2022 Canyons 100k | The GrandDaddy of All Previews

by Chase Parnell — April 18, 2022

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This year’s Canyons 100k will easily be the most competitive ultramarathon on US soil this year. With a huge cap, the race allows for depth that many other A-list races can’t entertain. This is also the final golden ticket race of the season so it’s everyone’s last shot at making it to Western States. When I scrolled through the entrants list for the first time, I literally LOL’d. Filthy deep.

What makes these golden ticket races so exciting is that there’s no secret what all the elites are aiming for. They ALL think they have a shot at a golden ticket. Top three or bust. I won’t be able to witness how things go down because I’ll be out on the course running the damn thing. But what I think is going to happen is that the top men and women are going to run eachother into the ground. You sort of have to swing for the fences. I’m sure there will be some great come from behind stories but I think the lead packs will go out hard and whoever has that magical juice on the day is who’s going to stand on that podium at the finishline.

Personally, I believe Adam Peterman and Brittney Peterson are going to win comfortably, but the other two spots are totally up in the air. So without further ado, let’s take a quick look at the course and then get into these massive cess pools of talent.

Canyons 100k course

When people describe Canyons they usually say it’s a partial point-to-point running of the Western States course but in reverse. And because Western States is a big net-loss course, well then bingo-bango, we have a big net-gain course in Canyons. Yeah well, that does sort of sum it up but somehow they’ve managed to beef it up even more than that with with some torturous add-ons to give this 14k (?) 15k (?) 16k (?) of vert?! I’ve heard all these amounts thrown around. Most of the Strava files I’ve looked at put the course elevation gain at a little over 14,000 feet but there are going to be slight variations this year that might ramp that up a bit.

I suppose the biggest thing to keep in mind is that all the big hits come late in the race. If you run too hot early on, you might literally not make it out of the canyons late in the race. You’ll be stuck down there forever. I imagine lots of runners are going to feel good through Foresthill, roughly the half way point, but really I think we should be viewing Foresthill as maybe the 1/3 point, because most of the vert has yet to show itself, the heat is probably not quite peaking, and if you’re from sea level, the elevation is about to tick up and add some queasiness to the stew.

But with all that said, if we’re looking for a silver lining it’s that the climbs and descents are on fairly runnable trail and the gradient isn’t so steep that we’re looking at truly devastatingly slow miles. If we’ve saved some juice for the second half, it’s going to be tough, but we’ll get it done.

I think the crux will be the climb from miles 43-50. You could literally make up multiple minutes per mile through this section if you’re moving well. Okay, that’s enough, my palms are sweating.

2022 Men’s Canyons 100k Preview

Top Contenders

Adam Peterman (26) – Missoula, MT. Over the last year, Adam Peterman has established himself as the brightest new ultrarunner on the American circuit. We watched him tear it up at Speedgoat 50k last year; I was blown away by how effortless it all looked for him. He took down a lot of the same guys he’ll be racing at Canyons: Hazen, Freriks, Sinclair. He then went on to win JFK50 in the fall and Chuckanut 50k this spring, both against very competitive fields. His only little blip was when he got beat by Youtuber, Seth DeMoor, at Pikes Peak Marathon, finishing 2nd. Peterman did have the fastest descent of the day, however. So I’m flying the Peterman flag proudly, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have a few reservations. First, he’s been at this ultra game for less than a year and second, he’s never ran a 100k before. But I still think he’s so good that he’ll figure it out on the day and win big. He beat last year’s Canyons 100k winner, Anthony Costales, at Chuckanut by 10 minutes. Anything can happen out there, but I’m going with Peterman FTW. What the hell could he do at Western States?!

Jared Hazen (26) – Flagstaff, AZ. Jared is definitely registered for Canyons and based on his Strava, he’s been putting the finishing touches on a huge block of training on an island off the coast of Africa with the Salomon team. It’ll be weird to see him in the red/white/black kit! A couple weeks back, in this post he said he put in 95 miles and 30,000 feet of vert in four days. Lord have mercy. I imagine he wants to take another stab at Western States after a disappointing DNF at the Foresthill aid station last year. He has all the talent in the world, he’s still super young, and he has the capacity for huge volume in training. With Jim not racing this year, he might finally get that W, but he has to get through Canyons first!

David Sinclair (29) – Truckee, CA. This race is right in David’s backyard. He’s a world class mountain runner, but like Peterman, he doesn’t have a ton of long course experience but is so talented and experienced in shorter races that you have to think he’ll make the transition with ease. Based on David’s Strava, he appears to be weaning himself off the skis and integrating a few solid long runs à la Kilian Jornet. David put up an obscene week recently where he ran about 75 miles and nordic skied 230. So there’s no question he has the aerobic base to go all day long, the question might be whether or not he’s had enough total running miles to keep it together late in the race. We shall see.

