Are you considering running your first ultramarathon in 2024? Or are you already registered and having buyer’s remorse, thinking…what now? Ultramarathons, or any distance longer than the standard marathon distance (26.2 miles), are some of the greatest physical undertakings by athletes of any sport. Classic “ultra” distances such as 50 kilometer, 50 Mile, 100 mile,… Read more »
House of Sport The Middaugh household might be the most competitive in off-road endurance sports history. Josiah Middaugh, 45-year-old off-road triathlete, snowshoer, trail runner, and father, is one of the most accomplished multidisciplinary outdoor athletes in the world. His career accomplishments (which are still accumulating year after year) include fifteen- time XTERRA USA National Champion,… Read more »
Janet Ng, President of The International Trail Running Association (ITRA) since 2021, race director, and avid trail runner based in Hong Kong has been a key figure in trail running on both the Asian and international stages. Ng’s varied roles in the sport have allowed her to develop unique perspectives on the growth of the… Read more »
Trail Runner’s Book Review: Ultra Running for Normal People “I believe ultrarunning is not only possible but profoundly beneficial for most Normal People.” Sid Garza-Hillman, author, coach, and trail race director based in Mendocino, CA, aims to “demystify” ultramarathon trail running to the general population in his fourth book: Ultra Running For Normal People. Garza-Hillman,… Read more »
“Trail running is less about the finishing kick and more about the heart.” — Ben Butler The Jersey Still Fits For two years, Ben Butler did not want to look at his Team USA singlet. He earned his “red, white and blue” attire at age eighteen by competing on the silver medal-winning junior boys’ team… Read more »
This is a story for trail runners who seek adventure and high places. It is a story for the ones who climb, no matter the terrain, and seek to find the inner mountain goat waiting inside us all. The herd follows me. I’ve laid claim to this high alpine basin, situated just below a great… Read more »
Featured photo by: Joe Viger The Tamalpa Headlands 50K will be back this August! As you prepare your summer racing calendar, consider taking part in this historic West Coast ultra on August 19, 2023. The race started in 1998 but hasn’t been held since 2019 due to the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. The course… Read more »
Jason Hardrath, a full-time elementary gym, and health school teacher and mountain adventurer sponsored by Swiftwick (he somehow has time to be full-time at both), is going to infinity and beyond. Pardon the Pixar Toy Story reference, but his latest project begs the connection as Hardrath completed the first Infinity Loop on Mexico’s Pico de… Read more »
Above: Dreama Walton on New Zealand’s highest volcano 2023. Photo by: Jon Kedroski Dreama Walton is showing the world that we are capable of more than we think we are. Walton has run and climbed mountains across the world and has impressive finishes at some of the toughest trail races in our sport (eleventh place… Read more »
One-trick trail runners beware. Many of us set goals based on what we’re good at and pursue these to exhaustion. Some examples: I’m an uphill specialist. I run 100-milers. I run road marathons. I run track. I only run trails that are smooth as butter. Others might set goals based on particular events or challenges… Read more »
Look out trail running world, six incredible young up-and-coming athletes have been selected for The Trail Team, and they are ready to compete with the best in the world. The Trail Team, a mentorship program for the rising talent in trail running, was founded in 2023 by Andy Wacker, four-time trail national champion and two-time… Read more »
As a writer for the American Trail Running Association (ATRA), I’ve had the incredible opportunity to interview runners from all walks of life and learn about many ways in which people discover and appreciate trail running. I enjoy the ability to ask questions that get to the heart of who people are. Everyday conversations and… Read more »
Magdalena Boulet has found meaning and success through running in ways that few other runners have. Boulet has been competing at the highest levels of running for over twenty years across a variety of disciplines including collegiate track and field, road marathons, and trail/mountain/ultra and adventure racing. Her secret is not as much about talent… Read more »
Go Patriots! Go 49ers! Go Buccaneers! Go Broncos (yes the Broncos could use all the help they can get)! Did you find yourself silently cheering with me? Or against me? Did you put on the NFL jersey of your choice to show where your allegiances lie? Or simply put on the jersey that your family… Read more »
TLDR: What to remember in threes. Team U.S.A Red. White. Blue How To Qualify Top three M/W Lake Sonoma 50 4.8.2023 Dreams Come True! Now in its sixteenth year, the Lake Sonoma 50 Mile, which will be held in the rolling hills surrounding Northern California wine country on April 8, 2023, will serve as a… Read more »
Continued from Part 1 of Bhutan’s Snowman Race Raises Climate Change Awareness. “I found all my expectations surpassed.” — Sarah Keyes, Snowman Race participant, Eastern Mountain Endurance coach, ATRA advisory board member and professional runner. After a two-year hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, The inaugural Snowman Race was held successfully on October 13, 2022…. Read more »
“It’s just a race, or is it?” “It’s just a race.” A phrase I might console myself with after a tough race. Forget what didn’t go as planned. I’ve crossed the finish line and it’s time to find free food, get my SWAG bag and leave. Dispel my post race over-analysis: “What if I paced… Read more »
Lost Talent: How Do Runners in the NCAA Find Their Way To The Professional Trail Running Scene? Not all those who wander are lost. But unfortunately those who wander into trail running from collegiate running are usually lost. Just as forest or mountain trails have countless outlets and intersections where one could feel overwhelmed with… Read more »
Andrew Drummond, the unofficial “FKT (Fastest Known Time) Guide” for the White Mountains of New Hampshire, is building community and inspiring adventure in the East Coast trail running and backcountry ski scene. Drummond is a backcountry and ski mountaineering (skimo) athlete who converts to trail running in the summer. He has competed internationally in trail… Read more »
Trail runners around the world eagerly anticipate the annual race lottery for the chance to run the historic Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run. Next year’s race will be held June 24 and 25, 2023 with the lottery slated for December 3. The Western States 100 is one of the premier trail ultramarathon competitions in… Read more »
© 2024 American Trail Running Association. All rights reserved.