The Ultra Minute 🏔️ October 29, 2024
David Roche and Riley Brady shine at Javelina, Belgium wins at Big's Backyard, Hans Troyer is so fast, Sunseri faces charges for switchback cutting, Puppi breaks down ITRA & UTMB rankings, and more
Happy Tuesday, ultrarunners!
I had my phone tuned into Mountain Outpost’s livestream coverage of Javelina for much of the day Saturday, and it did not disappoint. Going into the race, as a listener of the Some Work All Play podcast, I was looking forward to seeing if David Roche could pull off the win. He and his wife Megan had been hyping it up over the last several weeks on their podcast, where he very publicly shared his intention to go for the course record, just as he had with Leadville this summer. I appreciated how transparent he was, sharing his emotions as he wavered between uncertainty and confidence, and all the details of his training, including his basement heat suit sessions.
Beyond Javelina, we have brief write-ups from Big’s Backyard Ultra where we saw new records for the second year in a row, the inaugural Asia Pacific Trail Running Championships, and Hans Troyer’s unbelievable record-setting win at the USATF 50 Mile Road Championships. And as always, I’ve rounded up the key news and links from the ultrarunning world, as well as some recent good reads that I think you’ll enjoy.
Let’s get to it…
Record Heat & Golden Tickets: David Roche and Riley Brady Shine at Javelina
The Javelina Jundred, known for its costumes and party atmosphere, offers a challenging five-loop course through McDowell Mountain Regional Park and serves as a Golden Ticket qualifier for the Western States Endurance Run. This year’s Javelina was marked by scorching heat, with record temperatures climbing to 99°F, so the bucket hats and ice bandanas were out in force.
On the men’s side, David Roche delivered after his record-breaking Leadville win earlier this year, securing victory with a time of 12:45—just two minutes shy of the course record (which was set last year in much cooler temps). Roche’s win earned him one of the coveted Golden Tickets, and in true David fashion he’s already shared his intention to go sub 14 hours at Western States. Jeff Mogavero (earning the second of two Golden Tickets given out on the men’s side) and Dan Green followed closely behind, both also achieving sub-13-hour finishes and ranking among the fastest times in Javelina’s history.
In the women’s race, Riley Brady clinched the win with a finish time of 14:19, the second-fastest in Javelina’s history. Brady, along with runner-up Hannah Allgood (14:38), also earned a Golden Ticket, securing their place in next year’s Western States. With multiple women crossing the line in record times, the day saw one of the fastest fields the race has hosted to date.
More from Javelina:
Women dominated Javelina’s 100k this year, sweeping three of the top four spots overall. Anne Flower claimed the win in 8:23:13, the second-fastest time on record, followed closely by Jane Maus (8:32:49) and Silvie Abel (9:06:17). Jordan Brett was the top finisher in the men’s field, clocking in at 8:39:36.
The costume game was strong this year, with runners braving the heat in everything from David Roche look-alike fits to Waldo and Laz.
In the latest episode of the Some Work All Play podcast, David and his wife, Megan Roche, dive into the science behind David’s Javelina win, sharing their race strategy, heat adaptation tips, and what’s next as he preps for Western States.
Other results
In an unbelievable display of endurance and teamwork, Belgium’s Merijn Geerts, Ivo Steyaert, and Frank Gielen broke the Backyard Ultra record at Big’s Backyard Ultra World Team Championships, completing 110 yards and 458.36 miles together. The trio, each other’s “assists,” pushed through nearly five days of 4.167-mile loops (“yards”). Megan Eckert claimed a new women’s record with 87 yards (362.5 miles). (Full results)
Hans Troyer won the USATF 50 mile road championships in Boalsburg, Pennsylvania over the weekend, setting a new record in the process with a time of 5:16:13. That beat the old record by 12 minutes and comes out to a 6:19 pace, for 50 miles on a course with 5k ft of elevation gain! 🤯
The inaugural Asia Pacific Trail Running Championships brought together runners from 19 countries to tackle rugged terrain in South Korea’s Yeongnam Alps. In the Short Trail 41k, Japan’s Takako Takamura dominated to win in 4:36, with Nepal’s Priya Rai and Japan’s Honoka Akiyama filling out the podium. The men’s Short Trail title went to John Ray Onifa from the Philippines in 3:47, after securing a lead on the descent ahead of Japan’s Kouken Ogasawara and Australian Blake Turner. The 76k Long Trail race saw China’s Fu-Zhao Xiang and Min Qi claim victories, with Qi holding off a last-minute charge by Japan’s Kai Hiroki to finish in 7:37, just three minutes ahead. (Short Trail full results | Long Trail full results)
News and links
Michelino Sunseri, whose FKT on Grand Teton earlier this year was revoked after officials noticed on his Strava that he’d cut a switchback, has now been charged by Grand Teton National Park and will have to appear in court to respond to the accusations.
The U.S. Forest Service announced they’ll suspend seasonal hiring for 2025, slashing 2,400 field jobs and leaving trails, recreation sites, and ecosystems without crucial support. The move has hit staff hard, many of whom made careers out of these roles, and could lead to huge maintenance backlogs on public lands.
Francesco Puppi dives into the often-misunderstood world of ITRA and UTMB rankings, breaking down how these performance indexes are calculated, what factors influence them (or don’t), and why transparency is needed to improve the system—especially for American athletes and shorter races that are often overlooked.
Amelia Boone wonders why no one bats an eye when ultras happen in 100+ degree temps, but when road events have temps in the 80s people start raising safety concerns. General consensus in the comments seems to be because of road events typically attract far more runners, which could strain the local emergency services.
Kaci Lickteig of Life in a Day fame (all-time great Billy Yang film you must see if you haven’t) shared that she recently tore her left hamstring while out on a run. Send her some good vibes as she recovers.
The lottery application window for the Hardrock 100 has opened. If you’ve completed a qualifying race, you have until November 17th at 11:59pm to enter.
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy shared recent photos from trail crews, providing a glimpse of the damage from Hurricane Helene on the Appalachian Trail, and the enormous task ahead as they aim to prepare for the 2025 thru-hiker season.
Good reads
gives a raw, vivid look at this year’s Grand Raid—a brutal 100-miler known for relentless climbs, ankle-deep mud, and stunning volcanic views. His race unfolds through nighttime struggles, sunrise vistas, and a battle with exhaustion that left him “broken and better for it.” He also shared a call for questions as he plans to record an ask-me-anything style audio post.
7 years ago, The Golden Trail World Series set out to transform trail running into a mainstream spectator sport. Katherine Turner, writing for Run by Outside, evaluates how well it’s meeting that goal.
shares her reflections from a final fall paddle in upstate New York before winter kicks in—taking in autumn scenery, renewed energy for running, and thoughts on life transitions. She also highlights her favorite Substacks, many of whom write about the outdoors, making this a good read if you’re always looking to add a few good outdoor-focused newsletters to your rotation. This quote from her post is how I feel about trail running and makes me want to take up paddling as well:
“My paddling outings have emerged as opportunities to be in the moment, fully in tune with my natural surroundings, the sounds, the scents and the vibrant colors. I realize I need to do more of these experiences.”
That’s it for this week. If you enjoyed this edition of The Ultra Minute, please forward this email to a friend and encourage them to subscribe at this link so it lands in their inbox next week 🫶🏼
See y’all on the trail,
Ken
This is a big David Roche house. High-carb is transforming my running.
The Forest Service article is disturbing. Time for volunteer trail workers to step up, I guess, but what I’d really like to see is a modern version of the old CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) from the 1930s (I still use trails they built every time I run in our PA state forests).