FINN JAMES AND LEAH YINGLING WIN NINE TRAILS AS RAIN SOAKS THE SANTA YNEZ MOUNTAINS

Finn James won the 2026 Santa Barbara Nine Trails in 6:04:22, navigating rain-slicked singletrack and exposed ridgelines through the Santa Ynez Mountains on March 14. Leah Yingling claimed the women's title in 6:44:33, edging out 2025 champion Charlotte Cox's winning time despite worse conditions.

The Men's Race

With steady rain falling and temperatures around 63°F, the 35-mile out-and-back from Jesusita Trailhead offered no favors. James worked through the technical early miles and the punishing climb toward Inspiration Point to reach the Romero Canyon turnaround with enough left to hold off the field on the return. His 6:04:22 sits just two minutes off the historical median men's winning time — a realistic ceiling given the wet terrain underfoot.

The course record of 5:08:40, set by Rod Farvard at last year's race, was never a factor. Rainy conditions turned the Edison Catwalk, the race's most exposed and technical section, into a negotiation. 139 runners reached the finish line.

The Women's Race

Leah Yingling, a lululemon-sponsored athlete with multiple top-10 finishes at Western States 100 and a World Mountain and Trail Running Championships appearance for Team USA, moved through the field steadily. Her 6:44:33 came in nearly two minutes ahead of Cox's 2025 winning time of 6:46:00 — the gap is more significant when accounting for the rain slowing the course. The historical median women's winning time at Nine Trails sits around 7:27, which puts both recent winners in a different bracket.

By the Numbers

James's winning time reflects the conditions more than his ceiling. Farvard's 2025 course record of 5:08:40 had already reset expectations for what the men's course can produce on a dry, fast day. Nine Trails has seen a string of strong performances in recent editions — the 2026 race was defined not by times but by who handled the slop best.

Yingling's win adds a notable regional result to a resume built primarily at longer distances. Western States 100 in late June is the next major target on the calendar for elite US women in this range.

Nine Trails, one of the oldest trail ultras in the western United States, returns next March.