The post This Week In Running: October 13, 2025 appeared first on iRunFar.

It was the year’s last Golden Trail World Series contest, the Kodiak Ultramarathons was a UTMB World Series Major, and the Skyrunner World Series went to Northern Ireland.

Those are the big highlights for this week.

Ledro Sky Trentino Grand Finale – Trentino, Italy

The event was the Golden Trail World Series (GTWS) final. Many top runners were doubling back from the World Mountain Running Championships two weeks ago. But whether because they were instead prioritizing the GTWS finale or didn’t have the opportunity to race at worlds, others were fresh, and that made for some intriguing match-ups.

Prologue

The three-day event started with the Prologue, a 6.9-kilometer race that went up from the beaches of Lake Ledro to the forests of San Martino, and back downhill, gaining and losing 500 meters of elevation in the process. It was staged in a time trial format with runners leaving the start line individually one minute apart.

Women’s Race

Mădălina Florea (Romania) entered the race as the series leader, and she was a notable absence at the aforementioned World Mountain Running Championships. Florea instead raced last weekend’s Brasov Running Festival 10k and won the women’s amateur race in 35:23. That must’ve been the final tune-up she needed because Florea blasted from the start line and climbed to the high point with a minute lead on the field. Lauren Gregory (U.S.) ate into that gap on the second-half descent, but Florea’s early lead stuck for a first-place 39:55 finish. Gregory was second in 40:06, and Joyce Njeru (Kenya) was third in 41:17.

Women’s Top 10

1. Mădălina Florea (Romania) – 39:55
2. Lauren Gregory (U.S.) – 40:06
3. Joyce Njeru (Kenya) – 41:17
4. Sara Alonso (Spain) – 41:19
5. Rosa Lara (Spain) – 42:04
6. Malen Osa (Spain) – 42:16
7. Naomi Lang (U.K.) – 42:36
8. Céline Aebi (Switzerland) – 42:56
9. Marie Nivet (France) – 43:09
10. Courtney Coppinger (U.S.) – 43:12

Men’s Race

This year’s GTWS has belonged to Elhousine Elazzaoui (Morocco). Known for his downhill skill, Elazzaoui outclimbed everyone here, too. He hit the high point 41 and 86 seconds better than his chief rivals, Patrick Kipngeno (Kenya) and Philemon Kiriago (Kenya). Already ahead at the top, Elazzaoui was predictably uncatchable on the downhill. He won the men’s Prologue in 32:24, over two minutes better than anyone else.

Joey Hadorn (Switzerland) and Taylor Stack (U.S.) were second and third in 34:38 and 34:54, respectively.

Men’s Top 10

1. Elhousine Elazzaoui (Morocco) – 32:24
2. Joey Hadorn (Switzerland) – 34:38
3. Taylor Stack (U.S.) – 34:54
4. Patrick Kipngeno (Kenya) – 34:55
5. Christian Allen (U.S.) – 34:57
6. Paul Machoka (Kenya) – 35:05
7. Theo Burgeois (France) – 35:18
8. Philemon Kiriago (Kenya) – 35:24
9. Manuel Innerhofer (Austria) – 25:33
10. Daniel Pattis (Italy) – 35:43

Sky Trentino

On Saturday and Sunday, the women and men moved to a 21k race with 1,600 meters of elevation gain. The Prologue was a bit of a warm-up or undercard, and this was the last chance to shine on the year’s series.

Women’s Race

Florea again moved to the front early, but as the lead group neared the top of the climb, Gregory moved to the front and outclassed the field the rest of the way. Gregory, who was fifth at the 2025 World Mountain Running Championships Up and Down race two weeks ago, won in 2:22.

Early leader Florea held on for second in 2:25, 32 seconds better than third-place Sara Alonso (Spain).

Florea was the overall series winner with 958 points. She won the Il Golfo Dell Isola Trail race in Italy in May and was second in two other GTWS races, and third in yet two others before the finale. Alonso and Gregory were second and third in the series with 913 and 878 points, respectively.

Women’s Top 10

1. Lauren Gregory (U.S.) – 2:22:51
2. Mădălina Florea (Romania) – 2:25:22
3. Sara Alonso (Spain) – 2:25:54
4. Lucija Krkoc (Slovenia) – 2:27:00
5. Malen Osa (Spain) – 2:27:45
6. Barbora Bukovjan (Czech Republic) – 2:27:46
7. Rosa Lara (Spain) – 2:28:37
8. Joyce Njeru (Kenya) – 2:29:19
9. Marie Nivet (France) – 2:33:59
10. Anna Gibson (U.S.) – 2:35:40

Men’s Race

It was the last GTWS race of the year, but it looked like so many others. Elhousine Elazzaoui was still top dog. He started slow and gained the lead group before the high point, and then eventually raced past Paul Machoka (Kenya) for the win with about 5k to race. Elazzoui finished first in 1:58:30.

