It’s virtually 2025! As path working, mountain working, and ultrarunning develop and evolve, we at iRunFar evolve alongside and regularly discover new methods to serve you, our readers. As we shut out 2024, we take a second to mirror on this 12 months for iRunFar.
This 12 months, we have been honored to step into the function of media associate with the World Mountain Operating Affiliation. We used the chance to delve extra deeply into mountain working by way of information tales, in-person race protection, and athlete profiles.
The 12 months 2024 was one other large 12 months for our ever-evolving workforce. After stepping again as Editor-in-Chief simply final 12 months, 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 depart from March by way of July. Bryon continues to steer our workforce of substances reviewers, guaranteeing we keep on prime of all the most recent improvements within the sport. Meghan Hicks, now in her second 12 months as Editor-in-Chief, has steered our ship all through this busy 12 months.
Beneath the management of Nathan Allen, who has develop into a significant workforce member since his appointment final 12 months, 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 awesome job guaranteeing that each one we publish on iRunFar reaches your screens regardless of the time of day — or night time.
As all the time, we thanks, our readers, for being with us by way of one other 12 months; with out you, there could be no iRunFar.
And thanks a lot to the people and corporations who assist iRunFar financially. Supporting iRunFar helps us develop 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 12 months.
P.S.: When you’d wish 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 12 months seems like in numbers:
This 12 months, iRunFar was a 57-person workforce.
In 2024, we produced 512 articles and 61 movies to tell and entertain you.
We did in-person protection at 4 occasions this 12 months — the Western States 100, Hardrock 100, UTMB, and Mountain Operating World Cup Finals.
The beginning of the 2024 Western States 100. Photograph: 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, recuperate that niggle, and extra.
This 12 months, our Operating the Numbers column noticed some adjustments 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 12 months, readers loved Zander’s article Quick, Quicker, Quickest: Decoding the Information Behind Appalachian Path FKTs, and Mallory’s A Information-Pushed Environmental Scan of the Path and Extremely Teaching Business.
A standalone article from our common contributor Eryn Barber, Three Plyometric Workouts for Endurance Runners, proved well-liked with our readers.
This 12 months, we completed republishing the very best of Ian Torrence’s teaching articles. His article, Operating Periodization: It Isn’t Rocket Science, was notably nicely obtained.
Coach and professional runner Gabe Joyes joined the iRunFar workforce this 12 months, bringing his data and wit to the Ask Gabe column. You all actually loved his article about energy 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 12 months, a lot of you appreciated how he addressed a standard drawback in Tight Hamstrings? Strive This Three-Dimensional Thigh Mobilization!
Adrian Stott continues to be our go-to for highway and observe ultrarunning experience. Lately, 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 a very good 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 Exams Verify Spring Power Misrepresents Carbs and Energy, 7 Different Manufacturers Have Correct Labels, which added information to the group dialog of holding the corporate Spring Power accountable to its misrepresentation of the dietary content material of a few of their merchandise.
Outdoors 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 pictures: Jesse Ellis/Let’s Wander Pictures
Inspiration
Inspiration is vastly necessary in working. It will probably encourage us to maintain going when issues get robust and assist us discover our why. This 12 months, 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 In opposition to Supershoes generated a whole lot of curiosity and debate, with robust opinions in favor of and towards her argument that supershoes have been detrimental to working.
This 12 months, our long-standing author Hannah Inexperienced started a brand new column, The Artwork of Operating, the place she interviews varied artists and runners. To this point, she has profiled artists of many alternative genres, and readers notably loved her interview with photographer Mike Thurk.
Photograph: 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 may counteract the results of growing older.
AJW’s Taproom continues into its thirteenth 12 months, 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 way of his years of expertise on the prime finish of the game, by way of all its highs and lows. One necessary message he had for us this 12 months was delivered by way of 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 12 months, Morgan Tilton handed on the authorship of the WeRunFar column to Eszter Horanyi. We’re grateful to Morgan for her wonderful writing by way of 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 12 months 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 prime of the game, which Bryon Powell and Eszter Horanyi co-authored throughout my maternity depart. This 12 months, we aimed to develop our protection of mountain working, and as a part of that, I interviewed Kenyan mountain runner Philemon Kiriago and gained a captivating perception into his coaching and mentality. Bryon Powell and Eszter Horanyi’s profile of Spanish path runner Manuel Merillas was additionally an awesome 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 12 months in 2024, profitable 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 12 months 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 girl Eszter Csillag a bit star-struck!
