Molly Seidel made her ultrarunning debut on the weekend on the Bandera 50K, profitable the race outright in 4:09:39 and decreasing the ladies’s course file at one in all Texas’s best-known path occasions. The earlier file, set by Australian ultrarunner Melanie Fryer in 2012, stood at 4:24:47.
The HOKA Bandera Endurance Path Race takes place within the rugged Hill Nation State Pure Space close to Bandera, Texas, and the occasion options distances of 25K, 50K and 100K. The 50K course is technical, on rocky singletrack, with an elevation acquire and lack of simply over 1,000 metres. Earlier than tackling the extremely distance, Seidel made her path racing debut in 2022 on the UTMB Speedgoat Mountain Race in Sandy, Utah. She ran the 28K in 4:13, ending thirty fifth general and eighth among the many ladies.
Molly Seidel kicks off her 2026 path working marketing campaign with a 4:09:00 at @TejasTrails Bandera 50k, taking the OVERALL WIN with a brand new ladies’s course file besides (by quarter-hour!). Completely ripping.
Be careful for her @AravaipaRunning Black Canyon 100k debut subsequent month!
— Liam (@aidstationfireb) January 11, 2026
Since profitable Olympic marathon bronze on the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Seidel’s highway profession has been interrupted by accidents and time away from racing, together with a sacral stress fracture that sidelined her in 2022 pre-World Championships. In a current interview with iRunFar, she stated her shift towards path racing is about balancing competitors with long-term well being: “I’m attempting to take a look at how I can have probably the most longevity within the sport and what my physique needs to do.”
In 2024, she was slated to race the Canyons 50K, however needed to withdraw on account of a lingering knee damage.
Seidel’s Bandera win serves as a key tune-up for the Black Canyon 100K in Arizona, the place three golden tickets (computerized entry) for the legendary Western States 100 (WSER) shall be on the road, for each women and men, subsequent month. Seidel advised iRunFar that she hopes her time on the paths will ultimately result in the WSER begin line. She’s additionally contemplating Javelina Jundred–one other golden-ticket race–within the fall.
For full outcomes of the 2026 Bandera Endurance Path Race, head right here.
