It’s virtually 2025! As path working, mountain working, and ultrarunning develop and evolve, we at iRunFar evolve alongside and frequently discover new methods to serve you, our readers. As we shut out 2024, we take a second to mirror on this yr for iRunFar.
This yr, we have been honored to step into the function of media companion with the World Mountain Operating Affiliation. We used the chance to delve extra deeply into mountain working by information tales, in-person race protection, and athlete profiles.
The yr 2024 was one other huge yr for our ever-evolving staff. After stepping again as Editor-in-Chief simply final yr, our Founding Editor Bryon Powell stepped again as much as the plate, alongside editor and author Eszter Horanyi, to cowl the Managing Editor function throughout my maternity go away from March by July. Bryon continues to guide our staff of drugs reviewers, guaranteeing we keep on high of all the most recent improvements within the sport. Meghan Hicks, now in her second yr as Editor-in-Chief, has steered our ship all through this busy yr.
Below the management of Nathan Allen, who has turn into an important staff member since his appointment final yr, our purchaser’s information division has continued to develop and be your go-to for any gear questions.
Lance Hartzler additionally grew as our social media and advertising and marketing coordinator and has accomplished an ideal job guaranteeing that every one we publish on iRunFar reaches your screens irrespective of the time of day — or evening.
As all the time, we thanks, our readers, for being with us by one other yr; with out you, there could be no iRunFar.
And thanks a lot to the people and firms who assist iRunFar financially. Supporting iRunFar helps us broaden our protection of the game we love.
Learn on for a number of highlights from iRunFar in 2024, and tell us within the feedback part what your standout iRunFar picks are for the yr.
P.S.: Should you’d prefer to look again, listed below are our best-of articles from 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023.
iRunFar in 2024, by Numbers
Right here’s what our yr seems like in numbers:
- This yr, iRunFar was a 57-person staff.
- In 2024, we produced 512 articles and 61 movies to tell and entertain you.
- We did in-person protection at 4 occasions this yr — the Western States 100, Hardrock 100, UTMB, and Mountain Operating World Cup Finals.
The beginning of the 2024 Western States 100. Picture: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
Schooling
Schooling is on the coronary heart of iRunFar. We imagine an geared up runner will benefit from the sport extra, and we endeavor to create articles that will help you practice, plan in your subsequent race, get better that niggle, and extra.
- This yr, our Operating the Numbers column noticed some modifications with the appointment of Zander Chase as co-columnist alongside Mallory Richard. The 2 have labored collectively very cohesively, and it’s been nice to have two contrasting voices within the column. This yr, readers loved Zander’s article Quick, Sooner, Quickest: Decoding the Information Behind Appalachian Path FKTs, and Mallory’s A Information-Pushed Environmental Scan of the Path and Extremely Teaching Trade.
- A standalone article from our common contributor Eryn Barber, Three Plyometric Workout routines for Endurance Runners, proved fashionable with our readers.
- This yr, we completed republishing the most effective of Ian Torrence’s teaching articles. His article, Operating Periodization: It Isn’t Rocket Science, was notably properly acquired.
- Coach and professional runner Gabe Joyes joined the iRunFar staff this yr, bringing his information and wit to the Ask Gabe column. You all actually loved his article about power coaching, working meals, and extra.
- Joe Uhan’s Keep the Course column continues to be a precious useful resource for harm prevention and administration. This yr, a lot of you appreciated how he addressed a typical downside in Tight Hamstrings? Attempt This Three-Dimensional Thigh Mobilization!
- Adrian Stott continues to be our go-to for highway and observe ultrarunning experience. Not too long ago, a lot of you loved his article A Temporary Historical past of the IAU 100k World Championships, which we printed days earlier than the 2024 championships.
- Justin Mock begins the week proper together with his common This Week in Operating column, which is part of a lot of our readers’ Monday morning rituals. Justin brings us mixture of outcomes from the most important extremely, path, and mountain races, some smaller grassroots occasions, and the odd standout consequence by path runners on the highway and observe.
- We have been honored to work with scientists and writers Johanna Ohm and Brady Burgess on their article Investigation: Lab Checks Affirm Spring Vitality Misrepresents Carbs and Energy, 7 Different Manufacturers Have Correct Labels, which added information to the group dialog of holding the corporate Spring Vitality accountable to its misrepresentation of the dietary content material of a few of their merchandise.
- Exterior our onsite race protection, we recurrently publish outcomes articles from the game’s best races, like our articles from Sierre-Zinal, the Comrades Marathon, Transgrancanaria, and the Black Canyon 100k.
A cold begin to the 2024 Black Canyon 100k. All images: Jesse Ellis/Let’s Wander Pictures
Inspiration
Inspiration is vastly essential in working. It may inspire us to maintain going when issues get powerful and assist us discover our why. This yr, as all the time, we printed a whole lot of inspirational content material on iRunFar. Listed here are a few of the finest bits.
- Sabrina Little’s considerate column The Examined Run affords a unique perspective on running-related issues. Her article A Case Towards Supershoes generated a whole lot of curiosity and debate, with sturdy opinions in favor of and towards her argument that supershoes have been detrimental to working.
