Earlier this year, I stumbled upon an August 29 Instagram post by Sean Einhaus called “Optimized to Death.” A professional golfer and mental performance coach, he was pondering the loss of artistry in sports where science, training, and metrics were becoming more and more important. He worried that in the face of too much data, too much structure, sports could lose their soul.
Zach Miller running with heart at the 2025 Trail World Championships Long Trail. Photo: iRunFar/Eszter Horanyi
Sean seems an interesting guy: born in Germany, half Nepali, a professional golfer, a yogi, a man of both eastern and western ways of thought. This piece isn’t about Sean, though, yet perhaps a bit of context about his background is interesting, as this article is about the ideas in his post.
And yes, it’s the internet, a space that has unfortunately become very hard to trust. Is Sean for real? Is he a man to be trusted, or is he just waxing poetic, fishing for dollars and clicks? That, I cannot tell you. What I can tell you is this: His words struck me. They hit a chord, and perhaps they hold some truths. I hope they are real. I know the feelings and thoughts they provoked in me are real.
I recommend you go read his words in full, but I’ll share some of the post here:
“Athletes aren’t fun anymore
Everyone’s just
Uptight. Dead serious.
Trying to optimize every bit of their existence. Perfect recovery on Whoop. Crunching numbers like accountants. Turning practice into a science project. A team of 12 coaches dissecting every move like surgery. 3-D body scans, radar guns, and slow-mo cameras measuring the soul out of the game.
Where’s the artistry?
Where are the instincts.
The game used to be a canvas.
Now it’s a spreadsheet.
It used to be about intuition, feel, and deep trust. Now it’s analysis, metrics, and performance models.
The most important attributes can’t be measured:
Passion. Joy. Hunger.
Creativity. Presence. Flow.”
Embracing the unmeasurable. Photo: Zach Miller
Freedom of Trail Running
For me, these words weren’t a single to first. They hit all the way home. The romantic in me sees eye to eye with Sean’s ideas. It grows leery of our obsession with stats. Stats are fun. They feel like points in a game of pinball. When used in the right way, they’re beneficial.
I suppose what really concerns me is the soulless practice of sport that Sean depicts. That’s not a place I desire to be. Unfortunately, it’s an easy place to end up.
My thoughts drift to high school and college, years filled with paved miles and left turns. As great as those years can be, I spent enough time in that space to know that they can also be quite challenging. In the world of track and cross country, it’s easy to become obsessed. Constantly chasing qualifying standards, PRs, and wins, college can quickly become the hunt for an ever-moving target. Goals are achieved, then replaced by new ones. The more you accomplish, the faster the hamster wheel spins. It’s no wonder so many people burn out.
Leaving college, trail running was a breath of fresh air. It was still running, but in a different context. I couldn’t analyze things quite the same, and that was freeing. I like to think that I enjoyed more and judged less.
Zach Miller descending into Maggie Gulch during the early stages of the 2025 Hardrock 100. Photo: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
Fast forward to today, and it’s quite obvious that trail running is getting more and more dialed and scientific. We have coaches dishing out training plans, dietitians explaining what to consume and when, strength coaches, mobility routines, sleep aids, heat training chambers, and gadgets galore tracking all of the metrics, and then some. I’m sure there are still people going about it the old-fashioned way, doing workouts on feel at the click of an old Timex watch, but more and more, this seems to be the minority.
Such trends raise some important questions: Are we taking the wildness out of the trail? Are we killing the sport by dialing it in? Are the dietitians, coaches, sports psychologists, apps, and gadgets robbing the sport of its soul? Are we making science instead of art?
Zach Miller and his coach share a moment at the finish line of the 2023 UTMB. Photo: Luke Webster
In some cases, maybe, but I don’t think it’s a universal truth. The presence of these things does not necessarily drive a stake through the soul of the sport. Science is not the death of art. The death of art is a lack of expression. Science, running, and many other things in life can be dialed in, yet expressive. In other words, they can be art. Not because of what they are, but because of how they are done.
So, as the sport of trail running continues to grow, let’s not forget to proceed with passion. We can hire the coaches, use the gadgets, and science the heck out of the training plans if we choose. There’s nothing wrong with that. Let’s just ensure that we do these things with heart, preferably a big one.
Call for Comments
Do you worry that science is taking the soul out of trail running and ultrarunning?
What steps do you take to keep metrics from overtaking your running and life?
As ultra runners, we’re always looking for tools and resources to support our training and racing goals. Check out this resource that fellow runners have found valuable.
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If you can survive a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, and marathon run in the suffocating heat and humidity of Hawaii, you’ve figured out endurance sport. If you can win the race, you are cutting the edge of it.
At the women’s 2025 Ironman World Championship in Kona on Saturday, some of the world’s best did not survive. (In the metaphorical sense, anyway, they are all OK.)
“We came close to a line you never want to cross,” Reece Charles-Barclay said after pulling his wife, Lucy, off the course—as she led the race—at mile 17. That put Taylor Knibb out ahead, and just two miles from the finish she got carted off the course in an ambulance.
This brings us to why I’m ranting about triathlon in a running publication. For the past several years, I’ve had the honor of joining our sister publication, Triathlete Magazine, to report on this absurdity. Now that I’m revealing my cynicism, they may never invite me back. But in triathlon’s defense, the incessant boundary pushing at this event makes it particularly instructive for us runners. If high-carb fueling and those cooling headbands that look like medieval crowns are any indication, triathlon is consistently three to five years ahead of running.
