Two Canadians dominated the ultra-trail scene final weekend, with Ihor Verys and Andrea Tarras (each of Chilliwack, B.C.) crushing the notoriously gruelling Damage 100 race in Honolulu, Hawaii. 29-year-old Verys conquered the general spot in a difficult subject of rivals, ending in 20 hours and 50 minutes, and Tarras, 40, gained the ladies’s subject in 26 hours (and inserting seventh total). Fellow B.C. runner Oskar Michalak of Squamish additionally cracked the highest 10, taking ninth in 26:41.
Damage 100 is a famously robust (each to get into and to finish) race on tough, rooty trails in Hawaii’s semi-tropical rainforest, accomplished over 5 laps (with partial out-and-backs). Runners traverse 7,468 metres of cumulative elevation achieve and loss over the course of the race. Individuals are required to run a qualifying race and take part in a lottery, in addition to full path work, with a purpose to compete.Â
Path and extremely followers around the globe know Verys from his record-breaking yard extremely help (to American runner Harvey Lewis) in October, when he ran greater than 717 kilometres over 5 days at Massive’s Yard Extremely World Championships in Tennessee. With solely three years of aggressive ultrarunning beneath his belt, Verys (who moved to Canada from Ukraine in his early 20s) has already racked up a frightening listing of accomplishments that embody wins at B.C.’s gruelling Fats Canine 120 and Alberta’s Canadian Dying Race (the place he additionally confronted off in opposition to Lewis, beating him by greater than two hours).
Tarras (who, like Verys, makes her residence in Chilliwack) can boast a outstanding win at Fats Canine 120 in 2023, an occasion the place she gained the 107K race and was second total in 2022. Fats Canine 120 is a 120-mile race within the Cascade mountain vary of B.C., traversing an elevation over 8,000 metres—much like that of Mount Everest. In 2022 Verys gained the 120-miler at Fats Canine, and in 2023 he paced Tarras via the ultimate stretch of her win.
Tarras described the Damage 100 expertise to Canadian Operating as “unbelievable,” expressing her love for the path neighborhood.
“The course certainly lives as much as its title,” Verys advised Canadian Operating. “It’s 100 miles of hopping, skipping and leaping whereas going both up or down. The perfect a part of HURT is its unbelievable neighborhood that makes you wish to come again for extra HURT-ing time once more.”
“I knew Andrea would win it,” Verys added. Each runners are must-watch Canadians, standouts in a world subject in opposition to seasoned professionals.
Tarras, Verys and Michalak have been joined by Erik Chook of Mission, B.C. (twenty third, 30:17), Squamish’s Tricia McKeowan (sixth girl, 33:42), Charlotte Vasarhelyi of Cambridge, Ont. (ninth girl, 34:37) and Alberta’s Sabina Tolean, who was the twelfth girl in 35:04. Damage 100 reported 23 Canadians on their begin listing, however the race has a excessive DNF price, with 57 members out of 132 starters not finishing.
For full outcomes of the 2024 Damage 100, head right here.
