2026 Results- 100K National Championships

Sarah Morrison Runs to Course Record and Brogan Austin

2nd Fastest Ever in 2026 USATF 100K National

Championship

By: Lin Gentling

Photos: Steena Cirves

If you tracked the weather the week prior to the Mad City 100K in Madison, WI, you would have to be prepared for absolutely anything. But looming closer to the date was the prediction of cold temperatures and rain throughout the day. However, Mother Nature has a way of confusing and surprising us. The day of the race dawned perfectly

clear, cold, with calm winds. Runners call this, perfect racing conditions.

At 6:30 AM, as the sun rose over the University of WI arboretum Lake Wingra, race director, Nora Bird released the runners for ten 10K loops around the lake and through the arboretum. On the line were 2 male and 2 female auto selects for the 2026 100K team that will compete in Ames Spain on September 19.

Anyone who has either raced or spectated the 100K knows that the real race does not

begin until half way, around 50K, and actually at 50 miles is where the true efforts and challenge arise. Usually anyone leading at the 50K mark is not the runner who will win

the race. True to form. After 50K, Brogan Austin, 34, Longmont, CO, started to make

his move, He had been running in 3rd moving up to 2nd with Phil Young, 39, Davenport, IA, where only 7 seconds separated the two. At 60K Austin was clearly in the lead and extending that lead with every 10K loop. However Young was not to be denied. He was set on making the US team and knew he had to hold onto 2nd to make that happen. With Austin’s lead growing every 10K, Young had to be concerned about Garrett Eklof, 36, Madison WI, in 3rd position by 2:18 at the 80K point. Also in the mix was a rapidly approaching Anthony Fagundes, 36, Fair Oaks, CA who was 1:28 out of 3rd at 90K and only 2:23 out of 2nd . While it appeared that Austin had 1st place wrapped up, anything can happen in that last 10K. Certainly, it was going to be a proving ground for Young, Eklof, and Fagundes, all gunning for that 2nd place position and the auto select to the US team. With a comfortable lead, and running the second-fastest course time ever to win the national title in 6:34:01 was Brogan Austin. Behind him in 2nd and wrapping up the 100K team auto select was Phil Young in 6:45:23. Eklof, and Fagundes changed positions in that last 10K with Fagundes finishing 3rd in 6:47:54, just 1:18 ahead of Eklof in 4th position with 6:49:11. Positions 2-4 were separated by only 3:11 over the course of 100K.

In addition to the Fagundes and Eklof, Jonah Lytle, Zach Crim, and Ruairi Moynihan qualified for 100K team consideration based on their 100K qualifying times.

To illustrate Young’s strategy and in his words, “I was definitely at the race to make the team. The race did not, however, go as planned. I wrongfully assumed, when looking at how experienced and talented the field was, that it would get out fast. Of the 4 guys with the most impressive resumes, most were moving “up” in distance, and, have much faster backgrounds than me. My hope was to run off the back and move my way back into contention in the second half. Instead, the opposite occurred. Most of the field ran conservatively, and I got swept up in feeling smooth at 6:00/mi. It quickly became a game of how far ahead can you get and can you control the fade so as to not get

gobbled up.” 

With respect to Austin’s race, he stated, “I tried to keep things conservative today and test the waters in my first 100K. In my first ultra (50 miles at Tunnel Hill), I went out way too fast and suffered a miserable blowup in the final 15 miles”. When asked about thebest and worst parts of the 100K, he mentioned, “feeling good at 70K……feeling bad at 71K”.

In the women’s race, although the field was considerably smaller, the results were just as exciting. There are no guarantees in ultra road races as running on hard surfaces has to be among the most difficult of running events. With that in mind, entering a race of this distance on this type of surface is heroic by itself. Sarah Morrison, 36,

Philadelphia, PA, Allison Mercer, 43, Marietta, GA, and Andrea Pomaranski, 43, Walled Lake, MI, all incredibly accomplished ultramarathoners, ran through 20K together. That next 10K Pomaranski’s body just shut down, leaving Morrison and Mercer to continue together pulling one another along through 50K. At 50K, Morrison began to pull ahead of Mercer and increased her lead with each 10k.

After 100K, Sarah Morrison crossed the finish line as the 2006 100K national champion setting a new course record of 7:17:01, and this was her first 100K! She took more than nine minutes off Camille Herron’s previous mark. In a wonderfully emotional finish, Allison Mercer finished second in 7:30:52, the third-fastest time in Mad City Ultras history. Amber Arvidson, 44, Reserve, NM, (8:00:53) rounded out the podium in third. Morrison and Mercer received the auto selects for the 2026 100K team and Arvidson’s time will put her on the consideration list for the national team.

Both Morrison and Mercer mentioned the best part of their race was running with one another. From Mercer, “the best part was sharing miles with Andrea and Sarah. It can get really lonely out there, especially without music and distractions, and the wind and hills can wear on you mentally. Having Sarah alongside me for half the race just talking

about everything made the time fly.” And from Morrison, “Having Allison and Andrea the first couple of laps was awesome - chatting away the miles clicked off comfortably. I was feeling really good and picked up the pace after 50k when I realized I had a shot of dipping under the course record. The last 20k some doubts started to creep in and

things started to get uncomfortable…I started to wonder if the wheels were going to fall off but was able to hold things together better than I thought. Definitely surprised myself with my overall time!”

For Austin, Young, Morrison, and Mercer, their goal going into the race was to be named to the US 100K team. They will be heading up the team in September.

Of special note, in attendance at this year’s event were Dr. Lion Caldwell, New Mexico, and Timo Yanacheck, Madison, WI. Twenty years ago, Lion and Timo were part of the 2006 US 100K Team competing in the 100K world championships in Seoul, South Korea. The Mad City ultras were conceived over Korean beers that year (not sure how many) as the two men dreamed of what could be. Now 20 years later, Mad City has hosted 12 50K and 100K national championships, fulfilling the dreams of many runners as members of Team USA.

Special thanks to race director, Nora Bird, and her amazing volunteers. Each runner was made to feel special and all needs were fulfilled to perfection.

Mad City will once again host another national championship in 2027. The USATF 50K national championship will be held on April 10, 2027, and will name team members for the 2027 US 50K team.

Full Results: HERE

Link to all photos: HERE