Katie Compton takes the win(Image credit: dejansmaicphoto)
Sunny Gilbert rides a slippery descent(Image credit: dejansmaicphoto)
Kaitie Keough makes use of her running skills in slippery conditions(Image credit: dejansmaicphoto)
A rider makes her way down a slick descent(Image credit: dejansmaicphoto)
Samantha Runnels shoulders her bike on the muddy course(Image credit: dejansmaicphoto)
Ellen Noble recovers from a fall(Image credit: dejansmaicphoto)
Sunny Gilbert rides a descent(Image credit: dejansmaicphoto)
Sunny Gilbert takes on a set of stairs(Image credit: dejansmaicphoto)
Katie Compton takes the win(Image credit: dejansmaicphoto)
Ellen Noble runs past cheering crowds(Image credit: dejansmaicphoto)
Ellen Noble runs her bike(Image credit: dejansmaicphoto)
Ellen Noble finds the slippery conditions difficult(Image credit: dejansmaicphoto)
Katie Compton makes her decisive move on Ellen Noble to take the lead and eventual win(Image credit: dejansmaicphoto)
Ellen Noble takes the hole shot(Image credit: dejansmaicphoto)
Katie Compton leads Ellen Noble through the sticky mud(Image credit: dejansmaicphoto)
Kaitie Keough makes her way through the mud and tight corners early on in the race(Image credit: dejansmaicphoto)
Crashes were often the result of the slippery conditions(Image credit: dejansmaicphoto)
Riders take the side of the course where grassier conditions provide more traction(Image credit: dejansmaicphoto)
Katie Compton finds running her bike is faster(Image credit: dejansmaicphoto)
Ellen Noble finds the slippery conditions difficult(Image credit: dejansmaicphoto)
Katie Compton (KFC Racing) added a record 15th consecutive elite women's national cyclo-cross title to her long list of achievements in the sport at the USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Championships in Louisville on Sunday. She won the race by over two minutes ahead of a surprise runner-up Sunny Gilbert (Van Dessel Factory Racing) and third-placed Ellen Noble (Trek Factory Racing).
"To win today it feels really good, and it's still emotional," said Compton, who now heads into the second half of her season as she looks toward the World Championships in Denmark.
"I was really excited about today. This season has been really rough, and I've had a lot of downs this year. I just tried to come to this race rested and feeling as good as I could. The other races before this haven't gone great, so I thought I should rest before this one.
"Then I've got a lot of racing in front of me. I'm heading to Belgium tomorrow, and I'm there until the end of February. Right now, I feel like my season is just starting so hopefully I can start training hard and racing. I'm coming around for Worlds again.”
Compton, who just turned 40 this month, is still racing at the top her game and currently ranked second in the world behind world champion Sanne Cant.
She was the out-right favourite heading into the championships race, in part because of her strength and previous success at the event, but also because the thick, muddy conditions suited her perfectly.
"This was pretty perfect," Compton said. "There was quite a bit of running, and I'm not as great as some on that, but luckily with the technical bits, I can carry speed. The running wasn't bad but it was tough uphill. I did the best I could."
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She unclipped from her pedals at the start, but stayed calm and moved what seemed effortlessly through the mud to catch up to her rivals.
She orbited the circuit and gained a handful of seconds each lap on Noble and Gilbert. She finished the race over two minutes ahead and secured her 15th title on what she called the most epic course of all.
The race for second was a little more unpredictable as Kaitie Keough (Cannondale) was nowhere to be seen, but Gilbert, Noble and Rebecca Fahringer battled for the silver and bronze.
Gilbert's running background might have given her an advantage through the mud, and she surged ahead of Noble on the last lap and crossed the finish line in second place.
Noble crossed the line a disappointing third while Fahringer faded and finished fourth.
How it unfolded
Ellen Noble (Trek Factory Racing) sprinted off the pavement and into the hole-shot followed by Kaitie Keough (Cannondale), while Katie Compton (KFC Racing) struggled with her pedals and started on the grass ten riders back.
Noble cleared the field through the first half of the first lap, charging through the mud and staying well ahead of the chaotic start.
Compton found her rhythm and raced her way forward through the field. She quickly caught Noble Keough lost ground in the opening lap.
Rebecca Fahringer (Kona-Maxxis-Shimano) trailed the two leaders; Noble and Compton, by just a few seconds over the first significant hill.
Compton charged passed Noble on the steep descent, and weaved through hay-bale obstacles, pushing through to the front of the race.
Noble fought to stay as close as possible to Compton but lost several seconds, and by the time the pair raced through the mechanic's pits and back onto the pavement to start the second lap, Compton was a comfortable 10 seconds ahead.
The 14-time national champion showed her experience over the very challenging mud sections riding very smooth. She transitioned from the riding sections to the running sections with ease and opened her lead further on each passing lap.
Noble, also a World-Cup mountain bike racer, used those skills to handle the technical sections. However, she struggled a little more than Compton through the thick mud and along the running sections.
