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The McCall Trailrunning Classic 40 Mile could be the best race I have ever done. It was tough and it was beautiful. I live a mile from the beach in Melbourne, Australia, so this high altitude and demanding race gave me many things to worry about beforehand.

Morgan Elliott, a 24-year-old runner hailing from the relatively low elevation of Black Mountain, NC won the Audi Power of Four 50K, in Aspen, CO in commanding fashion over the weekend.

Sheep Mountain is truly a climber’s, hiker’s and trail runner’s best and worst friend. It offers you panoramic views but challenges you with every step up or down. Two years ago Sherpa John brought this race into existence, providing a unique opportunity for all the die-hard trail runners out there.

Just below the summit of Diamond Peak the climber below me and I were locked into a pained synchronicity. We’d each take about three steps up the impossibly steep mountainside, deliberately placing our feet into the kicked-out steps. Then we’d lean on our poles and try to breathe through what felt like a clogged straw. It seemed very early in the race to be suffocating.

“Desiree, you can’t lie down. There are scorpions all around, and they’ll sense your heat.” It was the second night of the Badwater 135 and Desiree Marek was 95 miles into this year’s race (her first) and going on 36 hours of no sleep. All she wanted to do was sit down.