In today’s RunUltra Update, Charlie Lawrence and Courtney Olsen claimed the individual titles at the 2026 IAU 100km World Championships in Ames, Spain, while Britain’s Alex Milne added a bronze medal to his growing international record.
Lawrence took control shortly before halfway and held off 100km world-record holder Aleksandr Sorokin to win in 6:09:25. Sorokin finished second in 6:12:41, with Milne completing the podium in 6:17:50.
Milne’s result followed his victory at the 2025 IAU 50km World Championships, giving the British runner world championship medals over two ultra distances in successive years.
The men’s team contest was even closer. The USA won in a combined 19:17:18, beating Great Britain’s 19:18:02 by 46 seconds. France took third in 19:22:53.
Olsen came through the field to win the women’s race in 7:10:31. Japan’s Miho Nakata had led for roughly 75km before Olsen passed her on the 17th of 20 laps. Nakata held on for silver in 7:11:57, just 1:26 behind the winner.
Spain’s Gemma Arenas Alcazar regained third late in the race and finished in 7:17:50. Croatia won the women’s team title ahead of Spain and Finland.
The championship course combined an opening 4.8km loop with 19 laps of 5km and two 100m transition sections. Temperatures rose from 16°C towards 32°C on roads and bike paths around Ames. The IAU recorded 194 finishers representing 43 federations.
Course Records Fall in Vietnam and Colorado
Hà Thị Hậu won the women’s 100km race at the Vietnam Mountain Marathon in a course-record 12:54:43. Her performance also placed her second overall.
Man Kumar Roka Magar set the men’s course record with an 11:42:37 finish. The flagship race packs 5,500m of ascent into 100km through the mountains and terraced valleys around Sa Pa.
Established in 2013, the Vietnam Mountain Marathon is part of the World Trail Majors. Its programme ranges from 10km to 161km, with the longest course carrying 8,800m of ascent.
Two more course records fell at the Run Rabbit Run 100 Mile in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. Ryan Sullivan won the men’s race in 17:03:38, while Hannah Allgood took the women’s title in 19:01:59. Each winner received $20,000.
The race has announced a major increase for 2027 and 2028, promising $100,000 to both the men’s and women’s winner in each edition. If paid as planned, the award would rank among the largest individual prizes in trail running and would put renewed focus on what elite athletes can earn from the sport’s biggest races.
Kipngeno and Gröber Win at Myoko Trail
Patrick Kipngeno won the Golden Trail World Series debut of Japan’s Myoko Trail in 2:07:12. The approximately 24km course featured almost 2,000m of ascent, including a climb of more than 1,000m in its opening five kilometres.
Philemon Kiriago finished second, 1:25 behind Kipngeno, and moved into the overall series lead with 860 points. The result followed his victory at Sierre-Zinal. Michael Selelo took third to complete a podium sweep for Run2Gether On Trail.
Germany’s Hanna Gröber led from the early stages of the women’s race and earned her first GTWS victory in 2:30:19. Marie Nivet finished second, 2:48 behind, and Barbora Bukovjan was third.
The series now moves to China for the 23km Jinshanling Great Wall Trail Race on 27 September. Its route includes 1,600m of ascent across steep and uneven steps, as well as sandy climbs and descents, before the Grand Final in South Korea.
Salomon Signs Five-Year IRONMAN Partnership
Salomon will become an IRONMAN Global Premier Partner in 2027 under a five-year agreement running through 2031. The deal gives the company exclusive rights across performance footwear, apparel and technical bags within the IRONMAN ecosystem.
The partnership extends Salomon’s reach from trail and road running into long-distance triathlon. The brand will have a presence at selected IRONMAN-owned events in the United States and Europe, including ownership of the IRONMAN running course, and will become title partner of the 2027 IRONMAN World Championship in Kona, Hawai‘i.
Salomon plans its first activation at the 2026 IRONMAN World Championship in Kona on 7–8 October, before the partnership formally begins.
Keddie and Pearson Lead Grand to Grand
Emily Keddie leads the self-supported women’s field at the Grand to Grand Ultra after two stages, with a cumulative time of 11:37:09. Andy Pearson leads the self-supported men in 12:45:17.
Keddie won the opening 49.6km stage in 5:50:29 before completing the 43.3km second stage in 5:46:40. Pearson also led on both days, recording 6:18:17 and 6:27:00.
The seven-day race covers approximately 275km in six stages through the deserts of northern Arizona and southern Utah. Competitors in the self-supported category carry their own equipment across terrain that includes exposed desert, cactus, sand, mesas and the Grand Canyon region.
Stage three is the long stage and carries a 34-hour cutoff.
