Guest Author

The Keys 100, undoubtedly the most scenic, fun, and competitive race of the Florida ultra-scene, commences in Key Largo, at mile marker 100, and traverses 33 Keys en route to …

The hardwood forests in this part of the Midwest can become quite jungle-like by late April. Like all of our Trail Nerd events, we prepare the course’s trails with lots …

There’s something eerily romantic about running long distances under a starlit sky. What I’ve learned from personally taking part in multiple 100-mile races is that the hours between sunset and …

Disarmingly beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the old-growth redwoods tease me with their grandeur, but I must keep my eyes on the trail. Certain …

In the wake of a series of severe storms that struck the Independence, Kansas area the week of the race, the rocky, technical, and rather remote FlatRock 101K course was …

Ozark Foothills is a gem of a race, taking place in forested Greensfelder County Park just 25 minutes from St. Louis. Along with a scenic and challenging course, two distinctions …

This is going to sound corny, but running FTPR this weekend felt like an old-timey ultra race. I really felt the sense of community and it renewed my faith that …

I always mean to write race reports for my own races, but all I end up with are drafts. I thought writing one for my girlfriend Stephanie’s race might go …

The inaugural Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 13 Hour Race in Seattle, Washington, started at 6:02 a.m. with first light, rain and wind of the day. Undeterred, the runners set off into …

All was quiet in the Old Growth Redwoods the night of Friday, May 20 as runners slept soundly – or not so soundly depending on their pre-race mindset – in …

Every single participant in the inaugural Merced River Canyon Endurance Runs set a new personal record at California’s Shortest Ultramarathon. Perhaps it was the unusually overcast day. Maybe it was …

There’s no way we’re running up that, right? Wrong. Only six months before, while sitting in the relative comfort of my living room, I came across an advertisement for the …

The hills kept coming. Our buddy Otter had warned that this third section of the course, the 18-mile out-and-back to the Emma Carlin (mile 40) aid station, would be “objectively …

“Do an ultra,” they said, “it will be fun!” On Saturday, May 14, 2016 at the Ice Age Trail 50 Mile, they were right. And wrong. And then right, and …

Maybe you’ve seen the acronym DNF > DNS. Simply put, it means that it is better to attempt and fail than to not try at all. But let’s face it …

It was fitting to run my first ultramarathon in my college hometown of Athens, Ohio. After rain every day the week before the race, I knew this would be a …

Morocco conjures images of crowded souks, piles of spices, rolls of carpet, elaborate lampshades and incomprehensible bartering – these were the sights of Marrakech, our arrival city. Having survived its …

Set in the beautiful Northern California countryside, the BayTrailrunners Coastal Marin 50K rides high above Stinson Beach, across Mount Tamalpais, over the Marin Headlands and finishes with a crossing of …

At 1:14 a.m. in the Cuyamaca Mountains just outside of San Diego, California, a small lone headlamp headed toward the finish line of the Cuyamaca 100K Endurance Run.

Last summer I was lucky enough to be able to run across the U.S.A. Since that 3,192-mile trek from Jenner, California, to Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, a number of …

It all started about 10 years ago while visiting the Grand Canyon National Park with my wife. We took a quick look at the majestic canyon, did the touristy things, …

There is no question that fatigue is the result of physiological compromises in a host of bodily systems (muscular, nervous, hormonal, skeletal, respiratory, cardiovascular, etc.) during an endurance event. However …

Many deep seated feelings of fear can be stirred up when we go running, especially when we are running for more than a few hours. It’s no wonder so few …

If I had a nickel for every time I’ve been asked “What is a PHUNT?,” I’d be in the middle of planning my next trail running vacation. Since I’m writing …

Sixteen months ago, a friend helped me realize how self-defeating thoughts and behaviors were affecting every area of my life, including my running and racing goals. Running took a back …

We had been running through the desert of Baja California for 17 hours. Despite being followed by armed police, obsessing about water and losing a couple of runners to injury, …

Nestled into the idyllic Bay of Plenty region on New Zealand’s North Island, there is a town that smells like no other. A famous tourist attraction for its geothermal activity, …

It was my third time making the journey out to Bald Head Island, North Carolina, to take part in Badwater Cape Fear 51.4 mile race. Traveling from south Florida, the …

The repeated phrase rang throughout the bright green finish area, “I can’t believe how deceivingly hard that trail is”. Hells Hills Endurance Run got this name for a reason. This …