After a prolonged disruption because of the COVID-19 pandemic, regular service has lastly resumed on worldwide workforce racing. The inaugural World Mountain and Path Working Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand, was first set to happen in November 2021, however the ongoing pandemic pressured that occasion’s postponement and eventual cancellation.
Delightfully, it’s full steam forward for the 2022 version, which mixes the Path World Championships and World Mountain Working Championships right into a single, nearly-week-long occasion. The occasion options groups from everywhere in the world competing in an uphill-only race, a basic mountain race, a 40-kilometer path race, and an 80k path race — the one we’ll be focusing our protection on at iRunFar. Every occasion additionally options a person race and a workforce occasion. Every workforce can discipline as much as six runners, with the highest three from every nation counting for workforce scoring.
The race options 4,807 meters (15,771 ft) of elevation achieve over 78k (48.5 miles) on predominantly runnable trails and dust street. Temperatures on race day are prone to attain 32 levels Celsius (90 Fahrenheit) with excessive humidity, so how effectively the athletes deal with these difficult circumstances will drastically have an effect on who comes out on high.
Beneath are the highest ladies you’ll be able to look out for within the 80k race, and a breakdown of the highest groups that can be competing for workforce podium spots. A few of the Asian nations have but to launch particulars of their groups, so we’ll add extra data to this preview accordingly because it comes on-line. Try the full entrants lists for all eight races.
Don’t miss our in-depth Path World Championships males’s preview as effectively.
iRunFar can be masking the 80k race reside, so make sure you comply with alongside. The race begins at 6:30 a.m. native time on Saturday, November 5, which is 5:30 p.m. on Friday, November 4, in U.S. Mountain Time.
Favorites for Particular person Ladies’s Win
Blandine L’Hirondel
France’s Blandine L’Hirondel caught many unexpectedly when she gained the 2019 Path World Championships, a 44k occasion, on her first event representing France on the occasion. She gained’t slip below the radar so simply this yr, with all she has achieved since that. She went on to take bronze on the 2019 World Lengthy Distance Mountain Working Championships later that yr. In 2021, she gained OCC by a 22-minute margin, setting a brand new course report (and was handed a pet on the end line for good measure!). In 2022, she returned to Chamonix to win CCC, in a extra aggressive than standard ladies’s discipline. She leads the cost in a powerful French workforce who can be arduous to match.
Simply 5 minutes again from L’Hirondel within the 2022 CCC in second place was Nepal’s Sunmaya Budha. The 24-year-old additionally gained the Thailand by UTMB 106k in 2021, inserting third total. Having already carried out effectively in comparable circumstances to this occasion is sure to be a bonus. She is the one Nepalese runner on the beginning record for the 80k, and hers is a reputation we’ll seemingly be listening to much more of going ahead.
Poland’s Dominika Stelmach gained the 2021 Cappadocia Extremely-Path 120k and completed an in depth second behind Clare Gallagher on the 2022 Black Canyons 100k. She had a below-par run on the Western States 100 this yr, the place she positioned seventeenth, however a quick win on the more moderen 2022 Chudy Wawrzyniec 80k in Poland would counsel she’s again on type and will do very well. With a 2:36 marathon greatest, nevertheless she offers with the circumstances and terrain, missing in leg pace gained’t be the problem.
Azara García
It wasn’t Azara García’s day at this yr’s UTMB and she or he failed to complete. However she went into that race as one of many favorites and we aren’t ruling her out of this one both. The Spaniard gained the 2021 Transgrancanaria 129k, Extremely Sierra Nevada 100k, and Extremely Pirineu 100k. In 2022, she had an incredible win on the 85k Bucovina Extremely Rocks in Romania, and it’s attainable that this distance performs extra to her strengths than 100 miles. She additionally took fourth on the 2019 Path World Championships 44k and second in 2016. As Spain is a rustic that takes these championships significantly, she’s positive to be bringing her A-game.
The 2021 CCC winner — Spain’s Marta Molist — has had an unbelievable run of type the previous couple of years, successful virtually each race she began in 2021 and 2022. A number of extra highlights embody wins on the 2021 and 2022 Penyagolosa MiM 60k, the 2022 Mozart by UTMB 78k, and the 2022 Swiss Alps 50k. She raced the Path World Championships 44k in 2019 and positioned fifteenth, however her progress since ought to see her end additional up the sphere this time round.
Kaytlyn Gerbin
Kaytlyn Gerbin’s most up-to-date notable outcome was a third-place end on the 2022 UTMB. She described herself as being in “no lady’s land” within the latter half of that race, as there have been large gaps each in entrance of her and behind, which left little incentive for her to do something however coast to her 25:07 end. She was on the USA workforce that took bronze within the 85k Path World Championships at Penyagolosa Trails in 2018, the place she positioned tenth. Since that, she’s taken second and sixth on the 2018 and 2019 Western States 100, respectively, and gained the 2020 Transgrancanaria 129k. She gained the 2022 Yakima Rim Skyline 50k, however most of her greatest outcomes have been over greater distances. So, if something, 80k may be a little bit brief for her.
