Kristina Chang and Sam Wood (both USA) have won the Kodiak Ultra Marathons 100 miles races in Big Bear Lake, United States of America. Lin Chen and Kao Zhou (both China) were the fastest runners at the 108 kilometres Trans Jeju race on Jeju Island, South Korea. Both races are part of the UTMB World Series.
Chang finished with her time of 21 hours, 15 minutes and 24 seconds just outside of the top 10 overall (eleventh). Coral Buitenhuis (Canada) came second in 21:29:51. The third place was for Kate Butcher (Canada). She clocked 22:14:23.
Close finish Kodiak Ultra
Wood, who took the lead just before passing Cactus Flats for the second time, needed 18 hours, 24 minutes and 8 seconds to run the 159 kilometres and climb the 4.100 metres. Up until that moment Jhon Barrera was leading, but for the Columbian ultra runner the race was 40 kilometres too long, because after the third passage of the Smarts Ranch he fell back from first to fifth.
Mike Lavery finished only 3 minutes behind Wood as second: 18:27:19. Four minutes later Cordis Hall completed the podium. He needed 18 hours, 31 minutes and 33 seconds. Matthew Zupan also finished ahead of Barrera. He clocked 18:54:06, making it one, two, three and four for the United States of America.
Karel Sabbe, the famous Belgium ultra runner, ran the 50k. He finished sixth in 4 hours, 7 minutes and 2 seconds. This race was won by Ryan Becker (United States) by the men. Helen Mino Faukner, winner of the 50k at Deserts RATS Trail Running Festival, won the women’s race in 4:13:09, finishing ninth overall.
Trans Jeju
Lin Chen was the fastest woman up and over the summit of Juju Mountain at the Trans Jeju in South Korea. The Chinese ultra runner needed 13 hours, 38 minutes and 19 seconds for the 108 kilometres of running and 4.242 metres of climbing. With that time she finished eleventh overall. One place ahead of Hua Rong Fu (China) who took second place in the women’s race in 13:57:11. Fen Zhao (also China) finished third in 14:36:05.
Kao Zhou won the men’s race in 10:47:29. He beat Hu Zhao (China), who clocked 11:17:14. Minchul Ko (South Korea) completed the podium. He finished in 11:20:24.
Archive Photo UTMB
You can find all the results of the Kodak Ultra Marathons here and those of Trans Jeju here.