An early season 50k is a great opportunity to “check the engine,” if you will. It’s also an excellent reminder of why we run ultramarathons. Maybe you’re really just looking to get some miles in and test the race waters,...

I first heard about ultrarunning in 2004 when I saw a documentary about the Marathon des Sables (MdS) in the Sahara Desert. I never thought the sport would dominate my life in every way, but it turns out that many runner...

Coaching is an awesome profession. While we’re not solving climate change or feeding the homeless, there is still something humbling about having another human being entrust you with an activity they are going to spend 1...

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...

The basis of any effective training protocol is stress and rest. Runners must engage in activity which is more strenuous than usual which causes fatigue. When the stress of training is coupled with adequate rest, a posit...

For 40-50 hours per week, I work as an environmental engineer organizing the logistics and operations of a municipal public works department. My entire involvement with running, including training, coaching and race dire...

By 2016, I felt a sentiment that went something like, “I’ve really made it when it comes to ultrarunning for a living.” I was earning most of my income from a couple of paying sponsors and endorsing a few other product s...

At around mile 70 of the Zion 100-mile race, Ken Huang fell for the first time and thought her depth perception was off. She then fell repeatedly, and both of her headlamps stopped working. When she finally got one of he...

Gear is ubiquitous in our sport. This magazine regularly reviews gear, professional runners often promote gear, while others sell gear for outdoor companies.Regardless if we work with gear, we all wear it, and it’s impor...

I have a friend, Phil, who ran a 1:48.01 for 800 meters in college.Aside from being a performance that is beyond the dreams of most people, what does that have to do with running ultras? Actually, that particular perform...

He was just like any other first-time, 100-mile runner. The adventure of soaring into the unknown and testing one’s limits had come crashing down a little past the halfway point. Fifty-five miles into the Mountain Lakes...

HOKA One One Speedgoat 4MSRP: $145Weight (oz): 10.8oz M/9.2oz WHeel/forefoot heights (mm): 32/28 M, 30/26 WBest for: Mountain scree, rugged 100-milers, challenging technical terrainSpeedgoats are a perennial favorite of...

Even though Steve Durbin, owner of Durbin Race Management, can no longer run, he prides himself on making his races “runner-friendly.” This six-time Ironman and Boston Marathon veteran (he’s completed the legendary race...

There is mounting evidence that ultramarathons are creeping into the realm of Hollywood. Ultrarunning’s influence on the silver screen is subtle, but if you know what you’re looking for, the evidence is unmistakable. As...

In 1993, the year I ran my first ultra, 3,297 individuals finished an ultramarathon in North America. By 2019, the number had ballooned to 127,269. Yes, the sport has grown – phenomenally so. And, by most analyst predica...

Leaving my house for my first long run in two months, I feel ambivalent about going 25 miles. Part of me senses I’ll cut it short at 20, because isn’t that enough? No, I need to log a solid five-hour run. But why?Recentl...

I have found myself coming to terms with writing “athlete” when asked about my profession, which still makes me feel a little nervous, proud, excited and slightly like a fraud using the title in the company of other grea...

Age: 33Where do you live currently? ChicagoWhere did you grow up? OrlandoOccupation: Advertising copywriterFamily (kids, spouse, pets)? Cloudy Brown, a 10-year-old rescue dog and best roommate everNumber of ultras run: 8...

The Hong Kong 100 happened right before the Coronavirus outbreak. It featured amazing local runners, most of them from mainland China, and showed how much we will be missing them this season if this world health crisis d...

At 4 a.m., it was snowing in El Paso. I closed my eyes and tried not to think of the days ahead, but I felt at home back in these magical mountains with the crew from Trail Racing Over Texas. I was here with unfinished b...

Black Canyon 100K was the first time my children would be a part of an entire race experience. After the 30-hour car ride from Wisconsin to Arizona, we scoped out a campsite near the start for race morning. My husband wo...

I went to Orcas Island for a trail race and ended up competing in my first ever trail swim. By all intents and purposes, Rainshadow Running’s Orcas Island series of trail races spanning three distances (25k, 50k and 100M...

Last year, Arrowhead took place during a “polar vortex.” Temperatures during the race dipped to 22 degrees below zero, with windchills of 46 degrees below zero. Ten days out from this year’s race, weather forecasters wer...