The Ultra Minute: Sara Alonso Steals the Show at Kobe Trail
Plus, Canyons 100K Preview & Roundup, why we're excited for Des to switch to ultras, and more from this week in trail & ultra
Issue 38
Sara Alonso Takes Command at Kobe Trail in Breakthrough Win
Sara Alonso didn't just win the Kobe Trail. She made it clear she's fully back and perhaps stronger than ever. After successfully rebuilding her strength following a hip stress fracture in December 2022, Alonso stormed into the Golden Trail World Series (GTWS) opener with confidence and decisively seized victory in 2:53:57 on the 21.3-kilometer course.
“I trained really hard this winter and I believed I could win this one,” Alonso said after the race. “I think Joyce took a wrong turn during the race, which I feel bad about. But once I realized I was leading, I just had to stay focused. I’m really, really happy to start the season with a win.”
Last year in Kobe, Alonso was a strong runner-up behind Maude Mathys. This year, she improved nearly five minutes from that performance, finishing just shy of Mathys' course record of 2:52:08 from 2024, clearly highlighting her progression.
Early race leader Joyce Muthoni Njeru, the reigning GTWS champion, set an aggressive pace reminiscent of her strategy from last year's race, where she ultimately faded to fourth. Unfortunately for Njeru, a wrong turn mid-race cost her valuable time, taking her off the front of the race and she brought it home in 6th. Despite this, Alonso’s strength was undeniable as she surged clear of her closest challenger, Romania’s Madalina Florea, late in the race.
Florea secured second in 2:59:46 and praised Alonso afterward, writing on Instagram, "Sara was super strong yesterday." She also acknowledged Njeru's determination, adding, "Many would've quit after a setback, but Joyce finished with her usual smile, reminding us all what true humility and joy look like."
In the men's race, Patrick Kipngeno repeated his dominant 2024 Kobe performance, winning comfortably in 2:29:46 despite brutal heat and humidity. His Kenyan teammate, Philemon Kiriago, followed in second place, while Romanian Bogdan Damian rounded out the podium just 3 seconds back from Kiriago. Reflecting on his strategy afterward, Kipngeno shared on Instagram, “I knew eyes were on me because of my win last year, but I try not to focus on that, I have a race strategy and I try to follow it as best as I can, not worrying about what other runners do or don’t, and once again, the strategy payed off!”
Great Wall Up Next
Next up, Golden Trail moves to China this weekend, promising what looks like an epic race as part of the course is along the Great Wall. Athletes have been previewing the course and posting photos and it looks incredible. Check out this short video Sara Alonso posted from a preview run on course:
How to watch
Live stream goes live – Fri 10:30pm PT / Sat 1:30am ET - Watch on YouTube (click through to tap the bell for a reminder)
Women’s start – Fri 11:00pm PT / Sat 2:00am ET
Men’s start – Fri 11:20pm PT / Sat 2:20am ET
(Local time for all three: Sat 14:00 CST in Jinshanling, China—stream opens 13:30 CST)
2025 Canyons 100K Preview: How to Follow, Weather Updates, and Coverage Roundup
The 2025 Canyons by UTMB 100K kicks off this weekend as the season’s final Western States Golden Ticket race, offering up six tickets (three for the top men and three for the top women). This "super" golden ticket event has attracted a stacked field hungry to punch their tickets to the iconic Western States 100 in June.
How to Follow
Unfortunately, there’s no livestream.
over at TrailMix recently wrote about how UTMB determines which races to stream, and TLDR: they typically pass the cost off to the local tourism board. In this case, I’m assuming that means Auburn didn’t bite.Here’s how you can still stay updated:
Live tracking here. Race starts Saturday at 5am PT / 8am ET
Freetrail is on site providing coverage, including a preview show (published yesterday), post-race recap, and updates during the race via Instagram.
The official Canyons Instagram account will surely be posting updates throughout the weekend.
I’ll also be monitoring social media and texting friends at the race, so may post an occasional update on Substack Notes.
And if you’re near Auburn? Go spectate. This is going to be one of the best races no one sees.
Weather & Course Adjustments
Runners face a chilly start (temps in the 40s) with possible rain, prompting UTMB officials to mandate a cold-weather kit. This means runners will be carrying more than they likely anticipated, and folks in the comments aren’t stoked about that last minute decision, which is understandable given it might be challenging to find waterproof overpants in Auburn right now. Additionally, the course is shortened slightly by about one mile, so I’m assuming we’ll see faster times compared to last year.
Deeper coverage
Singletrack Podcast – Who’s Getting a Golden Ticket at the 2025 Canyons 100K?