And there’s something the very best Ironman athletes in the world are doing right now that we need to adopt immediately.
Which brings us back to Saturday. As Kona brought some of the best of the best to their knees, quite literally, Norway’s Solveig Løvseth patiently, persistently emerged through the soggy ashes to win the thing in her debut.
Norway’s Solveig Løseth rose above the mutually-assured self-destruction ahead of her to win the 2025 Ironman World Championship in her debut. (Photo: Brad Kaminski/Triathlete)
If that sounds familiar, it’s because countryman Casper Stornes won the men’s race last month in Nice, France (also on his debut) in a Norwegian podium sweep with his training partners Gustav Iden and Kristian Blummenfelt—who also won the Ironman World Championship on their debuts.
One does not simply win the Ironman World Championship in one’s debut. And four wins in four debuts is an unprecedented achievement for any country, much less for one of 5.6 million—300,000 fewer people than the state of Colorado.
Coincidence? No, it’s the Norwegian Method! you may assume, if you’ve been remotely paying attention to endurance training theory over the past half a decade. And, from what I’ve learned picking these superstar brains, you would be right—but not exactly in the way you think.
The Secret to the Norwegian Method
It’s true the Norwegians, particularly in the sport of triathlon, have pioneered high volume, low-to-moderate intensity training guided by lactate testing with a meticulous focus on marginal gains through modalities like heat training. Ignoring this “Norwegian Method” and its massive contributions to sport, and to these athletes’ success, would be negligent.
But there’s another variable at play that doesn’t get talked about much.
Triathletes are notoriously uptight and reserved. (I’m allowed to say this because I used to be one.) And it makes sense: it takes a Type-A personality to have the organization and discipline to train for three sports at once. A sport that requires 20 to 35 hours of training a week, much of it staring at the black line at the bottom of the pool and the white line on the side of the road, just begs for loners, introverts, and those with a few loose screws.
So I was a bit shocked when, after landing in Kona last year, we drove to Iden and Blummenfelt’s condo to shoot their bikes. Typically at these things, we’re greeted by a manager or a tech rep. This time, the boys opened the door in flip-flops and giant smiles. Iden invited me to run around in his far too big, futuristic-looking super shoes, and we caught them trash-talking each other on camera.
Best friends and training partners Kristian Blummenfelt, Casper Stornes, and Gustav Iden of Norway at the start line of the 2025 Ironman World Championship. They finished 3-1-2, respectively. (Photo: Jan Hetfleisch/Getty Images for Ironman)
The Norwegians bring a seldom-seen lightness to the sport. At the men’s Ironman World Championship pre-race press conference this year, Iden said it was a good thing Stornes wasn’t there because “he says a lot of stupid things. So I think it’s better for him to just not open his mouth sometimes.”
The joke had a particularly big payoff when, at the post-race press conference, I asked Stornes what stupid things he would have said, and he looked at me like a deer in the headlights.
Iden and Blummenfelt were equally coy when we asked them about what’s next on the training frontier. Blummenfelt banged on about pine bark or something, and Iden insisted it’s track spikes.
After spraying the champagne non-alcoholic beer on the podium in Kona, Løvseth confirmed what we could all see:
“They’re really serious in their training, but they have a surprisingly relaxed attitude,” she said. “That’s a much more fun way to live the triathlon life.”
The Fun Factor
You can’t make it up: Gustav Iden, Kristian Blummenfelt, and Casper Stornes lead the 2025 Ironman World Championship on September 14, 2025 in Nice, France. (Photo: Jan Hetfleisch/Getty Images for Ironman)
The Norwegian men have inspired Løseth in many more ways than one, she told me. They all grew up racing on the Norwegian national team, learning from some of the sharpest minds in the sport, including Arild Tveiten and Olav Aleksander Bu. Watching Iden win the world championship in 2021 piqued her interest in long-course triathlon. And seeing Stornes storm to victory a month ago gave her the confidence that she, too, could do well.
Seeing is believing, and there’s an intangible power to being swept up in the momentum of success. But here’s the part about triathlon, and endurance sport more generally, that’s easy to overlook from the sidelines: It’s hard, and often, it’s not fun. Not in the slightest.
I’m not even talking about the racing. I’m talking about the daily grind of two to three workouts a day, being tired all the time, and living hermetically to optimize whatever slim recovery windows you can find.
It’s just as easy to burn out mentally in this sport as it is to fry yourself physically. So cracking the code to having fun is a cheat code to success. Consider what Løvseth, who finished a disappointing 48th at the Olympics last summer, said to me with her Kona champion’s lei still on her head:
“I had a lot of fun in training camp going into this race,” she said. “Of course, training well, but also having a lot of fun. I’ve never been less stressed on race morning.”
Carbs, Culture, Community
“Just have fun” is obviously easier said than done—like “just fall asleep.” That brings us back to the Norwegian men and what Stornes said to me after his victory in Nice:
“Gustav and Kristian are, outside of triathlon, my best friends. They have been carrying me for basically every session also.”
When they weren’t at home in Bergen, Norway, the three Norse Stooges spent extended periods of time together on high-altitude training camps in the Pyrenees, reconning the course in Nice, and traveling around the planet from Woodlands, Texas, to Frankfurt, Germany, for races.
