World records, World Trail Majors, and win streaks. If that’s not enough, there were two USA Track and Field (USATF) championships and the Skymasters event too.

You can also check out our race coverage from the weekend:

• Anne Flower Sets 50-Mile World Record at the 2025 Tunnel Hill 50 Mile
• Caitriona Jennings Sets 100-Mile World Record at the 2025 Tunnel Hill 100 Mile

Tunnel Hill – Vienna, Illinois

World and course records are being canceled quicker than flight schedules. Old times disappear faster than security at the Louvre. That’s how it is in 2025, and so expectations were high at Tunnel Hill.

World records were set here in 2021, 2023, and 2024, and the women did even better than that this year. There was not one, but two new world records, and a longstanding North American women’s record went down too.

50 Mile

The 50-mile race was also the USATF 50-Mile Road Championship. There was a $4,000 prize purse that paid $1,200 to the winners.

**Anne Flower **broke the women’s world record by 13 minutes. Flower ran 5:18:57. That’s 6:23 per mile, and it’s way up on **Courtney Olsen’s **year-old former 5:31:56 world record. On top of the first-place cash prize, Flower earned a $5,000 course-record bonus, too. In August, she broke the 31-year-old Leadville Trail 100 Mile course record in her 100-mile debut.

Anne Flower, the 2025 Tunnel Hill 50 Mile women’s winner and new women’s 50-mile world record holder. Photo: Micki Colson/Colson Photography

Former world record-holder Olsen was second to the 50-mile mark in 5:33:59, barely two minutes back of her old mark, and then she kept going to win the 100k race in 6:59:55. That sub-7 hour time was a new North American 100k record, almost a minute better than an **Ann Trason **mark that had stood since 1995. Recovery will need to be quick for Olsen, as she’s got the IAU 50k World Championships in India in one month.

Behind Flower and Olsen,** Emily Hugo **was third in the women’s 50-mile race in 5:50:54.

There was no new world record in the men’s race, but **Brogan Austin **won in 5:02:54, and **Geoffrey Burns **was second in 5:06:28. **John Donovan **was third in 5:14:14. Brogan is now the ninth-fastest man ever over 50 miles in North America.

Brogan Austin, the 2025 Tunnel Hill 50 Mile men’s winner. Photo: Micki Colson/Colson Photography

100 Mile

Ireland’s **Caitriona Jennings **ran 12:37:04 to win the women’s race and set a new women’s world record. She won $1,250 in first-place prize money, plus a $7,500 bonus for a new world record, plus $6,000 for a new course record. That’s $14,750. Jenning’s run eclipsed **Camille Herron’s **old 12:42:39 world record from 2017 set at this same race.

Caitriona Jennings, the 2025 Tunnel Hill 100 Mile winner and new women’s 100-mile world record holder. Photo: Micki Colson/Colson Photography

Second and third in the women’s 100-mile race were **Piper Gray **and **Kaydi Bolos **in 16:33:50 and 16:53:53.

Less than 13 minutes separated the first three men, and all got close to breaking 12 hours. Perennial Tunnel Hill podium-getter **Phil Young **escaped from **Reese Slobodianuk **to win in 12:03:27. Slobodianuk chased to second in 12:05:38, and third-place **Rob King **ran 12:16:09. Young and Slobodianuk are now the fourth- and fifth-fastest North American men ever over 100 miles, and King is the ninth fastest. Young won $1,250 in first-place prize money.

Phil Young, the 2025 Tunnel Hill 100 Mile men’s winner. Photo: Micki Colson/Colson Photography

Marathon

Like Olsen, **Allison Mercer **is on Team USA for the 50k World Championships team, too. Mercer went shorter for her final tune-up and won the marathon distance in 2:50:05. **Joshua Moore **was just ahead as the men’s winner in 2:47:03.

Full results.

Grampians Peaks Trail – Grampians National Park, Australia

The Australian races were part of the World Trail Majors, and although that brought in a few international runners at the top, the fields were mostly from the host country. The races were in a mountainous area in Australia’s southeast corner, three hours west of Melbourne.

GPT 100 Miler

The long course went 162 kilometers with 7,700 meters of climbing covering the entire Grampians Peak Trail on a north-to-south run. That’s 100 miles and 25,262 feet, and race winners won $1,620 each, or $10 per kilometer.

**Man Yee Cheung **(Hong Kong) was victorious in the women’s race in 27:58. It was her second big win of the year, adding to an earlier Mt. Fuji 100 Mile crown. It was all Australian runners behind her. **Nicole Paton **and **Lou Clifton **were second and third in 29:12 and 30:24.

