In 2015 and 2016 I failed at my attempts to complete the Eastern States 100. Disappointed and in the throes of existential angst, I went to the finish line both times to watch people finish. What do these people have that I don’t?
The race starts with a bit of single track, and as much as I try to begin at the back, there are others who come in behind me and then bumble about in the rocks and high grass, passing me where there’s no room to do so. Race director Chris McWatters is standing at his post to send us down a mile out-n-back and this is a wide enough jeep road that finally allows all the poor trap-ees behind me to escape and sprint past.
“Take one step,” was the mantra that got me through the 35 hours and 40 minutes of my first 100-mile race.
Do I trust myself to do the training, to put in the hours required? To show up for myself, even if that means pulling the plug when my ego really doesn’t want to? Do I trust myself to not listen to the brain when it says “Stop!” when it is only pain, and not actually debilitating? Do I trust myself to know the difference?
Summer in Kansas can get brutally hot and humid so that is why the Lawrence Trail Hawks came up with the Night Hawk. It’s a chance to run a trail ultra at night when summertime temps can be a bit cooler.
Rules; who likes ’em? Nobody.
Who needs ’em? Everybody.
Running ultras is supposed to be fun. The last thing we want to deal with is having a bunch of rules to worry about. Unfortunately, ultrarunning is practiced by humans. And, without rules, some of those humans are bound to take liberties with what might seem innately obvious.
AltoLab combines a set of breathing apparatuses with completely developed training programs to function as a high altitude simulator for Intermittent Hypoxic Training (IHT).
Many folks think that Promise Land is the best 50k in the East. Runners camp for free Friday night at the start/finish. We provide 100 pizzas for the runners and they bring all the desserts. After the pre-race briefing, we have a big bonfire and make s’mores. There is great fellowship that goes on before and after the race.
It was almost 143 hours into a six-day race when I finished my fifth consecutive eight-minute mile. I felt invincible. With a little more than an hour left, I wondered how long I could hold this break-neck pace.
The successor to Polar’s previous M400 watch, with a boatload of feature updates that easily make it the most conveniently functional multi-purpose watch we’ve tested.
The 14th Annual Virginia 24 Hour Run for Cancer proved that determined people with strong willpower can overcome all obstacles.
Deutschlandlauf (translation: Germany Run) travels the length of Germany from north to south in a giant, S-shaped route, starting at sea level on the German island of Sylt at the Danish border, and ending at the highest point in Germany on the Austrian border—820 miles over 19 days.
Without trails our sport would not exist. Sure there are road ultras and many “trail” ultras entail portions along fireroads, tow paths, running tracks and, gasp, even pavement. But if you look at the most popular and iconic ultras, they all include some epic trails. So yes, we need them.
As with many ultrarunner origin stories, Brandon Miller’s running career started as a cross country speed demon in his home town of Barrie, Ontario. After high school, as he began a demanding college course load in Mechanical Engineering at Queens University in Ontario, priorities shifted and running took a far second to his studies.
Last year’s Angeles Crest 100 was an experience I will never forget. I went out too fast early and wasted precious time at aid stations. This year I made some adjustments…
Coming off a year of successful ultramarathons, I was pretty jacked. My plan was to complete more of my “bucket list” races for the summer. Could I complete three more ultras this year? Four more? It was a big stretch, but possible. If I was smart, that is…
The shoe inspired by Karl Meltzer gets a significant overhaul for its second iteration, with improved fit, stability and durability.
Whether you’re an ultrarunner, a musician, or in my case, both – you’re never ready for The Call when you get The Call.
Hotter than Hell, Dusk to Dawn is a night trail run that pits runners against the oppressive heat and humidity of a South Louisiana summer. The race starts at dusk on the middle weekend of July and ends ten hours later at dawn.
A top and bottom kit from La Sportiva’s 2017 trail apparel lineup, both featuring Polygiene permanent odor control treatment. The Motion shirt is a comfortable and lightweight all-purpose shirt at an affordable price point, while the Rapid shorts are a 2-in-1 combination that is built for performance at a premium cost.
My five-foot-one and barely-north-of-100-pound frame was patiently waiting in the shadow of a literal castle to embark on my first 100-mile adventure. Thoughts of “What will happen?” and “Can I even do it?” swirled through my mind.
On a devilishly hot July day, 56 runners from five states met to run the 5th edition of the Harrisburg Area Road Runners Club’s Conococheague 50K Trail Run. The event is held on rock-covered single track and forest service roads in the wilds of western Perry County, Pennsylvania, in the Tuscarora State Forest.
There are many things about ultrarunning that are hard to describe, and even harder to understand. The Spartathlon, a 153-mile race from Athens to Sparta, is one of them.
Why am I out there six days a week, usually before 4 a.m., making myself uncomfortable? Why do I and millions of other people willingly subject ourselves to it?
This is the story of how our running club developed a comprehensive trail work program that we call TrailFit. Each year we clear brush on 25 miles of trail, remove over 150 downed trees, and contribute more than 1,500 volunteer hours on trails in the San Diego mountains while overseeing maintenance on 150+ miles of trails.
“Timp” is the nickname Utah locals use for Mount Timpanogos, the second highest mountain in the Wasatch Range, with an iconic trail climbing to the 11,752 foot summit. Altra founder Golden Harper calls this the “long day” shoe, and it’s definitely made with long distance mountain running in mind.
You’re not supposed to look good after you run a hundred miles. Didn’t matter. It was still the worst race finish photo I had ever taken, yet it was the most important one. It was the singular moment when all the training, the doubts, the worries, the planning, was about to give way to relief, triumph and pure joy.
For those not inclined to venture into a six-hour, mid-July run in suburban St. Louis, the race’s name is a sufficient deterrent to participation. However, devout masochists take the tone behind the name as a dare.
The Trail Verbier St. Bernard is a series of trail races in the mountains surrounding Verbier, Switzerland. The X-Alpine race at 110 kilometers is the longest race with the Grand Traversée being the next longest in the series at about 65k and just under 14,000 net gain.
An 85-kilometer, point-to-point race in the remote mountains near Westport, New Zealand. The race’s entire 53 miles are run on a brand new trail called the Old Ghost Road, its isolation is so complete that from start to finish, one does not cross a road or another trail.