If you like adventurous trail running, India’s geography is to die for. Not only are the trails infinite, but the wildlife is at your fingertips—for the better, mostly. From the Himalayas to dense jungles a...
Tag: International
The Tarawera Ultramarathon 100-miler was remarkable for its potential as a metaphor framing what is currently happening more broadly in the sport of ultrarunning. With Camille Herron, Comrades winner and multiple World R...
Hong Kong is one of the most amazing cities in the world. It’s vibrant, modern, eccentric, loud and charming as hell. The Vibram® Hong Kong 100, its most famous footrace, is hard but memorable, and terribly hot. In other...
Once again, I will share with you my humble perspectives on what happened at UTMB® this year. Sure, I run trail ultras myself, a little. But I’m mostly a critic. That’s what I do. Some of you will like this, some of you...
We are an easy target. The Euros make fun of American trail running for its relatively tame trails and the fact that we give awards to most anyone who crosses a starting line. Then again, we do have more than a dispropor...
At 72 years old, Bob Becker is not your average senior citizen. The Race Director of the Keys 100, Bob is somewhat of a running legend. In 2015 he was the oldest person to complete a Badwater double, which consists of ru...
On February 10 the Tarawera ultramarathons celebrated their 10th anniversary and continued their growth. Tarawera continued its growth as a global bucket list destination ultra event for North Americans, and why not? New...
There is always that ugly moment in a race where I ask myself foolhardy questions like, What are you doing here? Why did you sign up for this race and pony up all that money for inevitable suffering? It happens every tim...
Grächen – a fairytale. The mountain village is situated on a broad sun terrace, high above the Zermatt valley, at an altitude of 5,315 feet. This is the headline on a website for a small Swiss village in the Alps and is...
Since 2003, me and my trail running friends have joyfully watched hordes of male American elite runners take a pounding at what has now undoubtedly become the most famous ultra trail rendezvous of all. American women, on...
“I don’t mean to freak anyone out,” says Lakes Sky Ultra (LSU) race director Charlie Sproson at the pre-race briefing. “But, in places, this is an extremely technical course. If you don’t feel safe, connect with other pe...
Italy. Is there any other place on earth that evokes such visceral images of rich culture and the good life? It’s the best of the best when it comes to food, wine, art, inventions, landscapes, fashion and language. Havin...
I’ve heard Iceland described as unearthly. It’s true. But it’s equally true that, in many ways, it’s the most earthly place I’ve been, too. The natural forces that birthed our planet are still active in Iceland. And thos...
Majell Backhausen and I were chatting over coffees – specifically, flat whites, in local style – at a small shop in Wanaka, New Zealand. It was February, and I had been traveling around New Zealand after the Tarawera 102...
The legend says the first coin thrown into the Trevi Fountain ensures you will for sure return to Rome. For runners that have traveled to the Sierra Tarahumara, this is accomplished simply by taking their first running s...
New Zealand may be a relatively small nation, but it has played an outsize role in running history. It was the legendary running coach Arthur Lydiard, after all, who developed a system of training built on aerobic streng...
In November, I had the honor of representing the U.S. in international competition for the third time. It was my third consecutive trip to the IAU 100K World Championships, and this edition was hosted in the Mediterranea...
The Ultra-Trail Gobi (UTG) race promised that I would run on the flat and in the mountains, cross sandy and rocky deserts, wade across crystal-clear rivers, traverse dry riverbeds and salt flats and travel through amazin...
Cinque Terre is comprised of five colorful villages hanging off of the very rugged coastline of northwest Italy, a couple hours due south of Milan. These villages were not inhabited in a meaningful way until around 1200...
In just its third running, the Buff Epic Trail Aiguestortes took the world stage as host to the 2016 Skyrunning World Championships from July 22-24. As a family of travelers and adventure-seekers, we were planning to spe...