Marcela Vašínová from the Czech Republic has had some actually aggressive outcomes at across the marathon distance. These embody fifth on the 2021 and 2022 Marathon du Mont-Blanc, ninth within the 2022 Zegama Marathon, and sixth within the 2021 Sierre-Zinal. She’s had some good outcomes at extremely distances too, together with a win on the 2022 Lysohorský Extremely Path 68k. She’ll be fascinating to observe how shorter distance pace interprets to this 80k distance.
Anticipated High Groups
On this part, we preview groups and their members which are more than likely to compete for high workforce spots.
To remind us all, the latest Path World Championships had been a 44k race run in Portugal in June 2019, with France, Spain, and Romania ending first by way of third within the ladies’s workforce rankings.
The ladies’s workforce podium on the 2019 Path World Championships (l-to-r): 2. Spain, 1. France, and three. Romania. Photograph: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
Staff France
This can be a pretty new French squad. The one runner who was current on the 2019 Path World Championships 44k is the aforementioned Blandine L’Hirondel. However there’s nonetheless a depth of expertise and expertise on this workforce that may make them a drive to be reckoned with, not to mention the truth that France takes the Path World Championships significantly in its {qualifications}, coaching, and logistical preparations.
Blandine L’Hirondel – See above.
Audrey Tanguy
Audrey Tanguy has been working ultras for one of the best a part of a decade and she or he retains getting higher. Standout outcomes embody wins on the 2018 and 2019 TDS, a sixth-place end on the 2021 Western States 100, and second behind Courtney Dauwalter at this yr’s Madeira Island Extremely-Path 115k. As with a number of of the highest ladies on this preview, she failed to complete this yr’s UTMB, on this case, on account of a decrease again drawback that arose shortly earlier than the race. Assuming she’s put that harm to mattress, the coaching block ought to stand her in good stead.
Like Tanguy, Manon Bohard was on our preview for the 2022 UTMB however failed to complete that point round. Her earlier high type included successful the 2021 TDS and, in 2022, the 80k race on the Innsbruck Alpine Trailrun Pageant and the 76k Path Verbier Saint-Bernard by UTMB. Since this yr’s UTMB disappointment, she’s been efficiently mixing it up with some shorter-distance races, successful the Wildstrubel by UTMB 25k and the Path Vallée de Joux 36k. Some speedy runs following a 100-mile coaching block might be a successful mixture for this 80k race.
Marion Delespierre was fourth on the 2021 UTMB in a quick 25:54, and gained the 85k race at Madeira Island Extremely-Path that very same yr. She additionally positioned second within the 2019 Diagonale des Fous. As with Bohard, she’s been performing some shorter races within the build-up to this world championships, and gained the Extremely-Path du Haut-Giffre 30k in June, and the marathon on the Path Faverges Seythenex in August.
Jocelyne Pauly
Our 2022 UTMB preview known as it that Jocelyne Pauly was “able to one other comparable efficiency” to her 2018 third-place time of 26:15:11. Nicely, she completed fourth inside 73 seconds of that point this yr, so we hope you’re listening to Jocelyne! A few of her different nice outcomes embody successful the 2018 Diagonale des Fous, a second-place end within the 2019 Tor des Géants, and a win at this yr’s Grand Path de la Vallée d’Ossau 74k.
Laure Paradan is much less well-known on the worldwide entrance than her teammates, however she has had some sturdy outcomes at residence in France, together with taking eighth finally yr’s aggressive Grand Path des Templiers 80k. It’s not her first time carrying the French vest — she positioned a good thirteenth within the 47k race on the European Athletics Off-Street Working Championships in Spain earlier this yr.
Staff Spain
The Spanish workforce gained gold on the 2018 Path World Championships 85k on residence soil, and so they narrowly missed out to France on the 2019 Path World Championships 44k in Portugal. The nation has a wealth of sturdy ultrarunners to select from and opted for this tried-and-tested bunch. The nation takes the Path World Championships significantly with all issues preparation, so you’ll be able to wager they’ll be inserting their greatest foot ahead.
Azara García – See above.
Marta Molist – See above.
Gemma Arenas
Gemma Arenas has represented Spain 4 instances on the Path World Championships and has completed within the high 10 on three of these events. The newest was a seventh-place end within the 2019 occasion, which was presumably a little bit brief for her at 44k. She positioned fourth in 2018 over 85k, when Penyagolosa Trails in Spain was the host occasion. This yr, she completed an in depth second behind teammate Marta Molist within the Penyagolosa MiM 60k — bettering on her 2021 time, which earned the identical place, by 12 minutes. She additionally took second finally yr’s aggressive Grand Path des Templiers 80k.