Patrick Kipngeno overtook early pacesetter Paul Machoka for second, and the two finished in 1:58:50 and 1:59:32.

Whether he was tired or was simply outrun, recent World Mountain Running Championships Up and Down winner Philemon Kiriago (Kenya) was a non-factor on the weekend. He followed up an eighth-place finish in the Prologue with a fifth-place finish here.

Elazzaoui, of course, won the overall GTWS series too. He dominated this year’s series, and his only blip was a ninth-place run at Sierre-Zinal. Kipngeno and Kiriago finished the series in second and third.

Men’s Top 10

1. Elhousine Elazzaoui (Morocco) – 1:58:30
2. Patrick Kipngeno (Kenya) – 1:58:50
3. Paul Machoka (Kenya) – 1:59:32
4. Taylor Stack (U.S.) – 1:59:42
5. Philemon Kiriago (Kenya) – 2:00:15
6. Michael Selelo Saoli (Kenya) – 2:00:18
7. Joey Hadorn (Switzerland) – 2:02:08
8. Fabián Venero (Spain) – 2:03:07
9. Daniel Pattis (Italy) – 2:03:27
10. Ïu Net (Spain) – 2:05:24

Full results.

Kodiak Ultramarathons – Big Bear, California

The two-day event in southern California was a UTMB World Series Major, and that made it a late-in-the-year chance for runners to secure entry to next year’s UTMB, CCC, and OCC races.

100 Mile

Lin Chen (China) won the Canyons 100 Mile race in April, missed the Western States 100 in June with injury, dropped from UTMB in August, and came back here to win the women’s race in 19:31. She’ll be back in the U.S. in February 2026 for the Black Canyon 100k too. It was a close race, as Madison Liechty was only 12 minutes back in 19:43, and Genevieve Harrison was third in 20:15.

In the men’s race, Hayden Hawks bounced back from a drop at UTMB in August to win here in 16:40. Joe McConaughy kept it close in second in 17:01, and Jhon Barrera (Colombia) ran 17:29 for the final podium spot.

100k

The 2024 Leadville Trail 100 Mile winner Mary Denholm crushed the women’s race with a 9:28 finish, and Erin Moyer and Imogen Ainsworth were next in 10:03 and 10:50.

The men ran it closer with Kellen Blumberg beating Guillaume Tiphene (France) for the win by just 64 seconds. The two finished in 8:30 and 8:31. Ryan Raff was third in 8:53.

50k

In her 50k debut, road marathoner Makena Morley won in 4:03. In June, she ran 2:30 at the Grandma’s Marathon. Alicia Vargo was second in 4:14, and Sofie Schunk was exactly a minute behind in 4:15 for third.

Recent Trail World Championships Short Trail third-placer finisher Andreu Blanes (Spain) won the men’s race in 3:30. Alex García (Spain) edged Anthony Costales for second. Both García and Costales ran 3:38, but with García 28 seconds ahead.

Full results.

Mourne Skyline – New Castle, Northern Ireland, U.K.

The Skyrunner World Series moved to the Mourne Mountains for a 35k romp with 2,700 meters of elevation gain. The course crested the highest point in Northern Ireland.

Naiara Irigoyen (Spain) won her third Skyrunner World Series event this year and set a new women’s course record in 4:13. Irigoyen followed Marta Martínez (Spain) up the race’s first climb, and then led the rest of the race. Martínez outdueled Natalie Beadle (U.K.) for second. The two were only 55 seconds apart in 4:19 and 4:20.

Just off a Trail World Championships Short Trail second-place finish, Manuel Merillas (Spain) won the men’s race here in 3:23. It was a new course record. A wrong turn took Merillas’s closest chasers off course, and Oier Zubeldia (Spain) and Damien Humbert (France) benefited by moving up to second and third, both in 3:36 but 45 seconds apart.

Full results.

Additional Races and Runs

Rock Bridge Revenge 50k – Columbia, Missouri

Zita Hubler won the women’s race in 6:08, and Ben Eiffert was first home for the men in 4:20. Full results.

Defiance 50k – Point Defiance, Washington

The race went through the old-growth forests of Point Defiance, and Teresa Makowski and Ben DeMeerleer won in 5:03 and 4:01. Full results.

Mad Meadows 50 Mile – Leavenworth, Washington

Christine Mosley and Ryan Leaming led the race in 11:05 and 9:43. Full results.

Middle Fork Trail Run 50k – North Bend, Washington

Race winners Carlie Stowe and Charlie Lahud-Zahner took it in 5:00 and 4:06. Full results.

Angel’s Rest 50k – Cascade Locks, Oregon

The second-year race had a small group of 50k runners with Amy Robichaux and Grant Farrell winning in 5:44 and 5:00, respectively. Full results.

