Running long - A trail and ultra running talk

We are in the swing of things! June was packed with awesome races and performances by so many athletes across the world Broken Arrow Skyrace, Lavaredo Ultra Trail, Marathon du Mont Blanc, Western States 100 mile Endurance Run and more... We talk about races, athletes, series, sponsorships, interesting projects and news from the trail running scene that have caught our attention and we feel that ar...

Mimmi Kotka is a professional trail and ultra runner from Sweden sponsored by La Sportiva. Last weekend she won Lavaredo Ultra Trail , a 120km - 6000m of elevation race in the Italian Dolomites and one of the most famous and iconic ultra trail races in the world.  We talk about her race strategy, the difficulties that she handled, especially in the last section of race, and what this win mean...

Sara Alonso is a professional trail runner from Spain sponsored by Salomon. At only 22 years of age she's quickly becoming one of the best of our sport, with impressive results in many international races, especially in the Golden Trail Series, and a fans' favorite. During the first part of her 2022 season, she won the Transgrancanaria Marathon, she finished 3rd in a ridiculously competitive Zegam...

Summer training, tapering, training in between long or intense races, hydration, quality vs quantity, altitude training, prep races... ...Want more? What should I do if I miss a workout?  How should you manage tapering for race day? Should you maintain strength/conditioning and core routines as you get closer to your race goal? How much does your training history from a young age matter in yo...

What happened in the trail running world during the month of May 2022? We talk about races, athletes, series, sponsorships, interesting projects and news from the trail running scene that have caught our attention and we feel that are worth sharing. Special mention: in-depth review of Zegama 2022! Resources: Grayson Murphy's training logs Joe Gray 's interview on New York Times Kilian Jornet's art...

Adam Peterman is a professional trail runner from Montana sponsored by Hoka One One. He's been named the rookie of the year of 2021, and he surely is a rising star of the sport of trail and ultra running. Adam has won and set records in several of the most competitive and important trail races on the planet. Following his last victory and CR at Canyons 100 by UTMB, he's now all in for Western Stat...

Grayson Murphy is a professional road, trail and mountain runner sponsored by Saucony.  She's the 2019 World Mountain Running Champion, a multiple time national champion and a crazy fast road runner and steeplechaser. Grayson is from Utah but she currently lives in Flagstaff, where she's recently joined Verde Track Club to train under the guidance of coach John Green and with the company of a...

Meghan Hicks is IRunFar managing director, an outdoor lover and a trail/ultra runner. This conversation was rewarding in so many ways. We wanted to bring a new perspective, which is different from that of a pro athlete, on a few key topics regarding the sport of trail/mountain/ultra running We chat about the current state of the sport what the future could look like, we explore different approache...

Nienke Brinkman is a professional runner from the Netherlands sponsored by Nike. She had an incredible 2021 season, placing second in the Golden Trail Series, winning two stages with course records (Chiemgau Trail Run and Skyrhune) and setting the second fastest time ever at Sierre-Zinal. This year she shocked the world with a 2h22'51 road marathon in Rotterdam, a national record and one of the gr...

What happened in the trail running world during the month of April 2022? We talk about races, athletes, series, sponsorships, interesting projects and news from the trail running scene that have caught our attention and we feel that are worth sharing. Some resources related to the show: Kilian Jornet's article about the current status of trail and mountain running: Who is who in trail running&nbsp...

This is the story of an achievement that makes all of us at Vert super, super proud. Our explore athlete, Canadian trail runner Jazmine Lowther WON the 2022 edition of Canyons 100k by UTMB, setting a new course record and earning a golden ticket for Western States in the process. It's a victory that we all feel a part of, thanks to Jazmine's hard work and dedication. She raced fearlessly, listenin...

How can we improve our recovery with nutrition? Are there any macronutrients, minerals and vitamins that we should pay particular attention to? Any special foods that can boost our recovery capacities? In the fourth episode of our series "Nutrition Talks" we answer some questions and try to clarify a few important topics regarding nutrition and hydration strategies that can improve our recovery. W...