Courtney Olsen with Tunnel Hill 50 Mile race director, Steve Durbin. Photograph: 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 wonderful images can be an enormous a part of what we do. Listed here are a few of the picture highlights of 2024.
Jasmin Paris turned the primary girl finisher of the Barkley Marathons on the occasion’s 2024 version, with 99 seconds to spare. Photographer Howie Stern took this unbelievable picture of her end. Photograph: Howie Stern
A splendid fall view on Bryon Powell’s final long term earlier than racing the 2024 Extremely Gobi. Photograph: Bryon Powell
Vincent Bouillard on his method to profitable the 2024 UTMB. Photograph courtesy of UTMB.
The solar units in Chamonix, France, whereas the 2024 UTMB takes place. Photograph: Kirsten Kortebein
William Barkan is cheered residence 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. Photograph: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
Island Lake within the San Juan Mountains of Colorado. Photograph: Zach Miller
Joyline Chepngeno closes in on the end, because the 2024 Sierre-Zinal ladies’s winner. Photograph: World Mountain Operating Affiliation/Marco Gulberti
A runner amidst the luxurious surroundings at one of many 2024 KAT 100 by UTMB races. Photograph: UTMB
A yak cow and calf within the Bhutanese Himalayas earlier than the beginning of the 2024 Snowman Race. Photograph: Snowman Race/iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
Meghan Hicks throughout a chilly fall fastpacking journey in Utah’s canyon nation. Photograph: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
Reminiscences
Lastly, our workforce shares a few of their favourite reminiscences of 2024.
Justin Mock
Just a few 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 way of the Balkans with my two senior pups. Albania stands out as a spotlight, particular lifetime reminiscences!
Chuck and Elly on a canine pleasant seaside in Croatia. Photograph: Justin Mock
Eszter Horanyi
Whereas this was a 12 months the place I received 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 depart for 5 months. I’d go as far as to name it a profession spotlight, after nicely over a decade of taking part in with phrases for a dwelling. Working with such an incredible group of authors and iRunFar workforce members was nothing wanting an incredible privilege, and I really feel like my data 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 straight work-related spotlight of the 12 months. 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 prime of their sport of their late 40s and early 50s, nevertheless it’s been inspiring to see a number of males in the identical age vary excel extra lately. It helps me preserve my very own growing older course of — and what it’d appear to be — in perspective.
Now, from an iRunFar as an enabler perspective, there’s no manner I’d have been capable of 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 joyful that iRunFar’s personal Bryon Powell was the 2024 Extremely Gobi 250 Mile males’s winner. Photograph: Extremely Gobi
Meghan Hicks
I’ve a few core reminiscences from iRunFar this previous 12 months. The primary was turning into a media associate to the World Mountain Operating Affiliation, which governs mountain working and is a part of World Athletics, working’s world federation. iRunFar believes strongly within the significance of federation-level sports activities administration as a prong of a sport’s strategic improvement. We imagine in utilizing iRunFar to assist advance the storytelling of federation-administered points 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 workforce 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 way of 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 full of 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 other people, and to attach Bhutan with the working world itself. iRunFar believes that working needs to be used to assist progress different important points of humanity. For over a decade, the iRunFar workforce has volunteered its platform, workforce, and sources to raise folks, locations, and tales much less represented within the working group. I’m so happy that one among iRunFar’s volunteerism focal factors this 12 months 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. Photograph: Snowman Race/iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
Sarah Brady
For worry he’ll discover and browse this text in years to come back, I can’t level to something aside 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 prime 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 received 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 12 months, I wished a purpose to get me transferring once more postpartum, however I knew it could be laborious to search out the time to drive out to the mountains, so I signed up for the Dublin Marathon on the finish of October. Highway working is way from my consolation zone, however immersing myself in a unique type of problem was sensible, and I even got here away with a brand new private finest!
Managing Editor Sarah Brady on her method to the end of the 2024 Dublin Marathon to attain a brand new private finest for the space. Photograph: Richard Peyton
Name for Feedback
What was your favourite iRunFar content material this 12 months?
What was the spotlight of your 2024?
