“This is the best community in the world.” These were the words of John Trent right before the start of the Western States Endurance Run in 2019. The ultrarunning community has often been the subject of this column over...
Tag: From the Editor
In 2020, when we experienced a pandemic that kept us distanced from other people—loved ones and strangers alike—we made do with video technology apps like FaceTime and Zoom. However, as restrictions were lifted, it be...
My running partner and I have been using the trails as a way to connect for nearly a decade. We’ve bonded over dirt, week after week, pounding out miles while discussing the complexities of human nature, supporting on...
Adventure running can inspire FKTs (fastest know times), traveling to remote trails or pairing running with other sports. Fortunately, much of ultra and trail running is already what many consider an “adventure,” and...
Watching Bob Dylan’s 2011 Grammy performance on YouTube led me to a discovery: the song “Maggie’s Farm” was not, in fact, written by the band Rage Against the Machine. After years of listening to Dylan songs, reading boo...
How do you choose your races? Is your preference to stay local or adventure abroad? Is mountainous terrain a deal-breaker or the preferred venue when it comes to running on trails? Maybe your preference is a...
On New Year’s Day I met with an old high school classmate for a beer. He recently made the difficult decision to leave our hometown of Bend, Oregon, for a new position in Salem—just a couple of hours west—where we bot...
As 2022 comes to a close, it’s time to reflect on a year that’s now in the rearview mirror. As editor, I’m always looking back, while trying to look ahead and forecast what’s on the horizon. And after spending a weekend...
Trail races that are sub-ultra distances have an important place in our sport. Ultrarunners sign up for “ultra” distances (mileage over 26.2), and most will also admit that they sign up for shorter races on the regular—f...
“Mountains, please.” This phrase adorns the windows of many vehicles in the growing mountain town I call home. But that particular word combination has never settled well with me. Maybe it’s because I’m too literal an...
What makes the finish line of an ultramarathon so incredible? Ask any race director and they’ll probably tell you that everyone’s finish, from the victorious winners to the very last runners, pulls at the heartstrings wh...
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...
After returning to the Hagg Lake 50K for the fourth time, I started to ask myself why I keep going back to this February race nestled in the northwest corner of Oregon, year after year. Is it because of my fellow runne...
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...
UltraRunning was originally created for ultrarunners, by ultrarunners. Over 40 years later, it remains exactly that – inspired by you, our readers. The survey we conducted in September included over 1,000 subscribers and...
Relationships need to be nurtured. That’s never been more apparent. After being separated from so many over the past year, I decided to pack a lot of running into the fall months, and the one thing I’ve come to realize i...
UltraRunning Magazine reports the overall number of ultra finishes each February in our annual UltraRunners of the Year (UROY) issue. Due to last year’s drop in participation because of race cancellations, we had very li...
This year’s return of Western States brought familiar faces, both young and old, to the iconic course on the last weekend in June. A few were running, some were volunteering, and many came to spectate at a race that hold...
Maybe it’s the apprehension of the start line or the exhilaration of the finish line. Or maybe, it’s the heartwarming feeling of reuniting with the ultrarunning community. But there’s definitely a feeling...
The very first issue of UR was published this month back in 1981. The cover was printed in black and white and featured the TAC (The Athletic Congress) 50K champ from 1980, Bill DeVoe, running the Knickerbocker 60K in...