Articles by John Trent

Brian Morrison: Reflections on Life After Western States

Brian runs on the trails in his home state of Washington. Courtesy Brian Morrison The biggest prize Brian Morrison could ever possess greets him every morning: his family – wife, Andrea, and two children...

Finding Community and Purpose in the Eastern Sierra

Jeff Kozak, who lives in Bishop, California, got a message in July 2014 that Krissy Moehl and Jenn Shelton needed some company during their John Muir Trail FKT attempt. Kozak pretty much dropped everything he was doin...

Too Old to Cry, Too Young to Quit

The author finishes the final mile of the San Diego 100 with friend and previous race director, Scotty Mills. Howie Stern If there was ever a moment in my life where I’ve felt all of my 60 years, thi...

Western States History Has a New Name: Courtney Dauwalter

We all know how fleeting the passage of time can be and each year, turn to Western States to see how a poignant journey can remind us there will be moments of transcendence and grace. Time can be shaken and shattered...

Western States: On Its Way

Editor’s Note: The following is an excerpt from “Second Sunrise: Five Decades of History at the Western States Endurance Run,” by UR columnist and longtime Western States Board of Trustees member John Trent (Broad Boo...

Bjorg Austrheim-Smith: Wisdom from the Top

Austrheim Smith runs to a win at Western States in 1982. Courtesy Bjorg Austrheim-Smith Bjorg Austrheim-Smith is 80 years old. Her time as an ultrarunner reaches far enough back into th...

Tim Tollefson: A Full Heart

When you consider where Tim Tollefson was at the start of 2022 and where he is today, things look a little different. He would be the first to tell you that the past year hasn’t been without its challeng...

A Focal Point of Hope

Street signs at Michigan Bluff and Gorman Ranch Road survived but the wooden post that held them was burned by the Mosquito Fire. John Trent Earlier this year, the sun had set but the sky was still...

The Dream That Is Wasatch

Author John Trent traverses the Alexander Ridge section of Wasatch. Lauren Watson I first ran  Wasatch in 2017 and didn’t finish, calling it quits at the Pot Hollow aid stat...

No Doubt About It: Croft, Peterman Win Western States

Far too often, we look at champions as if they are made from a sinewy type of steel. When they win, it is because they are far different than any of us – more talented, mentally tougher and physically stronger, filled...

Two Grand Slams And A Fortuitous Friendship

Chuck Eidenschink answered the knock at the door of his Portland home while he was putting on a pair of overalls. It was January 2021 and Scott LaPlante was in the middle of planning out his summer as he was going to a...

It Made All the Difference

Nick Bassett has reached a point in life where practically every answer to any question he’s asked usually turns into a story. You can’t blame him for that. When you’re 77 years old and completed nearly 200 ultrama...

The Greatest Challenge

Small towns throughout the country usually have a heart and soul center that runs right through the 50-yard line of their high school football stadiums. Every Friday night during the fall, the gathering at the loc...

Finding A Path to Ultrarunning & Life

“My journey to run this race began as a young kid. I always saw runners participating in these races and I always saw how miserable they looked. However, the looks on their faces when they finish these races have draw...

Timing is Everything

Looking back now, Rachel Spaulding realizes that over the past few years, there have been brief conversational moments, chance occurrences during races and the sheer centrifugal force of a pandemic—all of which have al...

Grand Slam of a Year

We had made a pact, my youngest daughter and I, not long after Katie finished the Wasatch Front 100-Mile Endurance Run in September 2019. Watching the finishers of that year’s Grand Slam of Ultrarunning honored durin...

Western States 2021: Holding On & Letting Go

Beth Pascall crossed the finish line of the 2021 Western States Endurance Run in 17:10:42, placing first woman and seventh overall. Her time was the second-fastest women’s finish in Western States history. Le...

A Ticket, A Trail & A Dream

Emily Hawgood crosses the finish line of the Canyons 100K holding the flag of Zimbabwe, her native country. Scott Rokis Emily Hawgood has felt an intimate connection with a race, a trail and the racin...

Anita Ortiz: A Year of Adversity

From one end of the pandemic to the other, Anita Ortiz has had a lot of highs and lows as a runner. On February 13, 2021, she was released by her doctor who gave her the OK to begin running again. This good news se...