Simply behind Arenas, Maite Maiora completed fifth within the 2018 Path World Championships, which was an 85k distance. She has nice type in a broad vary of distances and has excelled on each technical and quick trails. In a standout yr in 2017 — she gained the coveted Zegama Marathon, the uber-technical 57k Tromsø Skyrace, and the 100k Extremely Pirineu, in addition to inserting second on the CCC. In 2019, she took third at UTMB. Extra lately, she gained the 68k race on the 2021 Skyrunning World Championships, and gained this yr’s Val d’Aran by UTMB 55k.
Monica Vives didn’t end the 2019 Path World Championships 44k. However she’s again, and has proven some bettering type since then! She lately positioned second on the 2022 Good Côte d’Azur by UTMB 59k and was third on the Penyagolosa MiM 60k earlier this yr.
Staff USA
The USA has a whopper lineup of each women and men for the entire distances at this world championships, and it’s most unlikely they’ll be coming residence with out some {hardware}.
Kaytlyn Gerbin – See above.
Addie Bracy
The USA’s Addie Bracy might do some actual injury on this 80k course. She gained the aggressive Speedgoat by UTMB 50k this yr and in addition gained the 2021 Run Rabbit Run 100 Mile by a giant margin. She has a powerful background in basic mountain racing in addition to ultras, and beforehand positioned high 10 at World Mountain Working Championships, together with eighth within the 13k basic race in 2017 and sixth within the 30k long-distance occasion that very same yr. By way of outcomes particular to this distance, she gained the Quad Rock 50 Mile three years working, from 2018 to 2020, and positioned third in each The North Face Endurance Problem 50 Mile Championships and the Lake Sonoma 50 Mile in 2019.
Brittany Charboneau burst onto the path working scene in 2019, with a win on the Leadville Path Half Marathon, and has hardly stopped successful since that. Massive victories embody the 2020 Pikes Peak Marathon, and the 2022 Lake Sonoma 50 Mile, the latter of which was her debut on the distance. She additionally took second on the 2022 Damaged Arrow Skyrace 52k, and second on the 2022 Pikes Peak Marathon — though it appears to be like from the instances like that one was a below-par day for her.
Leah Yingling is having a brilliant 2022. She positioned third within the Bandera 100k and second within the Canyons by UTMB 100k — up from sixth from final yr and shaving 40 minutes off her time in slower, wetter circumstances. She then went on to position sixth amongst this yr’s stacked ladies’s discipline on the Western States 100. She additionally took second on the George Waterfalls 50k earlier within the yr, so whereas lengthy ultras appear to be extra her forte, she must be strong over the 80k distance.
Jennifer Lichter was initially named on Staff USA however is not working.
Staff Poland
The Polish workforce has left no margin for error, with solely three ladies beginning. They’re three very quick ladies, although, so if the celebrities align appropriately for them, the workforce might nonetheless have a shot!
Dominika Stelmach – See above.
Katarzyna Solińska completed second behind Mimmi Kotka on the 2022 Lavaredo Extremely Path by UTMB 120k, and was fifth in final yr’s CCC. Different notable outcomes embody third on the Lavaredo UltraDolomites 80k, which takes place as a part of the Lavaredo Extremely Path by UTMB occasion, in 2021. She was a part of the Polish squad within the final Path World Championships in 2019, over the 44k distance, and positioned thirty seventh. She has clearly demonstrated her capacity over greater distances since then, and must be extra of a participant this time round.
Katarzyna Wilk has principally raced at residence in Poland however has had buckets of wins there, together with the 2022 European Working Pageant – Krynicka Setka 100k. Final yr, she positioned third within the Lavaredo Cortina Path 48k, which takes place on the Lavaredo Extremely Path by UTMB occasion. Again in 2019, she positioned eleventh at that race the day after taking second on the Lavaredo Cortina Skyrace 19k. Her instances counsel she might end forward of some extra family names in worldwide path working.
Staff Italy
Staff Italy is the primary workforce on website in order that they’ll have hopefully beat jet lag, recce the course, and be warmth/humidity tailored. The squad was to be headlined by this yr’s TDS winner, Martina Valmossoi, however sadly, she has withdrawn on account of harm. That leaves the workforce with simply three runners, so all might want to put in an excellent efficiency for the workforce to have an opportunity on the podium.