This year, the one with the highest ranking in the Ironman Pro Series gets to pick their bedroom in the Airbnb first, Blummenfelt said with a glint in his eye. (Likely because at the time, he was in the lead.) Their careers as professional triathletes are equally as much lives shared with friends.
I’ve been reflecting on this a lot with my own running this year as I train for my first road marathon. Marathon training is objectively not as fun as running on the trails, which I’ve been doing for the better part of a decade. It’s been a lot of time on the side of busy roads, hitting splits, failing to hit splits, and saying no to mountain adventures to maximize recovery on the flats. And yet, I’ve been having more fun with my running than maybe ever. Why?
It’s pretty simple, I think: I joined a running team at the start of the year. Suddenly, I look forward to workout days because it means socializing at sunrise. I don’t have to hype myself up to get out the door. I have people to push me and hold me back as needed. I have friends cheering for me during track intervals, and I have the distraction and mental boost of cheering for them. Running isn’t just about running. It’s about camaraderie, connection, something bigger than myself.
Stornes shared a similar sentiment. He left the Norwegian national team at the beginning of the year to train with Iden and Blummenfelt, who all self-coach themselves and each other.
“It’s a good competition in the group, that we are building each other up and giving each other advice,” he said. “For us, it’s working very well.”
Iden, who’s been building back after his mother passed away in the spring of 2023, agreed.
“The journey over the past two years has been insane. Many thanks to Casper and Kristian, who honestly have carried me through whole sessions,” Iden said. “I have been there and done the work myself, but they’ve been there and they’ve made me work for it very hard.”
“Follow Your Bliss”
For Courtney Dauwalter, having fun includes enormous renovations of her pain cave, like at the 2025 UTMB where she finished 10th. (Photo: Peter Maksimow)
Since joining a running team, I feel less self-imposed pressure on reaching external goals, because hitting those goals isn’t the point. The point is the process of working towards them, because the process is so fun.
And, ultimately, as we’ve seen with the Norwegians, if you’re having fun, you’re mentally freed to get the most out of yourself and reach those goals anyway.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that some of the most cutting-edge runners are also jumping on the fun train. Courtney Dauwalter, while notoriously secretive about her training, has been beating the Fun Drum since the beginning.
“Fun” doesn’t look the same for everyone. For Dauwalter, it means baggy shorts, candy, and nachos, yes, but also seeking challenges that push her to the brink.
“I think things can be fun and painful at the same time,” she said. “I think having fun doesn’t have to look like laughing and smiling the whole time. When I’m in the pain cave, that’s fun for me. Exploring that is really cool.”
Tom Evans embraces his wife and triathlete, Sophie, and baby daughter, Phoebe, after winning the 2025 Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB). (Photo: Jacob Zocherman)
This theme came up again in August, when Tom Evans won UTMB after DNFing in 2023 and 2024. Sure, he and coach Scott Johnston tweaked his training. But the biggest change, Evans said, was his mindset.
“Genuinely, my goals today weren’t to win,” Evans said at the finish line. “My goals today were to look at myself in the mirror and be proud of what I achieved.”
In practice, that means, well, you guessed it:
“I believe you have to have fun with it,” Evans said. “Having fun will make you regular, and being regular will make you good. If you can get out and run every day because you like what you’re doing, that’ll make you a good runner. Follow your bliss.”
As ultra runners, we’re always looking for tools and resources to support our training and racing goals. Check out this resource that fellow runners have found valuable.
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Ultra marathoning represents the ultimate endurance challenge. Distances of 50K, 100K, and 100 miles demand specialized training, nutrition strategies, and mental preparation far beyond traditional marathon training.
This comprehensive guide covers everything from choosing your first ultra to crossing the finish line of a 100-miler.
Part 1: Understanding Ultra Running
What Is an Ultra Marathon?
Any running event longer than a standard 42.2K marathon qualifies as ultramarathon territory. Common distances include:
50K (31 miles): Most popular entry-level ultra. Often run on trails. Typical finish times: 5-9 hours for experienced runners.
50 Miles: Bridge distance between 50K and 100K. Typically run on trails with significant elevation gain.
100K (62 miles): Serious commitment. Most runners complete in 12-24 hours.
100 Miles: The ultimate ultra marathon. Typically 20-36 hour effort involving a night of running.
Ultra marathons are primarily trail-based events, though some road ultras exist. Trail running demands different preparation than road running.
🖥️ Track Your Training
Serious ultra training requires reliable hosting for training logs, GPS data, and race reports. Keep your training data organized and accessible.
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Part 2: Pre-Training Foundation
Build Your Aerobic Base
Ultra running success begins with aerobic capacity development. Most ultramarathoners spend 80%+ of training time at conversational pace.
12-Week Base Building Phase:
Run 4-5 days per week at low intensity
Build weekly mileage gradually (10% per week maximum)
Include one long run per week, increasing 1-2 miles per week
Cross-train 1-2 days weekly with low-impact activities
Focus on consistency over speed
Injury Prevention
Trail running demands stronger stabilizer muscles than road running. Prevent common ultra injuries:
Runners Knee: Strengthen glutes and hip external rotators with targeted exercises.
