Grindstone Trail Running Festival by UTMB kicked off the racing as runners took to the 100-mile course.
The Grindstone Trail Running Festival by UTMB once again featured some of the most challenging trail running courses on the East Coast as runners trekked through acres of stunning national forest just west of the Shenandoah Valley.
Passionate runners from around the globe descended on the Shenandoah Valley, to take on four demanding courses of 100M, 100km, 50km, and 21km filled with stunning fall foliage, mountain views, and demanding terrain.
With a time of 21:47:22, Christopher Sobie (USA) sped past the competition and took the victory in the men’s 100-mile, followed by Yannick Bernard (CAN) finishing in second place with a time of 22:43:54, while Nick Luden (USA) placed third with a time of 23:12:21.
In the women’s race, Isabelle Danforth (USA) paced the field with a finishing time of 26:36:23. Trailing her was Justine Koksal (USA) who came in second with a time of 26:59:35, and Celia Nalbach (USA) who came in third, completing the course in 27:34:01.
The three other competitions also took place, where runners tackled the 100km, 50km, and 21km courses. On the men’s side of the 100k competition, Mead Binhammer (USA) cruised to a comfortable victory with a time of 9:38:11. Second-place finisher Nicholas Guarnaccia (USA) crossed the finish line in 10:09:35, followed by Timothy Nooney (USA) who came in third place with a 10:22:58 time.
The women’s 100km race was a resounding win for Sandi Nypaver (USA) who took gold with a time of 11:24:54. Tessa Chesser (USA) and Jessica Wingo (USA) took second and third place with times of 12:15:24 and 12:38:26 respectively.
In the second race of the day, Ben Robinson (USA) took the top spot in the men’s 50km race in a time of 4:19:37. Sarah Bergeron Larouche (CAN) was the female 50km winner with a time of 4:25:36. Peirre-Charles Gendron (CAN) and Benoit Didier (CAN) rounded the podium in the men’s competition while Gabrielle Kennelley (USA) and Jessica Snyder (USA) claimed second and third, respectively, in the women’s 50km race.
The 21km event Caleb Kirchhoff (USA) reigned victorious, with his winning time of 1:38:15 beating out second and third podium placers Jonathan Tay (USA) and Devon Fogel (USA) with finishing times of 1:59:45 and 2:00:25 respectively.
In the women’s field, Adelyn Fairley’s (USA) impressive 1:35:54 finish time cinched both first place in the women’s division and first place overall, an incredible achievement. Adelyn powered past second place Fiona Greig (USA), who finished in 2:00:28, and third place Heather Gollnick (USA) who crossed the finish line with a time of 2:05:58.
“We are so proud of the runners who took on the challenging terrain of the Allegheny Mountains this past weekend,” said Race Director and founder, Clark Zealand.
“The energy and camaraderie among the athletes was truly inspiring to witness. Grindstone Trail Running Festival has solidified its place as a cornerstone event on the global trail running circuit, with some of the most demanding climbs, rugged ridgelines, and technical trails on the East Coast. It was a weekend that celebrated grit, determination, and the spirit of our amazing community, and we can’t wait to do it all again next year.”
The 2025 UTMB World Series is scheduled to continue with the series heading over to Nice, France for Nice Côte d’Azur by UTMB taking place September 25-28 as well as British Columbia, Canada for the Ultra Trail Whistler by UTMB® on September 28-29.
