Trail running contains many stories of perseverance, bravery, and adventure which make it one of the most exciting and scenic sports to watch and follow as a fan. There have been many great achievements in our sport’s history, legendary athletes, and unforgettable races that have shaped trail running into what it is today creating a… Read more »
This past weekend October 30 and 31, the 2021 Spartan Trail US Championships were held in Trail Town Fayetteville, Arkansas in the lush the Ozark National Forest. Since its inception in 2018, Spartan Trail, the dedicated trail running branch of the larger Obstacle Course Racing (OCR) Spartan corporation, has organized many large, high-energy and well-funded… Read more »
On October 16, Italian Francesco Puppi won the 2021 Golden Trail World Series (GTWS) Grand Final hosted by THE ONE RACE in El Hierro, Canary Islands, Spain. In the lead-up to the Grand Final race, the Golden Trail World Series included six of the world’s most competitive trail races, L’Olla de Nuria (Spain), Mont Blanc… Read more »
“200s” Are NOT About Speed Annie Hughes, up-and-coming ultra running star from Leadville, Colorado, is 120 miles into a 240 mile race across the isolated and harsh desert environment of Moab, Utah. It’s the middle of the night, temperatures are dropping into the forties and she’s fighting off sleep deprivation. She plans to take quick… Read more »
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) consultant Patti Flynn is working to create an inclusive space for the transgender community in trail running. In 2020, Flynn wrote a transgender policy for the TransRockies Run six day stage race. The goal of this policy is to inspire increased participation by transgender runners in the TransRockies Run and… Read more »
“Make the impossible possible, the possible easy, the easy elegant.” -Moshé Pinchas Feldenkrais This past Saturday Elevated Retreats Co. hosted their first “Feldenkrais-running retreat” in the scenic mountain town of Salida, Colorado. Feldenkrais is a form of exercise therapy that uses awareness of body movements to improve physical and mental function. This one day event… Read more »
Proper course marking is one of a race director’s most important tasks and is essential for putting on a safe and successful trail race. Trail races can be more challenging to mark than road or cross country events because they are often staged in large parks, forest, or mountainous areas with trail systems with complex… Read more »
Last Sunday, August 29, concluded a week of trail running action at the 2021 Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc (UTMB) races held in Chamonix, France. UTMB week includes an alphabet soup of trail races of different distances, including the YCC (4, 8 & 15 km), MCC (40 km), OCC (56 km), CCC (101 km), TDS (145 km),… Read more »
August, 15th UPDATE: Follow LIVE race results available at: https://www.hubertiming.com/results/2021GnarGnar After the 2020 race was cancelled, this Sunday will see the country’s top mountain runners face off at the USA Track & Field (USATF) Mountain Running Championships; the fourth MUT championship in the 2021 series. Returning to Oregon for the first time since 2015, this… Read more »
The Under Armour TransRockies Run is back in 2021 to deliver one of the best and most epic trail running adventures in North America. Now in its ninth year, this unique six-day trail running stage race was held last week in the rugged backcountry of the Colorado Rockies and offered runners incredible mountain views, well-organized… 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 »
“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 »
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 »
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 »
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