Finn Melanson, Brett Hornig & Leah Yingling break down course tweaks, the no‑livestream drama, and share podium + ticket picks in this 1‑hr‑18‑min preview.Freetrail Trailgating – Canyons 100K Preview with Tim Tollefson & Corrine Malcolm
Dylan Bowman hosts a live show from Auburn covering both fields, race‑week weather, and Freetrail’s on‑site plans for updates all weekend.Liam’s Substack – Golden Ticket Hunting: Previewing the Canyons Endurance Runs by UTMB 100k
Ultra stat wizard Liam Tryon dives deep into the women’s and men’s fields, previewing every major contender—and several dark horses—for Golden Tickets at Saturday’s race.Robrunsround Substack – 2025 Canyons 100K & 50K Preview + Fantasy Picks
Robert Prosser profiles the top contenders and drops his top‑5 picks for both races.
Des Makes It Official: She’s Switching to Ultras
Des Linden closed out her professional marathon career at Boston on Monday, running 2:26:19—her fastest time there since 2017—and finishing 17th overall. But this one wasn’t about the result. It was a farewell, announced just hours before the start, and it couldn’t have happened anywhere else. Boston is where she debuted in 2007, came within seconds of winning in 2011, and finally broke through in 2018 with one of the most iconic American victories in race history.
Post-race, fellow pros like Emma Bates, Jess McClain, and Dakotah Popehn gathered around her. “We were all bowing down,” Bates told Runner’s World after the race. “She’s the queen of the Boston Marathon.”
We’ve been tracking Des’ next chapter in recent issues—first when we reported she’s registered for Tunnel Hill and the USATF 50 Mile Champs in November, then again when we shared the news she’ll pace Joe McConaughy at Western States in June. She confirmed both this week, telling Runner’s World, “It’s not retirement, it’s just moving on to something a little bit different, and I’m excited to try something new, to try new distances.”
Why is this so exciting? For one, Des is simply one of the most fun athletes to root for. Her Boston win in 2018 is one of those moments you don't forget. I vividly remember watching her grind through the cold rain, the excitement building with every mile. It was palpable. Electric. Everyone watching fell in love with Des that day. She's the kind of runner you just enjoy watching, no matter the result.
Now, she’s stepping into ultras while still relatively young by ultrarunning standards, offering a rare chance to see how one of the best marathoners of her generation stacks up. It feels like a bit of a measuring stick for the sport: if Des thrives, it might suggest trail and ultrarunning still has some maturing to do in terms of depth and competitiveness at the elite level. (Thanks to of Singletrack for helping sharpen that idea in a conversation this morning.)
, everyone’s favorite ultra statistician and meme creator, shared with us, “It feels like it could be Magda Boulet 2.0. Similar marathoning background, similar age. And Magda was an instant success. Dec 2014-June 2017 was a reign of terror for her. Just phenomenal results.”
also weighed in: “Des has always seemed like one of the tougher, grittier marathoners. Maybe it’s winning Boston the year she did. She just feels like someone who will excel on the trails in more variable environments, conditions, and distances.”
What about you? Why are you excited for Des to switch to ultras? Let us know in the comments or simply hit reply on this email.
Other News & Links
Conservation filmmakers and just launched the Threatened Public Lands Map, a new public tracker that shows where mining, drilling, and development projects are threatening U.S. public lands. Built independently and released during National Park Week, the map is still a work-in-progress, but it’s already one of the most ambitious efforts yet to make these threats visible. Read the launch post
is sounding the alarm on a wave of changes at the Department of the Interior, including an order that hands sweeping control of public lands to a private-sector appointee tied to the DOGE initiative. In a follow-up piece, he outlines a three-part plan to fight back—focused on denying legal, regulatory, and social certainty to undermine fast-tracked extraction projects.
Rachel Drake and Tyler Green are expecting baby #2 in August! Rachel shared the news this week just ahead of both of them racing at Mt. Fuji: Tyler’s lining up for the 100-miler and Rachel for the 40K.
Laz has hit pause on his transcon walk, citing freezing rain, 18-wheelers, and his #1 rule: “the first objective on any transcon is to not die.” He’s heading home for Strolling Jim and plans to pick things back up in a month or so, according to Jared Beasley.
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy has launched its first-ever Artist in Residence program and selected Mallory Weston as its inaugural pick. Weston, a metalsmith and professor at Tyler School of Art, will be thru-hiking the A.T. this year to gather inspiration for new work. Follow along as she documents the journey in real time: @mallory_weston.