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Part 4: Nutrition for Ultra Success
Fueling Strategy
Ultra marathons demand consistent calorie replacement. Most ultramarathoners consume 150-300 calories per hour during racing.
Energy Sources:
Gels: Quick carbohydrates. 100 calories per packet, easily digestible.
Energy Bars: Longer-lasting fuel. Mix textures prevent palate fatigue.
Real Food: Potatoes, dates, nut butter sandwiches provide variety and satiety.
Liquids: Sports drinks provide calories plus hydration in one product.
Hydration Management
Electrolyte balance becomes crucial during multi-hour efforts. Plain water isnt enough.
Hydration Protocol:
Consume 400-800ml of fluid per hour depending on conditions
Include sodium (300-600mg per hour) in electrolyte drinks
Practice your race nutrition extensively during training
Never try new products on race day
Gut Training
Your digestive system requires training like your legs. Practice consuming calories while running hard to prevent GI distress during races.
Build tolerance gradually. What works for 2 hours may not work for 8+ hours.
Part 5: Mental Preparation
The Ultramarathon Mind Game
Physical training matters, but mental resilience determines ultra success. Most DNFs (Did Not Finish) result from mental breakdowns, not physical failure.
Mental Strategies:
Mantras: Simple phrases to repeat during difficult sections. “One mile at a time” keeps perspective.
Goal Setting: Process goals (maintain pace, eat regularly) work better than outcome goals.
Visualization: Pre-race mental rehearsal of difficult sections builds confidence.
Acceptance: Expect discomfort. Embrace pain as part of the ultramarathon experience.
Dealing with the Darkness
100-milers include nighttime running. Mental preparation for darkness is crucial.
Run training sessions at night. Practice with your race headlamp. Build comfort with darkness and solitude.
🏡 Recovery at Home
Post-race recovery starts at home. Let automated systems handle cleaning while you focus on recovery.
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Part 6: Race Week & Race Day
Taper Week
The week before your ultra is crucial for recovery and race readiness.
Taper Guidelines:
Reduce weekly mileage by 50-60%
Run shorter, easier sessions
Sleep 1-2 extra hours nightly
Finalize all gear and logistics
Avoid social activities that drain energy
Race Morning
Pre-Race Routine:
Wake 3-4 hours before start
Consume 200-300 calories of familiar food
Drink 500ml of fluid 2 hours before start
Test all gear one final time
Arrive at race venue early
Race Strategy
First 25%: Run conservatively. Many first-timers start too fast. Stay calm and methodical.
Middle 50%: Find your rhythm. Adjust pace based on effort, not clock time. This is where mental toughness matters.
Final 25%: When its hardest, remember why youre running. Dig deep. Embrace the suffering.
Part 7: Recovery After Ultramarathon
Immediate Post-Race
Continue consuming carbs and fluids immediately after finishing. Dont sit down without eating and drinking first.
Post-Race Nutrition:
30-60 minutes post-race: 50-75g carbs + 10-20g protein
Within 2 hours: Solid meal with balanced macronutrients
Continue hydrating with electrolytes for 24+ hours
Recovery Timeline
Days 1-3: Complete rest from running. Walk gently if needed. Focus on nutrition and hydration.
Days 4-7: Begin easy walking or very easy running (conversational pace). Avoid intensity.
Weeks 2-3: Gradually rebuild running volume. Run 50-60% of pre-race mileage.
Weeks 4+: Return to full training volume.
Sleep and Adaptation
Sleep is when adaptation happens. Prioritize 8+ hours nightly for 2 weeks post-race.
Your immune system is suppressed after ultras. Avoid crowds and people with illness during recovery.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Starting too fast: Most DNFs result from early pace mistakes. Run conservatively.
After completing over 50 ultra marathons, I’ve learned that having the right gear can make or break your race. Whether you’re tackling your first 50K or pushing toward a 100-miler, the equipment you choose will directly impact your performance and enjoyment.
🚀 Start Your Journey Right
Before diving into gear specifics, secure your foundation with reliable hosting for tracking your training data and race reports.
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🎽 Essential Clothing & Footwear
Trail Running Shoes: Your most critical investment. Look for shoes with aggressive lugs for traction, rock plates for protection, and a snug but not tight fit. Popular choices include Salomon Speedcross, Hoka Speedgoat, and Altra Lone Peak series.
Moisture-Wicking Apparel: Synthetic materials or merino wool that pulls sweat away from your body. Avoid cotton at all costs – it retains moisture and causes chafing.
Compression Gear: Compression socks or sleeves can improve circulation and reduce muscle fatigue during long efforts.
🎒 Hydration & Nutrition Systems
Proper hydration strategy is non-negotiable in ultra running. You’ll need to carry water, electrolytes, and calories for hours at a time.
Hydration Packs: Choose between handheld bottles, waist belts, or full backpacks based on race distance and aid station frequency.
Electrolyte Management: Salt tablets, electrolyte powders, or foods like pickles and pretzels help maintain sodium balance.
🔒 Protect Your Training Data
Keep your training logs, race results, and GPS data secure with enterprise-level VPN protection.
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🔦 Navigation & Safety Equipment
Headlamp: Essential for early morning starts or night running. Choose one with at least 200 lumens and long battery life.
GPS Watch: Track distance, pace, elevation, and navigation. Popular models include Garmin Fenix, Suunto, and Coros series.
