Danièle Riendeau punctuated an astounding weekend for Canadian ladies at Puerto Vallarta by UTMB by successful Sunday’s 20K in 2:03:30 and ending eleventh total.
Riendeau’s victory noticed Canadian ladies shut out the second yr of UTMB’s race weekend in Mexico by capturing first place in three of the weekend’s 5 occasions. On Saturday, Montreal’s Geneviève Asselin-Demers topped the ladies’s podium within the 100K, whereas Saskatoon’s Caitlin Schindel took first within the 50K.
Just like the ultra-trail races, the 20K challenged runners with robust ascents, extremely technical trails and scorching warmth, though temperatures weren’t as persistently excessive as they have been on Saturday. “I believe that labored in my favour, for certain,” Riendeau stated following her win.
She added the course’s different terrain was each a problem and a deal with for runners eager to compete on a scenic course.
“It was hilly, proper up the primary six kilometres uphill on a winding highway into the jungle—some trails, up and down cobble stones, bridges, after which simply stunning surroundings all the way in which again, with quite a lot of downhill on the finish.”
Riendeau stated she didn’t enter the 20K anticipating to win. “I didn’t know I used to be within the lead, however I used to be working alone for lots of it.”
Having triumphed in Mexico, Riendeau stated she’d wish to concentrate on working a 50K. She stated she’d actually think about tackling the gap in Puerto Vallarta subsequent yr, calling it a “nice occasion” on a well-marked course with “nice selection and exquisite surroundings” and excellent volunteers.
Becoming a member of Riendeau on the ladies’s podium have been Mexican runners Diana Darinka Zárate Díaz (2:10:51) and Paola Segura (2:18:40). In the meantime, Mexico dominated the lads’s race with Jose Luis Castel Ceja breaking the tape in 1:43:42, adopted by Alan Carzolio (1:43:56) and Ricardo Mejia Hernandez (1:45:32).
In Sunday’s 33K race, Mexico’s Jeff Rosas topped the lads’s podium in 3:38:54. Salvador Martínez, additionally from Mexico, took second in 3:40:55, and Colombia’s Jhoan Sebastian Rivera Alape positioned third (4:03:39). Canadian Greg Cruickshank ran 4:40:28 to prime the 40-44M class and place thirteenth total.
Mexicans swept the ladies’s 33K podium. Sabrina White ran 4:35:05 for the win and tenth place total, adopted by Mariela Silva (5:03:06) and Lorena de Luna Saucedo (5:37:40).
