WELCOME, WELCOME, WELCOME to the August 2025 edition of Sub Hub Headlines!

Excitedly yours, Dani and EmKay

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Upcoming Episodes - Sierre Zinal preview with Dylan Bowman of the Freetrail podcast, OCC previews AND a surprise collaboration.

Sub Hub Stories:Andreu Blanes

This week, we’re catching up with Andreu Blanes—a Spanish athlete whose résumé spans orienteering, cross country, road running, and mountain running. Born in Onil, Andreu first made his mark in the orienteering world, earning a silver medal in the sprint at the 2011 Junior World Orienteering Championships and representing Spain in multiple World Orienteering Championships. While Andreu has clearly become a sensation on the trails, the man can do it all. His world-class achievements include victory at Sierre-Zinal in 2022, a silver medal in the team up-and-down race at the 2022 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships, and a 2:09:18 debut at the 2023 Valencia Marathon—the 6th fastest Spanish debut ever, 21st on the all-time national list, and a new regional record for the Comunidad Valenciana.

Fresh off a podium at Zegama earlier this year, Andreu is now putting the final touches on his preparations for this weekend’s Sierre-Zinal, one of mountain running’s most iconic and competitive races. We spoke with him about that breakthrough, his mindset, and how he plans to navigate a stacked field.

1. Congratulations on your podium at Zegama earlier this year! A few months later, how do you feel about that result?

Thanks! It was a great moment, I had worked very hard towards this goal and now it just feel quite far behind. To me it just proves that I can work for any Trail race in the future, I try to not overthink about any big achievement in the past.

2. Your build-up to Sierre-Zinal comes in the middle of a busy summer race calendar. How have you balanced recovery and training to be sharp for this race in particular?

After Zegama I had to manage the recovery process since it was my first mountain marathon. It took pretty long and the body was not cooperating very good until just a few weeks ago, but now everything is at it's place and I feel ready for Zinal.

3. In your opinion, what makes Sierre-Zinal so special?

The story behind Sierre-Zinal is so big that makes it probably the most famous mountain race in the world. It has also a course where very different kind of runners can perform. It is really hard to predict a winner.

4. The men’s field at Sierre-Zinal is always stacked, are there any rivals or friends you’re especially excited to race against this year?

Both Patrick and Philemon are two runners I like to compete with. Every time I have been with them in a starting line it has been a big race. But I also have many other friends racing, I hope everyone can show their best performance.

5. You’ve raced Sierre-Zinal once, and you won. Has your strategy for the course changed coming into this year, or do you plan to approach it the same way ?

All I want is to be able to manage the race the same way I did back in 2022 where I was far behind the lead but, in the second half, I could take all that time back.

6. After Sierre-Zinal what races will we see you at?

I will be racing the world champs in Spain, that's the last big goal for 2025

Results Recap

In case you missed any action in the short trail space, we’ve got you covered. Here, we’ll share races worthy of attention in this niche corner of the sub-ultra trail running world.

***indicates an athlete who has previously served a doping ban

July 4
🇺🇸Mount Marathon

Women

1. Klaire Rhodes - 50:31

2. Christy Marvin - 51:22

3. Kalie McCrystal - 52:13

Men

1. David Norris - 42:30

2. Max King - 44:23

3. Luke Jager - 44:47

July 5
🌍 Val D’Aran by UTMB 50K - European Major

Women

1. Miao Yao - 5:31:39

2. Sylvia Nordskar - 5:36:29

3. Ikram Rharsalla - 5:47:02

Men

1. Nadir Maguet - 4:52:06

2. Leonard Mitrica - 5:00:16

3. Pablo Buatista Rovira - 5:05:19

July 5
🇨🇳Chongli Mountain and Trail Running Festival Uphill – WMRA Mountain Running Cup

