The 15th XTERRA Trail Run World Championship was held at Sugarloaf Mountain on September 1, drawing participants from 28 countries. Caitlin Patterson (USA) won the women’s Full Marathon with a time of 4:11:06, Grant Colligan (USA) clinched the men’s title in 3:34:45.
In the Half Marathon, Corey Dowe (USA) led the women in 2:06:44, while Rémi Leroux (CAN) secured the men’s victory in 1:51:06. The races were the culmination of the 2024 XTERRA Trail Run World Series, spanning multiple continents and countries.
The championship weekend from August 30 to September 1, 2024 was a festival atmosphere, complete with live music, expo village, and various activities, including kids’ races and shorter trail runs celebrating the camaraderie of the XTERRA Community.
The 2024 XTERRA Trail Run World Championship Full Marathon challenged athletes with a 42K marathon through Maine’s rugged terrain. Starting under the XTERRA Arch, the marathon began with a steep ascent, climbing 750 meters to Sugarloaf Mountain’s summit. This initial climb was just the beginning of a course that totaled an elevation gain of 1,500 meters before tackling the terrains of Burnt Mountain and descending to the Carrabassett River.
Caitlin Patterson (USA) who won the women’s Full Marathon for the second year in a row described her experience: “It’s a really big mountain to climb up Sugarloaf, and you just have to pace it conservatively. A little ways off the mountain and it cut over a super rugged trail towards Burnt Mountain. I think that trail was pretty recently cut with a lot of moss and tree stumps. It was pretty wild and a lot of fun.”
Patterson continued, detailing the descent and her strategy, “We cut over on the side and used the hiking trail with some technical rocks that were a bit wet, and we descended off of that. It was super fun, technical, and a bit tricky. A few of us had to be very careful with the wet rocks. I wasn’t sure where the other women would be at the descent. I know I was a little stronger at the climb and my descending was quite strong too. There was a little bit of pressure on me to defend this title; the course was slightly different from last year but it was a bit harder. Both my wins in the past two years will stand out as highlights in my career.”
Lila Gaudrault (USA), who secured second place, focused on her ascent and descent tactics, “Climb went really well. I think it’s one of my strengths and the descents are not, so I knew that I wanted to get as much of a gap as I could going up the climb. It was harder to pass in a descent. I was probably in the lead for about a mile or so and then Caitlin [Patterson] passed me. I was second place at the bottom but when I reached the bottom of Burnt Mountain I was in 5th and a little bit frustrated, but I was able to make up that gap within the next few miles. Seeing a ton of other athletes that I know and a bunch of athletes from around the world made it really cool.”
Sophia Etienne (USA), in third, reflected on the entire course’s challenge, “The first climb I expected to feel exactly how I felt and it hurt, and I just knew if I could hold on I could really rip it downhill. The second ascent was hard and it was the climbing at the very end, the gradual climb that was just a punisher. The descent was a little bit slippery and slow, it was basically like big boulders coming down the hill, it slowly started to get a little bit more gradually steep. Everything was shrouded in fog this morning and as the sun came up it was a really fun environment to be in. A lot of different languages were being spoken, and a lot of people from different places was cool.”
Grant Colligan (USA) emerged victorious in the men’s race and shared, “It was a good day. I came out here to win, and I got to win. The climb felt great. I’ve been doing a lot of classic mountain races lately; going up felt good, coming down felt a little wetter than expected. XTERRA is a great community and a fun race, just having all the world qualifiers here, 70 people who know what they’re doing out there to have fun—it was a good day. Coming out to Sugarloaf was a hike from Colorado but it was worth it.”
Mead Binhammer (USA), finishing second detailed his experience, “I knew that first mile would separate the field, moving pretty well on that, just tried to take it easy on the rest of the climb, 5th or 6th place for most of the climb, really just figured I’d save my legs for later in the race. It’s great to bring all these athletes from various parts of the world to Maine; I’m a local from Vermont so coming over to represent Vermont at the XTERRA Trail Run World Championship was great.”
Clement Reul (BEL), who placed third, emphasized his love for the technical aspects, “The climb was really hard, but it’s okay because it was stable. I love the downhill, it’s my strength, so it was a lot of fun. Great spirits with the other runners, but a little bit tiring.”
The Full Marathon route not only tested the runners’ endurance but also their ability to adapt to the changing terrains, merging with the Half Marathon path at the Sugarloaf Outdoor Center and continuing to challenge them until the Main Street finish line.
