I’ve worked as an online ultrarunning coach for the last eight years, and when I tell people what I do, they often make the assumption that most of my runners are in their 20s and finishing at the top of the field. Bu...
Articles by Ellie Greenwood
British Columbia’s Vancouver, Squamish and Whistler are all underrated world-class destinations for trail running, but North Vancouver has been my home for a decade, so I’m obviously a little biased. Winters here are m...
ERIC CLIFTON UROY: 1992 In 1992, I was honored with both the Ultrarunner of the Year and Ted Corbitt awards mostly for being the first to win four of the (then existing) 11 100-mile trail races in the US, finishing t...
How is another year drawing to a close so soon? It feels like we’ve been living in a time warp over the last 18 months, with the traditional annual markers missing. It throws me for a loop when anyone asks me the date....
The word “legend” is often overused, but in the world of ultra-distance running, the 65-year-old South African Bruce Fordyce is truly a legend. He is the nine-time winner of the 89k Comrades Ma...
Vancouver is a city famed not only for its oceanfront promenades, easily accessible beaches and towering high rises jammed into downtown, but also for its backdrop of magnificent mountain peaks. The North Shore Mountains...
Experience true mountain grandeur and majesty by visiting the Rockwall Traverse in Canada’s Kootenay National Park. I ran this 34-mile (55k) route 10 years ago, and it still ranks as one of my favorite days of mountai...
As humans, I fear we often have rather short memories. In the racing scene, if we’ve not heard from someone for 12 months, we’re prone to forgetting their former podium dominance. It’s too easy to get caught up in...
It’s 4:30 p.m. and I’ve been at work since 8 a.m. There are still emails to reply to and admin tasks to complete, but those don’t matter now – it’s time to quickly tidy my desk and head out the door. A brisk walk home...
It’s been a weird year. January and February were pretty standard for most of us, but by the end of March it truly seemed like the world had been turned on its head and nothing was anywhere near normal — whatever normal...
When you think of Western States (WSER), who do you think of? Maybe it’s Jim Walmsley and his outstanding course record from 2019? Or Ann Trason and her mind-boggling 14 wins? As with any race, elite competitors at Weste...
The North Coast Trail on Vancouver Island, BC, is a true backcountry experience. Don’t be deceived by the lack of elevation – it’s remote, wild and rugged. When I backpacked the trail last summer with three girlfriends,...
Ultrarunning as a sport has technically been around for over 100 years, but the format that most of us know as “ultrarunning” today (trail and road races, typically 50k to 100 miles) is barely 50 years old and evolving r...
Love them or hate them, treadmills are an excellent training tool and can be a lifesaver in winter. I’m impressed if you continue running outside when the temperature is hovering around zero – that’s dedication for sure....
Ultrarunning can seem like a selfish pursuit – heading out onto the trails for hours on end, we often leave family at home or defer social engagements with friends because we need to get our long run in. And all for what...
While I have my own thoughts on gender and its impact in ultrarunning, they are based on personal experiences. So, a short online survey seemed like the best way to see the bigger picture. Thank you to the 1,040 of you w...
At some point, maybe long ago or not so long ago, we all signed up for our first ultra. Maybe you chose a race because you thought it would be a challenge, or you wanted to push yourself outside of your comfort zone. I d...
Minimalism seems to be a continuing trend in the outdoor scene, and for good reason. After all, who wants to lug around a ton of heavy stuff that slows you down and makes trail adventures even harder? But (and this is a...
Most of us have been there – we make grand plans for running in the months ahead and visualize optimistic ideals of both our time and motivation for training. Then, before we know it, our New Year’s resolutions are fadin...
Running is a simple and joyful sport, but my-oh-my how complicated we can make it. It’s not that we mean to, but with good intentions of becoming a faster runner, it’s easy to get bogged down with the details and not see...