US: Zimbabwe’s Hagwood wins 100km Canyons Endurance Run

By Agencies

UNITED STATES: The 100-kilomiter journey of The Canyons Endurance Runs presented by UTMB began at 5 a.m. in the snow in China Wall and ended in Downtown Auburn.

While previous year’s runners were greeted by sunny skies and warm weather, this year’s run featured muddy trails and scattered showers for the world’s elite ultrarunners.

Zimbabwe’s Emily Hagwood won the women’s race, completing her journey to Auburn in nine hours, 46 minutes and 44 seconds.

Hagwood, Jazmine Lowther and Marianne Hogan traded leads throughout most of the first half of the race, but Hagwood began to pull away down the home stretch.

“I was in a fight the whole day with Marianne and Jazmine for half the race too,” said Hagwood.

“That’s been our style racing for the past few years. You never feel like you’re winning. I have to see the finish line to think I’m in the lead.”

Hagwood said she was never concerned with breaking the course record, she just wanted to ensure that she won the race.

She added that she think the weather helped her, noting that the cooler temperatures played a part in fast times from all runners.

She also said that her familiarity with the course from her four times running Western States helped her down the stretch.

“It was a little muddy but the weather was actually perfect. I’ve raced States four times already, and it can get really hot and the heat is a challenge,” said Hagwood.

“The weather today, I feel like made it kind of an even playing field. I think my familiarity with the course pushed me over the edge”

Meanwhile, Italy’s Francesco Puppi dominated the men’s 100K in a field of over 30 elite runners, finishing with a final time of 8:04:36.

Puppi seized control of the race, passing Colorado’s Jackson Cole near the halfway point and never looking back.

Puppi set the new course record by nearly 40 minutes. He said his goal of the day was simply to run fast and run hard. He described the moment he rounded the final corner into Auburn and towards the finish line on High Street.

“It was a great feeling. On one hand, we wish those moments could last forever, but you also just want it to be over,” said Puppi in his post-race interview.