UltraRunning July 2019
- The Barkley Marathons
- 10 Times: A Western States Retrospective
- We Need to Talk About Sleep
- Training for the Flatlanders
- Lake Sonoma
- Nikki Kimball: Always a Runner
The views from nearly every trail in the Lake Tahoe region are nothing short of breathtaking. This marked the inaugural year of the Big Chief 50K where for the first time, runners would be able to link a number of trails on one single 50k loop while experiencing every type of terrain with unparalleled views of Lake Tahoe along the way.
If you’ve enjoyed Trail Glove shoes in the past, you’ll love the Trail Glove 5. It provides the same sock-like fit and excellent ground feel, but has some key construction updates that improve its comfort and performance.
As the father of a two-year-old, I spend multiple days at home trying to balance work and training while also taking care of a tiny human. Here are a few creative exercises I have developed that allow me to incorporate my child into training, while also getting some quality time together.
We had a very snowy, wet winter in St. Louis. Couple that with epic amounts of snow up north, and you end up with the perfect storm. So, for the first time in six years (and the first time since I’ve been RD), we had to invoke the beloved “Quadruple Bypass” route.
Manitou’s Revenge is run through some sections of the Catskills designated as wilderness areas. By the time runners reach their drop bags, they’ve already run a 50k. What follows is an unholy mess – the Devil’s Path – featuring steep and technical climbs and descents over four of its peaks, some of them more than a bit sketchy.
Built in collaboration with Rob Krar and Stephanie Howe Violett, Nathan’s VaporKrar and VaporHowe pack lineup offers a minimalist 4L option for traveling light, and a larger 12L pack for longer durations or conditions that require a greater assortment of clothing and gear.
“Sorry for the long wait, but I can now offer you an entry spot into our race.” These magical words confirmed I had secured a “competitive entrant” slot, just eight weeks prior to the 25th edition of the Umstead 100.
It seems to me that ultrarunners pack all of their insecurities into a drop bag. Running really long distances through rugged terrain at all hours of the day can be daunting, and as such, drop bags can get unwieldy. It’s easy to forget that all bags must be transported and carried by volunteers.
On a March afternoon in Minnesota, the greatest event in running history took place on a modern-day Field of Dreams. Iconic races like Western States, the Boston Marathon and Badwater pale in comparison to this new quintessential race: The Sandlot Marathon.
Social running apps like Strava provide tremendous benefits for runners, but especially ultrarunners. When it comes to finding specific information about trails, race courses and training data, the app has a plethora of details. Here are some ways to help you get the most out of Strava and allow you to meet new friends along the way.
In 2017, the last finisher to round the track at Western States was Karen Bonnett-Natraj. The crowd erupted in cheers as she entered the stadium, and everyone was on their feet glancing at their watches as if that would help Karen make it to the finish line under the 30-hour cutoff. With just 9 seconds to spare, she became the oldest finisher that year at age 61.
I ran the first edition of Rock The Ridge (RTR) in 2013, and the race has grown into the largest annual fundraiser for the Mohonk Preserve, a private, non-profit land trust that maintains over 7,000 acres of open space in the Shawangunk Mountains in New York.
Merrell’s newly released short film features Anna Frost — elite ultrarunner and Merrell Ambassador — as she navigates a whole new adventure in her life: pregnancy and motherhood.
The Prairie Spirit Trail Ultra 100 Mile in eastern Kansas is a rails-to-trails course that follows an old route of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad through the small town of Garnett. A brick depot building, built in 1934, serves as a key aid station halfway between the race start in Ottawa and Iola.
The second member of the COROS global watch family (along with the Pace), the Apex is best known for its hefty battery life. Compared to the Pace, the Apex has been given a facelift sporting a sleek new design in addition to new features such as navigation, fitness tracking, and sleep tracking.
The scene in the finish area of the Ice Age Trail 50 is a living expression of what most of us love about the ultrarunning community. Runners and spectators alike welcome the finishers – and those who didn’t make it – as they would a friend or family member. If you’re wearing a bib, someone is looking after you.
The advent of spring is the Promise Land 50K. This year it was even more so with all of the rain. The streams were full and the leaves in the lower elevations were an eye-popping green.
In the past, the MT has been equally comfortable on the road or trail, but updates to the new version shift it more squarely into the trail category. Two key trail-specific updates are additional cushioning in the midsole, and a redesigned upper with increased durability and drainage capacity.