Table of Contents
The Dream Team
The USA Trail Running Dream Team* will compete in the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships (WMTRC) September 24-28, 2025, in Canfranc-Pirineos, Spain.
[*Credit to Alex who called the Hyperlyte Hotline on Bad Runners Take]
It’s a good time to be an American Ultra Trail Running fan. No matter how the 2025 Running of UTMB shakes out, American ultra trail runners are garnering well-deserved and increased attention on the international stage.
When I see the Trail Running Championships line ups, I feel the same way I did watching the Dream Team in 1994, the first year NBA players were permitted in the Olympics. Each player on the team moved jaws closer to the floor.
The analogy doesn’t fully work for the USA Men’s Long Trail team becuase the USA Men are only in recent years competing on the world stage unlike the USA women who have been finding the podium for years.
But the feeling is the same – ‘holy shit, I get to see all of these runners in the same place on the same day on the same trail?!’
USA dominance is not certain, but we are well postioned with the men’s and women’s teams to be well entertained.
I don’t write this as a cold and objective journalist. I write this as a homer obsessed with trail running, competition in general, and competition where runners get to wear their country’s colors. It brings a sense of pride and patriotism that only happens in country vs. country.
Long Trail Competition Explained
For the obsessed ultratrail fan, this is the only true ultra distance at the Trail Running World Championships. That’s no shade on the 45k and I am no less excited for them.
Overview
-
- Location: Canfranc-Pirineos, Spain
- Part of the 2025 World Mountain and Trail Running Championships (WMTRC), held September 25-28, 2025.
- Long Trail: September 27
- Individual Medals: Awarded to the top three finishers.
- Team Medals: Based on the combined times of the top three finishers from each country (per gender).
Course Details
-
-
- Distance: 82 km
- Elevation Gain: 5,413 meters
- Elevation Loss: 5,413 meters
- Runners will run through portions of the Spanish + French Pyrenees.
- Start / Finish: Canfranc Railway Station
-
USA Men’s Long Trail Team
Jim Walmsley
Tyler Green
Zach Miller
Caleb Olson
Adam Peterman
Tracen Knopp
Context
I’ve had the pleasure of watching all of these guys run in person in one way or another except for Tracen Knopp (who admittedly is a new name to me).
Caleb Olson ran and won my race (Salt Lake Foothills Trail Races) just before his 2025 WSER win.
In 2019 I went to Western States to crew a friend and also got see Jim Walmsley crush the course record in real time.
Zach Miller’s parents and I chatted at the startling of his 2nd place run at UTMB. I pretended to not know them but I had seen Billy Yang’s ZACH. I’m no fool.
Tyler Green lives in Salt Lake City and sometimes runs Liberty Park right next to my house. In 15 years of running Liberty Park, it was the fastest I’d ever seen anyone run it.
Adam Peterman destroyed the 50k at Antelope Island a couple of years ago in his first race back post-injury. Unreal performance. Effortless doesn’t even describe it.
Point being, to have this many iconic US runners is a gift for me and the fans of trail running.
USA Women’s Long Trail Team
Katie Schide
Jennifer Lichter
Allison Baca
Emily Schmitz
Klaire Rhodes
Shea Aquilano
Context
One of the great triumphs of this Trail Running Championships roster is that they somehow got Katie Schide on a year she’s not going for UTMB while still in her prime.
Certainly this is no accident. And if its no accident, I love it. She optimized her schedule to wear the red, white, and blue of USA (important distinction as she lives in another country that also flies red, white, and blue).
Each woman on this roster could give Katie a run for her money, but if I were wagering and wishing, it would be Allison Baca. But Jennifer Lichter just won 1st place at arguably the hardest 50k in America, Speedgoat. So watch out.
The global women’s field is so deep but our USA roster has what it takes to take the podium at the 2025 Trail Running Championships. USA Women have a proven history finding the top spot at global races.
