[Editor’s Note: This article was written by guest writer and runner, Deki Fourcin.]
In one of many deepest fields within the historical past of the Black Canyon 100k, the anticipation was palpable as runners obtained underway at 7 a.m. native time on Saturday, February 8, for the 2025 version. The 62-mile course follows a 55-mile part of the historic Black Canyon Nationwide Leisure Path, as soon as utilized by Indigenous vacationers and merchants. The primary half of the course is internet downhill, with the second half harboring a lot of the race’s 5,000 toes of elevation acquire, calling for gutsy operating alongside cautious pacing.
The beginning of the 2025 Black Canyon 100k. Picture: Howie Stern
Seth Ruhling ran an ideal race, taking the lead on the penultimate checkpoint and storming throughout the end line in 7:24:55, breaking the boys’s course document of seven:30:18, set by Hayden Hawks final yr, by greater than 5 minutes. Riley Brady shone from begin to end, dominating the race from the midway level and ending in 8:16:18, pulverizing Keely Henninger’s course document of 8:45:30 set in 2023 by practically half an hour. [Editor’s Note: Faster times were run in 2019, though on a significantly different course.]
One of many first deeply aggressive occasions within the U.S. ultrarunning season, the Black Canyon 100k is the second occasion on the 2025 World Path Majors calendar and the primary Golden Ticket Sequence occasion of 2025 by which runners can earn entry into the 2025 Western States 100. Thus, at stake for the highest women and men have been three entries every into this yr’s Western States 100.
2025 Black Canyon 100k Males’s Race
Favorable climate circumstances along with deep competitors made for an especially speedy race begin. The lead group of 34 runners got here by way of the primary assist station round 8 miles inside a minute of one another. The second assist station at mile 13 advised a lot the identical story, with Eli Hemming, winner of final yr’s Black Canyon 60k seeking to transfer up in distance this yr, and Will Murray, who completed within the prime 5 finally yr’s Leadville 100 Mile, main a bunch of 30.
Because the runners approached mile 20 on the third assist station, the sphere had began to unfold out considerably, with the lead pack of 10 runners coming by way of inside a minute of one another and the highest 15 runners inside 2 minutes. Makai Clemons, the 2022 Black Canyon 100k fourth place man, and Hemming have been on the head of the pack, adopted intently by ascendent path runner and ultrarunner Blake Slattengren and Seth Ruhling, who had beforehand completed as excessive as sixth place at this race in 2022.
The runners continued to push arduous by way of the fourth assist station at mile 24, many barely stopping to rehydrate or settle down. Murray and Hemming handed by way of first, adopted by Ruhling, Jordan Bramblett, and Clemons.
By the midway level of the race at assist station 5, though the highest 5 positions remained unchanged, Hemming, Murray, and Ruhling have been pulling away from the remainder of the pack, 6 minutes forward in fact document tempo. Canada’s Elliot Cardin moved to take the lead of the chasing group, and Joe McConaughy moved into the highest 10 for the primary time.
At assist station 6 at mile 37, Hemming appeared to take management of the race, placing practically 2 minutes between himself and second-place Ruhling. Nonetheless, that is the place Ruhling started to make his transfer, chipping away at Hemming’s lead and growing the space on Murray in third. By assist station 8, at mile 51, Ruhling had labored his approach into first place, placing nearly 2 minutes between himself and a now tired-looking Hemming. Murray adopted shut behind, ultimately shifting previous Hemming going into the final assist station at 59 miles.
In a decent males’s race to the tape, Seth Ruhling flew throughout the road in a course document 7:24:55, lower than 2 minutes forward of second-place finisher William Murray, who was additionally underneath the earlier course document in 7:26:53. Each executed well run races, by operating involved with the lead early earlier than controlling the race later. For his or her efforts, each have been moreover awarded Western States 100 Golden Tickets.
Joe McConaughy ran a tactical race from the beginning, shifting into the highest 10 across the midway level and dealing his approach up the sphere to spherical off the rostrum and bag the final Golden Ticket in 7:31:37.
Eli Hemming and China’s Can-Hua Luo rounded off the highest 5. Hemming crossed the road a minute after third place in 7:32:41, whereas Luo completed one other 4 minutes after fourth place in 7:36:38.