Tim Freriks (31) – Flagstaff, AZ. I’ve been pulling for Freriks since he showed us a glimpse of greatness when he won Transvulcania back in 2017, handily beating a field of top international elites including Ludovic Pommeret and Xavier Thevenard. Tim went on to win the 2018 Black Canyon 100k but has been a little quiet on the big stage since. Don’t get me wrong, he has still compiled some great finishes, but nothing quite on par with what we might have all been predicting when he won Transvulcania. I like that he jumped over to Craft as his sponsor, maybe this will help him establish his own personal identity. Freriks won the Crown King Scramble 50k in March and has been logging big weeks. His forays into the Grand Canyon should help him with all the climbing at Canyons. Who knows, maybe Tim will pull off a big upset win! He certainly has the talent to do it.

Ryan Miller (30) – San Antonio, TX. This was a tough call. I do think Ryan has the potential to nail it at Canyons but he’s going to have to overcome some demons out there on this course. I’ll never forget seeing Ryan crumpled up in a lawn chair at Robinson Flat aid station, looking like absolute death, just 50k into the 2021 Western States race. Surely those memories will be reverberating around his psyche on Saturday, but here’s the thing, great runners don’t become great runners by caving under pressure. He’s a 2:14 marathoner for goodness sakes. And despite taking his shellackings in 2021, he appears committed to figuring out the ultra game. I felt the sincerity in this instagram post where he opens up about getting dropped by Nike Trail and his lackluster string of performances. He seems to have found some invigorating freedom in just doing this thing for the love of it. And it shows! Just a few weeks ago, he came into the backyard of some great Oregon runners and took the win at the Gorge Waterfalls 50k. He’s fit! And that course wasn’t flat. But will he hang tough for 100k with 14k vert? Hope he’s been maxing out the treadmill incline down in Tejas.

Others to watch

Daniel Jones (31) – New Zealand. 2:16 marathoner. Recently put together a 150 mile week. Dangerous.

Reid Coolseat (42) – Canada. Legit A-list distance running pro. 2:10 marathoner in his day. Couple wins on the trail circuit. Won Quebec Mega Trail 110k. Nothing to lose.

Jacob Grant (24) – SLC, Utah. Stupid fast time at Antelope Island 50k. 3:29 on that course is unreal.

Andrew Catanese (29) – Mountain View, CA – “Painter, sculptor, muralist, trail and ultramarathon athlete” – his instagram. Most interesting man on the start line? Won Georgia Jewel 50 in 2018 and 2019.

Ruairi Moynihan (32) – Flagstaff, AZ. 2021 Lake Sonoma 100k Champ; 2nd Crown King Scramble 50k (2022).

Sage Canaday (36) – Boulder, CO – Everyone knows Sage. Great runner, world class, but not sure he’s fully recovered and training at peak fitness after his health issues last year. Nice block of training but don’t think he’ll be in contention for a golden ticket. That said, I could be very wrong.

Tyler Cox (26) – Seattle, WA – Strong Pacific Northwest up and comer. He’s won a bunch of smaller 50k races. Finished just a minute back of David Roche last fall at the Ginger Runner’s Tiger Claw 25k. Curious to see what he does on a big stage.

Dave Stevens (39) – Nelson, BC – Rocketed onto the US scene with a great win at Run Rabbit Run last year. Finished 10th at Chuckanut 50k last month so might not have the high end speed? But Canyons might be a tough enough course for his skillset to shine through. Finished 2nd at Javelina 100 in 2018 so he’s no stranger to racing in a little heat.

David Kilgore (30) – Bronx, NY – 9th Leadville 100 (2021); 3h 01m 50k personal best.

Anthony Fagundes (32) – Fair Oaks, CA – 3:22 guy at Way Too Cool. DNF at the 2021 Canyons 100k.

Zach Miller (33) – Bend, Oregon – Yup, fully claiming him despite being listed on ultrasignup as from Columbia, PA. After a solid 10 mile low-key local race in March, it would appear Zach had a hip injury setback. While still doing big volume on skis/bike, I can’t imagine he’ll toe the line at Canyons. We’ll see.

Rod Farvard (26) – Mammoth Lakes, CA – 4th Bandera 100k 2022; 1st Quad Dipsea 28.4 miler 2021.

Grant Barnette (26) – SLC, Utah – Another young gun. Really solid 3rd place at 2021 Never Summer 100k with 4th fastest time on that course. 2nd No Business 100 (2020). Mullet man. Is he going to be the SLC boy to pop off this year?!

Alex Gold (27) – Cincinnati, OH – Two-time Mohican 50 mile champ; 4th The Bear 100 (2020).

Jason Schlarb (43) – Durango, CO – Wonder what Schlarb’s game plan is? When I saw him last at Speedgoat 50k he was running ridges with a limp. No idea what kind of fitness he’s bringing.

