Sub Hub Headlines - December 2024

December 2024

Author

Dani Emkay
December 02, 2024

WELCOME, WELCOME, WELCOME to the December edition of Sub Hub Headlines!

Excitedly yours, Dani and EmKay

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🌟 Missed last month’s newsletter? Don’t worry, you can catch up here!

✨ PSA: If you haven’t already, be sure to follow us on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, and Instagram—don’t miss out!

🎙️ Coming soon on the pod:

  • A candid series spotlighting badass female coaches, nutritionists, strength experts, a PT, and more. Look for this to drop early 2025.

  • Plus, in the short term, get ready for our End-of-Year Wrap-Up episode featuring none other than Francesco Puppi.We will cover top performers, AOY, themes in the sub-ultra space and more, it’s gonna be a good one! Dropping the first week of December. 🙌

The Scoop: 2024 Takeaways - By Dani and Emkay

Women’s start of Mammoth Trail Fest - PC: @ryanthrower

Trail running is evolving faster than ever, with the 2024 season serving as a microcosm of the sport's transformation. From the debate around race indexes to the growing importance of speed and the clash of global series, there's no shortage of topics shaping the sub-ultra world. As we reflect on this season, we're asking: How are these trends reshaping the sport we love, and what does the future hold for trail and mountain running?

Of course, nothing in trail running is ever perfect—and that’s exactly why we love it. From debates about race rankings to cheering on our next generation of wicked fast athletes, the passion this community brings to every corner of the sport is what makes it so special.

These are the top four themes we're carrying with us into 2025—and what we'll be keeping an eye on as the sport continues to grow (quirks and all):

  1. The Glorious Game of Indexes - by Dani: The current index systems in trail running, notably UTMB and ITRA, aim to provide a benchmark for performance. Francesco Puppi outlines their key differences in this insightful post. In short, ITRA’s scoring is public, while UTMB’s is not, and ITRA have a more updated algorithm, but this isn’t certain. That said, there is room for improvement, particularly in transparency regarding UTMB’s scoring methodology and races clearly stating on their websites whether they intend to submit results to ITRA or UTMB. This clarity should be a given, considering how many athletes rely on the UTMB index for entry status into key events through race scores. With this information, athletes could make more informed choices aligned with their personal goals.

    Drawing comparisons to other sports, pretty effective ranking systems exist in tennis, where the components are straightforward. However, in climbing and mountain biking, while objective elements are involved, these rankings are not perfectly reliable for cross-comparison due to subjective aspects. I’ve even found this in skiing—where a black diamond might feel manageable at one resort but daunting at another. Trail running faces a similar challenge with its mix of subjective (terrain, technical difficulty) and objective (distance, elevation gain) factors, along with the complicating factor of course variability due to weather, permitting, and more.

    This complex issue is coming more to the forefront of conversation, especially as races such as the UTMB final highlight its ongoing importance. While no system is perfect, striving for progress is essential and an effective index can enhance clarity, benchmark performance, support race directors in attracting competitive fields, and make the sport more accessible for fans. I have a feeling we will see more development here in 2025.

  2. The Rise of the Next Generation in Trail Running: From Sub-Ultra Pioneers to Ultra Contenders - by Dani

    What do Toni McCann, Francesco Puppi, and Emkay Sullivan all have in common? They’ve been dominating shorter-distance trail races over the past five years, claiming wins, podiums, and top-ten finishes at some of the world's most competitive events. And when they stepped up to longer distances, success came quickly: McCann won CCC in August, Puppi secured 2nd place at Les Templiers(‘23) and won the Lake Sonoma 50-miler in April, and Sullivan earned a Golden Ticket at Canyons 100K

    They represent a first wave of athletes who dedicated years to honing their skills in the sub-ultra realm and are now making significant strides in ultras.

    This transition is part of a larger trend fueled by the growing popularity of shorter trail races, bolstered by series like the Golden Trail Series and events like Broken Arrow and Cirque Series, which have brought increased attention and financial incentives. This incubated group of athletes is now paving the way for a new wave of collegiate stars and young track athletes increasingly choosing to prioritize trails. This year alone, three female athletes who competed in the Olympic Trials finals also raced in the Golden Trail Series finals, signaling a powerful shift in the sport.