Man Yee Cheung, the 2025 Grampians Peaks Trail 100 Mile women’s winner. Photo: World Trail Majors/Proctor Hockey

For the men,** Caleb Olson **(U.S.) came in as a heavy favorite, and he won in 21:19. It was the latest win in a standout year. Olson earlier this year won Transgrancanaria, Western States 100, and a pair of 50k races in his home state of Utah. His lone blemish on the year was an early drop at August’s Trail World Championships Long Trail race. Before Grampians, Olson shared that this was a longer test — 21 hours in this case — with an eye toward next year’s UTMB.

**George Knight **(Australia) and **Steve Miller **(Australia) were second and third in 23:16 and 23:41, respectively.

Caleb Olson, the 2025 Grampians Peaks Trail 100 Mile men’s winner. Photo: World Trail Majors/Proctor Hockey

GPT 50k

**Fu-Zhao Xiang **(China) won her third World Trail Majors Short Series race of the year. Xiang ran 5:05 and she is the series leader with one race to go. Second-place **Lucy Bartholomew **(Australia) was only 10 minutes back in 5:15, and she did it immediately after winning the nearby Bright 4 Peaks four-day stage race. **Maggie Lennox **(Australia) was third in 5:40.

In the men’s race, Peter Fraňo (Slovakia) gave **Dan Jones **(New Zealand) a rare Southern Hemisphere defeat, and **Ricardo Cherta **(Spain) was a close third. Fraňo won in 4:29 to Jones’s 4:31. Fraňo’s win capped a big 2025 where he firmly established himself among the world’s best. He earlier won Transvulvania, was ninth at Western States 100, and was most recently fifth at the Trail World Championships Long Trail race.

Although Fraňo and Jones have international reputations, comparatively unknown Cherta was a really close third in 4:32.

Full results.

Moab Trail Marathon – Moab, Utah

Marathon

Although the half marathon was the event’s top draw this year, but the full marathon had **Mira Ensley-Field **and **Colin Cooper **as its winners in 4:21 and 3:34, respectively.

Half Marathon

The half marathon was this year’s USATF Half Marathon Trail Championships and paid out $6,600 in prize money, with $700 to the winners. It took a course record to win for both the women and men.

**Tayler Tuttle **ran away with the women’s win in 1:32. She was nearly five minutes better than everyone else. A former University of Colorado runner, Tuttle quietly had a strong year on the trails with wins at the Tamalpa Headlands 50k and Twisted Fork 15k, among other results. **Camila Noe **and **Alicia Vargo **were second and third in 1:37 and 1:38.

Men’s winner **Christian Allen **hasn’t yet turned to the roads for the winter. He ran 1:18 to beat **Andy Wacker **by two minutes and to finish ahead of trail rookie **Camren Todd **by three minutes. Wacker came in at 1:20 and Todd was at the finish in 1:21. Todd could be one to watch in 2026. He recently ran for Utah State University and ran 28:10 in a 10,000-meter track race in April 2025.

Full results.

Marató Dels Dements – Eslida-Ain, Spain

The race was the Skymasters, the end of this year’s Skyrunner World Series. That meant extra scoring points, enough to possibly shake up the top rankings, and it made this one of the year’s deeper Skyrunner World Series races too.

The race was run on a big 42-kilometer loop course with nine big climbs and descents totaling 3,800 meters of gain.

Women

All year long, **Anastasia Rubtsova **(Neutral) has dominated the Skyrunner World Series, winning six of the events. Rubtsova led all of it and won the race in 4:55. **Naiara Irigoyen **(Spain) was second in 5:07, and **Patricia Pineda **(Spain) was third in 5:09.

Rubtsova also won the series, for the second year in a row, and Irigoyen and Pineda were second and third in the series, too.

The women’s top five was:

1. **Anastasia Rubtsova **(Neutral) – 4:55:25
2. **Naiara Irigoyen **(Spain) – 5:07:51
3. **Patricia Pineda **(Spain) – 5:09:06
4. **Marta Martínez **(Spain) – 5:13:14
5. **Denisa Dragomir **(Romania) – 5:16:15

Anastasia Rubtsova, the 2025 Marató dels Dements women’s winner. Photo: Skyrunner World Series

Men

**Manuel Merillas **(Spain) and **Frédéric Tranchand **(France) broke from the group early, and after 25k, Merillas seized the lead. Merillas won the late-season race in 4:02. **Luca Del Pero **(Italy) surged late from fourth to second and was three minutes back in 4:05. Tranchand was another minute back in third at 4:06.

A year after finishing second, Del Pero won the series this year, and **Alain Santamaría **(Spain) was second, and Merillas was third.

The men’s top five was:

1. **Manuel Merillas **(Spain) – 4:02:08
2. **Luca Del Pero **(Italy) – 4:05:12
3. **Frédéric Tranchand **(France) – 4:06:21
4. **José Manuel Quispe **(Peru) – 4:13:59
5. **Alain Santamaría **(Spain) – 4:14:29

Full results.

Manuel Merillas, the 2025 Marató dels Dements men’s winner. Photo: Skyrunner World Series

Puglia by UTMB – Puglia, Italy

The five-race event was in far southern Italy.