Le Grizz 50 Mile – Polebridge, Montana

Rosie Rigas and Oliver Bieser won in 8:08 and 6:05. Full results.

Moab 240 Mile – Moab, Utah

They’re still going, but at the time of this article’s writing on Sunday night, Manuela Vilaseca (Brazil) and Rebecca Rick are dueling at the front of the women’s race, and 200-mile pro Kilian Korth is closing in on another win in the men’s race. Tracking.

Sage Burner 50k – Gunnison, Colorado

A small 50k field had race locals Hailey Loeffler and Ty Reed at the front in 5:26 and 4:58. Full results.

Chicago Marathon – Chicago, Illinois

It slim pickin’s for ultrarunner results in here, but 50k world-record holder CJ Albertson was 19th in 2:10:38. Full results.

Wolverine State 100 Mile – Petoskey, Michigan

Laura Pahren, Cody Powers, and Eleanor Kallo took home the wins in the women’s, men’s, and non-binary categories in 21:51, 16:50, and 31:31, respectively. Full results.

Virginia Trail Running Festival – Fries, Virginia

The first-year flat and fast 100 miler had Erica Reinsel and Brian Zickefoose run 17:13 and 13:50 at the very top. Full results.

CanLake 50 Ultras – Canandaigua, New York

The 50-mile winners Liz Chafik and Hunter Tedder won in 8:28 and 6:22, and Alex Steigelfest and Doug Wingate were best in the 50k in 4:54 and 3:39. Full results.

Rainbow Ridge 50k – Rainbow, Oregon

Racers faced snow in this first-year event, and Elyria Kabasenche and Taylor Spike took home the women’s and men’s wins in 7:37 and 6:20. Full results.

Call for Comments

• What do you make of the GTWS finale?
• Is it ok to lament that Elazzaoui wasn’t at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships, too, or that Nina Engelhard (Germany) wasn’t at the GTWS finale?
• What else caught your eye this week in running?

This Week In Running: October 13, 2025 by Justin Mock.

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The post The North Face Athletes at the 2025 Trail World Championships appeared first on iRunFar.

At the end of September, athletes from around the world gathered in Canfranc, Spain, for the 2025 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships. Unlike most trail and ultra races throughout the year, this was a chance for athletes to represent their countries on the world stage. It’s a unique format for racing, and several The North Face athletes had strong showings on the Pyrenean trails.

The biennial championships, comprising four major races across four days, are one of the biggest events on the off-road running calendar and attract many of the top athletes from around the world. The North Face had athletes running in two of those four races, both the Trail World Championships Short Trail and Long Trail. Both race routes were held on much more technical terrain than traditional trail races, and many athletes likened the courses more to skyrunning — with ridges, exposure, and endless rocks — than the more manicured trails that many events are gravitating toward.

Excelling in these courses required the right combination of technical skills and endurance, and several The North Face team members did exactly that.

Thanks so much to The North Face for sponsoring iRunFar’s coverage of the 2025 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships!

The North Face Runners in the 2025 Trail World Championships Short Trail

Short may have been a bit of a misnomer for the 2025 Trail World Championships Short Trail event, a 45-kilometer (28 miles) race featuring more than 3,600 meters (12,000 feet) of elevation gain on the storied CanfrancCanfranc Marathon course. With a 1,400-meter (4,600 feet) climb straight out of the gate, which was followed by a technical descent and three more major climbs, the route rewarded fitness, pacing, and the ability to move smoothly and efficiently over difficult terrain. The North Face’s rising star Ruby Lindquist — who said she loved the course — ran a steady race throughout the day to take home 11th in 5:57:07 as the second American finisher in a competitive women’s race. She was within a minute of 10th place.

“Usually I can tell before races when I’m warming up how my body’s feeling, and if it’s going to be a decent day or not. Unfortunately, sometimes I just feel really laggy, but when I was warming up before this race, I was feeling pretty good,” Lindquist said. “And when I started, the first two hours felt really good.” Lindquist went on to explain, “I couldn’t figure out if it was just the adrenaline or if I actually felt good.” Adrenaline or not, Lindquist took full advantage. “I kind of just rode it the whole race. I was fortunate to have a really good day.”

Lindquist, 26, was a member of The North Face’s Athlete Development Program, which provides funding and education for athletes to accelerate their careers in outdoor sports. She signed a contract with The North Face after the program concluded last year.

“The North Face was the first group who helped me believe that I had a future in this,” Lindquist said. “I think that they really supported me at a time where I was at the very beginning of this career, where I didn’t even know if this could be a thing.”

This run was perhaps the Alaskan runner’s biggest result on the world stage and capped off an impressive year. She won the Big Alta 28k in March before finishing second at Mt. Fuji Kai 70k a month later.