    Looking ahead to 2025, we’re likely to see even more track and road athletes testing the trails, especially with the 2028 Olympic cycle approaching it’s a great time to try new things. We’ve already seen steeplechase Olympian Marisa Howard at the USATF Trail 10K Champs—this is just the start. What does this mean for the future? With another year of experience, this "feeding machine" of sub-ultra badasses moving up to ultras will add to the already impressive depth of talent in the sport. The building momentum from sub-ultra events like the Golden Trail Series, Broken Arrow, and Cirque Series has been fueling these athletes' progression for the past years, and now a new wave of stars is stepping up to the ultra stage. This infusion of talent means we’ll soon see even faster performances at legendary ultra races, but also with this next gen of sub-ultra stars we will see challenges to records at iconic races like Sierre Zinal and Zegama, pushing the limits and elevating the sport as a whole. As my Mammoth fam often says...it's just getting good.😁

    Patrick and Philemon post Mammoth Trail Fest. PC - @ryanthrower

  3. The Need for Speed - by Emkay: We have said it once and we will continue to say it - speed is now more important than ever in the sub-ultra world (and the ultra world too but that’s another topic). Roberto Delorenzi, the European Classic champion and Skyrunner World Series champion, started his year with a 29:51 10K and a 1:04 half marathon. Elhousine Ellazaoui ran the same January 10K, finishing just 2 seconds behind Roberto. Miao Yao started her season off with 1:12 half marathon with the intent to train for the Chinese Olympic marathon team. We have frequently highlighted the American contingent of track athletes like Allie Ostrander, Grayson Murphy, and Lauren Gregory, who are excelling across distances and bringing their speed to elevate performances on the trail. Moral of the story - add some faster and flatter workouts into your winter and spring training spice up your own performance.

  4. Battle of the Series - by Emkay: As each series begins to require more and more from athletes every year, we are beginning to see that many athletes are faced with a choice between making money, qualifying races and media visibility. With so many competitive series emerging in the sub-ultra space, which ones are truly elevating the sport? The main series as of 2024 are Golden Trail World Series and Skyrunner World Series with the UTMB World Series also adding some extra pressure with many athletes choosing to qualify for races at UTMB week. Golden Trail seems to still take the cake in terms of overall spectator interest, but has seen some criticism from some of the original GTWS athletes on where the series is headed. Skyrunner leveled up their prize money this year to make their series much more appealing to athletes - especially those that were just missing big payouts at GTWS. Will we see each series up their qualifying race totals even more in 2025? Will GTWS continue its dominance as the sub-ultra premier league?

Sub Hub Stories: Marisa Howard - From Paris Olympics to US 10k Trail Champs - by Dani Moreno

Marisa after earning her spot on the 2024 USATF Olympic Steeplechase team.

Marisa Howard is the latest road and track star to dip her toes into the trail running world, following in the footsteps of athletes like Ashley Brasovan (2007 Footlocker Champion), Grayson Murphy (9:25 3K steeplechase, 31:53 road 10K), Rachel Tomajczyk (silver medalist at the 2015 NCAA Indoor Championships in the 5,000 meters), Lauren Gregory, Anna Gibson, and many others.

Marisa turned pro after an impressive collegiate career, which included a standout 4th-place finish in the NCAA Division I Championships in the steeplechase. Fast forward to 2024, she earned her ticket to the Paris Olympic Games by placing 3rd at the U.S. Olympic Trials in the 3000-meter steeplechase, clocking a blazing personal best of 9:07.14. 😮‍💨

We were so excited to see her name on the list for USATF Trail 10k Championships where she earned 3rd, here are some questions we asked her coming off her podium finish.

How has your body and mind been recovering post-Olympics? Have there been any surprising moments—good or challenging—that stood out to you since August?

Mind and body are in a much better place now than they were in August. After returning from the Olympics we got pretty sick for about four weeks with a few different illnesses. I don't think you realize how mentally and physically tired you are until you are on the other side of it. After taking some downtime in September I got back into training/workouts in October. Body and mind are in a good place now! I think a surprising moment was how quickly fitness returned after my downtime. I had a lot of injuries in college so I wasn't able to connect each season. I haven't had any major injuries since 2018 and so I am really starting to see the benefits of connecting season after season. 

Congrats on your podium finish at the USA Trail 10k Championships! Was participating in this race a planned move post-Olympics, or more of a spontaneous decision?

Thank you! It was definitely fun to try something new this fall. We didn't really have any major plans post Olympics. I usually do a 5k or cross country during the fall training block but I never feel super sharp in November so I wanted something that would be more strength focused. I've always wanted to try something in the trails because I do a lot of trail running in my training but there hadn't been a good time yet. Since we have four years until the next Olympics I feel like we have some liberty to try a few different things before focusing back on the steeple.  

