When I signed up for the Eagle Up Ultra in Canal Fulton, Ohio, it was for the sole purpose of earning a belt buckle. The course was newbie friendly, a five mile loop on a flat tow path and had nice swag like a headlamp.
I stood at the finish line of my first half marathon, confused. I was surrounded by people who had somehow found a singular, defining experience that morning. Was this why people run? What had I done wrong that prevented me from reveling in a sense of accomplishment?
Among the many alternative cross training and recovery methods out there, I’ve found the one true, revitalizing cure-all: the steam room.
Mild temperatures and a gentle breeze in Central Pennsylvania’s Moshannon State Forest ushered in the daylight at Mid-State Regional Airport for the fifth annual Allegheny Front Trail Run.
I first ran the Peterson Ridge Rumble 40-Mile two years ago – my first ultra. This year the race was a 65th birthday present to myself.
When I first found out I was pregnant, I googled “running while pregnant” and was disappointed in the lack of information out there. There was information about Olympic athletes and information for recreational runners, but not much for someone who fell in between these two categories.
ed note: The following was issued by ITRA in response to a press release issued by Hardrock and 8 other…
Running your first ultramarathon is a great commitment to make to yourself. It’ll hurt you in ways that you didn’t know running could hurt you and it will force mental fortitude that you didn’t know you possessed.
The back of the pack runners come straggling in to Wyeth Campground. Thirty-one miles is a tough distance no matter what day it is, even if running sixty-two is your goal, and these runners have endured thirty-one rocky, rooty, sloppy, and gorgeous trail miles in the Columbia River Gorge.
On April 8, 2017, 83 Midwesterners came together to run one of Iowa’s few ultras. The Hawkeye 50K starts in Solon and sends runners on two laps around the man-made Lake MacBride.
The only woman to have finished the California Triple Crown of ultrarunning.
A humorous look at apps that are not really available to ultrarunners – but that should be.
Several weeks ago the Hardrock Hundred received an email from Catherine Poletti, who, along with her husband Michel, owns UTMB and ITRA. It stated, in essence, that Kilian Jornet (defending Hardrock champion) wished to run UTMB, but since Hardrock had not paid to join ITRA, Kilian lacked the qualifying UTMB “points.” So, the gist was, won’t Hardrock pay up so that Kilian could run? The answer is no. And here’s why.
It gets confusing to tell the difference between being exhausted from training/racing and being tired due to illness. But it takes just a few hours to get it checked it out and get answers, and then create a plan towards recovery.
It all started when I was a teenager. I would see people out “going for a jog” and it looked so carefree and enjoyable. I wanted to be able to do it.
This run in Nicaragua takes you over two volcanos while traveling around the island of Ometepe completing tasks that imitate daily local Nicaraguan life. It forces you to adapt to the challenges you face as you run 60 miles through a brutal course and the chances are that you will not finish.
This was my first attempt at running 50 miles. I had run a couple 50ks but the San Francisco 50 Mile Endurance Run was incomparable to anything I had raced before.
We have officially revived this old-school race, established in 1991, and are quietly, in an unknown corner of the ultrarunning world, building something great.
Vashon Ultra is an island gem smack in the middle of the Seattle-metro area but you would never know it as it’s a small community and is organized by some of the friendliest folks!
Never had I experienced a landscape like that of the Zion 100-Mile. The race takes place adjacent to Zion National Park, through the dry valley floor and up onto giant mesas dwarfing runners with their enormity.
The Memorial Weekend Western States Training Camp is a three-day un-timed event wherein runners cover the final 70 miles of the Westerns States 100 Mile Endurance Run. Here are my top ten reasons to do it!
The Terror was not about Leadville. It was my subconscious awareness that every difficult emotion I had been avoiding was coming with me out on that course.
New hip + no spleen + slightly less pancreas = 25th annual Bull Run Run 50-Mile start
It was a tough day out at the Rockin’ K races. The storm dumped a lot of water on the area, making for wet and slippery running—and cold, miserable conditions for the volunteers. A year to remember for sure!
As I approach the start/finish area to begin my second loop, a surge of peace and strength washes over me. I am energized to step into the unknown world of miles 31-62.
Holiday Lake 50k is a great race for a first ultra. There were over 40 runners making their ultra-debut at the race this year.
Records were set despite the cold, rainy and windy conditions
Towering rock walls and overhangs, 113-foot Yahoo Falls, at least a dozen water crossings, blooming wildflowers and the Yamacraw River were highlights of this third-annual race.
You never forget your first ultramarathon. On April 29, at 20 years old, I completed the 50-mile North Face Endurance Challenge in Washington D.C. It was by far the most humbling, mind-breaking, and physically challenging 11 hours and 54 minutes of my life.
