There’ve been many times in my life when I’ve encountered moments where the choice of flight was never really an option. And the clarity of fight was an all-or-nothing endeavor. The 26th edition of the Tamalpa Headlands 50k was, without a doubt, one of the most all-or-nothing moments I’ve ever experienced—ever.
The 2025 Loud Thunder 50 in Illinois City, IL, was all about a return. Last year, leading up to the race, torrential rain cast aside the original course and all the planning that went into it. Trails were deemed unsafe due to flooding and treacherous footing. While the alternate route provided some relief to the runners that day, a return to the rugged, “real” route was what the runners wanted when they signed up for the 2025 edition.
We recently spoke with 24-year-old Shea Aquilano who competes professionally as an ultrarunner. Shea won her first 100-miler at age 21, won the Gorge Waterfalls 100k this year, ran with the female elite pack throughout much of this year’s Western States 100 and will be competing in her second World Trail Championships this September.
The phrase “labor of love” is beyond cliché in the world of race directing, but it couldn’t be truer for events like the Berryman 50-mile and Marathon Trail Races. Like many other small races across the country that are hosted by local running clubs, this event shines because of the community behind it and how much they enjoy sharing their best local trails.
Even though ultramarathons are hours or even days long and it seems best to warm up as the race unfolds, there are a number of physiological and psychological responses to a warmup that can be a game-changer.
Imposter syndrome is quite a phenomenon and became a familiar friend over the next 13 hours. I tried to keep my mindset on “getting to the next aid station” and mostly succeeded, but I often thought: “How much longer until I blow this lead?” The night was mostly unremarkable, aside from the mental battle to keep pushing.