“Leading into [the Trail World Championships], my biggest drive was just that I’ve never competed on a stage that big, and I always had this feeling, if I do compete on a world stage, I could do pretty well,” Lindquist said. “But you just don’t know if you haven’t done it.”

She added, “Representing your country at the world championships is a pretty incredible and special honor.”

One of the unique aspects of the Trail World Championships events is that there’s also a team competition, with the times of the top three athletes from a nation adding together to form a final team time. Lindquist was the second American to finish, and was therefore a scoring member of the silver-medal winning women’s Team USA for the Short Trail.

In the men’s race, The North Face runner Seth Ruhling battled back from a tough start to finish as the fourth American and 32nd overall in 5:27:04. Ruhling ran a course record at the Black Canyon 100k in February before placing sixth at the Western States 100 in his 100-mile debut. The Trail World Championships Short Trail was a far cry from the much flatter and smoother California trails that Ruhling had spent the start of his year excelling on, but in a field of nearly 200 men containing some of the top technical runners in the world, Ruhling’s result shows incredible versatility.

Fellow The North Face runner Johnny Luna Lima, competing for Brazil, finished 70th in 5:46:39, and American Michelino Sunseri finished 81st in 5:53:11.

The North Face Runners in the 2025 Trail World Championships Long Trail

While the Trail World Championships Long Trail race was only 81 kilometers (50.3 miles) in length, many of the top men were estimating finish times of nine to 10 hours. That is to say, the terrain on the mountainous loop around Canfranc, with 5,078 meters (16,600 feet) of elevation gain, was relatively slow and remarkably technical. Reaching the same high point as the prior day’s Short Trail and completing the route of the World Mountain Running Championships Uphill race, which took place two days before, there was no shortage of vert, rocks, and challenges.

Zach Miller, one of the biggest names in American trail running and a perennial fan favorite for his candidness and all-out racing style, made it to as high as 10th place more than halfway through the race before finishing 18th in 9:44:01.

“I still haven’t sat down and jotted all my thoughts, but I’ve been telling people I’ve had mixed feelings about my about my performance,” Miller said. “What I don’t have mixed feelings about is that the course itself was really cool. The race that they put together this year was a very proper mountain race.”

Early on in the race, Miller was asking about the positions of his teammates and was visibly excited to hear how well everyone was doing.

“Our team was very good this year. All the guys on it are very good runners,” Miller said. “So I was like, ‘Well, I’d at least like to really try to score for the team.’ I was the third guy for our team, even though I would’ve liked to have been higher up in the field, I did score, so I was happy about that.”

Miller’s top-20 finish came just two months after his fifth-place finish at the Hardrock 100. Miller was part of the Team USA men’s team that also placed second at the Trail World Championships Long Trail in 2023, when Miller placed sixth overall, sandwiched between two other Team USA runners.

“I’ve been in world championships for a number of years now and I think this one was hands-down the most competitive one I’ve been to,” Miller said. “Which also made it very fun, because even though I was hoping to be higher up in the in the finish rankings, those guys out front just ran faster than I was thinking it was going to go, which was very impressive. The competitiveness was really cool, because all day long you were just battling.”

Tracen Knopp, another The North Face athlete competing for the U.S., used an impressive second half of the race to finish 25th in 9:58:03 in his debut at the world championships. Knopp, from Alaska, methodically moved his way up throughout the race, from 42nd just before 30k to 31st by 65k. He continued to pick off more runners in front of him to finish 25th.

“I thought Tracen did quite well,” Miller said. “The world championships are a challenging, competitive format, and a top 25 for him — that was strong work.”

Miller and Knopp’s finishes meant two of the top four runners on the second-place American men’s team were The North Face athletes, impressive performances on a true mountain course that tested every aspect of a runner’s skill, perseverance, and dedication.

Paddy O’Leary, the charismatic Irish runner for The North Face, had an admittedly tough race in the Long Trail but gutted it out to the finish. He was 109th in 12:13:32. Though his performance in this race wasn’t what he had hoped for, he still had an impressive 2025, with a top-25 finish at Transgrancanaria Marathon and a fourth-place finish at the Big Alta 28k.

In the women’s Long Trail race, The North Face had two athletes competing for their countries. Germany’s Ida-Sophie Hegemann, who thrives in races with lots of elevation gain, finished 28th in 11:57:46. American Klaire Rhodes was 35th in 12:15:39, just two months after she placed fourth at the Eiger Ultra Trail 41k.

[Editor’s Note: This article is sponsored by The North Face. Thank you to the brands for their sponsorship of iRunFar, which helps to make iRunFar happen and is free for all to enjoy. Learn more about our sponsored articles.]

The North Face Athletes at the 2025 Trail World Championships by Sponsored Post.

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