This past Saturday, the 5th annual National High School Trail Championships (NHSTC) was held in the small mountain town Salida, Colorado. This youth trail running event attracted a new crop of talent and was a successful follow up to last year’s race which had a record number of participants. In addition to hosting more young… Read more »
Zachary Friedley is a true inspiration as he creates opportunities for adaptive athletes in the trail running community. Adaptive athletes, or athletes with physical disabilities who compete in competitive or recreational sports, are an underrepresented group who face challenges participating in trail running races. Friedley, an adaptive athlete born missing his leg above the knee,… Read more »
Just a few weeks after “The Big Dance” of American ultra-trail running competitions — The Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run — we catch up with top-ten finisher Alex Nichols who reflects on his race experience. Nichols, an accomplished trail runner sponsored by Scott Running, placed second at this event in 2017 and went into the… Read more »
Understanding heart rate “zone training” can help you gauge your efforts and get the most out of your trail running training. Many trail runners may already be familiar with the concept of measuring heart rate during or after runs, but may not know the more complicated science behind what differentiates each heart rate “zone” and… Read more »
The 2021 Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run, held this past weekend, drew one of the most competitive fields of elite trail runners since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020. Among the 315 starters were thirteen Team USA athletes who have represented the United States in Mountain, Ultra or Trail (MUT) World… Read more »
After a hiatus in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, Western States returned in 2021! The 47th running of the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run was held this past weekend, June 26-27, 2021. Western States is one of the most historic and competitive ultramarathon events in the country and attracts the top U.S. and… Read more »
“Alex is extremely humble and far from the loudest voice in the crowd or on social media, so it can be easy to miss him. But make no mistake about it, when he’s racing, Alex likes to compete and he really likes to win.” – Brandon Stanpanowich, accomplished ultrarunner and Alex Nichols’ Western States training… Read more »
The Greater Omaha Area Trail Runners (G.O.A.T.z) are leading the way for growing the Midwestern trail running community, and doing so with a focus on giving back to the community and protecting the trails. This 503(c) non-profit running club has over 3,600 Facebook group members, organizes group runs and trail work sessions, and hosts some… Read more »
The GoPro Mountain Games returns and awards over $25,000 in cash to top U.S. trail runners! After cancelling this popular event last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, this massive four day celebration of mountain sports, art and music held annually in Vail, Colorado, was back this past weekend, with a modified format. Changes included… Read more »
Statesmas returns! One of the country’s most historic and prestigious ultra-trail running competitions, The Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run, after being cancelled last year due to the pandemic, is scheduled for June 26-27 and this year will be one of the most competitive fields ever assembled. With many of the country’s top ultrarunners toeing… Read more »
Almost exactly one year ago I interviewed Brad Wann of the Western Pack Burro ASS-ociation (WPBA) to learn how the pack burro community was adapting to the pandemic, pivoting to virtual races and finding creative ways to keep the sport alive. Now, I’m catching up with Wann to see how this historic Colorado heritage sport… Read more »
This past Saturday I attended my first-ever “shoe demo” event organized by ATRA member Salomon to preview its new Ultra Glide trail shoe in Colorado Springs, Colorado. This event provided the rare opportunity for American Trail Running Association followers to test the upcoming Salomon Ultra Glide shoe, set to launch August 1, 2021. Attendees were… Read more »
Laura Haefeli (pictured above far left) will forever be an inspirational figure in the history of U.S. mountain running. She represented the United States at the World Mountain Running Trophy race from 2004 to 2008 and her impressive trail running career has since earned her a place in the Colorado Running Hall of Fame. Her… Read more »
Renee and Anthony Duricy have centered their lives around taking care of others both on and off the trail. From 2013 to 2015, the couple worked what can only be described as one of the most interesting “caretaker” jobs in the country: guardians of Barr Camp mountain refuge located at 10,200 feet in the remote… Read more »
Salomon is a leading brand in the trail running industry that has pushed the sport to new heights in recent years. The company sponsors many of the world’s best trail runners, created the Golden Trail Series (which attracts elite athletes around the world to compete in its races), and has an extensive team innovating some… Read more »
The Feldenkrais Method® founded by Ukranian-Israeli physicist, Moshé Feldenkrais in the mid-20th century, is a form of exercise therapy that uses awareness of body movements to improve your physical and mental functioning. According to The Feldenkrais Educational Foundational of North America (FEFNA), “The Feldenkrais Method of somatic education uses gentle movement and directed attention to… Read more »
In 1993, one of the world’s leading voices for the environmental movement and best-selling author, Paul Hawken, wrote The Ecology of Commerce, a book that highlights the problem of the extreme environmental impact caused by modern business practices. “There is no polite way to say that business is destroying the world” (page 3), writes Hawken… Read more »
American Trail Running Association member BOA® Technology is continuing to push boundaries in trail running shoe technology with the release of the upcoming La Sportiva Cyklon. This new model, similar to previous BOA-powered trail running shoes, includes the patented fitting technology, the BOA® Fit System, which incorporates “a micro-adjustable dial, super-strong lightweight laces, and low-friction… Read more »
Since 2016, The Mountain Outpost Youtube channel, featuring Schuyler Hall and Jamil Coury, has produced some of the most popular and creative trail running-related videos. Over the years, the channel has published several creatively themed playlists including Mountain Outhouse News, Run Flat, Stay Low, wacky running-related challenges, a weekly live-streamed podcast, and much more. After… Read more »
One of the best parts of being the designated “Trail Trotter” for the American Trail Running Association is the exciting adventures I find myself partaking in to cover stories of the incredible happenings in the trail running community. Last month, I accompanied and filmed trail runners Alex Nichols and Brandon Stapanowich (pictured above) on a… Read more »
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