Mendozain 3:42.

Despite putting three runners in the top 10, Spain did better than the U.S. and won team gold. The U.S. was second, and Italy was third.

Full results.

iRunFar was atThe North Face Endurance Challenge 50 Mile Championships race with its full build of pre- and post-race interviews, and in-race coverage. The greater race dynamics have been featured in more detail separately. The races $10,000 first-place prize remained, but for me at home on my couch (or actually at the North Pole amusement park in Colorado Springs, Colorado), it did feel like this years race lost a bit of its starpower relative to prior years. The finish times when measured against the 2017 edition on this same course bear that out too.

Women

Fifty-mile ace YiOu Wangruled her home trails, particularly in the races second half, and won in 7:21. The time was 13 minutes back of whatIda Nilsson(Sweden) ran here in 2017.

Anne-Marie Madden(Canada) edged Addie Bracy for second, 7:38 to 7:39, though there was officially 88 seconds between the two. The separate results post has already gone 10 deep, but 26 women were included in the pre-race preview and well recap how each did.

The 2019 The North Face Endurance Challenge 50 Mile Championships womens podium (l-to-r): 3. Addie Bracy, 1. YiOu Wang, and 2. Anne-Marie Madden. Photo: iRunFar/Bryon Powell

Drops included Elise Delannoy (France), Anna Mae Flynn,Taylor Nowlin,Katelyn Steen, and Lindsey Ulrich.

Were not completely certain, but it appears that Shelley Doucet(Canada),Nicole Freitag,Heather Lieberg,Kim Magnus (Canada),Julia Stamps Mallon, Roxanne Vogel, and Jana Willsey did not start the race.

Men

Second at this yearsLake Sonoma 50 Mile, just like womens winner Wang,Sbastien Spehler(France) returned to the Golden State and came away victorious. Spehler was near the front all day and won in 6:27. Also just like with the womens race, this winning time too didnt threaten that of the 2017 edition when Tim Frerikswon in 6:02.

Darren Thomasmade a late pass to advance into second in 6:32, andThibaut Garrivier(France) held on for third in 6:35.

Sebastien Spehler, 2019 TNF 50 Mile champion. Photo: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks

Excluding known non-starters, 40 men were on the pre-race preview, and heres how they all did:

Drops among those named in the preview article were limited to Matt Daniels.

It appears that none of Mathieu Blanchard, Patrick Caron, Brian Condon,Dustin Franta, Ryan Kaiser,Bryan Kerl, Hal Koerner, Ryan Montgomery,Hans Paul Pizzinini, Adrien Prigent,Carlos Ruibal, andPaul Weeksstarted the race.

Full results.

The North Face Endurance Challenge 50k Championships

The 50-mile race is the marquee event atThe North Face Endurance Challenge Championships, but the 50k had a good field too.Corinne Shalvoywas just on the wrong side of five hours, but won in 5:00. Race local Jenny Comiskey was second in 5:15, and two-time Olympian Kara Goucher was third in 5:30.Nicholas Handel, um, handled the mens group with a convincing 3:58 win.Brian GillisandJustin Grunewaldwere second and third in 4:11 and 4:15, respectively. Deeper results includedAlex Varner, sixth in 4:35. Full results.

Corinne Shalvoy, The North Face Endurance Challenge 50k Champion. Photo: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks

The North Face Endurance Challenge Marathon Championships

Several well-known names dotted the events marathon distance race. Lauren Johnsonwas sixth overall and first woman in 3:27, andLindsay AllenandNina Carsonwere second and third in 3:48 and 4:00.Jared Smithjumped the mens field and won in 3:06.Seth SwansonandChristopher Concannonwere second and third in 3:10 and 3:18.Rob Krarwas fourth in 3:20, andMike Footewas seventh in 3:39. Full results.

Dead Horse Ultra

The Mad Moose EventsDead Horse Ultrain Moab, Utah had 50-mile, 50k, and 30k races.Anne FlowerandJeason Murphyfinished atop the 50-mile race in 7:43 and 6:25.Nora Weatherwon the 50k in 4:05, just 36 seconds in front of second-placeAbigail Moore. The mens race was close too with only three minutes between the front five. Jesse Wesolowskiescaped the group though to lead in 3:41, 19 seconds better thanTyler Hagen. And then in the 30k, Reese RulandandTimmy Parrwon in 2:12 and 1:46, respectively. It was a new course record for Parr, beating a record he set in 2018.Full results.

Wild Hare 50 Mile

Breanna FancherandThomas Orfwon the Tejas Trails Wild Hare 50 Milerace between Austin and Houston, Texas. The two frontrunners prevailed in 9:52 and 7:24.Shandra MooreandWade Barrettwon the accompanying 50k in 4:39 and 4:16. Full results.

NYRR NYC 60k

It doesnt have the same kind of race size as the recentNew York City Marathon, but theNYRR NYC 60k(37.2 miles) still had a Central Park finish. In fact, the race course was entirely in Central Park with nine loops. Tiffany EnglandandJames Gormandid it the fastest with 4:47 and 4:04 finishes. Full results.

Itll be the 57th year for the point-to-pointJFK 50 Milerace. The start list is some 28 pages long, sorted alphabetically, but we spotted a few familiar names.

Women

Men

Full entrant list.

Here is the original post:

This Week in Running: November 18, 2019 - iRunFar