Women

1. Valentine Jepkoech Rutto - 40:59

2. Scout Adkin - 41:58

3. Gloria Chebet - 43:05

Men

1. Lukas Ehrle - 35:13

2. Michael Selelo Saoli - 35:14

3. Andrea Rostatn - 35:37

July 6
🇨🇳Chongli Mountain and Trail Running Festival Up/Down – WMRA Mountain Running Cup

Women

1. Valentine Jepkoech Rrutto - 1:55:43

2. Scout Adkin - 2:01:04

3. Gloria Chebet - 2:04:52

Men

1. Michael Selelo Saoli - 1:38:19

2. Paul Machoka - 1:39:38

3. Lukas Ehrle - 1:40:17

July 5
🇨🇦Quebec Mega Trail 50K- Canadian Selection Race for World Championships Short Trail

Women

1. Élisa Morin - 5:09:43

2. Sarah Bergeron Larouche - 5:35:58

3. Stephanie Ryall - 5:40:01

Men

1. Dany Racine - 4:46:25

2. Christopher Lévesque-Savard - 5:10:04

3. Sebastien Brochu - 5:16:10

July 3
🏔European Sky Running Champs Vertical

Women

1. Benedetta Broggi - 41:57

2. Paola Stampanoni - 42:55

3. Onditz Iturbe Arginzoniz - 44:22

Men

1. Daniel Thedy - 34:41

2. Stain Angermund - 36:08

3. Jonatan Arobes Alvarez - 36:31

July 3
🏔European Sky Running Champs Sky Ultra

Women

1. Shangave Balendran - 5:23:21

2. Madalina Ameriei - 5:38:54

3. Roberta Jacquin - 5:39:03

Men

1. Christian Minoggio - 4:30:23

2. Luca Arrigoni - 4:43:19

3. Dimas Pereira - 4:48:36

July 3
🏔European Sky Running Champs Sky

Women

1. Anastasia Rubstova - 2:29:42

2. Agnes Josefsson - 2:30:45

3. Corinna Ghirardi - 2:32:01

Men

1. Fabian Venero Jiménez - 2:03:50

2. Martin Nilsson - 2:03:53

3. Lucien Mermillon - 2:04:45

July 5
🇨🇭Zermatt Marathon

Women

1. Laura Hottenrott - 3:32:30

2. Kristen De Baey-Ruszin - 3:42:04

3. Ivan Iozzia - 3:45:21

Men

1. Sven Koch - 3:16:52

2. Patrick Wieser - 3:19:26

3. Eric Muthomi Riungu - 3:25:03

July 6
🇵🇪Cordillera Blanca Skyrace - Skyrunner World Series

Women

1. Deisy Castro - 2:26:51

2. Naiara Irigoyen - 2:36:51

3. Diana Espinoza - 3:28:29

Men

1. Jose Manuel Quispe - 2:01:11

2. Jorge Luis Castro - 2:06:25

3. Alain Santamaria - 2:07:36

July 12
🇺🇸Snowbird Cirque Series

Women

1. Jane Maus - 1:37:44

2. Alexa Aragon 1:40:22

3. Rachel Tomajczyk - 1:43:12

Men

1. Mason Coppi - 1:20:28

2. Hawk Call - 1:21:19

3. Sam Hendry - 1:21:56

July 12
🇫🇷La Montée Verticale - WMRA Mountain Running Cup and French Uphill Selection Race for World Championships

