Sub Hub Headlines - October 2025

October 2025

Author

Dani Emkay
October 03, 2025

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

Excitedly yours, Dani and EmKay

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🌟 If you missed September’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!

If you missed our episodes with Anna Gibson and Jane Maus this year - make sure you go back and listen to them! These ladies ended up being our top American finishers in the Vertical (Bronze for Anna!) and the Short Trail🇺🇸

Upcoming Episodes - 2025 World Mountain Running Championship Recap and Golden Trail World Series Finals episodes.

The Scoop: Freshness Pays off For Athletes at World Mountain and Trail Running Championships by EmKay Sullivan

When it was first announced in 2023 that the 2025 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships would be held in September, I had my doubts that the timing would take away from the competitiveness you want in a world championship field. There are already so many “championship” races taking place in August through October, that it seemed many athletes would end up having to choose other races to fulfill contract obligations or make money from races that most brands bonus. OH BOY was I absolutely proved wrong! Despite the fact that most big brands still don’t incentivize World Championships in the way that many of us believe they should, some athletes were able to figure out how to double up on UTMB Finals and World Championships pretty successfully. The next week will tell us if the same goes for the mountain and short trail athletes doubling back from World Championships to Golden Trail World Series Finals.

BUT I still think there is a pretty large caveat to this. Although a handful of the athletes in the top 10 in the short and long trail events doubled back from UTMB Finals, it was the athletes who came into the race with a fresh championship slate that ended up on top in all of the races. Women’s short trail winner Tove Alexandersson came into the race having only run one other trail race this season, which just so happened to be on the exact same course. Her freshness showed as she ended up running 34 minutes faster than the next woman and beating many of the men who doubled back from UTMB Finals. Frédéric Tranchand runs for the French federation and therefore is not allowed to race within 30 days of the world championships and he ran away from many top contenders who had competed at UTMB Finals and Skyrunner events that month. In the Uphill race, winner Remi Bonnet had not raced since July due to injury and Nina Englehard’s last race was at Pitz Alpine Glacier at the beginning of August. Nina also won the Classic event and her counterpart Philemon Ombogo has not raced since August 24 at the WMRA World Cup.

While I do think that the World Championships still ended up being incredibly competitive (as shown by the crazy ITRA indexes that were thrown down for top performances), this still shows us that separating a World Championship race from the rest of the “championships” that the trail world currently has is beneficial to performance. The 2027 championships were just announced for South Africa in October. October has the potential to better fare athletes who choose to compete in UTMB Finals, but athletes will have to structure their seasons to focus even more on the second half of the year than they did this year. Golden Trail changed their normal calendar for the 2025 season to accommodate for World Mountain and Trail Running Championships, but the 2027 date would make that change a bit null.

On the track we have seen that the World Championships will now always be the final track event of the year so it will be interesting to see if the late season championships will stick around or if it makes more sense for mountain and trail to have an earlier championship, regular season break and then the other non-World Athletics affiliated championships. For now we celebrate the World Champions crowned this last weekend and look forward to 4th edition of the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships taking place in South Africa in 2027.

Sub Hub Stories : A Peek into South Africa’s 2027 Worlds with SA Trail Star Kane Reilly

Kane at this year’s OCC. photo credit: Dan King

How does it feel to be a South African athlete with your country selected to host the 2027 World Championships?

The thought of hosting so many athletes from all around the world and the lasting impact I believe the World Championships could have on Trail and Mountain Running in South Africa, makes me incredibly excited! ⁠

What races in South Africa would you recommend for athletes who want to prepare for the World Championships?

Ultra Trail Cape Town for sure! Table Mountain is pretty different to anywhere else I’ve run in the world and if it’s possible, I’d highly recommend spending a good chunk of time on it. It’s the kind of terrain where a race course’s statistics or route profile don’t quite paint the full picture.

What makes the South African trail running community unique compared to other parts of the world?

I think South African’s in general are very friendly people - “strangers” are met as friends for sure. We’re also all very proud of where we’re from and love sharing it with others.

While many fans know names like yourself, Toni McCann, and Bianca Tarboton, who are some other South African athletes people should follow?