Emergency Whistle: Required by many races and crucial for safety in remote areas.
🧴 Recovery & Maintenance Gear
Post-race recovery is just as important as race-day performance. Having the right tools for muscle maintenance and cleaning can accelerate your recovery.
Massage Tools: Foam rollers, massage balls, or percussion devices help with muscle recovery.
First Aid Supplies: Bandages, antiseptic, blister treatment, and pain relievers for emergency situations.
🏠 Post-Race Recovery
After those long training runs, nothing beats coming home to a spotless environment. Automate your cleaning so you can focus on recovery.
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📱 Technology Integration
Modern ultra running benefits greatly from technology integration. From password management for race registrations to travel booking for destination races.
Training Apps: Strava, TrainingPeaks, or Garmin Connect help track progress and connect with the community.
Race Registration: Secure password management becomes crucial when registering for multiple races throughout the season.
🎯 Final Recommendations
Start with the basics and build your gear collection over time. Focus on comfort, reliability, and functionality over flashy features. Test everything during training – never try new gear on race day.
Remember that the best gear is the gear that works for YOUR body and running style. What works for other runners might not work for you, so invest time in testing different options.
Most importantly, gear is just one piece of the ultra running puzzle. Consistent training, proper nutrition, and mental preparation are far more important than having the latest and greatest equipment.
For decades, endurance running has been held up as a blueprint for physical and mental resilience, a simple prescription: the more you run, the better you’ll feel. But a new academic study out of Trinity College Dublin may crack that narrative wide open, revealing that in the upper echelons of marathon participation, among runners logging … Read more
As ultra runners, we’re always looking for tools and resources to support our training and racing goals. Check out this resource that fellow runners have found valuable.
FTC Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you purchase through these links at no additional cost to you. See our Affiliate Disclosure for details.
The Speedland GL:PDX. All photos: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
The Speedland GL:PDX ($250) has a lower stack height and higher volume than many other shoes from the Speedland and offers exceptional comfort over longer distances. Equipped with a single BOA and a strap, the upper has a unique design that’s a departure from the brand’s more regular use of two BOAs. The Michelin rubber outsole provides plenty of grip on a variety of surfaces, and the 6.5-millimeter lugs are substantial enough to work in mud as well as drier trails. The shoe has an actual weight of 10.6 ounces (302 grams) for a U.S. men’s 9. With a stack height of 35 millimeters at the heel and 28 millimeters at the toe, it’s lower to the ground than other Speedlands. The shoe has a similar fit to shoes from Altra or Topo, but the 5-millimeter drop makes it more accessible than zero-drop shoes.
Even with the lower stack height, this shoe excels when the miles start to add up. The HTPU midsole combined with a thick insole sock liner makes for a comfortable ride, and the shoe’s higher volume allows feet to swell. The upper is a bit difficult to lock down, especially if you have a narrow heel, so this may not be a great shoe for extended miles on technical terrain.
iRunFar’s Travis Liles takes a deep dive into the Speedland GL:PDX and the conditions where it thrives.
Hey and welcome to Trail Trials, the video review section of iRunFar.com. My name is Travis Liles, and in this video, we’re going to take a look at the Speedland GL:PDX. Let’s check it out.
Alright, so let’s start off with the statistics. This is a 5-millimeter drop from heel to toe, coming in at 33 millimeters of stack at the heel, 28 at the toe. This is a unisex shoe in a men’s size 9, women’s 10.5. This is about a 10.5-ounce shoe. It has the BOA lacing both forward and backward. Instead of having two BOA dials, this one has a strap up here. It is the GL platform. Versus the Speedland GS line, the GL line is a little lower to the ground, a little shorter on the foam, maybe a little more narrow than that shoe. It’s kind of luggy and comes with this green colorway, the PDX edition. This is the color of the St. John’s Bridge. It’s supposed to take inspiration from Forest Park, which is a giant park right here in the city of Portland, where I actually ran a bunch of the miles of this shoe.
So, with all that said, let’s get up close and personal. Let’s see what this shoe is all about.
Speedland GL:PDX Outsole
The outsole of the Speedland GL:PDX.
Let’s start off by taking a look at the Speedland GL:PDXoutsole here. The first thing you might notice is this is Michelin rubber, like the tire company. Even a little Michelin Man waving here on the bottom.
Overall, really good tread pattern and grip compound. I felt really good and confident when I was wearing these. You can see they’re pretty toothy. These are 6.5-millimeter lugs, which is fairly long, especially when you compare that to a lot of stuff out there that is a little more lower profile. These do bite. They do grip. When I wore these in wet and muddy-ish type conditions, I always felt like they gripped really well. No complaints on the rubber. Didn’t feel like they were slick. If I wore them for a road run and stepped on the white lines that get slick with organic material, especially here in Portland in the rainy season, these didn’t seem to have a problem sliding around on that, which is definitely not the case with all trail shoes.
I think overall, a really good tread pattern. It’s deep enough. It’s flexible enough on the bottom that the shoe kind of grips and molds. I think this shoe excels on the gravel-y, loose type of stuff versus the more mountain-y hard, but that has more to do with the fit, which I’ll talk about here in a second, and less to do with the compound. I think this is the first pair of shoes I’ve had with Michelin rubber, and I don’t have any complaints at all.