Speaking of thru-hikes, JP Giblin has been steadily moving north on the PCT, posting daily videos on Instagram. We mentioned two issues ago that he’d officially started his hike, after teasing a “long walk,” and it’s been a fun follow ever since.
Podcast & YouTube Highlights
Anton Krupicka joined Buzz Burrell for a reflective convo on The Buzz, touching on his early days in the sport, first sponsorships, and Unbreakable memories. One great line: “Well, Kilian did drink water, he just didn’t carry much of it.” Anton also confirmed he plans to line up for UTMB this year and said he felt “in the best shape of his life” last summer. Sure, we’re all focused on Canyons and Western States right now, but is it too early to start getting excited for Anton at UTMB? (We say no.)
Katie Asmuth was on I’ll Have Another to talk comebacks, community, and her recent self-supported FKT on the Joshua Tree Traverse (which we highlighted two issues ago). She’s toeing the line at Canyons 100K this weekend, chasing a Golden Ticket in her bid to return to Western States.
The Steep Stuff Podcast is rolling out a series of interviews with the 2025 Trail Team Elite roster—a group of emerging U.S. trail talents selected for mentorship, media exposure, and pro-level support. So far, they've featured Hawk Call, Oakley Olson, Emily Clarke, and Sophie Wright.
Kelly Newlon of RAD Boulder joins the latest episode of Where The Climate Things Are. Known in the trail world for fueling and representing top athletes, Kelly shares the story behind RAD and why purpose-driven work matters.
Two great recent episodes from the Take Off Your Shoes Podcast: Hilary Yang talks storytelling, self-employment, Hardrock dreams, and the origins of the Women’s Trail Running Fund. And a few weeks back, Emily Hawgood joined for a wide-ranging convo ahead of her start at this weekend’s Canyons 100K.
Courtney Dauwalter joined Cameron Hanes a couple of months ago to record a podcast and rack up 100 miles in 3 days together. While the podcast episode was published a couple months ago, he just published a video that chronicles the 100 miles they spent together. I found it amusing how Courtney seemed completely unfazed by the miles while Cam looked like he was feeling it after day one.
Georgia Porter joined Ultra Uncovered’s Cocodona series to talk about their leap from Olympic Trials marathoner to 250-mile ultrarunner.
Pete Mortimer joins The Free Outside Podcast to talk about winning the first-ever Arizona Monster 300.
On the latest Trail Network Podcast, Leah Yingling and Mike McMonagle recap Gorge weekend and reflect on running the 50K together (with Leah five months pregnant). I’m imagining we’ll have a “who did it better” episode coming up after regular co-host Rachel Drake runs the 40k at Mt Fuji this weekend.
Pfefferminz Film just dropped Episode 04 of their beautifully shot UTMB mini-series for Team Terrex. This one follows Eli and Tabor Hemming (both racing Canyons 50K this weekend) as they take on OCC 2024, chasing big dreams side by side. Previous episodes have profiled Pablo Villa, Emily Hawgood, and Kimi Schreiber, and every one has been top-tier.
Tim Cannon is back with Episode 3 of his David Poach series, and it’s just as ridiculous and hilarious as the first two. This time: a deep dive into the Rucky Chucky river crossing and fueling exclusively on human breast milk.
The Chase (the full-length feature film on the 2024 Cocodona 250 we’ve mentioned numerous times) just dropped on YouTube. I haven’t watched yet, but I plan to pile in with the family on the sofa this weekend. And since there’s no Canyons livestream, Saturday is a great time to watch:
That’s it for this week! I’ll see y’all on the Golden Trail and Canyons livestream, and will be right back here next week with quite a bit to cover, as we have Madeira Island and Mt Fuji this weekend in addition to Canyons and Golden Trail.
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Until next week,
Ken
Another great post and thanks again for covering the public lands issues yet again. Wes Siler is doing a great job covering Interior, but there are so many other agencies that are being gutted including the Us forest Service which is in the Department of Agriculture. Wes' three point plan is a good one, but as trail runners and users of public lands, especially if you live in a state with Republican Senators or you're in the Republican congressional district, calling your representatives and telling them not to support selling public lands, gutting the Endangered Species Act, gutting NEPA, and RIFing BLM, USFWS and USFS employees.
I am excited for Des switching to ultra full-time, especially after seeing her absolutely send it in the 50km. I will be very interested to see how her transition to trails goes as her and Kara talked at length on their podcast about her recent trail running experience in NZ. She seems to have a grasp of the skills she will need to improve in order to be a success. I for one cannot wait to line up with her!