Marisa’s 3rd place finish at the USATF 10k Trail Championships. - PC - @wackera (Andy Wacker)

Did you make any specific adjustments to your training for the trails?

Like I said above, I do a lot of my runs in the trails in Boise. My medium long run and long run are on trails every week. I made a focus this fall of also doing my Monday runs in the trails as well. Our trails are not as technical as the ones in Arkansas but they have a lot of climbing so that helped prepare me well. We did do one fartlek in the trails and a six mile test effort on a hilly loop. The fartlek was a BLAST! I don't get to run fast in our trails often so getting to rip downhill was a lot of fun. 

Is trail racing something you’re looking to explore more in 2025, or do you see yourself focusing primarily on track and road events?

We haven't planned out my 2025 season yet. I think because there are four years between now and 2028 I will definitely do more trail and road racing between now and then but I do want to do the Steeplechase at the 2028 trials. We only had three years between 2021 and 2024 and one of those years I had a baby, so it will be fun to explore a few different things before narrowing our focus back to the steeplechase.

You were just hired as the Assistant XC/T&F Coach at Boise State. Have you always wanted to be a coach? What does this position mean to you?

Yes, I got hired as a volunteer assistant, so I am helping out two days a week at practice. I honestly never dreamed of coaching when I was little, I got into it seven years ago when my husband became the head coach of an XC/Track program in town. So much of coaching is about building relationships and I have really enjoyed that aspect at Boise State this fall. I've gotten to workout/run with the team this fall and felt really invested in their season and success. This position means a lot in getting to invest in the next generation of Bronco athletes and help them to achieve some big goals. Boise is one of the best places in the US to train, so it has been really fun to show the team the trails that I have enjoyed training on for years.

What are you most excited for in this next chapter with Boise State?

I am excited for Boise to continue to climb the national ranks and also become a balanced track program. Coach Pat McCurry has built an incredible staff that loves coaching. Like I said above, we have a pretty incredible place to train here in Boise. Our trail system is a five minute jog from the BSU track and it opens up into 250+ miles of trails. We also have a flat greenbelt path that follows the river for 25-30 miles. We don't get a ton of snow so our sprints/jumpers/throwers are able to train outside for most of the year. I think this program is going to be one to watch in the coming years :) 

Marisa and her little one after the USATF Steeplechase Trials Final. PC - @shayshotit

Results Recap

⭐️JUST FOR FUN! On November 3, our co-host EmKay Sullivan won the mass start of the New York City Marathon in 2:36:41⭐️