Seth Ruhling successful the 2025 Black Canyon 100k in course document time. Picture: Howie Stern
2025 Black Canyon 100k Males’s Outcomes
- Seth Ruhling – 7:24:55
- Will Murray – 7:26:53
- Joe McConaughy – 7:31:37
- Eli Hemming – 7:32:41
- Can-Hua Luo (China) – 7:36:38
- Elliot Cardin (Canada) – 7:48:21
- Gavin Prior – 7:53:11
- Canyon Woodward – 7:54:16
- Blake Slattengren – 7:54:18
- Ferdinand Airault (France) – 7:54:27
2025 Black Canyon 100k Girls’s Race
The ladies’s race additionally went out quick, with Mary Denholm taking an early lead by way of the primary assist station at about 8 miles, round 90 seconds forward of the remainder of the sphere. Denholm, the 2024 Leadville 100 Mile champion operating the Black Canyon 100k for the primary time, continued to push the tempo towards the second assist station, with race returnees Riley Brady and Heather Jackson sizzling on her heels. By the third assist station at 19 miles, the sphere had regrouped considerably, with Brady and Jackson starting to shut in on Denholm, and the fourth to ninth runners coming by way of inside 30 seconds of one another, 2 minutes behind the leaders.
By assist station 4 at 24 miles, Brady and Denholm ran collectively, over 2 minutes forward of Jackson in third, adopted by Tara Dower, the 2024 general Appalachian Path quickest identified time setter, and Lin Chen (China), who has prime outcomes at lengthy and tough ultras all over the world in the previous few years, making their first look within the prime 5. Brady, wanting robust, surged out into the lead on exiting the station.
By the midway level, the highest 5 regarded considerably completely different. Brady had prolonged their lead by a little bit, Denholm had dropped out of the race, and Dower had moved previous Jackson into second place. Chen adopted in fourth forward of EmKay Sullivan, who began however didn’t end this race final yr. By assist station 6 at roughly 37 miles, Brady’s lead had elevated, however simply barely, to 2 minutes forward of Dower — this was nonetheless a decent race for the lead. Jackson had begun to fade, dropping to fifth place and later out of the highest 10, whereas Sullivan had fought her approach as much as third place.
Brady continued to fly forward, placing nearly 4 minutes between themselves and Dower by the next assist station at about 46 miles. Dower appeared doubtlessly protected in second place, now a very good 9 minutes forward of third place Sullivan, with Chen following comfortably in fourth.
By assist station 8 at 51 miles, Riley Brady had elevated their lead, cruising by way of forward of Dower, previous the final checkpoint, and throughout the end line to win in a course document 8:16:18. This yr, Brady was on the Black Canyon 100k course for the fifth time, hoping to avenge a lot of difficult outcomes as a consequence of harm or sickness. With a decisive victory and a spot within the race’s historical past books, it’s protected to say that they have been profitable.
Tara Dower adopted, crossing the road in second in 8:25:08, additionally nicely underneath the earlier course document and rounding off a superbly managed race. She rose by way of the ranks all through the primary half, definitively carving out her second-place place within the closing miles.
EmKay Sullivan ran the same race, beginning conservatively and pushing the tempo throughout the second half. She rounded off the rostrum, crossing the road in 8:48:50. Each Dower and Sullivan eagerly accepted their Western States 100 Golden Tickets
Fourth-place finisher Lin Chen was additionally awarded a Western States 100 Golden Ticket as a consequence of Brady having already secured theirs with a victory on the 2024 Javelina 100 Mile, one other Golden Ticket race. This was a extremely deserved reward for a persistently well-paced race.
Abby Corridor was the day’s fifth-place finisher, crossing the tape lower than 2 minutes behind Chen, in 8:52:35. For Corridor, this end needs to be tremendous candy, as a part of her return from long-term harm, surgical procedure, and rehabilitation.
Riley Brady successful the 2025 Black Canyon 100k in course document time. Picture: Howie Stern
2025 Black Canyon 100k Girls’s Outcomes
- Riley Brady – 8:16:18
- Tara Dower – 8:25:08
- EmKay Sullivan – 8:48:50
- Lin Chen (China) – 8:50:40
- Abby Corridor – 8:52:35
- Shea Aquilano – 8:53:48
- Erin Clark – 8:57:47
- Amanda Stalwick – 8:58:04
- Lauren Puretz – 9:08:38
- Madison Liechty – 9:11:02
[Editor’s Note: Riley Brady identifies as non-binary, and competes in the women’s division.]