Jim Rebenack (37) Littleton, CO – Couple minutes off Tyler Green at Moab Red Hot 55k in February. Has a 1st and 2nd to his name at Run Rabbit Run 100. Solid.

Kris Brown (33) Missoula, MT – Fresh off a Nine Trails 35 win in Santa Barbara. Has mountain legs and speed. Ex-California resident with lots of experience on the course. Been training with Peterman in Missoula so maybe there’s some magic juju there.

Ryan Ghelfi (33) Ashland, OR – He’s been hitting it hard in recent weeks. On the cram train. Ashlanders tend to run well on the Western States course. If he runs smart, his experience could take him to a top… ten.

Caleb Olson (26) Draper, Utah – 6th Speedgoat 50k (2021); 17th UTMB CCC (2021).

Bryan Kerl (30) SLC, Utah – Ran sub 10 hours at Canyons 100k last year to finish 7th. Has a smattering of wins at lower key races.

Mark Hammond (36) Cottonwood Heights, UT – Great 100 mile runner, not sure he has the leg speed for Canyons but could be a late race closer, picking up all the carnage. Has two third place finishes and a fifth at Western States. Legit!

Florian Neuschwander (40) Inzell, Germany – 2018 Sean O’Brien 100k Champ; 2nd place at IAU World Trail Championships in 2013; ex or current 50k/100k world treadmill record holder. Total wild card.

Sergio Florian (42) Kaawa, HI – Hawaiian dude coming to the mainland to throw down. 2nd Hurt 100 (2022). Rod Bien told me I’d be running near this guy but I think he was just being nice.

Anthony Lee (28) Boulder, CO – Kinda hit or miss. Loco. Has won some really tough 100s: 1st Ouray 100 (2021), Mace’s Hideout 100 (2020), 2nd High Lonesome 100 (2018).

Whew! Alright that’s it for the men! Who did I miss? How do you see this race shaking out? Comment box is below.

2022 Women’s Canyons 100k Preview

Top Contenders

Brittany Peterson (36) – Pocatello, ID. Is there a better tune-up for Western States than the Canyons 100k two months out from the big dance? Beth Pascall put on a clinic last year, training on the course, winning Canyons and Western States in dominate fashion. Maybe Brittany will pull off something similar. She has the skillset and experience to pull it off. Living in Pocatello, she has access to big vert from the door, but she also has the speed to win quicker races like Black Canyon 100k, as she did in 2021. Her training looks solid, lots of big runs but with a lot of cycling miles to offset all the pounding. You just can’t bet against Brittany. She’s a fighter. The only thing going against her maybe is that she already has her spot at States so she’ll have to fend off women that are going gangbusters for a golden ticket. But then again, that may end up being an advantage, running and enjoying the race without that stress looming over her head. Brittany hopped in the Marin Ultra Challenge 50k in March, running 4:07 for a new course record. She’s fit! Let’s go!

Leah Yingling (31) – SLC, Utah. With three golden tickets and Peterson already having a ticket, I have to think Leah will earn her way into Western States. She’s been so consistent, doing the work, getting better, racing aggressively. Her time is coming. I remember her beau Mike McMonagle write something about how Leah raced Bandera 100k earlier this year. She surprised him, she went out hard, with confidence, and went for the win. I think this evolution, this belief in her own abilities, is going to lead to a big jump. Hopefully that jump comes at Canyons! A few weeks ago, Leah finished just a couple minutes back of Keely Henninger at the Gorge Waterfalls 50k for a 2nd place finish, she ended up falling to 3rd at Bandera 100k in January, but still put together a great race. She knows this Canyons course, finishing 6th last year against a crazy competitive field. It’s looking like we might have cooler temperatures this year so for a runner like Leah, coming from Salt Lake, that’ll play to her advantage.

Nicole Bitter (40) – Austin, TX. Nicole has wheels and a lot of 100 mile experience. Just last weekend she ran 3:35 for 50k at Brazos Bend in Texas. She won the 2020 Javelina Jundred in 15h 17m, the third fastest time on that course. Living in Austin, you have to wonder how much climbing she’s been able to integrate into her training, but sometimes that doesn’t end up mattering all that much. She has finished 6th twice and 7th once at Western States so she’s no stranger to this terrain. Would not be surprised at all to see Nicole on the podium.

Anna Mae Flynn (35) – Salida, CO. This course is right up Flynn’s alley. After what appears to be a solid hiatus from competition, she’s jumping back in on one of the biggest stages. Her race resume is pretty insane: Speedgoat 50k champ in 2017 and 2019, Lake Sonoma 50 champ in 2019, 6th at Transvulcania in 2018. Super legit. Flynn also spent a couple weeks down in Auburn recently, training on the course. She’ll be ready to rip. If she’s anywhere near the form she was in circa 2019, she’ll be tough to beat.