Daniel Claassens and Robbie Rorich are two athletes who immediately jump to mind, as well as my sister Sam Reilly.

But I’m hoping that if all the invested parties can get things together in the build to 27, I’ll have a long list of athletes who no one (in trail running) would have heard of yet, to share soon! Athletes from a wider variety of both social and running backgrounds. ⁠

Hosting the World Championships could put a spotlight on African trail running. What impact do you think this will have on the next generation of athletes in South Africa?

I think it’s going to break down barriers that have previously existed, and attract totally new athletes to the sport! I’d love to see athletes from all around the country and different running backgrounds get involved in trail and mountain running, and I think the WMTRC 27 could be a catalyst for this change.

We have so much running talent in South Africa! and now that there is more opportunity in the sport of trail running to build a career, I’m hoping some of the talent takes to the mountains.

With the global spotlight coming to South Africa in 2027, what do you hope international athletes and fans take away from their experience here?

That they come and truly experience all the natural, cultural and other wonders South Africa offers! ⁠There is so much more to experience here then just the race courses, and I urge runners to take the opportunity to dig a little deeper and really connect with the City and wider county if they can.

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

September 6
Saint Jeoire Skyrace - Skyrunner World Series

Women

  1. Naiara Irigoyen - 4:15:40

  2. Maria Christen - 4:17:58

  3. Patricia Pineda - 4:21:13

Men

  1. Alain Santamaria - 3:26:13

  2. Martin Nilssoon - 3:28:10

  3. Lucien Mermillon - 3:32:20

September 6
A Basin - Cirque Series

Women

  1. Rena Schwartz - 1:18:56

  2. Courtney Coppinger - 1:19:45

  3. Alexa Aragon - 1:20:41

Men

  1. Andy Wacker - 1:05:43

  2. Jerrell Mock - 1:06:24

  3. Noah Williams - 1:08:11

September 12
Lone Peak VK at the Rut

Women

  1. Makena Morley - 38:39

  2. Dani Stack - 46:22

  3. Erika Flowers - 47:19

Men

  1. Cam Smith - 34:25

  2. Meikael Beaudoin-Rousseau - 35:23

  3. Owen Wright - 37:10

September 13
28K at the Rut

Women

  1. Klaire Rhodes - 3:53:06

  2. Maya Rayle - 3:59:46

  3. Lindsay Allison - 4:04:09

Men

  1. Cam Smith - 3:03:54

  2. Jackson Cole - 3:07:04

  3. Johen Deleon - 3:16:45

September 14
50K at the Rut

Women

  1. Erika Flowers - 6:30:19

  2. Emmiliese Von Avis - 6:41:09

  3. Stella Johnson - 6:50:35

Men

  1. Adam Loomis - 5:13:57

  2. Zach Perrin - 5:15:05

  3. Florian Winker - 5:32:04

September 19
Dragon’s Back Ascent at Mammoth Trail Fest

Women

  1. Sarah Kushner - 44:01

  2. Péma Franchi Antelme - 44:24

  3. Alexandra Sciocchetti - 47:14

Men

  1. Coleman Cragun. -35:08

  2. Andy Wacker - 37:39

  3. Chad Hall - 38:31

September 20
50K at Mammoth Trail Fest

Women

  1. Clara Caspard - 5:03:55

  2. Sarah Kushner - 5:08:09

  3. Paula Markel - 5:11:34

Men

  1. Chad Hall - 4:07:38

  2. Samuel Ruffieux - 4:13:30

  3. Liam Fleming - 4:16:40

September 21
26K at Mammoth Trail Fest

Women

  1. Caroline Alcorta - 2:25:59

  2. Erin Moyer - 2:29:30

  3. Ellaney Materese - 2:31:33

Men