Women

1. Christel Dewalle - 48:40 ***

2. Scout Adkin - 49:27

3. Nélie Clément - 50:06

Men

1. Richard Omaya Atuya - 40:40

2. Jsophat Kprotich - 41:44

3. Jacob Adkin -41:53

July 13
🇫🇷Grand Parcours Vauban Mountain Trail - WMRA Mountain Running Cup

Women

1. Nélie Clément - 1:15:18

2. Joyce Njeru - 1:17:11

3. Valentine Rutto - 1:17:20

Men

1. Michael Selelo Saoli - 1:04:52

2. Philemon Kiriago - 1:05:21

3. Ephantus Mwangi Njeri - 1:05:31

June 24
🏔Speedgoat by UTMB 28K

Women

1. Kodi Kleven - 3:44:02

2. Shayln Gieringer - 3:49:53

3. Sandi Nypaver - 3:51:08

Men

1. Christian Allen - 2:50:44

2. Sage Canaday - 3:07:04

3. Seth Wealing - 3:25:09

June 25
🏔Speedgoat by UTMB 50K

Women

1. Jennifer Lichter - 5:54:44

2. Emma Cook-Clarke - 6:01:01

3. Grayson Murphy - 6:02:35

Men

1. Ryan Becker - 5:17:25

2. Erik Sorenson - 5:17:31

3. Anthony Williams - 5:20:06

July 26
🇮🇹Giir di Mont Uphill - WMRA Mountain Running Cup

Women

1. Scout Adkin - 47:52

2. Francesca Ghelfi - 47:58

3. Andrea Mayr - 48:31

Men

1. Richard Omaya Atuya - 39:49

2. Philemon Kiriago - 40:07

3. Paul Machoka - 40:17

July 26
🇮🇹Giir di Mont 32K - WMRA Mountain Running Cup

Women

1. Valentine Rutto - 3:58:27

2. Roberta Jacquin - 4:07:54

3. Martina Cumerlato - 4:08:45

Men

1. Davide Magnini - 3:14:03

2. Stian Angermund - 3:15:35 ***

3. Mattia Tanara - 3:18:33

July 26
🇵🇱Tatra Skyrace - Skyrunner World Series

*this race was cut short due to weather. the men made it 31K and the women 23K of the originally planned 45K course.

Women

1. Madalina Ioana Amariei - 2:46:58

2. Denisa Dragomir - 2:47:01 ***

3. Elena Karanfiloska - 2:49:41

Men

1. Martin Nilsson - 3:50:01

2. Luca Del Pero - 3:56:01

3. Damien Humber - 3:58:06

July 26
🇺🇸Cirque Series Alyeska

Women

1. Ruby Lindquist - 1:16:31

2. Alexa Aragon - 1:18:24

3. Kendall Kramer - 1:20:509

Men

1. Jackson Cole - 1:04:07

2. Noah Williams - 1:08:09

3. Michael Earnhart - 1:08:43

Current Series Rankings

***indicates an athlete who has previously served a doping ban

WMRA World Rankings - This month brings new leaders in both the men’s and women’s rankings, with Valentine Rutto and Elhousine Elazzoui making their debut appearances. And make no mistake, Kenya is dominating the series, holding 6 of the top 10 men’s spots and 4 of the top 10 women’s spots. Their grip on the leaderboard is unmatched.

🏔Golden Trail World Series Top 10 - The men’s top five hold their ground, but fresh faces are shaking things up in spots six through ten, most notably Timothy Kibett, who stormed to victory in Austria in only his second GTWS race of the year. On the women’s side, Sara Willhoit makes a rare debut in the top ten, while Malen Osa powers into the top three after an impressive runner-up finish in Austria. 🏔️

🏔Skyrunner World Series Ranking - While the current leaders stay on top, there’s been plenty of shake-up in both rankings. Fresh names have broken into the top ten (✅), while others climb or drop. On the women’s side, Naira Irigoyen is making waves with back-to-back podiums, a win and a second-place finish in her last two races. Meanwhile, Jose Manuel Quispe celebrates his first victory of the year in Peru. 🇵🇪

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Sub-Ultra Athletes of the Month

At the start of 2024, we set out to highlight the best in Sub-Ultra trail running—not just at year’s end, but all year long. Through our Athlete of the Month series, we celebrated standout performances, rising stars, and unforgettable moments that shaped the sport. Now, in 2025, we’re keeping the momentum going and adding something new: Special Mentions: athletes who may not be in the monthly spotlight but still deserve a serious shoutout.

The year-end Top 10? That’s still happening. But until then, we’re here to celebrate the athletes who keep pushing the limits of what’s possible one performance at a time.

