As the non-profit American Trail Running Association approaches a quarter century of service, we are interviewing trail runners from around the United States like George Rehmet who are participating in our 25th Anniversary Challenge. Through these profiles we’ll introduce you to lesser known every day athletes who are walking, hiking, or trail running their way to distance milestones and sharing their experiences with the community on social media.
We hope these interviews will inspire you to get out on the trails while getting to know trail runners from different parts of the country. If you haven’t already joined our 25th Anniversary Challenge, you can learn more about it and sign-up on our website.
Let’s get to know George Rehmet
Hometown: Daly City, CA
Age: 53
Challenge region: West
Years running trails: 38
Average miles per week on trails: 20
Favorite race distance: Marathon
Longest trail race completed: Dick Collins Firetrails 50 Mile
[American Trail Running Association] How did you get into trail running?
[George Rehmet] I was a high school cross country runner which got me exposed to trails. I got more serious about trail running when I made the jump from road marathons to ultras in 1995.
[ATRA] What motivates you to get out and run on trails?
[Rehmet] Being out in nature and able to take a break from real life.
[ATRA] What has your experience been running on trails versus running on roads?
[Rehmet] Trail running works the different muscles and engages problem solving. Also, the natural scenery always beats the manmade scenery.
[ATRA] What do you like best about being part of the trail running community?
[Rehmet] The shared loved of adventure and accomplishment.
[ATRA] What advice would you give to someone trying trail running for the first time?
[Rehmet] Go easy and focus on time and not distance.
[ATRA] How did you first learn about our 25th Anniversary Challenge?
[Rehmet] I’m friends with founder Nancy Hobbs and a supporter of ATRA.
[ATRA] What do you enjoy most about our 25th Anniversary Challenge?
[Rehmet] The friendly competition between regions.
[ATRA] How has how our 25th Anniversary Challenge has motivated you?
[Rehmet] I’ve pushed myself to cover more distances.
[ATRA] What is your favorite post-run or post-race indulgence?
[Rehmet] Ice cream or a milkshake.
[ATRA] What is your favorite trail running shoe?
[Rehmet] I like the Hoka One One Speedgoat.
[ATRA] What is your favorite time of day to run trails?
[Rehmet] Afternoons after a busy day of teaching for the short stuff. Long distances – be on the trail by 8 AM on weekends.
George Rehmet’s pick one quiz results:
- Prefers Wide Path over Single-track
- Prefers Downhill over uphill running
- Planking over pushups
- He prefers Massage to Foam Rolling
- He will take a Long Run over Speed Work
But wait, there’s more! If you missed our earlier challenge profiles, check out our interviews with Long Island’s Tim McNamara, San Antonio, Texas trail runner Kimberly Aubuchon, Sandra Galindo and Brooklyn’s Zobel Belisario.
