Whether they’re good or bad, we all have our favorite ultra moments. Remember that painful bliss after crossing the finish line of your first ultra? Or the disappointment and heartache of your first DNF? Maybe it was...

Tarawera 100K Cancellation New Zealand’s Tarawera 100K was canceled due to increased COVID restrictions, therefore, the Golden Tickets for the Western States Endurance Run that would have been awarded at Tarawera will...

As a coach, I have an unlimited number of ways I can manipulate workouts. The volume of time, number of miles, vertical gain, surface of the trail, workout frequency, training mode (running vs. cycling...

I loved school. Especially the first week after a long break. Back in the day, it meant brand new Pee-Chee folders, fresh #2 pencils, blank college-ruled paper and unbridled enthusiasm for learning something new. My...

Last June, I reached a big goal in my ultrarunning journey by finishing my 200th ultra. It was a goal that had been 20 years in the making, so when I finished it, I felt a bit tired. Not just tired because of the race...

Q: What are the essential first aid or safety items I should always carry with me? A: How much risk are you willing to accept when you go on a trail run? It’s a question worth thinking about because running down a tr...

I’ve been a runner for about 30 years now, and an ultrarunner for nearly 15 years. Over the years and miles, I’ve learned a lot of lessons—often the hard way. I was asked to speak to a local running club about my expe...

“To run, or not to run, that is the question.” – Prince Hamlet, on his easy day after a big week of training. The eternal polemic of the recovery day: should you go for a short and easy run, or take it off completel...

I’m fortunate to have had many international travel and racing opportunities over the years. Almost without fail, the European media has had a ubiquitous interest in what they always refer to as “the trainings.” While...

“We should never be stopped from achieving our goals and dreams because of other people's outdated beliefs.”  – Briar-Rose Honeywill-Sykes A little over a year ago, a man named Ben Honeywill reached out to me through...

When running on trails, it’s easy to dismiss the work it takes to maintain miles of natural habitat. Consider the number of trees that must be removed after a storm, or the wearing away of dirt after excessive water f...

If you have experience in ultrarunning, I’m sure you’re familiar with the “pain cave.” It’s that bad mental place you go when you’re pushing through a tough workout or the last half of a difficult race. In the pain ca...

There is a lot of information to be found on the topic of training for ultras. You can find advice on everything from the food you eat to the socks you wear. There are guides for every step of training mileage. You ca...

Early spring mixes the promise of warmer days with the harshness of cold and stormy weather – sometimes all on the same run. The right kind of jacket is an important aide for venturing into a variety of spring conditi...

“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...

Half of these award-winning FKTs were done outside the US, which is great to see and something new for 2021.  The FKT scene is very active all over the world, and our voters recognized that.   There were some long rou...

The beat-up SUV barreled southbound through the early September high desert heat, as Springsteen’s blue-collar baritone clawed at my “itchin’ for somethin’ to start” soul through scratchy speakers: “The dogs on Main S...

Patrick Macke was slowly slipping into an altered state known only to the highly drugged or the deliriously over-exerted. The last communique from his crew was that there was a motel 30k from Melbourne and the finish...

What could tidal rhythms, a wooden ball and a cable car possibly have to do with training for an ultra? More than you would think. Turning any activity into a game can make it more enjoyable and help prevent boredom a...

Here we go again. Welcome to a new year, a fresh start, clean slate or whatever you want to call it. Maybe you are starting from ground zero, drawing up floorplans of what you’re going to be building. What is running...

After my first long run of the new year, I could barely walk downstairs due to quad and knee soreness. I had only run 21 miles, but it was the first time I had run longer than three hours in two months. I had told m...

Age: 33 Where do you live currently? We live in the White Mountains of New Hampshire during the summer and rural New York during the school year. Where did you grow up? New York with formative time in Colorado Oc...

Located about an hour west of San Antonio, TX, the Bandera 100k course is deceptively slow due to the rugged terrain in Texas hill country. The steep hills result in little free trail and frequent treacherous descents....

It’s race day and the air is thick with moisture. Rain is in the forecast and I curse to myself as this will be seven out of nine races I’ve shot this year where I get rained on. Thirty minutes before the start of the...

When you talk about trail and ultrarunning in northeast Illinois, you’ll hear about Buttslide Hill. Runners tackle the infamous descent five times in the Frozen Gnome 50K during the race’s five 10k loops on black diam...

There comes a point during an ultra where you’re not sure you’ll be able to go on. Your body hurts and your mind goes dark. Every part of your soul is telling you to just quit and enjoy the sleeping bag waiting for...