Davide Magnini

This might be the most smiling we have ever seen from Davide Magnini. Coming off a huge win at the Mont Blanc Marathon and doubling back to win the historic Giir di Mont, there’s no doubt that Magnini is back—and possibly better than ever. After two years of dealing with intense hip pain, he’s an athlete we’ll be keeping a close eye on as the year unfolds. With a new sponsor and a whole lot of joy, if he lines up at the World Championships later this year, he’ll be a strong favorite for both the podium and the overall win. And if not, whatever he chooses, the Italian Climbing Machine is here to rumble.

Naomi Lang

In a year where last year’s favorites are still holding strong in the GTWS, we think there’s another star on the rise—and her name is Naomi Lang. We first noticed her at last year’s European Championships when a great clip of her flying downhill caught our attention. Coupled with the content coming out of this year’s spring Salomon camp and her strong third place finish at Mont Blanc Marahton in June, we had a feeling she’d be one to watch. And she delivered, in style. After a thrilling head-to-head with Caroline Kimutai to start the race, she managed to hold off a hard-charging Malen Osa all day to secure the win.

USA Championship and Selection Races

Two more championships remain, with the World Championships occurring end of September in Spain.

Looking Forward

August brings us the start of the championship season. The UTMB World Series Final happens at the end of the month as the first championship of the year. Many athletes will be trying to get some final points for Golden Trail World Series and Skyrunner World Series before competing in the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships next month.

Golden Trail World Series:

• Salomon Pitz Alpine Glacier Trail — August 2 | Mandarfen, Pitzal, Austria

  A new addition to the Golden Trail World Series in the Austrian Alps with stunning grassy glades and high altitude trails. This 23K race with 5500 feet features some fast running and some straight uphill grinds to play to many different athletes strengths. This race will be held the weekend before Sierre Zinal, so it will be interesting to see who doubles back.

• Sierre Zinal — August 9 | Sierre, Switzerland

  This race needs no introduction as one of the oldest and most iconic races in our sport. Starting in the city of Sierre and finishing in Zinal, athletes are treated to a double VK start, views of the Matterhorn and then a “runnable” final half marathon. Sierre Zinal is kind to both newcomers and veterans, although Dani and EmKay have their eyes on a few Americans trying to make a name for themselves.

Skyrunner World Series:

• Ultraks Matterhorn — August 22nd | Zermatt, Switzerland
  The Skyrunner calendar takes a bit of a break, with only one race this month. With the iconic peak of the Matterhorn looming in the background, this race offers very challenging terrain with beautiful Swiss Alp views. The race is 27KM with 10,400 feet of gain - a true mountaineers race. Mountaineering experience is suggested for this race and time barriers are set in place for each aid to make sure everyone enjoys their day safely.

Cirque Series:

• Alta — August 23rd | Alta, Utah
  This 7.1-mile race with 2,545 feet of climbing begins at over 8,000 feet with a runnable service road for just .1 miles, then transitions to steep ascents on single track trails. Similar to Snowbird last month, the race peaks out at the top of Mt. Baldy with a stop along the way at Sugarloaf Pass. This Utah classic is the 5th race of the series and the final stop in Utah.

• Targhee — August 30th | Grand Targhee, Wyoming
  A 7.1-mile race with 2,200 feet of gain takes you up the Grand Targhee resort. The Teton Traverse road and trail take you all the way to Mary’s ridge and Mary’s Nipple, where athletes can take in incredible views of the Grand Tetons in the distance. The descent back into the village includes a mix of rock scrambling and service roads.

UTMB World Series Finals - OCC 57K — August 28th | Orsières, Switzerland

The UTMB calendar comes to a “close” with the championship happening around the Mont Blanc massif. While there are still more UTMB races to be run before the end of 2025, those races will all count towards the 2026 season. The 50K championship race, OCC, covers 57KM and 11,500 feet of gain starting in Orsiéres, Switzerland and crosses over into France where the race finishes in Chamonix. Many of the world’s top short trail and 50K athletes will be racing for the title of OCC champion at the end of this month.