🇲🇾Penang Skyrace - November 3

  1. Lide Urrestarazu - 5:16:37

  2. Iris Pessey - 5:25:06

  3. Marcvela Vasinova - 5:53:57

  1. Lorenzo Beltrami - 4:17:14

  2. Ioseba Eskudero - 4:53:31

  3. Yusof Abdul Manan - 5:48:07

🇺🇸USATF Trail Half Marathon National Championships - November 3

  1. Allie McLaughlin - 1:34:34

  2. Taylor Tuttle - 1:36:40

  3. Rachel Tomajczyk - 1:37:34

  1. Christian Allen - 1:19:02

  2. Mason Coppi - 1:20:34

  3. David Sinclair - 1:21:38

🌊Mallorca by UTMB - Camins de S’Arxiduc 20K - November 3

  1. Judith Wyder - 2:13:32

  2. Isabel Calero - 2:25:05

  3. Margheita Vitali - 2:32:41

  1. Eduard Hernandez - 2:01:46

  2. Valentin Benard - 2:04:52

  3. Dominik Matt - 2:05:37

🌊Mallorca by UTMB - Els tres Mils 47K - November 2

  1. Rosa Lara Feliu - 5:10:17

  2. Bailey Kowalczyk - 5:15:59

  3. Martina Valmassoi - 5:23:16

  1. Yoel de Paz Baeza - 4:18:25

  2. Bogdan Damian - 4:23:20

  3. Leonard Mitrica - 4:26:17

🇸🇪Kullamanen by UTMB - North Shore 20K - November 2

  1. Emily Somerset - 1:28:43

  2. Frida Vikström - 1:29:38

  3. Pernilla Karman - 1:31:27

  1. John Kingstedt - 1:14:18

  2. Frederik Ernst - 1:15:26

  3. August Mollén - 1:17:08

🇭🇰TransLantau by UTMB 25K - November 9

  1. Yee Ting Suen - 3:22:11

  2. Chiu Man Cheung - 3:29:37

  3. Ka Yan Jessie Chan - 3:39:13

  1. Riccardo Scalt - 2:26:28

  2. Vlad Ixel - 2:32:14

  3. Kan Ngai - 2:40:22

🇹🇷Sagalossos Skyrace - November 9

  1. Emma Cook-Clarke - 3:41

  2. Valeriia Merkureva - 3:44

  3. Iris Pessey - 3:53

  1. Roberto Delorenzi - 2:36

  2. Frédéric Tranchand - 2:36

  3. Jan Torella - 2:39

💎Dirt Circus 10K - USATF 10K Trail Champs - November 16

  1. Lauren Gregory - 41:15

  2. Allie Ostrander - 43:18

  3. Marisa Howard - 44:20

  1. Christian Allen - 36:40

  2. Liam Meirow - 37:44

  3. Jonathan Aziz - 38:03

🇪🇸Skymasters Marató dels Dements - November 16

  1. Anastasia Rubstova - 5:38:53

  2. Julia Font - 5:40:58

  3. Oihana Kortazar - 5:46:40

  1. Roberto Delorenzi - 4:45:48

  2. Luca Del Pero - 4:46:49

  3. Manuel Merillas - 4:47:16

🇰🇪Mount Longonot Trail Challenge - November 16

  1. Ruth Gitonga - 1:14:50

  2. Philaries Kisang - 1:15:25

  3. Joyline Chepngeno - 1:16:45

  1. Timothy Kibet - 1:02:04

  2. Mechael Selelo Saoli - 1:04:05

  3. Ephantus Njeri - 1:04:06

Malaysia by UTMB 25K - November 16

  1. Kana Antonio - 3:59:31

  2. Puteri Sofia Hanna - 4:04:53

  3. Louise Zapata - 4:16:53

  1. Daaraneshwaran Siva Kumar - 3:35:39

  2. Benjamin Nicolas - 3:35:49

  3. Kim Jisub - 3:35:57

Current Series Rankings

Merrell Skyrunner® World Series – The 2024 SkyMasters wrapped up this season’s Skyrunner World Series, a separate competition from the Skyrunning World Championships held earlier in September. Unlike the biennial World Championships overseen by the International Skyrunning Federation, the Skyrunner World Series runs annually and concludes with its own championship event.

This year’s SkyMasters challenged runners with a 42k course boasting 3,800 meters of elevation gain. It ended up being a battle until the end as most all of the top ten men and women attended the final. When all was said and done here is how the top 10 standings ended up after the final result.

Women

Before Final

Movement

After Final

🇷🇺Anastasia Rubtsova

1

➡️

1

🇫🇷🇺🇸Hillary Gerardi

2

➡️

2

🇪🇸Julia Font

6

⬆️

3

🇪🇸Oihana Kortazar

7

⬆️

4

🇨🇦Emma Cook-Clarke

3

⬇️

5

🇫🇷Lucille Germain

8

⬆️

6

🇪🇸Lide Urrestarazu

5

⬇️

7

🇲🇽Karina Carsolio

4

⬇️

8

🇫🇷Iris Pessey

10

⬆️

9

🇫🇷Olivia Magnone

12

⬆️

10

Men

Before Final

Movement

After Final

🇨🇭Roberto Delorenzi

1

➡️

1

🇮🇹Luca Del Pero

2

➡️

2

🇪🇸Manuel Merillas

4

⬇️

3

🇮🇹Lorenzo Beltrami

3

⬆️

4

🇪🇸Antonio Martínez

6

⬇️

5

Frederic Tranchard

9

⬆️

6

🇮🇹Gianluca Ghiano

5

⬇️

7

🇵🇪Jose Manuel Quispe

8

➡️

8

🇮🇹Daniel Antonioli

7

⬇️

9

🇯🇵Ruy Ueda

10

➡️

10

With the SkyMasters now complete, the Skyrunner World Series has concluded. And what felt like overnight, they are the first series of those that we highlight to release their 2025 schedule, which can be found posted here. 

Valsir World Mountain Running Cup – The Valsir World Mountain Cup final took place in October, marking the season's end. Joyce Muthoni and Patrick Kipngeno maintained their leads, with Lauren Gregory entering the top 10 as the only American. The Kenyan men dominated, placing five athletes in the top 10. We’ll share updates once the new season’s calendar is available.

Golden Trail World Series – The season ended at Ascona-Locarno with Joyce Muthoni and Elhousine Elazzaoui clinching the overall titles. The women’s rankings saw significant movement late in the season. The U.S. had two women and one man in the top 10. We’ll keep you posted once the new season details are released.

