An ultrarunning mindset can be a blessing or a curse. My heart had lost its rhythm—that same heart that drove me to push and pray and move forward every step of my journey, even when I was struggling. Now it was my turn to repay the favor and make it a priority to rest and heal—to let my heart find its rhythm.
Articles by Jodi Weiss
In February 2018, David Green met his “canine soulmate” in the form of a black and tan mut in need of medical care, while traversing Brazil’s Caminho da Fe.
On Saturday, November 30 at 7 a.m., the inaugural Bulldog 12/6 Hour Track Ultras began in Lake Worth, Florida. Unusual weather, cloudy with temps in the low 60s, made for fast starts as runners began their journey around the new track facility at Garcia High School.
At race check-in of the Keys 100, the intensity of the heat in Key Largo was evident. From the moment I started talking with friends, I was sweating—hair dripping, shirt-soaked sweating—and we were just standing still.
Perpetual movement, while critical in an ultramarathon, is not the rhythm of life. We need to ebb and flow. The pauses are what enable us to reflect, renew and spring forward. In Morocco, I laughed more than I have in years. How do I replicate that reckless abandon and joy in my daily life?
Up until this point, my travel to India had been centered around yoga. I had never traveled east for an ultrarunning event and was intrigued at the possibility of seeing the country in a new way.
32 days into his ultra, I sat beside my dad when he transitioned into his next chapter. My hand on his heart, I wished him an amazing journey. The mystery that death is filled the room, and it was peaceful.
Avalanches, white-out weather conditions and blocked roads were all par for the course at this year’s 6633 Artic Ultra Classic. The race is a self-sufficient, non-stop 380-mile foot race that race traverses the Yukon via Dempster Highway and Ice Road, finishing at the banks of the Arctic Ocean.
By my last day in India, I remembered the wonder of pursuing new paths, interruptions as a given versus an obstacle, and that when you make space and room in your life, possibilities abound. Taking in the thrashing waves of the Arabian Sea as the high tide returned each dawn, I remembered that the comings and goings are all part of the journey, and perhaps the key is to flow and enjoy the current.
Ultras remind me that the world is such a big and welcoming place, which was the case for Marshall and Heather Ulrich’s inaugural Route 66 Ultrarun. The race consisted of 140 miles across the longest remaining unbroken stretch of Route 66, from Seligman, AZ, to Topock, AZ, finishing at Topock66 on the Colorado River.
Badwater Basin in Death Valley, California, sits at 280 feet below sea level. Each year in July, endurance athletes from all over the world converge to run 135 miles from the start at Badwater to the finish line at the portal of Mt. Whitney (elevation 8,360 feet). Runners traverse three mountain ranges and face numerous other challenges, like scorching desert heat and sleep deprivation, over the course of two nights.
The Miami 50/50 is an urban adventure race that requires runners to team up with a partner and tackle 50 miles together from start to finish, totally self-supported. To add to the challenge, the course map is unknown prior to race morning. Runners receive course directions every ten or so miles along the way, at designated checkpoints.
Why 267 miles? Why the 90-hour time limit? In the spirit of the Badwater Ultra Cup—which consists of completing Badwater Cape Fear (51 miles), Badwater Salton Sea (81 miles), and Badwater 135 (135 miles)—the Badwater 267 Virtual Race Elite combined the mileage of all three Badwater events, and the 90 hours included the combined time limits of each race: 14 hours, 28 hours and 48 hours, respectively.
Tucked away in Land O’Lakes, Florida, the Long Haul 100 is one of the best kept secrets in the ultrarunning world. Hosted mid-January each year, the race is a blast of positivity, largely in part due to the co-race di...
During a time when so many races have been canceled, The Stinger All Comers Track Race was a reminder of the benefits of persistence, camaraderie and the great outdoors. Running around a 400-meter track hour after hour is also a great way to reflect and remove ourselves from the chaos that surrounds us.
Thirty years ago, at age 39, endurance athlete Marshall Ulrich completed his first 146-mile crossing from Badwater Basin (282 feet below sea level) to the summit of Mount Whitney (14,505 feet). At 6 a.m. on Monday, August 24, 69-year-old Marshall Ulrich began his journey across the desert to climb the highest mountain in the contiguous United States for his 30th crossing of Death Valley and his 27th summit of Mount Whitney.
Elite athlete Marshall Ulrich has run more than 130 ultramarathons, competed in 17 expedition-length adventure races, and climbed the Seven Summits all on his first attempt. In July 2020, pandemic permitting, Ulrich inte...
The fifth annual A Race for the Ages was held in Manchester, Tennessee, over Labor Day weekend, with approximately 150 runners toeing the line. At 74 years old, Bob Becker, race director of the Keys 100, won this year, s...
The Great New York 100 Mile/100K (TGNY100) Running Exposition is a low-key ultramarathon (i.e., no bibs or traffic closures, just find your way along city streets using turn-by-turn direction sheets and yellow arrows) th...
For the 42nd year, runners congregated in Death Valley to tackle AdventureCORPS Badwater 135 (BW135), deemed by National Geographic as “the world’s toughest footrace.” This year, 95 runners consisting of 26 women and 69...
Finish Line AheadWhen the rain broke slightly after daybreak on Sunday morning at Cypress Creek Preserve, the temperature was plummeting. I arrived at Aid Station 3 and bathed in good cheer from my favorite volunteers as...
Why choose to run over 5,300 miles over three months when you can be at home with your family and friends? After 31-year-old ultrarunner Pete Kostelnick’s 2016 record-setting transcontinental run across America (3,067 mi...
One hundred mile races, cancer treatment and training for Badwater 135 are not typically words that appear in the same sentence, unless you are Jennifer Nissen. The Texas native completed her third 100-mile race at MCR U...
At 72 years old, Bob Becker is not your average senior citizen. The Race Director of the Keys 100, Bob is somewhat of a running legend. In 2015 he was the oldest person to complete a Badwater double, which consists of ru...
What draws so many of us to the Javelina Jundred 100-mile/100k trail race each year? For starters, McDowell Mountain Regional Park in Fountain Hills, Arizona, hosts trails that are just the right blend of climbs and desc...
When I arrived in home, sweet home—NYC—my mind and emotions were not interested in racing a 100 miler. I felt ill—sore throat, exhaustion and chills. Not to mention, I had to re-acclimate from the scorching climate of De...