During the current COVID-19 pandemic, it seems like more runners than ever are attempting FKTs (Fastest Known Times), Strava Segments or Challenges. One might even say it’s been the summer of “FKTs,” as we’ve seen many prominent FKT records challenged or broken including the Colorado’s Nolan’s 14, the Colorado Trail, Adirondack (New York) 46 High… Read more »
Posts By: Tayte Pollmann
Trail Talk With North Dakota High Schooler Sean Korsmo
Despite growing up in the Wasatch Mountain of Salt Lake City, Utah, and referring to mountain goats as my spirit animal, I was actually born far from the mountains in the flat plains of Bismarck, North Dakota. Although trail running exists in North Dakota, trail races are few and far between, and the trail community… Read more »
Inside Sarah Hansel New Unsupported Record on Nolan’s 14
Last month, Sarah Hansel set a new women’s unsupported northbound Nolan’s 14 record of 57 hours and 43 minutes across 80+miles and 40,000 feet of vertical gain. Colorado’s Nolan’s 14 is arguably one of the most difficult tests of trail running and mountaineering skills. Learn about the specifics of the challenge in my article Nolan’s… Read more »
A Quick Fix For Trail Runners With IT Band Injuries
Tight or painful iliotibial bands (IT bands) are one of the most common trail running-related injuries, but can be resolved within several days or weeks with the right recovery methods. IT band tightness can extend from the hip down to the kneecap and in some cases, can include shooting pains down the outside of the… Read more »
Nolan’s 14: A How To Guide By Brandon Stapanowich
In the past two weeks, both the men’s and women’s Fastest Known Time (FKT) records for the historic Nolan’s 14 route in Colorado’s Sawatch mountain range were broken. Fastest Known Times, or FKTs, are times records set on particular routes in the trail running world. [PRO TIP] Now you know what an FKT is; bone… Read more »
Peak Performance Altitude Camp Returns with COVID-19 Modifications
I recently attended the Peak Performance Altitude Camp in Keystone, Colorado as an assistant coach. In attendance were 43 middle and high school athletes — including 19 from outside Colorado — who trained on the trails and enjoyed the camp’s many activities. The altitude camp schedule included daily runs on some of the most beautiful… Read more »
Record Numbers at the National High School Trail Championships
This past Saturday, the 4th annual National High School Trail Championships, held in Salida, Colorado, drew some of the nation’s top high school trail runners and doubled total participant numbers from last year, despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The race drew familiar names in youth trail running circles including Colorado standouts Colin Szuch… Read more »
Kenosha Running Company Helps Canicross Grow Nationwide
Last month, I attended my first-ever canicross training event in Colorado Springs, Colorado to learn about this emerging sport of trail running with dogs. The experience left me wanting to learn more about the sport and what canicross racing and training opportunities exist across the United States. To get answers to my questions, I interviewed… Read more »
COVID-19 Can’t Stop Four Decades of the Kendall Mountain Run
After a long absence from racing, I finally toed the starting line at the 43rd annual Kendall Mountain Run in Silverton, Colorado. This historic event, inspired from a 1908 bar bet by miner Neil McQuieg who said he could run from the town of Silverton to the top of the nearby Kendall Mountain, 13,066 feet,… Read more »
Dynafit Vail HillClimb (And Down) Attracts Colorado’s Top Trail Runners
This past Fourth of July, nearly 300 runners crossed the finish line at the 44th annual Vail HillClimb in the mountain resort town Vail, Colorado. This was the second race in the 2020 Dynafit Vail Trail Running Series. This year’s edition included several major course changes to accommodate for participants’ safety during the coronavirus pandemic…. Read more »
Inaugural Bears Ears Ultra a Success in the COVID-19 Racing Era
This past Saturday Mad Moose Events hosted their inaugural Bears Ears Ultra in Monticello, Utah. This was the second Mad Moose event of the year in their series of 23 races and the first since lockdowns caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The race had 170 total participants split equally between 50 kilometer and 30 kilometer… Read more »
Western States Stories with Race Director Craig Thornley
Statesmas is here! At 5 A.M. pacific time today we all should be watching the start of the 47th edition of the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run, one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious trail ultramarathons. Unfortunately race organizers had to postpone the race until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The iconic… Read more »
Western States Stories with 2019 Runner-Up Brittany Peterson
Statesmas rolls on! Tomorrow we all would have been watching the start of the 47th edition of the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run, one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious trail ultramarathons. Unfortunately race organizers had to postpone the race until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The iconic Western States race runs… Read more »
Western States Stories with 2019 4th Place Finisher Matt Daniels
Statesmas continues!! This weekend we all would have been watching the 47th edition of the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run, one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious trail ultramarathons. Unfortunately race organizers had to postpone the race until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Western States race runs along the Western States… Read more »
Western States Stories with 2016 Champion Kaci Lickteig
Happy Statesmas!! This weekend would have marked the 47th edition of the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run, one of the world’s most prestigious trail ultramarathons. Unfortunately race organizers had to postpone the race until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The race runs along the Western States trail which is recognized as one of… Read more »
Western States Stories with 2009 Champion Anita Ortiz
This weekend, June 27-28, 2020, would have marked the 47th edition of one of the world’s most prestigious trail ultramarathons, the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the race organizers had to make the difficult decision to postpone the race until 2021. The Western States trail is recognized as… Read more »
Tayte Pollmann’s First-Ever Canicross Training Experience
Tayte Pollmann’s articles are supported by American Trail Running Association corporate member Nike Trail Running. You can follow Tayte’s adventures on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. If you liked this article, read even more of Tayte’s articles on our website. This past Saturday, I attended a canicross training event in Colorado Springs, CO, presented by canicross… Read more »
Trail Racing in the COVID-19 Era: Interviews From Bryce Canyon Ultras
Tayte Pollmann’s articles are supported by American Trail Running Association corporate member Nike Trail Running. You can follow Tayte’s adventures on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. If you liked this article, read even more of Tayte’s articles on our website. The weekend of May 30-31, 2020 the Bryce Canyon Ultras in Bryce, Utah was one of… Read more »
8 Treadmill World Records Fall at the Chaski Challenge Festival of Records
Tayte Pollmann’s articles are supported by American Trail Running Association corporate member Nike Trail Running. You can follow Tayte’s adventures on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. If you liked this article, read even more of Tayte’s articles on our website. This past Saturday, June 6, elite trail runners from around the country challenged treadmill world records… Read more »
Gold Standard Stewardship Launches Sustainability Consulting for Trail Race Directors
Tayte Pollmann’s articles are supported by American Trail Running Association corporate member Nike Trail Running. You can follow Tayte’s adventures on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. If you liked this article, read even more of Tayte’s articles on our website. Most of us agree that trail race organizers and participants are responsible to care for the… Read more »