  1. Andy Wacker - 1:57:49

  2. Grant Colligan - 2:04:40

  3. Joshua Ernst - 2:10:51

September 20
Grigne Skymarathon - Skyrunner World Series

Women

  1. Iris Pessey - 6:33:55

  2. Natalie Beadle - 6:35:16

  3. Aurora Bosia - 6:41:17

Men

  1. William Boffelli - 4:52:49

  2. Gianluca Ghiano - 5:17:11

  3. Dimas Pereira - 5:18:32

September 20
Pikes Peak Ascent

Women

  1. Sarah Carter - 2:46:49

  2. Alicia Vargo - 2:49:30

  3. Rena Schwartz - 2:51:04

Men

  1. Brian Whitfield - 2:13:31

  2. Seth DeMoor - 2:16:48

  3. Zachary Erikson - 2:17:48

September 21
Pikes Peak Marathon

Women

  1. Kristina Mascarenas - 4:35:10

  2. Callie Cooper - 4:40:05

  3. Chrissy Lofgren - 4:56:42

Men

  1. Jonathan Aziz - 3:54:07

  2. Mitch Klomp - 4:14:20

  3. Bayden Menton - 4:15:05

September 27
Gorbeia Suzien - Skyrunner World Series

Women

  1. Lide Urrestarazu - 3:34:16

  2. Naiara Irigoyen - 3:42:54

  3. Marta Martinez - 3:48:17

Men

  1. Aitor Ajuria - 3:01:16

  2. Marcos Villamuera - 3:02:37

  3. Gontzal Murgoitio - 3:02:59

September 25
Uphill - World Mountain and Trail Runnign Championships

Women

  1. Nina Engelhard - 45:33

  2. Susanna Saapuunki - 45:59

  3. Anna Gibson - 46:07

  4. Martha Chemutai - 46:44

  5. Franesca Ghelfi - 47:13

  6. Christel Dewalle - 47:16

  7. Lucia Arnoldo - 47:32

  8. Nélie Clément - 47:40

  9. Laura Hottenrott - 47:43

  10. Emma Cook-Clarke - 48:07

Men

  1. Rémi Bonnet - 37:50

  2. Richard Omaya Atuya - 39:04

  3. Patrick Kipngeno - 39:20

  4. Christian Allen - 39:28

  5. Jacob Adkin - 39:34

  6. Eliud Cherop - 40:09

  7. Jonathan Castillo - 40:16

  8. Andrea Elia - 40:20

  9. Quentin Meyleu - 40:20

  10. Théodore Klein - 40:24

September 26
Short Trail - World Mountain and Trail Running Championships

Women

  1. Tove Alexandersson – 5:04:20

  2. Sara Alonso – 5:38:15

  3. Naomi Lang - 5:38:54

  4. Ida Amelie Robsahm - 5:44:54

  5. Anna Plattner - 5:45:40

  6. Clémentine Geoffray - 5:46:28

  7. Jane Maus - 5:48:23

  8. Ikram Rharsalla - 5:53:19

  9. Barbora Bukovjan - 5:56:43

Men

  1. Frédéric Tranchand - 4:42:10

  2. Manuel Merillas - 4:45:33

  3. Andreu Blanes - 4:51:52

  4. Alain Santamaria - 4:55:48

  5. Marcin Kubica - 4:56:38

  6. Luca Del Pero - 4:56:57

  7. Martin Nilsson - 4:57:09

  8. Davide Magnini - 4:57:42

  9. Sylvain Cachard - 4:58:23

  10. Lorenzo Rota Martir - 4:58:54

September 28
Classic - World Mountain and Trail Running Championships

Women

  1. Nina Engelhard - 71:00

  2. Ruth Gitonga - 72:54

  3. Oria Liaci - 73:15

  4. Joyce Njeru - 73:37

  5. Lauren Gregory - 73:38

  6. Rispa Cherop - 73:42

  7. Nélie Clément - 74:09

  8. Gloria Chebet - 74:39

  9. Saibi Chebet - 75:03

  10. Elisa Morin - 75:16

Men

  1. Philemon Kiriago - 62:30

  2. Martin Kiprotich - 63:14

  3. Paul Machoka - 63:25

  4. Dominik Rolli - 63:56

  5. Ken Koros - 64:08

  6. Michael Selelo Saoli - 64:24

  7. Aziz Chebet - 64:30

  8. Brayan Rodriguez - 64:36

  9. Jonathan Castillo - 64:38

  10. Isaac Costa - 65:01

Current Series Rankings

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

🏔Golden Trail World Series Top 10 - There are no ranking changes for the Golden Trail heading into the month of October. The finals will take place at Ledro Sky Trentino from October 10-12 in Valle di Ledro, Italy.

