Change was within the air at this yr’s Canyons by UTMB occasion, held on Friday and Saturday, April 28 and 29, in Auburn, California. There was the addition of a brand new 100-mile race, in addition to a change to a multi-looped format for each the 100-kilometer and 100-mile races, versus the web uphill, point-to-point course which the 100k had historically adopted.
The brand new routes for each the 100k and 100 miler promised to remain on the historic Western States Path for at the very least 50% of the gap — taking in 10,500 toes and 17,000 toes of elevation achieve respectively — however prevented the elements of the path nonetheless feeling the consequences of report snowfall this previous winter.
The 2023 Canyons by UTMB 100k had its enchantment as the ultimate Western States 100 Golden Ticket race, the place the top-two men and women earn entry into the race. The winners had been Ida Nilsson, a Swede who lives in Norway, and Cole Watson, and each had been profitable of their second makes an attempt at securing Golden Tickets this yr.
The occasion was additionally a UTMB World Sequence Main, which means the top-10 women and men within the 50k, 100k, and 100-mile races secured entry into the UTMB Worlds Sequence finals, held this August, in Chamonix, France. This introduced some competitors particularly to the 2023 Canyons by UTMB 100 Mile for its promised spots on the 2023 UTMB begin line, the place wins had been credited to Mathieu Clément, of Switzerland, and Alyssa Clark.
On this article, we first break down the 2023 Canyons by UTMB 100k, and comply with it up with particulars from the 2023 Canyons by UTMB 100 Mile.
Mathieu Clément outsprints Can-Hua Luo to win the 2023 Canyons by UTMB 100 Mile. Photograph: Patrick McDermott – Getty Pictures for Canyons Endurance Runs by UTMB
2023 Canyons by UTMB 100k Males’s Race
Eventual winner Cole Watson began pretty conservatively, and was nonetheless again in sixth place on the 23k Cool assist station, letting others do the management work. He had moved into podium place by midway, finally taking the lead at Drivers Flat at 78k, to win the race in a time of 8:34:39. Watson missed out on the Golden Ticket with a fourth-place end on the Black Canyon 100k earlier this yr, however has now earned his ticket to the Western States 100. From what we perceive, he instantly accepted it.
Adam Merry — who shaped a part of the USA staff who took gold on the 2022 Path World Championships 80k — additionally began additional again to climb up by way of the sphere, transferring into second place with 10k to go. He completed second in 8:50:40, affording him the chance to affix these gold-medal-winning teammates Adam Peterman and Jeff Colt on the Western States 100.
Justin Grunewald bounced again from a DNF on the McDowell Mountain Frenzy 50 Mile two weeks in the past to take third in 8:53:30, simply three minutes again from Merry, who had handed him within the race’s closing levels.
Cole Watson wins the 2023 Canyons by UTMB 100k. Photograph: Patrick McDermott – Getty Pictures for Canyons Endurance Runs by UTMB
2023 Canyons by UTMB 100k Males’s Outcomes
- Cole Watson – 8:34:38
- Adam Merry – 8:50:40
- Justin Grunewald – 8:53:30
- David Laney – 8:59:06
- David Roche – 9:36:45
2023 Canyons by UTMB 100k Girls’s Race
Ida Nilsson, of Sweden however dwelling in Norway, actually wished the Western States 100 Golden Ticket. Flying all the way in which to the Black Canyon 100k this previous February, and lacking the ticket with a fifth-place end, she returned to the U.S. to race this occasion. She held off the remainder of the ladies’s area commandingly, to cross the road in 9:51:07, and eagerly accepted that coveted Golden Ticket.
Canada’s Priscilla Forgie was the second-place lady, crossing the road some 9 minutes after Nilsson. Whereas she earned a Golden Ticket, we perceive she’s taking a while to determine if she’ll settle for it.
Spain’s Aroa Sio was again this yr, after taking third finally yr’s Canyons by UTMB 100k. Effectively guess what, third place for her once more, rounding out an all-international podium.
Ida Nilsson wins the 2023 Canyons by UTMB 100k. Photograph: Patrick McDermott – Getty Pictures for Canyons Endurance Runs by UTMB
2023 Canyons by UTMB 100k Girls’s Race
- Ida Nilsson (Sweden, lives in Norway) – 9:51:07
- Priscilla Forgie (Canada) – 10:00:20
- Aroa Sio (Spain) – 10:11:43
- Anna McKenna (Australia) – 10:12:59
- Addie Bracy – 10:43:34
2023 Canyons by UTMB 100 Mile Males’s Race
One factor is for certain, Mathieu Clément of Switzerland and Can-Hua Luo of China don’t do ties. Neither might shake the opposite till the house stretch — the precise end chute — when Clément outsprinted Luo for the win. Each began fairly conservatively, operating in sixth and seventh respectively by the primary checkpoint 5k in, earlier than steadily climbing up the sphere.
Luo was the aggressor and was steadily gaining momentum for the primary third of the race, earlier than taking the lead by the primary Browns Bar checkpoint, across the 30k mark.
Clément had taken a little bit longer to make his transfer, however by the second Browns Bar checkpoint at 49k, he had crept his means up the sphere and overtaken Luo to maneuver into the lead, by a margin of 32 seconds. We consider that was in regards to the greatest hole there can be between the 2 for the remainder of the day, as Luo caught up they usually principally ran the second half of the race collectively till that dash end.
Canyon Woodward had began out forward of the 2 eventual winners, operating in second on the 5k mark at No Arms Bridge, and briefly held the lead on the 23k mark. He fell again so far as ninth on the Mammoth Bar checkpoint, however recovered nicely to take the third podium spot in 17:46:05.
Mathieu Clément, 2023 Canyons by UTMB 100 Mile champion. Photograph: Patrick McDermott – Getty Pictures for Canyons Endurance Runs by UTMB
2023 Canyons by UTMB 100 Mile Males’s Outcomes
- Mathieu Clément (Switzerland) – 17:05:16
- Can-Hua Luo (China) – 17:05:16
- Canyon Woodward – 17:46:05
- Ethan Peters (Canada) – 17:59:43
- Adam Steidler – 18:52:43
2023 Canyons by UTMB 100 Mile Girls’s Race
Alyssa Clark took the win in 20:13:21, having run a gentle and sensible race on the entrance of the ladies’s area. This continues an amazing run of kind for Clark, who additionally received the 2023 Harm 100 Mile, in addition to final yr’s Lake Sonoma 100k and Moab 240 Mile.
Alexis Crellin ran near Clark all day, and simply 5 minutes separated the 2 at Foresthill checkpoint at 106k, however Clark pulled away within the race’s ultimate third. Crellin finally completed second in 20:55:06.
Prolific 100-mile racer Annie Hughes closed out the rostrum in 21:26, after operating a lot of the race in third place. Hughes was the winner of the 2021 Leadville Path 100 Mile, in addition to the 2022 Cocodona 250 Mile and Run Rabbit Run 100 Mile.
Alyssa Clark, 2023 Canyons by UTMB 100 Mile champion. Photograph: Patrick McDermott – Getty Pictures for Canyons Endurance Runs by UTMB
2023 Canyons by UTMB 100 Mile Girls’s Outcomes
- Alyssa Clark – 20:13:21
- Alexis Crellin – 20:55:06
- Annie Hughes – 21:26:05
- Alex Borsuk – 22:59:02
- Lindsey Dwyer – 23:31:33