- This yr, our long-standing author Hannah Inexperienced started a brand new column, The Artwork of Operating, the place she interviews numerous artists and runners. Thus far, she has profiled artists of many various genres, and readers notably loved her interview with photographer Mike Thurk.
Picture: Mike Thurk
- Bryon Powell has continued his month-to-month column the place he retains us updated with what’s occurring in his working and life. His article, In Reward of (Ultrarunning) Expertise, resonated with many, and celebrated the advantages of a few years of expertise, which might counteract the results of growing older.
- AJW’s Taproom continues into its thirteenth yr, and thru his collection of articles on working and growing older, lifelong runner Andy Jones-Wilkins affords his perspective and recommendation on issues affecting older runners. Many discovered his article The Artwork of Strolling helpful.
- By way of his month-to-month column, runner Zach Miller affords us pearls of knowledge gained by his years of expertise on the high finish of the game, by all its highs and lows. One essential message he had for us this yr was delivered by his article Digging Holes and Stopping Trains: The Want For Common Restoration Throughout Coaching.
- Whereas highway and mountain runner Rebecca Cheptegei’s passing was an pointless tragedy, we’re so grateful to have the ability to publish a transferring poem in her honor, penned by Angie Funtanilla.
Interviews and Profiles
- Late this yr, Morgan Tilton handed on the authorship of the WeRunFar column to Eszter Horanyi. We’re grateful to Morgan for her glorious writing by the years, and for shining the highlight on folks within the sport who maybe don’t get all the popularity they deserve. Your favourite WeRunFar articles this yr have been ‘Ladies Are Not Small Males:’ Dr. Stacy Sims and the Ladies’s Endurance Sports activities Revolution and a profile of William Barkan, the primary legally blind runner to cowl the Western States 100 course, which he did in 2024.
- I’ve continued my column The Lengthy Recreation, which profiles runners on the high of the game, which Bryon Powell and Eszter Horanyi co-authored throughout my maternity go away. This yr, we aimed to broaden our protection of mountain working, and as a part of that, I interviewed Kenyan mountain runner Philemon Kiriago and gained an enchanting perception into his coaching and mentality. Bryon Powell and Eszter Horanyi’s profile of Spanish path runner Manuel Merillas was additionally an ideal learn.
- Bryon Powell’s post-race interview with Ludovic Pommeret after his course-record-setting win on the 2024 Hardrock 100, simply days earlier than his forty ninth birthday, impressed many.
- Katie Schide had a stellar yr in 2024, successful each the Western States 100 and UTMB — setting a course document on the latter — and Meghan Hicks was there to interview her post-race for each.
- One of many standout ultrarunning outcomes of 2024 needs to be Courtney Olsen’s 50-mile world document. I had the privilege of interviewing her within the days after, and located that she is as humorous as she is quick!
- This yr on the Western States 100, iRunFar had a shock visitor interviewer, within the type of former ladies’s course document holder Ellie Greenwood. A revered identify in Western States 100 historical past, Ellie’s presence behind the mic definitely added some nuance to the interviews, and even left 2023 and 2024 third-place lady Eszter Csillag a little bit star-struck!
Courtney Olsen with Tunnel Hill 50 Mile race director, Steve Durbin. Picture: Micki Colson, Colson Pictures
Pictures
Notably with so lots of the races we cowl going down in breathtaking areas, you’ll be able to’t inform the story with phrases alone! Showcasing glorious pictures can also be an enormous a part of what we do. Listed here are a few of the photograph highlights of 2024.
Jasmin Paris turned the primary lady finisher of the Barkley Marathons on the occasion’s 2024 version, with 99 seconds to spare. Photographer Howie Stern took this unimaginable photograph of her end. Picture: Howie Stern
A splendid fall view on Bryon Powell’s final long term earlier than racing the 2024 Extremely Gobi. Picture: Bryon Powell
Vincent Bouillard on his solution to successful the 2024 UTMB. Picture courtesy of UTMB.
The solar units in Chamonix, France, whereas the 2024 UTMB takes place. Picture: Kirsten Kortebein
William Barkan is cheered house on the ultimate stretch of the observe on the 2024 Western States 100. Whereas he missed the race’s 30-hour cutoff by a number of seconds, he turned the primary legally blind particular person to cowl the Western States 100 course. Picture: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
Island Lake within the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. Picture: Zach Miller
Joyline Chepngeno closes in on the end, because the 2024 Sierre-Zinal ladies’s winner. Picture: World Mountain Operating Affiliation/Marco Gulberti
A runner amidst the luxurious surroundings at one of many 2024 KAT 100 by UTMB races. Picture: UTMB
A yak cow and calf within the Bhutanese Himalayas earlier than the beginning of the 2024 Snowman Race. Picture: Snowman Race/iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
Meghan Hicks throughout a chilly fall fastpacking journey in Utah’s canyon nation. Picture: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
Recollections
Lastly, our staff shares a few of their favourite recollections of 2024.
