BLACK CANYON ULTRAS 2024. WORLD TRAIL MAJORS. COURSE RECORD TIME. RESULTS

BLACK CANYON ULTRAS 2024. WORLD TRAIL MAJORS. COURSE RECORD TIME. RESULTS. Our ULTRA TRAIL section bring us the final resultsd of the Black Canyon Ultras, part of the new World Trail Majors.

Black Canyon Ultras did not disappoint for its eleventh edition.  The victories of Hayden Hawks and Rachel Drake have confirmed them as two of the best North American runners of the present time.

BLACK CANYON ULTRAS 2024. WORLD TRAIL MAJORS.

COURSE RECORD TIME. RESULTS

Snow and wilderness

The Black Canyon Ultras race, faced an unexpected obstacle as organizers announced a two-hour delay at the start. However, what caused the delay was perhaps even more unforeseen – snow!

While the wintry scene didn’t hinder the actual running, it posed challenges for the buses tasked with ferrying the participants to their starting positions. Despite this hiccup, once underway, the race progressed smoothly without any significant incidents.

As the first wave of runners embarked on their journey, they formed a tightly knit group that steadily expanded as the trails unfolded before them. At the forefront of the male pack were 30 runners, all within a mere 10-second range.

The Black Canyon Ultras race is renowned for its diverse terrain, tracing the historic Black Canyon Trail once traversed by Native Americans, wagons, and livestock drives. Runners must navigate a variety of landscapes, from wide trails to winding single tracks, requiring adaptability and endurance.

Hans Troyer and Heather Jackson emerged as early frontrunners. While Jackson’s prowess was expected, Troyer’s ascent to the lead came as a pleasant surprise. Despite having only participated in three trail races since last October, Troyer’s track record boasts nothing but victories, including the recent Bandera 100K race just a month prior.

women race

The Women’s race was slightly more spread out during the race, but still closely fought battles ensued. After widening the gap Heather Jackson found some troubles and dropped back and a competitive pack of women was ready to chase him: Sarah Biehl, Becca Windell and Rachel Drake were in fight for the lead. Later, Rachel Drake took the lead in the back half and fought hard to win in 8:47:23, only 5 minutes later Becca Windell came through in 8:52:46 and Lauren Puretz completed the podium in 9:06:58.

Rachel run a road marathon at the end of the year, recovered to win The Third on Anta Hong Kong 100 Ultramarathon to win in Black Canyon Ultras showing her performance again on a very competitive trail race. Rachel also was planning to attend US Olympic Marathon Trials last week but decided not to do so and instead she took the win and Western States’ Golden Ticket in Arizona. The early leader and Black Canyon 2023 winner Heather Jackson finished 13th showing her determination.

MEN RACE

While Troyer was moving back Hayden Hawks emerged as the most serious contender. Split times were under course record (Anthony Costales, 7:32:50) and serious contenders as Chris Myers and Júpiter Carera were pushing Hawks to beat Costales’s time.

The men’s field was continuously close but Hayden Hawks pulled away with a ten minute lead. His last knee surgery and DNF in Western States were some of the uncertainties but Hawks cleared with style taking the course record, finishing in 7:30:18, followed in by Júpiter Carera 7:39:56 and Chris Myers 7:43:02. Hawks was 25 minutes down his 2020 winning time. All three will compete together on Western States.

Hans Troyer, leader for many miles, was finally 10th in a close sprint with Nate Jewkes. Unfortunately, Peiquan You, second in Hong Kong 100, who was in the top contenders, dropped in Table Mesa after more than 6 hours of effort.

---

Next race: The North Face Transgrancanaria

In just two weeks, The North Face Transgrancanaria, an iconic race on the international calendar, promises to have its best line-up ever. The 126 Km race with 6800 m of elevation will be the World Trail Majors race for that will bring together, among others, Jim Walmsley, and Courtney Dauwalter, two of the best ultras runners of today. The race can be followed live via streaming in what promises to be the most exciting in it over 20-year history.

---

WORLD TRAIL MAJORS 2024

1. Hong Kong 100 Ultramarathon: January 18-21, 2024. 102 km, +5314 m. Hong Kong, China. one of the events that internationalized trail running in China
2. Black Canyon Ultras: February 10-11, 2024. 100 km, +1250 m. Phoenix, Arizona, United States. Pure American trail running on old ethnic trails and stagecoaches
3. The North Face Transgrancanaria: February 21-25, 2024. 126 km, +6804 m. Canary Islands, Spain. One of the classics on the world trail running calendar
4. Mt.FUJI 100: April 26-27, 2024. 165 km, +7574 m. Fujiyoshida, Japan. Japanese-style trail running with the great symbolic meaning of the highest mountain in the country
5. MIUT – Madeira Island Ultra-Trail: April 27-28, 2024. 115 km, +7100 m. Madeira, Portugal. Iconic event on the spectacular island of Madeira
6. Swiss Canyon Trail: June 7-9, 2024. 111 km, +5350 m. Val de Travers, Switzerland. Originating in 1994, one of the most relevant tests in Central Europe
7. South Downs Way 100: June 8-9, 2024. 161 km, +3800 m. Winchester, United Kingdom. 100 miles following the historic South Downs Way route is a classic on the British calendar
8. Quebec Mega Trail: July 5-7, 2024. 160 km, +6500 m. Quebec, Canada. Authentic trail running in the mountains near Quebec
9. RMB Ultra-Trail Cape Town: November 22-24, 2024. 166 km, +7516 m. Cape Town, South Africa. Pure mountains next to one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Africa