Women’s

Ranking

Men’s

🇷🇴Mădălina Florea ➡️

1

🇲🇦 Elhousine Elazzoui ➡️

🇪🇸 Sara Alonso ➡️

2

🇰🇪 Patrick Kipngeno ➡️

🇪🇸 Malen Osa ➡️

3

🇰🇪 Philemon Kiriago ➡️

🇰🇪 Joyce Njeru ➡️

4

🇰🇪Micahel Selelo

Saoli ⬆️

🇰🇪 Caroline Kimutai ⬆️

5

🇮🇹 Daniel Pattis ⬇️

🇺🇸 Lauren Gregory ⬆️

6

🇺🇸Taylor Stack ⬆️

🇪🇸 Rosa Lara Feliu ⬇️

7

🇨🇭Roberto Delorenzi ⬇️

🇰🇪 Philaries Kisang ⬆️

8

🇮🇹 Cesare Maestri ⬇️

🇬🇧 Naomi Lang ⬆️

9

🇨🇭Dominik Rolli ⬆️

🇯🇵 Takako Takamura ⬇️

10

🇫🇷 Pierre Galbourdin ⬇️

🏔Skyrunner World Series Ranking - Skyrunner heads into its final month of regular season races with 4 more competitions. Most athletes have already racked up enough points for November’s Skymasters Final, but others will take advantage of top runner’s breaks to get more points.

Women’s

Ranking

Men’s

🇪🇸 Naiara Irigoyen ⬆️

1

🇮🇹 Luca Del Pero ➡️

 🇷🇴 Denisa Dragomir***⬇️

2

🇪🇸 Alain Santamaria ⬆️

🇷🇺 Anastasia Rubtsova⬇️

3

🇵🇪Jose Manuel Quispe⬆️

🇫🇷 Iris Pessey ⬆️

4

🇫🇷 Frederic Tranchand ⬇️

🇫🇷 Lucille Germain⬇️

5

 🇸🇪 Martin Nilsson ⬆️

🇪🇸Patricia Pineda ➡️

6

🇮🇹 William Boffelli⬆️

🇪🇸 Marta Martinez ➡️

7

🇮🇹 Daniel Antonioli ⬆️

🇨🇴Paola Morales⬆️

8

🇮🇹 Gianluca Ghiano ⬆️

🇪🇸Lide Urrestarazu ⬆️

9

🇮🇹 Alex Oberacher ⬇️

🇦🇩Ariadna Fenes Areny⬆️

10

🇪🇸 Manuel Merillas⬇️

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🏈Trail Training Tip : Playing The Long Game

For many runners, October marks the end of a long season. It’s a natural time to step back, recover, and reflect on what worked. But if you’re itching to plan ahead, this is also the perfect window to begin shaping your 2026 season.

Take a cue from Scott Johnston, coach to Ruth Croft and Tom Evans, who both won at UTMB this year. He often stresses that true breakthroughs come from consistent, structured work over years — not weeks. In his words:

“People who randomly exercise a lot can become very good … but they will probably never maximize their potential without a structured program.”

Scott Johnston

👉 Use this quieter stretch to sketch out your 2026 race calendar, identify where your key blocks will fall, and start building the habits that will carry you into next year stronger than ever.

Examples of fall consistency you can build now:

  • Strength work: 2 short sessions a week, remember we are starting to lay the brickss now for what you will build upon come November-January

  • Strides or hill sprints: sprinkle in once or twice a week to keep your legs snappy

  • Easy aerobic runs: stack days of comfortable running instead of chasing one “big” workout, if we are playing the long game we are focusing on the first layer

  • Routine recovery: commit to regular sleep, mobility, or nutrition habits that are easy to carry forward, something i find easier as those of us in the northern hemisphere have shorter days

October isn’t about hero workouts, it’s about setting the rhythm you’ll ride into 2026.

Sub-Ultra Athletes of the Month 

As we head into the final stretch of 2025, we’ve only got three more Athlete of the Month spotlights left before we wrap it all up with our year-end Trail Runner of the Year (TROY) awards.

At the start of this year, we set out to highlight the best in Sub-Ultra trail running—not just at year’s end, but all year long. Through this series, we’ve celebrated standout performances, rising stars, and unforgettable moments that continue to shape the sport.

