Features

When I found out that Terrain Trail Runners was adding a 100-mile distance to its Ozark Foothills lineup, I was beyond excited. This is a first-of-its-kind for the greater St. Louis area. We have a strong trail and ultrarunning community, but somewhat lack in the availability of races over 50 miles.

The last time I’d been to Zumbro was as a pacer during the blizzard of 2018, where I watched the trail disappear amidst wild raging winds and swirling piles of snow. In 2019, yet another blizzard had prevented the race from happening, followed by 2020, when it was canceled, along with most everything else. But in 2021, this southern Minnesota race was back. Things looked different, of course. The 17-mile race remained, but the 100-mile and 50-mile races were exchanged for a 34-mile option.

Salomon has had a longstanding commitment to socially responsible manufacturing practices, and this spring they are debuting a flagship running shoe that exemplifies this concept. The Index.01 is designed as a high performance road running shoe that is completely recyclable: it is made entirely of repurposed materials and is intended to be completely disassembled and recycled after its lifespan, with the raw materials incorporated into other Salomon products.

Saucony’s Kinvara and Peregrine shoes share similar DNA, even though one is a road shoe and the other is designed for trails. Both were born from the minimalist running shoe boom of the mid-2000s, combining sleek design with lightweight construction and just enough performance elements to allow fast but natural movement. Each of these models have been through a number of revisions since that time, but they haven’t strayed from their original mission and both received a few updates this spring.

Jeff Beaudoin had been waiting 10 years for this moment. On a cool September day in 2020, gusty winds blew high in the White Mountains of New Hampshire as three headlamps dotted the landscape and Jeff and his buddies ran along the rugged and rocky trail of the Presidential (Presi) Traverse. The 20+ mile point-to-point run brings runners and hikers along numerous peaks, and summits the highest mountain in the northeastern United States: Mt. Washington.

A longtime staple of the Arc’teryx lineup, the Atom SL (Super Light) Hoody has proven to be a versatile piece for hikers, runners and climbers alike. Designed as a dual purpose garment, this jacket bridges the gap between winter and spring seasons by acting as an effective layer under a shell or a standalone garment.

Instead of gathering in Hong Kong, Vibram Hong Kong 100 runners from across the world were offered an alternative: run it anywhere, on their own course. The rules were straightforward: run the course in Hong Kong without any official support from the race organizers, only if you were a local resident. Or, run and match the distance and elevation from wherever you live. That’s the brilliant part. 

Spring temperatures are often warm enough to ditch the jacket, but still too cold for short sleeves. That’s where long sleeve shirts come to the rescue. Having a variety of thicknesses to choose from allows you to customize the degree of insulation or ventilation you might need depending what temperature awaits outside.

UltrAspire is known for its innovative approach in the hydration vest space, and their design philosophy emphasizes minimizing the footprint of the vest against your body while still providing adequate storage for a variety of adventures. This spring, UltrAspire updated two of its popular unisex minimalist vests, the Alpha 4.0 and Momentum 2.0.

The King’s Highway Trail Race had its second annual race this year, held at Hobcaw Barony on the outskirts of Georgetown, South Carolina. The property includes more than 37 historic buildings and structures representative of the eras of both 18th and 19th century rice cultivation and 20th century winter retreats.

New to the market, the brand rnnr was co-founded by ultrarunners and offers fun gear for a running lifestyle. Their Cold Weather Running Beanie is a cozy cap that pulls on loosely and easily covers ears for maximum protection from the elements. The acrylic fabric is soft against the head and a thicker weave insulates during exposure to sleet and snow.

The Stone Mill 50 was named the RRCA National Championship Race ultramarathon for 2020, but as the spring unfolded, it became apparent that what we were hoping to offer was not likely going to be allowed. As race director, I did not relax until the day before race day at 5 p.m., when I knew county officers had left for the day and our permits were intact.

This year’s Hellcat 50K almost didn’t happen. Not only did the organizers have to contend with COVID, but highway construction wiped out part of the old course. If that wasn’t enough, Mother Nature dumped three inches of rain on the course the night before, turning the trail into a mudfest.

