Quebec City’s Charles Philibert-Thiboutot made a stunning trail racing debut at the EcoTrail Paris 30K in 1:44:08, averaging 3:33 per kilometre in his first-ever trail race after years competing on the track as a middle-distance specialist.

Philibert-Thiboutot is a nine-time Canadian champion, including two titles from 2025. He also won 1,500m gold at the 2023 Pan American Games. In his Canadian 10K Championships debut in Ottawa last May, he set a new national record in the distance (28:06). In September, just six days after competing at the World Championships in Tokyo, he travelled back to Montreal to win the Sports Experts 5K, which doubles as the Canadian 5K Championships, in 14:18.

The EcoTrail Paris 30K covers 29.6 kilometres with about 380 metres of climbing, starting in Meudon and finishing near the Eiffel Tower. Philibert-Thiboutot’s move into trail running comes not long after stepping away from professional racing on the road and track. He recently announced he would be joining Salomon’s product team in France, working on performance footwear across road, gravel and trail categories.

Hogan opens season with a win

Marianne Hogan also had a strong start to her season, winning the EcoTrail Paris 45K. The Montreal-based runner covered the course, which runs from the Palace of Versailles to the Eiffel Tower, in 3:21, finishing ahead of Elodie Alexandre (3:28) and Elisa Ravet (3:31). She was also 15th overall.

Hogan is expected to line up again at Western States this June. She doesn’t need a Golden Ticket, having already secured her entry by finishing in the top 10 in 2025, where she took third; she also finished third in 2022.

Dauwalter wins Chianti  Ultra Trail by UTMB

American ultrarunning great Courtney Dauwalter added another win to her remarkable resume on the weekend, winning the 120K race at Chianti Ultra Trail by UTMB in Italy and securing a Golden Ticket to Western States 100 in June.

Dauwalter finished in 11:31, moving into the lead late after running close to the front group most of the day. Norway’s Yngvild Kaspersen was second in 11:33, with American Rachel Entrekin close behind in 11:38. “Honored to have spent the @chiantiultratrail 120k playing on the trails with these two,” Dauwalter shared on Instagram post-race. “The entire women’s podium finishing within 7 minutes of each other?! A sprint finish after 11.5 hours of racing?! The coolest!”

Dauwalter finished in 11:31, pulling ahead in the final section of the race after running close to the other top women much of the day. Norway’s Yngvild Kaspersen was second in 11:33, with American Rachel Entrekin close behind in 11:38. “Honored to have spent the @chiantiultratrail 120k playing on the trails with these two,” Dauwalter shared on Instagram post-race. “The entire women’s podium finishing within 7 minutes of each other?! A sprint finish after 11.5 hours of racing?! The coolest!”

A last-minute pivot

Dauwalter had not originally planned to race in Italy. She was scheduled to compete at Tenerife Bluetrail by UTMB, which was cancelled due to weather conditions. That left her looking for another option, and she ended up on the start line in Chianti just days later.

The race covers 120 kilometres with around 5,200 metres of climbing through the hills of Tuscany. It has become one of the more competitive early-season ultras, partly because it offers Golden Tickets to the top two finishers in both the men’s and women’s races, meaning the runners earn automatic entry to Western States 100 (WSER).

Golden Tickets up for grabs

Dauwalter has already won WSER twice, in 2018 and 2023, so it is not yet clear whether she will take the spot. Kaspersen, who finished second, will win a ticket again after placing fifth at Western States in 2024.  If Dauwalter declines her Golden Ticket, it will roll down to Entrekin, who won Cocodona 250, the Mammoth 208-miler and High Lonesome 100 in 2025 and has yet to secure a spot in this year’s WSER.

For full results of Chianti Ultra Trail by UTMB, head here.

For full results of the EcoTrail Paris, head here..