The long-course I Sassi di Matera race went 89 miles and with over 12,000 feet of climbing. **Anastasia Davydova **(Neutral) and **Marek Causidis **(Czech Republic) won in 16:35 and 13:36.

**Daniela Rota **(Italy) and **Fredrik Bruseth Toreli **(Norway) were tops in the 53-mile Le Maioliche di Laterza contest. The two winners finished in 8:56 and 7:10.

In the 31-mile race, **Margherita Vitali **(Italy) and **Daniel Pattis **(Italy) won in 4:21 and 3:43.

The 22-mile Ginosa Rivolta Trail had victors Elísa Kristinsdóttir (Iceland) and **Petter Engdahl **(Sweden) come in at 2:36 and 2:23.

Full results.

Prades Epic Trail – Costa Daurada, Spain

The 80k, 50k, and 25k races all paid prize money. It was 3,000 Euro to win the 80k, 2,000 Euro for the 50k, and 1,200 Euro for the 25k.

**Gemma Arenas **(Spain) and **Alejandro Mayor **(Spain) won the long course in 10:05 and 8:24, respectively.

The 50k winners were **Anna Tarasova **(Spain) and **Jose Angel Fernandez **(Spain) in 6:00 and 4:00, and in the 25k it was **Núria Gil **(Spain) and **Jan Torrella **(Spain) in 2:15 and 1:49. Torrella scored the win 19 seconds ahead of **Antonio Martínez **(Spain).

Full results.

Additional Races and Runs

Ultra-Trail Shudao by UTMB – Guangyuan, China

**Ya-Lan Wu **(China) and **Tao Luo **(China) were best in the 100k in 11:10 and 8:56. **Ting Zhang **(China) and **Gui-Du Qin **(China) won the 42k race in 4:37 and 3:44, respectively. Full results.

Thunder River 50k – Cascade Locks, Oregon

The first-year race in the Columbia River Gorge had **Ashley Figel **and **Peter Buckley **win in 4:53 and 3:48. Full results.

Grand Ridge Trail Run 50k – Issaquah, Washington

Tanya Russell won it for the women in 6:10, and Idris Dutertre brought it home for the men in 4:31. Full results when available.

Tanya Russell, the 2025 Grand Ridge Trail Run 50k women’s winner. Photo courtesy of the race.

Idris Dutertre, the 2025 Grand Ridge Trail Run 50k men’s winner. Photo courtesy of the race.

Run the Rock 50k – Terrebone, Oregon

Inside Smith Rock State Park, **Molly Delallo **and **Andrew Bumbalough **won in 4:41 and 3:57. Full results.

Pass Mountain – Mesa, Arizona

**Rachel Entrekin **pushed her win streak to 19. She won the 50-mile race in 8:23. Men’s winner **Michael Tomchaney **finished in 7:43. 50k race winners **Ali Tanguay **and **Avinoam Maier **ran 5:17 and 4:22. Full results.

PhoMo 50k – Phoenix, Arizona

The race’s second edition ran through the Phoenix Mountains Preserve on a course that totaled 6,400 feet of climbing. **Danielle De Ruiter **and **Michael Nanaszko **won in 6:33 and 4:36, and both times reset the course records. Full results.

Danielle De Ruiter and Michael Nanaszko, the 2025 PhoMo 50K women’s and men’s winner. Photos courtesy of the race.

Kessel Run Ultra – Fruita, Colorado

The event’s 50k winners were **Blake Wageman **and **Keegan Oldani **in 4:49 and 3:49. Full results.

Austin Rattler Run 50k – Smithville, Texas

The Life Time Fitness event gave a guaranteed way into next year’s Leadville Trail 100 Mile. **Anneke Durkan **and **Mitch Klomp **won in 4:11 and 3:22. Full results.

The 2025 Austin Rattler Run 50k women’s podium (left to right): 2. Madeline Watts, 1. Anneke Durkan, 3. Laura Mantilla. Photo: Life Time Fitness

The 2025 Austin Rattler Run 50k men’s podium (left to right): 2. Monte Brown, 1. Mitch Klomp, 3. Ty Cervantes. Photo: Life Time Fitness.

Indy Monumental Marathon – Indianapolis, Indiana

Shea Aquilano was 38th in the women’s marathon in 2:46:18, and 50k world record holder **Charlie Lawrence **was 17th in 1:05:09 in the half marathon. Full results.

Ferris 50 Mile – Minden, Nevada

Amber Weibel and Isaac Anguiano won in 8:13 and 8:10. Full result.

Amber Weibel, the 2025 Ferris 50 Mile women’s winner. Photo courtesy of the race.

The 2025 Ferris 50 Mile men’s podium (left to right): 2. Eric Page, 1. Isaac Anguiano, 3. Dylan Torgerson. Photo: Life Time Fitness

Call for Comments

What else can you add to this week’s column?