Dora Atim is a Nike Running Coach, the founder of Ultra Black Running, an athlete and so much more. We chatted with Dora as she just finished The Speed Project , a relay race from Los Angeles to Las Vegas across the Mojave Desert, with Team Long Distance . TSP is a celebration of running and its community aspect, which Dora represents so well. Check out a sick photo gallery on the Vert Run App ! W...

What happened in the trail running world during the month of March 2022? We talk about races, athletes, series, sponsorships, interesting projects and news from the trail running scene that have caught our attention and inspired us during the past month. Some resources related to the show: IRunFar's article "Running Organizations banning Russian and Belarusian athletes" UTMB announcing its partner...

Vert exists to celebrate running in all its forms. Running Long brings to you these stories.

Emelie Forsberg is one of the most accomplished and inspiring trail runners of our generation, a mother, an entrepreneur, a farmer and so much more. She is from Sweden but she lives and trains in Romsdal, Norway.  I met Emelie for the first time at Giir di Mont, (31km, 2700m elevation mountain race in Italy) in 2014. I had raced the day before and I was traveling back home with my girlfriend...

How and what should we eat during a long run or a trail race? What are the main factors to consider when planning our nutrition and hydration strategy for an ultra race? Gels or solid food? How many calories per hour? How much water? In the third episode of our series "Nutrition Talks" we answer some questions and try to clarify a few important topics regarding nutrition and hydration during a tra...

Should I hit a certain amount of elevation every week? or a certain mileage? Is it possible to substitute a run with a cross training session? What's the best way to substitute an uphill session if I don't have mountains close to where I live? Trail vest, backpack or belt? Poles or no poles? When should I really take a rest day? These are just a few of the classic questions that any trail runner h...

Pablo Villa is a professional trail runner sponsored by Adidas Terrex. In this episode, we cover his big win at the 2022 Transgrancanaria , a 126km race with 7500m of elevation on the island of Gran Canaria, Spain. We go into details of his preparation, how the race played out and how he controlled his effort, thanks to his very scientific approach in training and his mental strength. We also talk...

What happened in the trail running world during the month of February 2022? We talk about races, athletes, series, sponsorships, interesting projects and news from the trail running scene that have caught our attention and we feel that are worth sharing. Some resources related to the show: Camille Herron's interview with IRunFar Skyrunning World Series and Spartan Trail calendar and rules Garrett...

How much should we eat before a long run? What are the main factors to consider when planning our nutrition and hydration strategy for an ultra race? What does the pre race breakfast of a top athlete look like? In the second episode of our series "Nutrition Talks" we answer some questions and try to clarify a few important topics regarding nutrition and choices in our pre race, or before a long tr...

Jonathan Wyatt is the absolute GOAT of mountain running. Born in 1972, from New Zealand, Jono is a true legend of mountain running, someone who has really helped shaping the sport of trail and mountain running the way it is now, both from an athlete and an institutional standpoint.  He's a 6 time world mountain running champion, a two time olympian, and he currently holds numerous records in...

This episode is dedicated to people who are knew to the sport and want to approach trail running for their first time. Maybe you want to try trail running and you just don't know how to start, maybe you have been running on the roads for a while, maybe you're a hiker and you want to discover a new way of moving through the mountains....well this episode is for you! We chat with Wild Ginger Running...

What happened in the trail running world during this past month? We talk about races, athletes, series, sponsorships, interesting projects and media from the trail running scene that have caught our attention and we feel that are worth sharing.  Some resources related to the show: Golden Trail World Series calendar and rules  World Mountain Running Association: World Cup and Ranking &nbs...

This is the first episode of our mini series called Nutrition Talks brought to you by Vert.run in collaboration with On Pace Wellness . On Pace Wellness is a company based in Portland, Oregon, which helps endurance athletes to optimize their nutrition for health, wellness and performance. We chat with Wilfredo Benitez, head nutritionist at On Pace Wellness, USATF certified coach and trail runner,...