You can check out the full top 10 final results for these two series in our November newsletter by clicking here.

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Sub Hub Podcast co-host Emkay rocking her Pit Viper shades.

Trail Training Tip

You race better when you are happy and fulfilled in other aspects of your life. Take some time off at the end of the season or even each week to give time to other activities that bring your joy. A balanced athlete is a successful athlete! ⚖️

Sub-Ultra Athletes of the Month

As we waved goodbye to 2023, we cooked up a plan for future years: ending the year with a bang by handpicking our top ten Sub-Ultra athletes. But hey, why wait until December to start the celebration? Every month, we shined a spotlight on athletes whose performances have dazzled, impressed, or just put a big grin on our faces. So while it might not be a perfect match for our upcoming end of the year pod, it’s been a lot of fun showing you these athletes. Make sure you tune in to our end-of-year podcast this week with Francesco Puppi.

Here is a look back at the athletes that we highlighted starting from the beginning of the Sub Hub Headlines:

February - Tabor & Eli Hemming

March - Francesco Puppi & The Spanish Women

April - Joyce Muthoni & Patrick Kipngeno

May - Sylvia Nordskar & Elhousine Elazzaoui

June - Jade Belzber & Meika Beaudoin-Rousseau

July - Rachel Tomajczyk & Joseph Gray

August - Mia Yao & Antonio Martinez Perez

September - Elhousine Elazzaoui & The American Women

October - Scout Adkin & Luca Del Pero

Looking Forward

As we dive full force into the holiday season, regardless of what you may or may not celebrate, we’re wishing you and your loved ones a safe and peaceful winter season. 🩵

The NCAA Cross Country season has wrapped up, marking the end of another thrilling collegiate campaign. Meanwhile, NFL fans are pulling out all their lucky tricks and superstitions, hoping to give their teams the best mojo as we head into the final games of the season.☘️

As we slow down to enjoy this time of year, we’re also keeping a close eye on any new series calendars dropping for 2025, ready to plan and prep for what promises to be another exciting season ahead. While there aren't many races in December, there are still a couple of exciting events to look forward to as we close out another incredible year of trail running.

Chiang Mai Thailand

The UTMB Asia Major series brings three fantastic events to Chiang Mai from December 5th to 8th, 2024. This series offers prize money and an exciting challenge for runners, featuring the following distances:

  • TRANS-INT160: 160km

  • ELEPHANT100: 100km

  • HMONG50: 50km (56km with 3270m+ elevation gain)

The HMONG50 on December 7th is a standout race with a 5,000 Euro prize for first place in both the men’s and women’s categories, as well as substantial prizes for the top 5 finishers. There will also be 24km and 12km options for those wanting a shorter challenge. With this being the only UTMB Series event in December, it’s one not to miss for athletes aiming for major recognition in Asia.

Crystal Cove - Dec 7th

On December 7th, 2024, the SoCal Trail Season Finale at Crystal Cove in Orange County is set to close out the trail season. This race offers breathtaking views just minutes from the beach, with 6k and 15k distances. The 15k course includes challenging climbs like the Rock Garden, Elevator, and The Wall, and has a $2,000 prize purse for the top finishers. A fun and challenging way to wrap up the year!

A staple series in California, this series has 2 more left in it’s 2024 calendar.

Peacock Gap Trail Run - Dec 7th

  • Distances: 10K, Half, 30K

  • Location: China Camp State Park, San Rafael, CA

Woodside Ramble - Dec 21th

  • Distances: 10K, Half, 35K, 50K

  • Location: Huddart County Park, Woodside, CA

A synonym for American Trail running, this series continues full force until the end of this year. We have listed events that include shorter distance races, but there are some great vert virtual challenges on the calendar to close out the year as well.

McDowell Mountain Frenzy - Dec 7th

  • 50 Mile, 50K, 25K, 10 Mile, 5 Mile
    Run through the beautiful McDowell Mountain Regional Park and enjoy the rugged desert landscapes of Arizona.

Mayhem Night Trail - Dec 15th

If you're in the mood for a night race, the Mayhem Night Trail at McDowell Mountain Regional Park in Fountain Hills, AZ features three distances:

  • 25K, 10 Mile, 5 Mile

Tucson Marathon - Dec 15th

For those looking to work on their winter leg speed the Tucson Marathon offers the full marathon, 50k, and ½ marathon distance, as well as a marathon relay.

Also don’t forget to see if your local area where you are spending December has any holiday races!❄️