I think one other area of note is this little dot right here, and if we look closely here, it actually says to cut out for drainage. This shoe, as you can see, is buttoned up pretty tight. You’ve got some overlays and some other things here. If you’re going to be going in water a lot, and you want the shoe to drain better, it literally has a drain plug, which I think is kind of interesting. Obviously, once you pop this out, that’s the end of it, right? And you’re always going to have that hole there, but it lets water out. A couple of other things to note here. You can see this midsole poking through on the bottom. This is a 10.5-ounce shoe, so not heavy, not light, but that is one way that they’re saving some weight on the bottom. I never really noticed anything poking through in these areas, but obviously, those are slightly weaker spots that you might want to look out for because there’s not a rock plate in here.
Speedland GL:PDX Midsole
A medial view of the Speedland GL:PDX.
Ok, next up is the Speedland GL:PDX midsole. Being the GL line, this is a considerably shorter stack height. As I mentioned, it’s a 5-millimeter drop, so the drop is still pretty low. When you compare it to something like the GS line, the difference is pretty substantial when it comes to the size of the midsole. I’ll just pop in the Speedland GS:TAM here as an example. If you look at this green here, and then you look at this white here, it’s a considerable amount of additional material up here. Now, your foot does sit inside this GS:TAM a little bit more, but of the two, this is a lower-profile shoe that feels a little more controllable, feels a little more athletically fit.
And this is an HTPU midsole, which it’s similar in feel and kind of bounce to some of the Saucony shoes that have this styrofoam-y, pebble-y type of look. It’s got that same sort of feel. Very high rebound. Feels very cushioned. It is single-density foam all the way around. It’s not too tall, but it provides plenty of cushion without being over the top. This is probably a medium-cushion type of shoe, if I were to compare it to the industry at large.
The other thing I’ll have to call out on this is the way that the shoe leverages the midsole sock liner insert. You can see it’s very, very thick. This is amped up a little bit on the arch, but it’s very thick, and this is a big part of the midsole. This shoe can’t take insoles, if that’s what you’re into. These are specific to the shoe and really a big part of it, so this plays a big piece. These all play a part in this overall cushioning that you’re getting with the shoe.
And this is, again, similar to the Saucony Peregrine line that I’ve talked about. This entire sock liner here is made out of that same TPU-type of foam. It’s very high rebound, feels really good, and doesn’t wear down. There’s no pitting in here. This is meant to last a long time. I’d say as far as footbeds go, these are very high-end footbeds, at least in terms of durability. You’re not getting a bunch of places where the foam is busted out and getting flat, and those types of things. That’s just not what’s going to go on here, because this is definitely a midsole-type of foam that they’re using for that part.
The other thing I’ll note here is that there is a place to add a carbon plate, and so you get a view of that here. It simply snaps on here. It’s an additional part that you can order. It just sits down here in this sort of midsole, clips onto the bottom, and then you pop that back into the shoe, and you’ve got a shoe with a carbon plate on it. For that point I made earlier about some of these weak points, a carbon plate can be used for additional protection, but also for having a little more pep in your step, and adding some spring to your run. I wanted to call that out, even though it’s not midsole, it’s part of what Speedland considers their midsole technology.
Speedland GL:PDX Upper
A lateral view of the Speedland GL:PDX.
Let’s take a look at the Speedland GL:PDX upper. Again, interesting concepts here. This has two things that are a little bit different than some of the other Speedland models, or I guess one thing that’s different. The BOA is very, very common, of course, on these shoes, and the way that the BOA system works is pretty simple.
This is a two-way BOA, so you can pull this out, and that gives you all of your stretch here. You can see that the cords come out, and then you push this in, and you’re able to put your foot in, twist that down, and you can see the shoe getting tighter.
Now what’s interesting about this is that it also goes the other way, and so if we pop out, we get a little more space. For lack of a better term, dial this in. These wires sort of crisscross, and they go over these two pieces of fabric over here. These are a little bit gross from the weather here, but you can see these things are going to come across. One’s connected right behind the back of your big toe, and this one’s a little bit more through that arch area of your foot. You’re going to get this sort of squeeze down here at the bottom, and it adds a really consistent pull. It’s putting a connection between this side of the shoe, the medial and lateral parts of the shoe, and creating a bit of a wrap here. I actually really liked that part of this shoe and the way that it fit.
The other thing here is this upper strap, and this is not common. The other GL model does not have this, and the GS:TAM doesn’t have this either. This is a strap that you can pull down and pull across. It has a couple of areas that it connects to at the back part of the heel, across the top of your foot, and again on the arch inside of your foot, and pulling that across.
What I will say is that, in general, the lower part of this shoe, I was able to really lock down. The upper part of this shoe, I wasn’t. The majority of it is, I use upper eyelets on my shoes to tie them and to really create a lock. You can’t really create a lock, because there’s nothing here that pulls these things together. It’s more that you’re creating pressure here, but the heel is still sort of independent. It brings all this together by creating tension here and here that sort of pulls this together. It’s more in the front.
Now, does it work? Sure, but if it’s over really technical stuff, this is not really my favorite type of fit, but if you’ve got a higher volume foot, maybe it works just fine. Just for comparison, I’ll show you the GS:TAM. The first thing I’ll call out is the lacing system. This one has two dials versus one. Again, they’re the same type of thing, but this dial goes up higher, so you’re trading a dial for this strap. I don’t know that one does anything different necessarily than the other, but just worth calling out. I felt like this strap worked better than the secondary dial. Neither one of them was really super, super locked down for me in the upper part. The bottom part of the foot was just fine.
