“By placing one foot in front of the other, you begin a journey” With so much uncertainty in the world today, Christian Gering has found direction. Rooting deeply into his Pueblo San Felipe culture and its values of movement and connection to the land, Gering finds motivation for his running goals, inspiration for his artwork… Read more »
Sarah Keyes is on a comeback. She recently placed third at the highly competitive Black Canyon Ultras 100-Kilometer Run, her first major trail race in nearly two years since suffering a bone injury back in 2019. Keyes is an accomplished ultrarunner based in Saranac Lake, New York in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains. Sarah… Read more »
“Vert,” short for vertical elevation gain, is becoming a buzzword in the trail running community as much as other commonly used terms such as mileage or pace. With GPS technology becoming more readily available in running watches or in phone apps like Strava or Garmin Connect runners can easily track their vertical gain on any… Read more »
Nicholas Turco is working to create a more inclusive college and trail running community. This 22-year-old University of Colorado Boulder (CU) student is researching the sports climate for LGBTQ student-athletes at his university and fundraising for an endowment project that aims to increase inclusivity of the LGBTQ community within NCAA sports. At the same time,… Read more »
To kick off the new year, we at the American Trail Running Association (ATRA) have recently announced our 2021 theme: “resilience.” This guiding theme inspires us showcase the creative and innovative ways our community is staying strong in spite of a global pandemic. Trail race directors are adapting to stage covid-safe events. Brands are creating… Read more »
Trail runners aren’t the best at taking it easy. Trail running tends to attract the work-driven “Type-A” personalities who flourish in structured daily training, hard workouts, long adventures on trails and other activities that stress the body. Training can become addictive and the “runners’ high” is a real feeling that leaves some trail runners feeling… Read more »
Historically, trail running has been a sport dominated by white middle-class males and it’s time for this to change. In recent years, groups such as Black Girls Run, Latinos Run, and United in Stride have encouraged the trail running community to diversify and raised discussion about how to get more participation in the sport among… Read more »
While many races are cancelled due to COVID-19, watching trail running films is a great way of staying connected with the community we love. These films are full of exciting and compelling stories from people and places around the world. Some feature the world’s hardest foot races, and profile athletes undertaking challenges in breathtaking natural… Read more »
New to the Texas trail running scene in 2021 is Texas Devil Running Company, an event management company with the goal to grow and strengthen the Texas trail running community while organizing quality ultra and trail events. What makes the Texas Devil Running Company unique is the founder Briston Rains, an eighteen-year-old business-building protege who… Read more »
Last month I wrote about four ways trail running has improved during the pandemic. As we kick-off 2021, I’ve been thinking about how we as trail runners can learn from our experiences in 2020 to create effective training and racing goals for 2021. Racing and training may still look different than we were used to… Read more »
Trail running has not achieved the same status in collegiate sports compared to other disciplines of running such as track and field and cross country. This makes it more difficult to attract young and fast runners into trail running at the collegiate level. Currently, high school runners with aspirations to run in college seek out… Read more »
This year has certainly been odd and difficult for all of us living through the coronavirus pandemic, but I also notice the positive changes 2020 has brought about in my life. As strange as it is to say, 2020 has been one of the best years in my running career. I’ve overcome a ruptured achilles’… Read more »
The winter months bring colder, more inclement and often snowy weather making it harder for us to get out the door and go trail running. Your favorite trails might be muddy or icy so it helps to know what gear is suitable for staying warm, dry and safe while running. With the right preparation and… Read more »
“There’s no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing.” Trail running in cold conditions doesn’t have to be a bone-chilling experience that makes you dread heading out the door. With the right layering techniques and gear, you can run in most chilly conditions, stay warm and have an enjoyable experience. Listed below are examples… Read more »
Finding the right winter trail running gear is essential to staying comfortable and warm during your runs this time of year. What do I mean by “comfort?” Firstly, it’s based on personal perception and everyone has a different perception of when they are and aren’t comfortable. Most people agree that being cold and wet is… Read more »
Last month I traveled to Southeast Utah to attend the Moab 240 and learn about “angel pacing” and find someone engaged in this type of pacing. While hanging out at my first multi-day ultrarunning event, I was also introduced to the unique challenges 200-mile events provided competitors, race crews and organizers. After a very long… Read more »
Listening to trail running podcasts is a great way to keep up with the people, races and training advice inside the trail running community. These podcasts vary in style, length, and delivery, so I like to listen to a diverse assortment. Episodes can be as short as 15 minutes while others may last more than… Read more »
Earlier this month I traveled to the USATF Marathon Trail Championships hosted by the Moab Trail Marathon in the scenic canyon country of Southeast Utah. As a native Utahan, this event has holds a special place in my heart as Moab was my first ever trail marathon when I raced it back in 2015. Instead… Read more »
Trail races at the 200-mile distance are gaining attention in the ultra trail running community in the United States. Just as 100 mile races have surpassed the marathon as a bucket list accomplishment for long distance runners, the emergence of 200 mile races is pushing the boundaries of endurance for athletes, race directors and fans…. Read more »
Last month, professional mountain runner Kilian Jornet launched his Outdoor Friendly Pledge at the US Trail Running Conference over Zoom to an audience in Fayetteville, AR, and virtually around the United States. Kilian’s pledge is driven by his passion for preserving the environment and aims to inspire events, athletes, brand and federations to make commitments… Read more »
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