Features

The successor to Garmin’s multi-sport focused Forerunner 735XT, expands the functionality of that model extensively, and closely approaches the feature profile of the higher-end Forerunner 945. In comparison to the 945, the Forerunner 745 has a smaller casing, minimal navigation features and lower battery life, but has a more affordable price point.

In a year of so much uncertainty and speculation, Hungerford was able to provide a bit of reprieve. It was just what we needed to affirm our love of running and once again celebrate each individual journey to the finish line.

Last year, I started and finished my first ever, 100-mile race at the Wasatch Front Endurance Run, but knew that I was capable of better. So, the next day, I sat in the car and decided to sign up for the Bear 100 in 2020.

Autumn means cooler temps, wet trails and a new harvest of running socks to choose from. Here’s a rundown of models we’ve been testing over the past several weeks.

A next-generation multisport GPS watch from Polar, which builds on the performance metrics of the Vantage watch, and adds a handful of new features that are ideal for ultrarunners and mountain runners.

This was our first race during COVID-19. Race director John Doggett and his team made sure everyone was taken care of and it felt like we were part of the family.

As a zero-drop shoe, the Terraultra G270s fills that void for the minimalist runner who wants a lightweight and energetic shoe for aggressive running, with just enough cushion to stay comfortable.

The Maah Daah Hey Trail consists of 144 miles of single track that weaves through the badlands of western North Dakota. Its name comes from the Mandan language and can be translated as “an area that has been or will be around for a long time,” “long lasting,” or simply, “grandfather.” However, one should not imagine a gentle grandfather, always ready with a Werther’s candy in the pocket of his flannel jacket.

Innovation can be an interesting process. Any creative-minded person can attest that you have to throw some ridiculous ideas into the world before you develop one that lands precisely where you’d like it. If it took working our way through the TenNine shoe to get here, the Clifton Edge certainly seems to have justified the creative process.

Chip Howard felt his adrenaline pumping as he began buckling himself into the thrill ride Superman, alongside his family at Six Flags New England, but he had a problem. The buckle was not big enough. An attendant approached him and explained he would have to get off the ride.

We’ve spent the summer testing four high-performance trekking pole options in mountain running environments and big vert days on our home trails: LEKI MCT 12 Vario, Ultimate Direction FK Ultra, Black Diamond Distance Carbon Z, and Black Diamond Distance Carbon.

At 4 a.m. on July 11, on a moonlit track in Fairplay, CO, the ultrarunning world experienced something that it had been longing for—the beautiful cacophony of sound that is a 100-mile start line. The Silverheels 100 Mile Endurance Run, with an average elevation of 11,000 feet, is the second highest 100-miler in the country, second only to the Hardrock 100.

In a pandemic world, live races are possible. On August 1, we held the 12th annual Dahlgren Heritage Rail Trail 50K as a live event, on an old converted railbed in King George, Virginia. We took COVID-19 seriously and produced a quality event centered around safety, respect for others and personal responsibility.

Kevin Draper grew up in the coastal town of Guilford, CT, where his adoptive parents helped him cultivate a love of nature. Yearly trips took them to the mountains and lakes of New Hampshire where they swam in Lake Winnisquam and spent time exploring Gunstock Mountain together.

We all continue to listen, learn, unlearn and roll with the punches, and as this pandemic continues to evolve, so do we. But one thing is for sure: the sheer joy of that finish line will never change.

This longstanding trail favorite is the most famous model in the Brooks lineup, and for good reason, as it performs well for a broad spectrum of users under a variety of conditions. The shoe dependably gives you a comfortable, stable ride with more than enough support and durability to handle ultra-distance mileage.

The Warriors UltraRun stands as one of the most unique road races in the country and allows runners to recreate the escape route from the iconic 1979 cult film “The Warriors” by Walter Hill, wherein a street gang is framed for a murder and must race through the dangerous streets of NYC in order to reach their home turf in Coney Island.

Like most of the world, the COVID-19 pandemic hit us hard – as people, as a company and as members of the racing industry. As the shelter-in-place orders continued, we realized that waiting this out wasn’t an option. The Bryce Ultras at the end of May was our first opportunity to see if there was a way to hold races during the pandemic while also keeping our runners and staff safe.

Was I nervous? Absolutely. I had one week to prepare for a high elevation mountain race. But despite that aforementioned absurdity, my excitement to pin on an actual race bib completely trumped my fears, and I dove in head first without looking back.

Were it not for the circumstances of the pandemic, I would never have been shopping around for a race, but fate brought me together with the Strawberry Fields Forever 30 Hours in North Bonneville, Washington, near the Columbia River. It turned out to be a wonderfully well run and satisfying ultra with just 3,200 feet of elevation gain.

During the long summer days, the sun rises before 5 a.m. in Minneapolis, Minnesota, home to the hardworking mother of four, founder of Native Women Running and ultrarunner, Verna Volker. She heads out the door for her daily morning ritual: a run towards the rising sun.

Just 10 years prior to finishing third at the Laurel Highlands Ultra in Pennsylvania, alcohol was slowly killing Margaret Smith, and she knew she needed a change. So she joined the United States Army. It was the best decision she’s ever made.

This spring, Topo released two road shoes that, at first glance, look remarkably similar but have significant distinctions in their midsole construction to place them in different training categories. The Ultrafly 3 is an update to a well-established everyday trainer, while the Zephyr is a new model built for moving fast with increased responsiveness.

At last, I found a race held in the shadow of the COVID-19 lockdown, and there was no series of ominous email warnings followed by a reluctant cancellation notice. The Loco Challenge race series held in parts of the Lassen National Forest on June 6 in north central California.

It had been three days post-Quarantine Backyard Ultra when Mike Wardian and I got on the phone. I am half expecting to hear him talk about all the sleep he has gotten, but then again, it’s Wardian. He is actually walking around his neighborhood, which does not surprise me.

For a company that innovates as frequently as HOKA, it’s a testament to the success of the original Torrent shoe that they left it untouched for two full years. The Torrent was often described as “The HOKA shoe for people who don’t like HOKAs.”

With virtually all races canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we “organized” a FatAss 50K for runners to celebrate on the day that Western States would have been run. Completely tongue-in-cheek, we called it the “Not Exactly Western States FatAss 50K,” (or NEWS 50K) run entirely on the Arizona Trail just north of Flagstaff, Arizona.

We caught up with Kevin Youngblood last week in the midst of what he considers to be the most pivotal moment of his life. “I’m in a truck on the Ice Age Trail at 2:30 a.m. answering questions to be featured in UltraRunning Magazine,” just as he was one day away from finishing a three-plus-week trip following Coree Woltering as he set a new FKT on the trail in 21 days, 13 hours and 35 minutes.

The UltrAspire Synaptic 2.0 and Speedgoat 3.0 Waist Belts impressed us with their comfort and efficiency. They are nearly identical in design with the only difference being fluid capacity – the Synaptic 2.0 holds a single 550mL bottle while the Speedgoat 3.0 carries two.

I ran Land Between the Lakes in Grand Rivers, Kentucky, for the first time back in 2014—it was my first trail race ever. I keep going back because LBL is more than a trail. I go back to be among friends and family who continue to believe in me, support me and encourage me.