Giuditta Turini
Alessandra Boifava lately gained the 2022 TOR130 — the 130k race that runs alongside the Tor des Géants, which options 12,000 meters of top achieve. She additionally positioned sixth on the 2022 Lavaredo Extremely Path by UTMB 120k, the identical inserting as she attained on the race again in 2019, however she was 43 minutes faster this yr. Boifava represented Italy on the 2018 Path World Championships 85k and was simply within the high third of the ladies again then, however bettering type since that would see her climb larger up.
Giuditta Turini is having an incredible autumn, successful the Scrumptious Path Dolomiti 43k in September, two weeks after breaking the tape on the However SkyUltra 61k. She then made it three in a row, successful the 30k race on the Extremely Path Lago d’Orta in October. She had some actually sturdy outcomes on the worldwide scene in 2021 as effectively, inserting second in each TDS and the Marathon du Mont-Blanc 90k.
Camilla Spagnol has been working for some time however confirmed nice development this yr. She lately gained the 2022 Borc Path 50k, positioned second on the 2022 Madeira Island Extremely-Path 85k, and took fourth on the Garda Trentino Path 62k.
Staff Norway
Staff Norway fields 5 ladies, which supplies good odds of three sturdy performances. Circumstances can be very completely different from what a few of them may be used to at residence although, which might show difficult.
Henriette Albon has a litany of sturdy outcomes to her identify, and would have extra wins if she wasn’t regularly drawn to probably the most aggressive path races going! She lately took sixth within the 2022 CCC, in a time that might have had her on the rostrum most different years. She additionally positioned sixth finally yr’s OCC race and fourth on the 2021 Extremely Pirineu 100k. She positioned twelfth on this yr’s Zegama Marathon — to not be sniffed at in a race that noticed Courtney Dauwalter end tenth — and has demonstrated her capacity over a broad vary of distances and terrain within the mountains.
The remainder of the ladies on Staff Norway are:
- Sylvia Nordskar – twelfth 2022 CCC; 14th 2022 Marathon du Mont-Blanc
- Sara-Rebekka Færø Linde – 4th 2022 Penyagolosa Trails MiM 60k; 1st 2021 Blefjells Beste 56k
- Mari Klakegg Fenre – 1st 2022 Nordmarkstravern NM Terrengultra 85k
- Thea Hanssen – 1st 2022 Ecotrail Oslo 80k; 1st 2020 Tromsø Mountain Extremely 50k
Different High Ladies
- Johanna Antila (Finland) – tenth 2022 CCC; 2nd 2022 Lavaredo UltraDolomites 80k; 2nd 2022 Transgrancanaria 65k
- Rosanna Buchauer (Germany) – fifth 2022 CCC; 1st 2022 Eiger Extremely-Path by UTMB 51k; 1st 2021 Madeira Island Extremely-Path 60k
- Man Yee Cheung (Hong Kong) – 1st 2019 The North Face Hong Kong 100k; fifth 2019 Extremely-Path Mt. Fuji 165k
- Lou Clifton (Australia) – seventeenth 2022 UTMB; 1st 2022 Buffalo Stampede Pageant 2022 – Brilliant Extremely 100k; 1st 2019 Cappadocia Extremely-Path 120k
- Meryl Cooper (Nice Britain) — sixth 2021 CCC; 2nd 2022 Extremely Path Snowdonia 50k; 4th 2022 Transgrancanaria Superior 60k; 91st 2019 Path World Championships 44k
- Eszter Csillag (Hungary) – fifth 2022 UTMB; fifth 2022 Transgrancanaria 129k; 4th 2021 CCC
- Esther Fellhofer (Austria) – third 2022 Lavaredo Extremely Path by UTMB 120k; seventh 2022 Madeira Island Extremely-Path 115k; 1st 2022 Eiger Extremely-Path by UTMB 250k
- Katie Kaars Sijpesteijn (Nice Britain) – thirty second 2019 Path World Championships 44k; sixth 2022 Transgrancanaria 65k; fifth 2020 Transgrancanaria Marathon 42k; 1st 2018 Lakes in A Day 50 Mile
- Phitchanan Mahachot (Thailand) – 1st 2022 Pribpree Eco Path 43k
- Inês Marques (Portugal) – 1st 2022 Grand Path du Saint-Jacques by UTMB 72k; third 2021 Transgrancanaria 129k
- Ida Nilsson (Sweden) – 4th 2022 & 1st 2021 Marató Pirineu; third 2018 CCC; 1st 2018 Zegama Marathon
- Emma Pooley (Switzerland) – 2nd 2022 Eiger Extremely-Path by UTMB 101k; 1st 2021 Extremely Tour Monte Rosa 106k
Name for Feedback
- Who do you assume will come out on high within the particular person race?
- Which workforce do you assume is the strongest?
- Are there any quick ladies who aren’t included on this preview however must be?
Blandine L’Hirondel after successful the 2019 Path World Championships. Photograph: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