This month, we’re also syncing with our latest podcast episode, where we shared our current leading Top 10 picks on both the men’s and women’s side—including some short-trail specialists who’ve been making serious waves.

And yes, the year-end Top 10 is still coming 👀 … but until then, we’re here to keep celebrating the athletes who push the limits of what’s possible, one performance at a time.

Tove Alexandersson

GOAT signed, sealed, delivered. When it comes to one single performance, Tove gave us exactly that. At the Trail World Championships Short Trail, she blew the doors off the field. Within 30 minutes she was gone — in her own race, surging into the lead and never once glancing back. By the finish, she had put more than 30 minutes into the rest of the women and cracked the top 20 overall. That’s not just winning… that’s rewriting the script.

Oh, and by the way? She was only 22 minutes behind the men’s winner. If your brain can’t quite process that, don’t worry ours is still buffering too.

We hope we see Tove more often in the coming years, but it’s clear she still has a strong passion for orienteering. If that means we only get the occasional fall “bomb” of a race, we’ll take it. Because honestly, we don’t see anything topping this for Performance of the Year.

Other Mentions: Nina Engelhard, Sara Alonso

Frédéric Tranchand

This is one of those stories you’ll tell the next generation: remember that time French Frédéric held off the entire Spanish armada? On the Short Trail stage, Tranchand went all-in early, attacking on the descents and daring anyone to follow. Behind him? Merillas, Blanes, Santamaria, and Martinez, just a few legendary names. But Frédéric never cracked. He crossed the line nearly three minutes clear, the lone Frenchman fending off a nation. That’s the stuff of legend. Frédéric has had some incredible performances over this years, but this is one of those having YOUR day on the day, and we hope he never forgets it because we sure won’t.

Other Mentions: Rémi Bonnet, Philemon Ombogo

Looking Forward

October is stacked with finales and big-stage showdowns. From the Golden Trail World Series in Italy, to the Kodiak UTMB Major in California, to decisive Skyrunner stops across three continents, this month is all about crowns, qualifiers, and season-defining performances.

🌍 Golden Trail World Series Grand Finale — Ledro Valley, Italy (Oct 10–12)

The showdown of the year. The Ledro Valley will host the GTWS Final on a 24 km / 1,810m+ course that stretches over the legendary greste ridgelines of Cima Parì, Cima Sclapa, and Cima d’Oro. Technical, spectacular, and rooted in UNESCO-protected terrain, this finale brings the world’s best head-to-head for the series crown. Expect fireworks.

🐻 Kodiak Ultra Marathons by UTMB — Big Bear Lake, California (Oct 9–11)

One of the biggest weekends on the U.S. trail calendar. Kodiak by UTMB offers five distances across two days, all showcasing Big Bear’s rugged charm — from the climb up Sugarloaf Mountain to the depths of Siberia Canyon.
As a UTMB Major, the stakes couldn’t be higher: Top 10 finishers in the 50k, 100k, and 100mi qualify for the 2026 Finals in Chamonix, with prize money for the top 5 in each distance. This year, Dani will be on the mic commentating, adding another layer of excitement to the action.

⛰️ Skyrunner World Series — October Races

  • Mourne Skyline (Oct 11 | Northern Ireland)
    35 km | 2,700m+ | Loop
    Rugged ridgelines and brutal climbs define this Irish classic, where weather and terrain both test the strongest mountain runners.

  • Climbathon (Oct 19 | Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia)
    26 km | 2,800m+ | Out & Back
    A legendary ascent of Mount Kinabalu — Southeast Asia’s highest peak. Hot, humid, and brutally steep, it’s a battle against both nature and altitude.

  • 2 Peaks Skyrace (Oct 25 | Yeongnam Alps, South Korea)
    26 km | 2,500m+ | Loop
    Technical ascents and fast, punishing descents in Korea’s alpine terrain. A key stop where regional stars meet international elites.

  • Sobrescobio Skyrace (Oct 26 | Rio Seco, Spain | U23 Final)
    The season-ending stage for the next generation of Skyrunners. Expect fireworks as young athletes fight for podiums and future recognition.