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.
I registered for the Bryce Canyon 100 as a training run. My only concrete plan was to run hard. But at the start of the second loop I instantly felt sick on the first climb. I had two equally discouraging choices: quit or hike 40 miles.
In 2001, Jacky discovered a lump on her leg. One week after her diagnosis, she was in surgery having her leg amputated. “Looking back now, it sounds really weird but I’m kind of glad it happened. It puts life in perspective, you appreciate things more. I just think I’m a better person because of what happened.”
Only in its third year, race directors Valerie Abradi and Mindy Slovinsky have put together an ultra event with an old-school feeling and lots of down home charm that will simultaneously delight and challenge you. Riverlands is a great up-and-coming destination race. Put it on your calendar before the word gets out.
Mark Richtman was perhaps the greatest age group runner ultrarunning has ever seen and certainly one of the greatest endurance athletes of his time.
For years, the consensus had been that Mike Morton’s 100-mile record, set in 2012, was invincible. But this year, Brett Sanborn beat it by 12 minutes in an astounding 13:20:18. Given that it was a very hot weekend with minimal cloud cover, Brett’s performance was all the more remarkable.
A frameless, large capacity pack designed for fast packing or light overnight excursions, the Flight 30 has a great deal of adjustability and customization of fit, and excellent cargo available within arm’s reach during activity.
As the population continues to grow and people turn towards more active and healthier lifestyles, it’s only natural that trails are going to attract more people. We need to lead by example by continuing to volunteer. Let’s work together to build, restore and maintain our public lands and trails—for our own enjoyment, and future generations to come.
The second annual Hellbender 100-Miler turned out to be a huge learning experience for me. Two weeks prior to race day I made a comment on Facebook about how the attention of a race should not always be on the front runners, but on those at the back of the pack. This race would hit home for me what my comment really meant.
Pam Chapman Markle entered the world of ultramarathoning in 2011 at age 55. As a certified registered nurse anesthetist for over 35 years, she had been working with a physician who encouraged her to sign up for an ultra.
The Teanaway Country 100 stands toe-to-toe with those 100-milers that are notoriously hard. I think that in time, it will be viewed as a low altitude Hardrock. The most obvious factor and where the comparisons to Hardrock begin, is the elevation profile.
As a mountain lover, the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) had tremendous appeal. The idea of connecting the mountain and high desert ranges through New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho and Montana was irresistible.
As I considered the apples-to-oranges comparison between road marathons and mountain ultras, I wondered. What if, instead of trying to be the marathon runner I used to be, I embraced the tougher, heavier, more truck-like ultrarunner I’ve become?