Christi Richards (34) – Missoula, MT. Dark horse pick, flying way under the radar, Christi has amassed an insane string of performances. She hasn’t toed the line against this level of competition before, but I have a feeling she’ll rise to the occasion. Minnesota native living in Montana, that’s the money combo right there. Christi finished 2nd at IMTUF in 2019 and then backed it up with the win in 2021, she has the course record on the super burly River of No Return 108k, she’s won a bunch of lower key Montana ultras, and now she’s coming to the big golden ticket California scene to try her hand against the pros. I imagine she’ll be picking up the carnage on the final 3,000 foot climb. Will it be enough? I think so.

Cat Bradley (30) – Boulder, CO. I’m thinking Cat’s about ready to drop another big run on us. As a prior winner of Western States, her ceiling is clearly sky high, but she’s also been vocal about her injuries and struggles to maintain consistent training. She doesn’t post much on Strava but she did slip in there recently and say that she’s put in some 80 mile weeks. She’s also coming off a win at the Javelina 100k last fall so I imagine she’ll be carrying some of that confidence and momentum into Canyons. For better or worse, when you win Western States you are lionized/immortalized/pedestalized for the rest of your career. I for one would love to see Cat put together another string big performances. While her story is not without controversy, I put a lot of that to rest after listening to this interview on the Freetrail Podcast. She’s wild, she has the right attitude for ultras, and if the chips start falling her way, she could be just getting started.

Others to Watch

Charlotte Cox (34) – Santa Barbara, CA. 1st Nine Trail 35 Miler (2021); 1st Backcountry Rise 20 Miler (2021).

Meghan Morgan (24) – Boulder, CO. 1st Behind the Rocks 50k (2022); 4th Bandera 100k (2022); Cornell grad and Flatiron scrambler.

Allison Baca (31) – Golden, CO. Former guest on our Run Hard Mom Hard podcast (listen to her episode!). 2nd Moab Red Hot 55k (2022); 1st Silver Rush 50 (2019).

Kari Laramore (41) – Signal Mountain, TN. Kari has finished 1st or 2nd in her last 18 races on ultrasignup. All in TN, AL, or GA.

Ladia Albertson-Junkans (36) – Snoqualmie, WA. Ladia is fresh off a big win at the Chuckanut 50k with a really great time of 4h 10m, which is the 4th fastest time in that races’s history! Also, 2nd at Bandera 100k (2019). Hmmm, probably should’ve put her in top contenders status.

Marianne Hogen (31) – Montreal, QC. 1st Bandera 100k (2022); 5th Marathon du Mont Blanc (2017).

Sarah Biehl (28) – Columbus, OH. 2nd JFK 50 (2021); 5th JFK 50 (2020).

Abbi Levene (31) – Boulder, CO. 5th Run Rabbit Run 100 (2021); 5th TNF San Fran 50 Miler (2019).

Anne George (37) – Ashville, NC. 2nd The Bear 100 (2019); 2nd Tunnel Hill 100 (2017).

Monique Van Den Boogaart (33) – Cupertino, CA. 20th UTMB (2021); 1st Ouray 50 (2021); 4th TransGranCanaria 125k (2019). Whew! Not afraid of tough races.

Jazmine Lowther (30) – Nelson, BC. 3rd Chuckanut 50k (2022); 8th Run Rabbit Run (2021). Real deal mountain athlete. Check out this shot of her ice climbing. What?!?

Katie Arnold (50) – Santa Fe, NM – 2nd Jemez Mountain 50 (2020); Leadville 100 Champ (2018); author of Running Home.

Lauren Puretz (39) – Colorado Springs, CO. 7th Black Canton 100k (2022); 5th Bandera 100k (2021).

Alexis Crellin (36) – Cedar Hills, UT. 5th The Rut 50k (2021); 4th Speedgoat 50k (2019); Mom of three; Wasatch Ultimate Ridge Linkup (WURL) ex-FKT holder.

And. I’m. Spent. What a freaking lineup. Unbelievable the depth of these fields! But honestly, no matter how the podiums shake out, I want to say that every single runner that gets out there and gives this thing a go has already won. Sorry to get a little sentimental here but you have to be proud of yourself. You did enough work to make you believe that you can carry your body 62 miles and over 14,000 feet of vert. The training has undoubtably improved your fitness, but more importantly, I’m certain we’re all better people for it. We’ve been out on the trails with friends, we’ve tempered our vices for the love of the game, we’ve gotten out of bed early, laced em’ up, and poured our hearts into a singular pursuit. This race is a celebration of all that love and work. Let’s all get it done out there, no matter how pretty or ugly it is, let’s cross that finish line and beat our chests like animals.

Cheers to you all. See you on the other side.

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