Top 10 Women’s Full Marathon Results
1. Caitlin Patterson, USA, 4:11:06
2. Lila Gaudrault, USA, 4:31:35
3. Sophia Etienne, USA, 4:37:04
4. Nic Baxter, USA, 4:37:04
5. Britta Clark, USA, 4:43:12
6. Marie-Anne Michel, CAN, 4:54:11
7. Lídia Ramos Palacios, ESP, 4:56:30
8. Diana Acuña, COL, 5:27:58
9. Sara Truchon, CAN, 5:29:10
10. Gillian Kramer, USA, 5:33:28
Top 10 Men’s Full Marathon Results
1. Grant Colligan, USA, 3:34:45
2. Mead Binhammer, USA, 3:42:52
3. Clement Reul, BEL, 3:54:41
4. Andrew Kimpel, USA, 4:03:36
5. Christophe Le Saux, FRA, 4:14:56
6. Joseph Perreault, CAN, 4:23:15
7. Brian Brennan, USA, 4:28:24
8. Nathan Irons, USA, 4:35:24
9. Michel Cayer, CAN, 4:47:08
10. Stefan Saring, DEU, 4:55:03
The Half Marathon was held on a 22K course starting on Main Street and included the 750 meter climb to the summit of Sugarloaf Mountain before a descent and traverse. Competitors then followed a scenic trail to Burnt Mountain and returned to Sugarloaf Village for the finish.
Corey Dowe (USA), who emerged as the women’s Half Marathon winner, detailed her race experience: “I love the course and the run; it was so much fun out there. The course changed this year to have a little bit more longer technical downhills which I love. The downhill is by far my strong suit. I knew the ascent going up was not my strongest part, so I just tried to maintain a steady rhythm and look forward to the downhill. Any of the technical stuff, the mossy section, soft and slippery was parts that I loved and also the hiking trail, the wet rock techy stuff. It was a lot of fun, the weather was awesome, the competition was great. It was just a fun day to be out here. Everybody’s so excited and friendly, and it’s just a really positive atmosphere.”
Abigail Bennett (USA), finishing second, shared her affinity for the climbs: “The ascent was awesome. I love the climbs more than any other part of trail running. The climb was a great mix of trails, ski slope, ski access road, rocky and steep access road to the summit, about a half-mile was my favorite part. I love a really long climb; it was about a 45-minute climb and it really suited me. The views coming off the summit were just insane, and I had to take my eyes off the ground for a few minutes to look at the beautiful view. I love this race; I did it last year and was excited to come back. It’s such a great well-organized, well-produced course, and the vibe of the start and finish line is great, everyone’s really supportive, and I love the state of Maine.”
Alicia Cutter (USA), who placed third, described her strategic approach: “The first ascent was tough. I tried to be a little bit more conservative, and I knew there was so much more left in the race, but it was definitely challenging in some sections. The downhill for me is where I caught almost everyone. I just flew down it; that was my best spot. Having a strong downhill and trying to maintain as much speed as I could on the flats, even though I was worn out at that point. It was so much fun; this is my first time at XTERRA, and I definitely want to do it again next year. 10 out of 10 recommend for people who are thinking about doing this race.”
Rémi Leroux (CAN) took first place in the men’s Half Marathon and appreciated the course’s variety: “I pushed really hard on the uphill, and the downhill was super technical and pretty muddy. The [Full] Marathon runners passed before us, and it was quite challenging, but it was fun because there was so much variety on non-technical parts and very technical parts. The plan was really to attack on the first ascent. Within the first few kilometers, I was in the lead. Thankfully for me, I have good enough strength on the uphills to finish strong. The energy at the start line was great, it made me really want to push hard from the start.”
Clement Perrier (FRA), who came in second, described the elevation challenges: “The uphill was very hard, about 5 miles in the beginning, over 700 meters in elevation was very difficult, but I was about third or second at that point. The downhill was so hard, very technical, very different from the uphill, but I made up some of the gap between myself and Rémi Leroux. I’m very happy with my position.”
Benoit Didier (FRA), placing third, reflected on the technical difficulty: “The ascent was very difficult; it was a long uphill climb. The downhill was very, very technical. I took it slowly; it was good, but I was very bad on the downhill, but I kept it safe and secure. I like the trail a lot; it was very cool, the temperature was perfect, it was a very good day.”
Top 10 Women’s Half Marathon Results
1. Corey Dowe, USA, 2:06:44
2. Abigail Bennett, USA, 2:17:26
3. Alicia Cutter, USA, 2:22:33
4. Zoey Crosby, CAN, 2:22:38
5. Severine Guerif, FRA, 2:26:13
6. Maïté Galipeau Théberge, CAN, 2:28:49
7. Paola Alejandra Figueroa, PRI, 2:31:12
8. Marlene Dessarzin, CHE, 2:36:27
9. Joules Veen, GBR, 2:37:03
10. Aida Menz, CHL, 2:38:12
Top 10 Men’s Half Marathon Results
1. Rémi Leroux, CAN, 1:51:06
2. Clement Perrier, FRA, 2:03:21
3. Benoit Didier, FRA, 2:05:26
4. Sergi Beltran Font, ESP, 2:10:47
5. Ryan Collins, USA, 2:15:28
6. Daniel Hayman, NZL, 2:15:31
7. Coree Woltering, USA, 2:17:15
8. Jose Paulo Da Silva, BRA, 2:18:28
9. Matthew Johnson, USA, 2:19:12
10. Michael King, USA, 2:21:20
Complete Results Here.