Ok, let’s call out another couple of things here. On the upper, there’s some stretchy material down here on the foot. It is a fairly wide fit across the shoe, so even though this is a more narrow fit than the GS:TAM that I just showed, there’s still quite a bit of room in here. I would compare this to a Topo or an Altra in the fit, that it’s a little bit wider. It’s a little bit more comfortable. It’s a shoe that you can just sort of slide your foot into really easily, especially if these things aren’t locked down and just sort of like have it hanging off your foot. And then, of course, you can do all these various things here to lock it down, but it’s a very comfortable type of fit. Plenty of room for your toes. There’s stretchy fabric here at the top that has kind of just enough movement in it. Doesn’t make your toes feel too locked in.
And then there are overlays on the front to keep the water out and those types of things. And then, as you move across the back, you see the same type of engineered material all the way around. This calls out the carbon plate that you can put in the shoe. For the most part, it’s really a very fabric-y, unstructured, not too bad, upper. The only thing that adds structure here is that you’ve got this hard, little BOA thing here. If you’ve got a sensitive part of your foot and you really have to lock this thing down, that could be a problem. I actually experienced that on the GS:TAMs. I didn’t experience that at all on this shoe.
The last thing I’ll call out here is the heel collar. It is a structured heel collar from here down, and there’s a little gaiter attachment there. There’s some pads in here, but to my point about this strap, I was never able to fully lock it down to the fit that I exactly wanted with these mechanisms.
The last thing I want to show is the width of what you’re getting into between these two models. Because again, the Speedland series goes GL and GS, and those platforms arrange different. This is a top-down view of the GS:TAM, and you can see that it is significantly wider. These are both men’s 9.5s, but the amount of volume that is different between these two is pretty significant. I would probably say almost an inch in width if you were to go from this here to this here. Just something to keep in mind, if you’ve got a really wide foot, you’ve got options here. I would still say this is a more generous fit than a lot of shoes, but you do have options in the way that these things fit. And of course, with the BOA systems, you’ve got a way to dial it down.
Speedland GL:PDX Overall Impressions
A top view of the Speedland GL:PDX.
In closing, what does the Speedland GL:PDX do really well? This shoe does really well on more groomed, fire road, gravel, stuff that doesn’t have a lot of twists and turns and technical terrain on it. Because just for my heel, I can’t get it to lock down the way that I want, despite this nice midfoot wrap and even this strap across the top. It alleviated the pressure that I had with the GS:TAM, with the dials pushing on my foot, but I still was never able to lock it down enough. There just wasn’t enough here, in this space, because it’s kind of loose and floppy. And again, you don’t have upper eyelets, which I always use on all of my shoes. Some shoes I even add upper eyelets to. So hopefully that gives you a little bit of extra knowledge on where my foot fits in.
This is a fat tire bike. That’s what I feel like about these shoes. When I was on longer distance, gravel-y, kind of groomed or dirt type trail, this thing just loped and did its thing and felt really good. My foot could expand, and the grip felt really good on the bottom of it. And it was comfortable with this nice foam, and this really thick midsole, and really thick insole that’s in there as well. It just really performed well on that. Where it didn’t perform well is where I wanted my foot to be locked in, and I just couldn’t ever quite get that.
So, who’s this for? I’d say if you’re doing a bunch of technical terrain and you’ve got a narrower heel, this might not be exactly it. And I don’t know if any of the Speedland models are it if you’ve got a low-volume foot and a narrow heel, because it’s just hard to get it locked in, despite having all these cool dials and things like that. If you’ve got a more high-volume foot that takes up a lot of space and you’re into Altras and Topos and that style, these might actually work even better because you can get a little bit more dialed-in fit in these than some of those types of shoes. Plus, you’re not fighting a zero-drop, this being at a 5-millimeter drop.
So overall, lots of cool stuff on this shoe. It’s comfortable. Does really great on that less technical terrain, longer distance. Seems to be holding up really well. The insole is super thick. The midsole is really comfortable. It grips well. There are all kinds of fun customizations. Like you can add a carbon plate. You can pop holes out of this to let the shoe drain. There’s a lot of technology and a lot of ideas thrown in here, which I think is just fun for the industry in general. Bonus that it’s PDX colors, and I live in Portland.
Any questions, comments, place those below this video. Thanks for watching. We’ll catch you next time.
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From the outside, it may seem like ultrarunning is an individual sport, but anyone who has ever had someone crew them at a race — or has been part of a crew — knows it is actually a team sport.
“Crewing” is a new film following professional runners and partners Martina Valmassoi and Dakota Jones as they swap roles between racing and then crewing for each other this past summer. It highlights just how important crews can be and offers sage advice for being a good crew member. The added fun of this film comes from the fact that Valmassoi and Jones are lighthearted, fun, and clearly able to enjoy their racing and their time with each other.
[Editor’s Note:Click here to watch the film on YouTube.]
