🏃 RunLetters #9

This week’s edition of RunLetters takes you to California, New Zealand, and Colorado. We talk about hybrid trail shoes and running with donkeys and babies. Wait, what? Yes. And we also go and destroy “the ring” (Lord of the Rings, anyone?).

It’s going to be wild, hectic, and fun. Let’s get started ⤵️

📹 Watchlist: Return to Western States

The Western States 100, held in California, is a pinnacle event in the world of ultrarunning. It’s one of the oldest and most prestigious 100-mile trail races, and for good reason. Besides running more than 100 miles (160km) in less than 30 hours (which is the cut-off time), the athletes climb roughly 5,500 m (18,000 feet) and descend nearly 7,000 m (23,000 feet).

Can you imagine what your calves, glutes, and quads would feel like after doing that in less than 30 hours?!

Pudding, I say. Absolute pudding.

Anyway, before we dive into this year’s edition of the Western States 100, here’s a little fun history lesson that will serve you well if you ever enter a trail-running pub quiz:

Isn’t that wild?!

This year’s Western States 100 was won by Caleb Olson (who finished in 14 hours, 11 minutes and 25 seconds, the second fastest time ever) and Abby Hall (16 hours, 37 minutes and 16 seconds—and that after having had a serious knee injury in 2023!).

Since neither of them have any videos up yet besides post-race interviews, I’d like to share this one from Kilian Jornet, who finished in third place. It’s a beautiful little film, super easy to watch, and it shows the different stages of the race really well.

Grab a cup of coffee, a sparkling water (I see you, healthy runner), or an ice-cold beer and enjoy!

If you, after reading all this and watching the videos, think: cool, I’d like to do the Western States 100 (are you mad?), then I do have to disappoint you. Or maybe “warn” is a better word. You need to qualify. It’s a highly competitive race with a limited race field, so you’ll have to do one of the qualifying races to get in. Good luck 😉

📲 Social Spotlight: Lord of the Rings… and Epic Running Content, in One?

I know. Lord of the Rings and running don’t seem like a logical combination, but James Norbury proves us wrong. Talk about niching down!!

James isn’t a new runner (in fact, if you scroll back, you’ll find a lot of great trail running content on his Instagram), but his Lord of the Rings-themed trip only finished in April this year. He and his friend Alex Felstead tried to recreate the journey of Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee from J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings (and they did so in 3 weeks). Their goal with this trip? To show that wholesome, nature-filled adventures are still possible in our modern world.

There are so many posts I’d like to highlight here. But instead of doing that, let me just share with you a few, and you can explore the rest yourself.

jamesnorbury_

685K followers

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BUT, to be frank, James didn’t end up on my timeline because of his LOTR content. It was this hilarious reel down below. So if Lord of the Rings isn’t exactly your thing, but trail or road running is… then give this one some love:

jamesnorbury_

685K followers

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🗓 Events & Races: Race With a Donkey?

The Leadville Boom Days Pack Burro Race has captivated me since the first time I heard about it. This race is held in Leadville, Colorado, and as a runner, you need to lead a burro (donkey) that carries a 33-pound pack saddle with mining equipment (a pick, shovel, and gold pan).

It’s an out-and-back course that involves challenging climbs, rocky sections, and potentially river crossings. Of course, runners aren’t allowed to physically push, pull, or ride the donkey 😅. Oh, and: you have to cross the finish line together, holding the lead rope.

You can choose between the long course (21 miles / 34 km) or the short course (15 miles / 24 km).

Here’s a great video of the race ⤵️

Now, after reading all this and watching that video, of course you want to sign up. Good news: you still can! Even better: so far, there are only 17 participants, so you might have a shot at winning the race. Time to refresh those donkey-communication skills…

🎽 Gear & Gadgets: Is This the Best Hybrid Trail Shoe?

Yikes, okay, a bold claim in the subheading here, especially since I haven’t tested many other hybrid trail shoes.

“Hybrid trail shoes?” Yes, indeed: shoes designed for both road and trail use, but primarily to carry you from the road to the trail. Many runners, including myself, need to run a bit of road to reach the trails, or cross paved sections during their routes.

If you’re looking for a shoe that might work well on both surfaces, I think the Saucony Ride TR2 could be a good fit for you. They’re a little less stiff than traditional trail shoes, which, in my experience, makes them more comfortable on the road.

Shoe reviews are incredibly subjective, so in the video below, I cover topics relevant to everyone: the fit, price, style, versatility, durability, and the type of terrain the shoe performs well on. Oh, and yes… This YouTube channel is brand new! Please give the video a like and subscribe to the channel if you want to see moaaaarrr. I’ve got plenty of videos coming up!

Please note: I’m not sponsored by Saucony in any way. This is my pure, honest review.

✨ Wild Card: Run a Mile with a Baby — FAST

I’m not sure how this has ever become a thing, so it felt like it deserved a wild card.

Honestly, the video says it all 😂

lane.one.run

523 followers

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🏁 The Finish Line

That’s it for another edition of RunLetters ✅ If you make it to the next one, you’ll get a special, virtual, RunLetters medal from me. Promise!

All jokes aside, I hope you enjoyed this edition as much as I enjoyed writing it. So many crazy, cool, astonishing things are happening in the running world, at all times. So tell me… ⤵️

And don’t forget, if you have a recommendation for something or someone I should feature, please let me know.

Here’s to a great weekend ahead ☀️

Caroline