Justin Mock
A couple of years in the past, I by no means may’ve guessed that my canines would go to Kosovo. However in July, I took a three-week, nine-country highway journey from Central Europe by the Balkans with my two senior pups. Albania stands out as a spotlight, particular lifetime recollections!
Chuck and Elly on a canine pleasant seashore in Croatia. Picture: Justin Mock
Eszter Horanyi
Whereas this was a yr the place I bought to play many roles for iRunFar, starting from gear editor to freelance author to photographer, the spotlight was attending to pose as part-time interim Managing Editor whereas Sarah Brady went on maternity go away for 5 months. I’d go as far as to name it a profession spotlight, after properly over a decade of enjoying with phrases for a dwelling. Working with such an incredible group of authors and iRunFar staff members was nothing wanting an incredible privilege, and I really feel like my information of all issues writing, modifying, and working elevated 10-fold. And if there’s one factor that’s sure, I’ll by no means misspell Kilian or Salomon once more!
Bryon Powell
My post-Hardrock 100 interviews have been my immediately work-related spotlight of the yr. I loved all of them, however notably chatting with Ludovic Pommeret and Jason Schlarb about growing older and working, as they’re barely older than and the identical age as me, respectively. Even a decade in the past, I’d seen ladies like Meghan Canfield and others working on the high of their recreation of their late 40s and early 50s, but it surely’s been inspiring to see a number of males in the identical age vary excel extra just lately. It helps me hold my very own growing older course of — and what it would appear to be — in perspective.
Now, from an iRunFar as an enabler perspective, there’s no method I might have been in a position to run the Extremely Gobi 250 Mile however for being at iRunFar. That set me up for an exquisite summer time of impressed coaching adventures forward of the race after which the run of my life on the race.
We’re so pleased that iRunFar’s personal Bryon Powell was the 2024 Extremely Gobi 250 Mile males’s winner. Picture: Extremely Gobi
Meghan Hicks
I’ve a few core recollections from iRunFar this previous yr. The primary was turning into a media companion to the World Mountain Operating Affiliation, which governs mountain working and is a part of World Athletics, working’s international federation. iRunFar believes strongly within the significance of federation-level sports activities administration as a prong of a sport’s strategic growth. We imagine in utilizing iRunFar to assist advance the storytelling of federation-administered facets of the game, which is why I’m excited that our publication entered into this partnership.
My second core reminiscence from 2024 is that, for a second time, the iRunFar staff volunteered to assist placed on the Snowman Race in Bhutan. The Snowman Race takes place in Bhutan, one of many globe’s few carbon-negative international locations, and travels by the excessive Himalayas, a mountain vary whose landscapes and peoples are among the many most impacted by local weather change. As well as, the game of working is nascent in Bhutan, a rustic most definitely stuffed with potential world-class athletes. The targets of the Snowman Race are multi-fold: to share the story of a carbon-negative nation, to elucidate how local weather change unfairly impacts the nation’s landscapes and folks, and to attach Bhutan with the working world itself. iRunFar believes that working must be used to assist progress different important facets of humanity. For over a decade, the iRunFar staff has volunteered its platform, staff, and sources to raise folks, locations, and tales much less represented within the working group. I’m so happy that one in every of iRunFar’s volunteerism focal factors this yr was this one.
Bhutan is a carbon-negative nation whose landscapes and peoples are unfairly affected by local weather change. iRunFar volunteered in 2024 on the Snowman Race, an occasion going down in Bhutan meant to deliver these tales to a wider viewers. Picture: Snowman Race/iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
Sarah Brady
For concern he’ll discover and skim this text in years to come back, I can’t level to something apart from the start of my son, Max, as my spotlight of 2024.
However to deliver it again to iRunFar, I relished the journey that Meghan Hicks and I took to Italy to cowl the Mountain Operating World Cup Finals. After a number of years now of overlaying the world’s high ultramarathons and getting immersed within the media frenzy that exists round races like UTMB, the Western States 100, and the Path World Championships, there was a refreshing grassroots really feel to this World Mountain Operating Affiliation occasion. We had the chance and privilege to satisfy and interview a unique set of athletes, excelling in a unique nook of the game. We bought to grips with some logistical challenges to offering protection of such fast-paced races — a vertical kilometer in the future and a 23-kilometer path race the following. Better of all, we had the chance to run each inch of the programs ourselves at a extra leisurely tempo — one thing that doesn’t occur throughout a busy week of overlaying a 100-mile occasion.
In my working this yr, I needed a purpose to get me transferring once more postpartum, however I knew it could be arduous to search out the time to drive out to the mountains, so I signed up for the Dublin Marathon on the finish of October. Street working is way from my consolation zone, however immersing myself in a unique sort of problem was sensible, and I even got here away with a brand new private finest!
Managing Editor Sarah Brady on her solution to the end of the 2024 Dublin Marathon to attain a brand new private finest for the gap. Picture: Richard Peyton
Name for Feedback
- What was your favourite iRunFar content material this yr?
- What was the spotlight of your 2024?