With two laps to go, Compton pushed her lead out to over a minute. The race for second place heated up as Fahringer caught up to Noble, and passed her through the mud, and Gilbert closed in on the pair.
Gilbert, who comes from a running background, used her lengthy stride to run ahead of Noble on the muddy uphill. Fahringer might have burnt too many matches to catch up to the front and began to fade.
Gilbert and Noble raced neck-to-neck through the last lap, with Noble struggling to stay on Gilbert's wheel. Gilbert opened a gap through the last lap, and despite a crash on the descent, she held off Noble to take second place.
Full Results
Swipe to scroll horizontally
#
Rider Name (Country) Team
Result
1
Katherine Compton (USA)
0:52:23
2
Sunny Gilbert (USA) Van Dessel Factory Team
0:02:12
3
Ellen Noble (USA) Trek Factory Racing
0:02:38
4
Rebecca Fahringer (USA) Amy D. Foundation
0:03:24
5
Kaitlin Keough (USA) Cannondale
0:04:58
6
Regina Legge (USA) Green Line Velo driven by Zipca
0:06:00
7
Lily Williams (USA) The Pony Shop p/b KPMG
0:07:16
8
Sarah Sturm (USA) Specialized - Tenspeed Hero
0:08:02
9
Courtenay Mcfadden (USA) Washington State Bicycle Associ
0:08:34
10
Erica Zaveta (USA) Garneau-Easton p/b Transitions
0:08:54
11
Jennifer Malik (USA)
0:09:31
12
Raylyn Nuss (USA) Gateway Harley-Davidson Trek
0:09:44
13
Beth Ann Orton (USA)
0:10:25
14
Crystal Anthony (USA) New England Bicycle Racing Asso
0:11:26
15
Cassandra Maximenko (USA) Van Dessel Factory Team
0:11:46
16
Carla Williams (USA) Deschutes Brewery
0:12:09
17
Arley Kemmerer (USA) Fearless Femme Racing
0:12:46
18
Jane Rossi (USA)
0:13:14
19
Caroline Nolan (USA)
0:15:08
20
Samantha Runnels (USA) Texas Bicycle Racing Associatio
-1 Lap
21
Kristen Legan (USA)
Row 20 - Cell 2
22
Taylor Kuyk-White (USA)
Row 21 - Cell 2
23
Anne Usher (USA)
Row 22 - Cell 2
24
Elizabeth Sheldon (USA) Crosshairs Cycling
Row 23 - Cell 2
25
Anna Megale (USA) Team UpCycle
Row 24 - Cell 2
26
Caitlin Bernstein (USA)
-2 Laps
27
Anna Dorovskikh (USA) Boulder Cycle Sport
Row 26 - Cell 2
28
Laurel Rathbun (USA)
Row 27 - Cell 2
29
Meghan Owens (USA)
Row 28 - Cell 2
30
Rebecca Gross (USA)
Row 29 - Cell 2
31
Rachel Rubino (USA)
Row 30 - Cell 2
32
Emily Werner (USA) Amy D. Foundation
Row 31 - Cell 2
33
Emily Curley (USA) Corner Cycle Cycling Club
Row 32 - Cell 2
34
Amanda Nauman (USA)
Row 33 - Cell 2
35
Gabriella Sterne (USA) Vanderkitten CX
Row 34 - Cell 2
36
Chelsea Weidinger (USA)
Row 35 - Cell 2
37
Taryn Mudge (USA) Mathletes Racing
Row 36 - Cell 2
38
Leslie Ethridge (USA) ORNOT
Row 37 - Cell 2
39
Erin Faccone (USA) B2C2 Cycling Club
Row 38 - Cell 2
40
Katrina Engelsted (USA) Petunia Mafia Cycling
Row 39 - Cell 2
41
Susan Livingston (USA) Amy D. Foundation
Row 40 - Cell 2
42
Avanell Scales (USA) Deschutes Brewery
Row 41 - Cell 2
43
Kelly Paduch (USA)
Row 42 - Cell 2
44
Natalie Tapias (USA) JAM Fund / NCC
Row 43 - Cell 2
45
Alexandra Campbellforte (USA) Mid Atlantic Bicycle Racing Ass
Row 44 - Cell 2
46
Natalie Smith (USA) Bicycle Heaven / PVA
Row 45 - Cell 2
DNS
Kathryn Cumming (USA) Jalapeno Cycling
Row 46 - Cell 2
DNS
Danielle Arman (USA) Bicycle Racing Association of C
Row 47 - Cell 2
DNS
Brittlee Bowman (USA) RSCX - House Ind - DWR - Herman
Kirsten Frattini has been the Editor of Cyclingnews since December 2025, overseeing editorial operations and output across the brand and delivering quality, engaging content.
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Kirsten has a background in Kinesiology and Health Science. She has been involved in cycling from the community and grassroots level to professional cycling's biggest races, reporting on the WorldTour, Spring Classics, Tours de France, World Championships and Olympic Games.
