Last year the Ultra Trail Chianti Castles was on the UTMB broadcast schedule but not this time unfortunately and potential viewers missed what sounded to be one of the all-time great finishes in the women’s race.
The Tenerife Bluetrail by UTMB, which would have featured the ultraunning GOAT Courtney Dauwalter and was taking place the same weekend, was chosen for the live coverage but freak weather including snow forced it to be cancelled.
American superstar Dauwalter then made a quick pivot to re-route to Tuscany for Chianti and what unfolded there was a spectacular three-way battle with her compatriot Rachel Entrekin and Norway’s Yngvild Kaspersen.
Kaspersen and Entrekin vied for the lead for much of the day only to be denied by a storming finish from Dauwalter.
‘Better together’
And afterwards it was clear all three had relished the battle.
Dauwalter posted on Instagram alongside a finish-line image: “Honored to have spent the @chiantiultratrail 120k playing on the trails with these two.
“🤩 The entire women’s podium finishing within 7 minutes of each other?! A sprint finish after 11.5 hours of racing?! The coolest! 🚀
“Thanks, @yngsen and @rachel__entrekin for being so strong & unrelenting. Better together. 📈💚 Here for the women’s race!”
‘The greatest kick I’ve ever seen’
And a fantastic blog from Entrekin – which you can read in full here – underlined both the close nature of the race and also plenty of confusion as she thought they were fighting for third, fourth and fifth until she reached the finish line!
She said: “Holy crap do I not have words for this day – but the words I do have are grateful ones.
“To @yngsen and @courtneydauwalter – thank you for giving me the honor of running my heart out with you two. Competition til the last kilometer? Sign us up!
“I kept just marveling at how insane this women’s field and subsequent race was the entire day, and people who neglect to watch women’s sports are missing the best part of competition. Well done to you both, we gave everyone QUITE the show.”
She also called Dauwalter’s finishing burst “the greatest kick I’ve ever seen”.
Golden Tickets do down to fifth
And there were also some rolldowns on the two Golden Tickets available for Western States this year.
Dauwalter’s upcoming focus is on a return to the Cocodona 250-miler where she will again tackle reigning champ Entrekin.
Kaspersen accepted her Golden Ticket though and will head back to Western States where she finished fifth in 2024.
Entrekin said ‘no thanks’ in third as did rising British star Gemma Hillier-Moses in fourth, meaning that it went to American Lauren Puretz in fifth.
