Age is a funny thing. When we’re young, we want to be old and when we’re old, we look back and wish we were young again. It’s a paradox, no doubt. But as ultrarunners, it seems that no matter how old we are, while we...
May/June 2022
Features
42 Years at American River 50 Tim Tollefson came away with the win at this iconic California event. In a time of 6:08, Tollefson was over an hour ahead of second-place finisher, Elan Lieber, who crossed the finish in...
I ran my first marathon when I was 13. At the time, I thought it was somewhat of a novelty. I knew few people my age that would run such a feat. And like all teenagers, I succumbed to the scope of my own neighborhood...
I’ve worked as an online ultrarunning coach for the last eight years, and when I tell people what I do, they often make the assumption that most of my runners are in their 20s and finishing at the top of the field. Bu...
There are dangerous animals and reptiles on the trails where we run and understandably, we usually focus on the consequences of negative encounters with these creatures. What do you do if you’re attacked by a bear or...
We asked readers to send us questions for an exercise physiologist. Here are a few of the questions and the answers that follow. When cramps and DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) come knocking at the door after an...
The process of conversion in all aspects of life is downright annoying. Whether it’s converting kilometers into miles, a pdf to a word document, or getting ripped off for needing a few Euros before heading to Europe,...
For the most part, runners don’t litter. According to legendary ultrarunner and adventurer, Buzz Burrell, this has remained true for generations. When Burrell and his FastestKnownTime.com co-founder, Peter Bakwin, al...
I am an expert on age and running. I wish I wasn’t. I wish I was 40 years old and knew nothing about this miserable topic. That was way more fun. But hold on, 40 years old is classified as “master” which was three d...
You don’t always need a huge pack to go a long way. Our spring batch of hydration vests are minimalist enough to use as race day options on courses with aid station support. They also have sufficient fluid and storage...
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...
November 2016 – approximately 1:30 a.m. – Mark Twain National Forest Deep into the Ozark Trail 100, Kimmy Riley hears another noise. It sounds like gibberish. This time it’s on the right side of the trail. She hushes...
As if we’re not divided enough these days, another growing chasm of separation is beginning to widen. America is the most age-segregated country on Earth. Nowhere else do people live such separated existences. Growin...
Like many runners, my life’s timeline cleaves distinctly into two periods: before I became a runner and after. I can’t say this about any other profession or hobby I’ve taken up over the decades. Only parenting – beco...
Age: 58 Where do you live currently? Auburn, CA, right near the finish of Western States Where did you grow up? My dad was in the Air Force, so my early years were all over the place. I was born in Texas, then spe...
Race Reports
For the fifth consecutive year, the Barkley Marathons course in Frozen Head State Park, Tennessee, conquered all of its 38 entrants. “I’m amazed that we ended up without a finisher,” said race director Gary “Lazarus...
When I stood at the start line of the Outlaw 100, staring out at the darkness ahead, I had no expectations. I reminded myself of this fact as I adjusted my headlamp, fiddled with my hydration pack and started my watch...
Like a local diner filled with homemade pies, the Pi Day River Rotation has something for everyone. The race takes place on the Saturday closest to Pi Day (March 14 or 3.14) and offers three core distances—the 3.14-mil...
The notoriously swift and historic Northern California season opener, Way Too Cool 50K, returned to the calendar after an absence in 2021, and was welcomed with wide open arms by the robust ultrarunning community. Pr...
Jasmin Paris returns from loop two at this year's Barkley Marathons at Frozen Head State Park in Tennessee. She finished a total of three loops or, a "Fun Run," and was the first female to do so since Bev Anderson-Abbs did it in 2013. Photo: Howie Stern