Donald Buraglio reviews the Altra Timp 3 trail shoe and new Altra Rivera road shoe.

It’s unusual to review a product almost two years after it first hit the market, but when presented an opportunity to test the COROS VERTIX, we were compelled. One of the company’s noteworthy attributes is their ongoing product improvement with software updates and new feature sets long after the initial launch, and the VERTIX has undergone some notable upgrades since its original release date.

New York-based filmmaker and ultrarunner Austin Meyer’s love for storytelling originated in the fourth grade after he got in trouble at school. Since then, Meyer, who released his film about the Western States Endurance Run, “Golden Hour,” just last year, has loved to tell stories. Whether they are about inspiring individuals or global crises, his knack both behind the lens and beyond is apparent.

Melanie Arleth never dreamed she’d be a runner, let alone an ultrarunner. In March of 2018, she felt a shift in her mindset. “I decided to go for it. I had just turned 41 and after putting my family first, I was consistently losing myself along the way. It was then that I decided I wasn’t going to just be a runner, I was going to be an ultrarunner.”

In certain climates, winter running requires traction beyond what even the grippiest trail shoes can provide. This winter, we’ve tested three new products on the market: two of them are part of the first-ever traction line from Black Diamond and the other is from Kahtoola, a well-established name in this category.

This spring, The North Face swings for the fences with a new footwear design approach that has been several years in the making and tested extensively with their team of elite athletes. The technology is called VECTIV and in essence, it combines a rocker high-energy midsole compound with a firm propulsion plate, and a super-secure outsole platform to grip the trail and allow speed with confidence.

When you win a high school cross-country race on campus, and your English teacher is the head track and field coach, not only are you guaranteed a spot on the track team, but there is little chance you’ll be able weasel your way out of it.

Despite lower participant numbers, it was a race for the record books. The winner of the race, Hayden Hawks, set a new course record in 5:18:40, nearly four minutes faster than Jim Walmsley’s time from 2016. And for the first time since 2017, when Emile Harrison Torrence ran the fourth fastest time ever in 6:27:43, a woman cracked the top ten as Camille Herron ran the eighth fastest time ever in 6:31:14.

Like a duck takes to water, or perhaps more appropriate for the Austin, Texas-based runner and photographer, like a cowboy takes to wearing boots, Jobie Williams’ side gig as a photographer was happenstance.

An update to Garmin’s Index Smart Scale, which measures a number of physiological metrics in addition to basic weight. The S2 is smaller and lighter than the previous model, with a new color display and improved sensors for increased accuracy and syncs with Garmin Connect via wifi.

The Silva Trail Runner Free H is a versatile and capable running-specific headlamp with a powerful, dual beam and a separate battery compartment that uses rechargeable or alkaline batteries. Its cordless design is practical and comfortable, and configuration of the battery compartment offers a variety of setup options for long outings.

I have directed over 100 ultras. This past Hellgate was the most stressful one I have ever directed. There was so much uncertainty—things kept changing just like all of life. We found out for sure that we could hold the race 32 hours before the start.

Race Director Bryant Baker worked hard at making the inaugural running of the Rim to River 100 Mile, West Virginia’s first-ever hundred-mile race, something special. At packet pick-up, he mentioned that the course visits every spot in the area he would want his best friend to see if they were out on a run together.

The Vantage V2 includes a number of features first introduced on this year’s Grit X watch, plus three new assessment features and music player controls. All this is done in a significantly lighter and sleeker casing, making the Vantage V2 much more comfortable for all-day use.

During a time when so many races have been canceled, The Stinger All Comers Track Race was a reminder of the benefits of persistence, camaraderie and the great outdoors. Running around a 400-meter track hour after hour is also a great way to reflect and remove ourselves from the chaos that surrounds us.

After serving his first tour in Iraq, Jason Mosel came back home to a whole new set of struggles. Ones that training hadn’t prepared him for. “From everything I saw, everything I did, I may have physically left the country of Iraq, but my head was still there.”

Two new winter pieces from Ultimate Direction designed for cold weather comfort and functionality.