It’s the time of year for making resolutions and setting big goals, an especially important time for ultrarunners. When we share our goals with others sometimes it makes them ‘more real’ and helps generate support (press...

Dear Ann, I was coming off a nice, long racing season and had finished my next-to-last race of the year when disaster struck. I rolled my ankle on a rocky downhill. It turned out I broke the fibula (lateral malleolus)....

If you are active on social media, you can be forgiven for thinking that the phrase ‘the loneliness of the long-distance runner’ does not apply to ultrarunners. It seems that every day my Facebook, Twitter and Instagram...

The problem – ultrarunning is a lot of work!  Energy outlay must be compensated for with energy intake (calories) for ongoing training to be possible and successful. This is the reason the diet of most endurance athle...

Around the end of the year we all look forward to a little downtime from running. Then after about five minutes, we get itchy feet and want to get right back at it. This is the time, sometimes even during holiday gatheri...

When you take up ultrarunning, there are three things you must do to prepare yourself for the sheer physical demands of the sport.  First, you need to run trails. The uneven surfaces, ups and downs, obstacles, rocks a...

It’s the time of year when New Year’s resolutions and goals are all the rage. But did you know that most New Year’s resolutions have failed by Valentine’s Day? A new year is a great time to plan and to set goals, but if...

“There were never any preconceived notions on what was normal or possible, so I never set limitations: I just did what my friends were doing and what felt right.” —Bruce LaBelle, on his beginnings in ultra-distance runni...

It seems that everyone wants to run ultras until they are 100; or if not 100, then at least well into their 90s. The vision, naturally, is a vigorous, healthy old age. The truth is, very few runners put together a runnin...

Like the sport itself, ultrarunning shoes are continuing to evolve and improve at a breakneck pace. Heading into 2015, there are so many great shoes available that trying them out and finding the perfect shoe is almost a...

In a year filled with amazing performances, Rob Krar and Ellie Greenwood were voted 2014 Ultra Runners of the Year. It was the second award for Krar, who successfully defended his 2013 crown. Greenwood, whose 2013 was in...

Interview With Male Ultrarunner of the Year Rob Krar UR: First of all congratulations on consecutive UROY awards—how does 2014 compare to 2013? Rob: It’s a huge honor for me to be voted Ultra Runner of the Year. It...

The word inspiration has almost become cliché these days. It’s so overused the true meaning has been diluted and cheapened. Yet there’s no denying that the words others say to us can have the power to, well, inspire....

Life can give you lemons. And I believe you are supposed to make lemonade when that happens. Other times life throws bricks. I am not sure what the proper actions are when that happens. I made a choice—I built a fortress...

“You made it to mile 31. Would you like to continue?” I was running the last race in a series called the Gnarly Bandit. I had made it to the turnaround in the Wild Duluth 100k, and was exhausted beyond belief. In addi...

New Zealander Perry Newburn, age 60, ran from New York City to Los Angeles in 51 days,16 hours and 40 minutes, breaking Marshall Ulrich’ s masters record of 52 days, 11 hours and 58 minutes. Newburn started the trek on S...

The title of this column is Rocket Rants, and I’ve got to let loose with something because it’s been on my mind for quite awhile now. Everywhere I see people with their attention diverted as they fiddle with their ear bu...

The inaugural Patapsco Valley 50K took place on October 25th, 2014 in an idyllic setting along the banks of the Patapsco River in Arbutus, MD, just outside of Baltimore. With fall colors at their peak, nearly perfect tra...

The 2014 Javelina Jundred went off with a bang. A total of 511 runners started what is now the second largest 100-mile trail run in North America. Now in its 12th edition, new festivities extended the 100-mile party run...

September 27th, 2014, Katlyn, my running partner and love of my life, and I woke up as we had done countless times before, got dressed as if by autopilot and began preparing ourselves for the challenge of the day. The we...

When we think of ultramarathons, we typically think of one of two different formats; races of fixed distance, and races of fixed time. Big’s Backyard has an altogether different format. The race is held on a 4.16667-mile...

Race Director Joe Prusaitis makes no bones about the nature of the Cactus Rose 100 Mile Run. His website intro page warns, “No Whiners, Wimps, or Wusses: A nasty rugged trail run,” and the first line of the race informat...

On November 1, the Chicago Lakefront 50/50 celebrated its 15th year as one of the nation’s fastest ultra courses. Run along the lakefront bike path south of Chicago’s Loop and in sight of our world-class architecture, th...

Larisa Dannis ran the 50-mile road national championship in Door County, WI to build confidence for future races. Well, her confidence should be at an all-time high now. Dannis posted the fastest 50-mile time by a U.S. w...

I’m retiring after 33 years directing Le Grizz. I’ve made a lot of great friends who I get to see once a year, precisely on the day I have no time to hang with them. I’ve found an interested party to take over the event,...

The oil industry began in 1859 in Titusville, PA’s historic Oil Creek State Park and runners were sure to strike oil with nearly ideal weather conditions of 55 degrees forecast for the Road Runners Club of America’s Penn...

After the inaugural Prairie Spirit Trail 100 & 50 Mile Ultra Races in 2012, we have adapted quite well to the ever-changing personality of Mother Nature. This event would prove, once again, that Mother Nature “runs the s...

It was another great day on the challenging Mt. Airy Forest trails in Cincinnati for the 2014 Stone Steps 50K trail race. Runners from eight states, including Alaska and Texas, joined the many local runners to make it a...

In the early dawn hours of the Saturday before Halloween our runners were greeted by unseasonably warm temperatures. Some of the costumed runners were even showing some leg, albeit fairly white leg. Who would have thunk...

Temperatures were stretching to reach 40 degrees and the wind blew a misty rain around in the darkness as nearby mountainsides of gold, red and orange waited to announce themselves. Runners toed the line, and two distinc...

In Brownsville, VT, we’ve seen quite a variety of race-day weather through the 21-year history of the Vermont 50s. This year we saw a record high of 81 degrees. The classic Vermont fall foliage was showcasing its splendo...

Two hundred and sixty runners shuffled nervously in the half-light of dawn before the start of the inaugural Javadhu Hills Ultra (JHU) in a forest in Tamil Nadu, Southern India. It’s a remote location. The nearest city i...