The Weekend Wrap: World Trail Champs, Gold Coast 100km and Mount Difficulty Ascent

Once again, it was a rather jam-packed calendar for races at both home and overseas with some big performances across the board. If you missed the results of some of the main races taking place, here’s a quick wrap to bring you up to speed.

We’ll start at home with the Gold Coast 100km and two fine performances from both the leading lady and man. Victorian, Francesco Ciancio ran a blinder of a race in awful conditions to record a speedy 7hrs 7mins for the 100km, the quickest on home soil since Yiannis Kouros in 1996. Likewise, Marita Eisler ran a rather rapid 7hrs 59mins to record her sixth win at this event. Congrats to both runners and to all other runners out there too who braved the storms this weekend up in Queensland.

Over in New Zealand, it was a very different kind of race that took place, the Mount Difficulty marathon, which sees some of the steepest vertical you can get either side of the Tasman. It was predominantly as Kiwi affair with Ryan Carr taking out the honours in 5hrs 41mins. Running him oh so close in second and first female was Britta Clark in 5hrs 55mins. Third overall was John Whiteford in 6hrs 3mins.

Finishing off with the ladies, Floortje Grimmett was fourth overall and second female in a time of 6hrs 10 mins and Sia Svendsen third and ninth overall in a time of 6hrs 33mins. A great showing from the ladies overall, with the top three ladies all bagging a top ten placing overall. Well done ladies.

Finally we head over to Italy where the World Trail Championships took place (is it me, or does there feel like there’s a ‘world championships’ every other month?!?!?!). Regardless, Luis Alberto Hernando won his second consecutive champs, running 4hrs 23mins for the 50kms. France’s Adeline Roche won the ladies race in 5hrs dead.

Turning towards the Aussies, in what was a much depleted team, ever the stalwart, Kellie Emmerson finished in 37th place in a time of 5hrs 56mins, just two minutes after Vlad Ixel who finished inside the men’s top 100 in 5hrs 54mins.

The action continues as we build up to the Western States 100 in a few weeks too with some good Aussie representation, along with a view of the usual suspects internationally who will be staking a claim for the win.

Feature Image: Francesco Ciancio winning the Gold Coast 100km – Credit Gold Coast Ultras.

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Dan
I'm a mediocre runner who can bat above his average when I train hard. A man of extremes, I do enjoy everything life offers and consider it an absolute pleasure just to be able to put one foot in front of the other and let my mind wander somewhere different.

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