Both sponsored runners who live together in the Dolomites of Italy, the pair shares insights into what it is like to crew and support each other, first as Valmassoi tackles the Lavaredo Ultra Trail, her hometown race, as Jones crews, and then as Jones runs the Val d’Aran 100k in the Pyrenees, as Valmassoi crews. As the two race and crew, the film walks us through eight “golden rules” of crewing, including those that anyone who has crewed can well relate to, like “survive the wait.” The cinematography keeps it personal and real while capturing the often hectic nature of crewing at big races.
Jones, originally from the U.S., is no stranger to ultrarunning and broke onto the scene at the very young age of 17. Throughout the film, he offers words of wisdom on how to manage your mood when things go sideways in a race — both as a racer and crew member. He’s more than happy to talk about how running mirrors life.
Dakota Jones and Martina Valmassoi plan their crewing strategy ahead of the races. All photos are screenshots from the film “Crewing.”
Meanwhile, Valmassoi, originally from Pieve di Cadore, Italy, and an accomplished runner and ski mountaineer, gets playfully exasperated when he’s not listening to her. The interactions between Jones and Valmassoi are endearing and familiar. The two never seem to take themselves or life too seriously. Their vibe is refreshing, and they feel approachable and grounded. Maybe as the biggest lesson they can teach through this film, they tackle their less-than-ideal races with grace and stoicism.
Much of the humor arrives in the preparation. As all good crew and runner combos do, they review their gear and plans for the race ahead. “My goal is 80, 90 grams of carbs an hour without shitting my pants,” states Valmassoi. Jones doesn’t bat an eyelash. This moment bridges the gap between the elite and average ultrarunner. Aren’t we all just out there trying not to soil our pants?
Similarly, you can see the excitement and nerves in Jones’ eyes as Valmassoi heads off into the night at the start of the race. When Valmassoi’s race doesn’t go as planned, they move on, following another one of their golden rules: “respect red flags.”
Talking through the plan before Valmassoi heads out on the Lavaredo Ultra Trail.
When it’s Jones’ turn to race, he says, “I think racing is just trusting in yourself, no matter what you are doing, whether you are racing well or poorly.” While neither of their races goes as hoped, the quirky and candid moments between the pair and their perspective and silliness provide the example of what it means to show up — or in this case, to crew — for your people.
Their final golden rule might be the most important of all: “celebrate together.”
Valmassoi celebrates getting pizza between races.
Call for Comments
Do you have a favorite crewing experience?
Do you swap crewing and racing duties with your friends?
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David Goggins has once again tested the limits of endurance, and passed. The 50-year-old ultrarunner, author, and former Navy SEAL finished the 2025 Moab 240 Endurance Run early Monday morning in around 3 days and 13 hours, placing 22nd overall after 240 miles through Utah’s desert canyons and mountains. It’s his second 200-plus-mile race in … Read more
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NORMAN, OK — The 2025 Run for Your Life 5K, part of the popular Zombie Run series, is turning heads this Halloween season with a medal that offers not one, but two surprises — it changes color under sunlight and glows in the dark.
Designed and produced by X T-shirt, the medal captures the event’s spooky spirit from dawn to dusk. In daylight, the jack-o’-lantern design transforms from pale white to a deep pumpkin orange under UV light. When night falls, the eerie green glow brings the haunted theme alive — perfectly matching the race’s chilling, playful energy.
“We wanted to create something that evolves with the race — from the starting line in sunlight to the after-dark celebration,” said Ryan Zhu, founder of X T-shirt. “The color-changing and glow effects make this medal more than just a keepsake — it’s a living part of the Halloween experience.”
Every detail, from the bat silhouettes to the haunted-house ribbon, was tailored to echo the Run for Your Life theme. The result is a finisher medal that feels both festive and mysterious — a reward runners will love showing off long after the race.
The Run for Your Life 5K will take place on October 18, 2025, in Norman, Oklahoma, inviting participants to embrace the fun and fright of the season.
X T-shirt creates interactive race apparel and medals, including glow-in-the-dark, color-changing (UV reactive), and sweat-activated (hydrochromic) technologies. Our mission is to transform standard race merchandise into memorable experiences that enhance participation, sponsorship, and community engagement.
Every race is unique. We provide free design services, tailoring shirts and medals to match each event’s theme — from 5K to marathons — ensuring every piece of merchandise feels like part of the story.
Free Samples
We also provide free samples so race directors can see and feel the quality before making decisions. Learn more at MagicRaceShirts.com.
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It’s an ask made on the start line of many trail races: If you see someone in trouble, stop to help.
This year, on the rugged backcountry trails of the 2025 Speedgoat 50k, a group of racers showed that caring for each other came before race results when they happened upon another runner lying motionless on the ground. It’s a nightmare scenario no one wishes to encounter — on or off a race course — but in this case, everyone involved quickly realized that their own races were now of secondary importance and helping the fallen runner was their top priority. One of the runners, Majell Backhausen, applied his wilderness first aid training to check for responsiveness and assess the runner’s possible injuries. After a few long seconds, the injured runner, Scott Klingonsmith, responded by lightly squeezing Backhausen’s hand. While others ran ahead to the next aid station to get help, Backhausen stayed with Klingonsmith, sacrificing any race goals for the day.
While his evacuation was slow, Klingonsmith was eventually able to walk out, assisted by the race’s medical crew. The stories from that day provide hope that when things get serious, people are more than willing to put their personal goals aside in order to help others.
Majell Backhausen, a man of the mountains, used his wilderness first aid training to help a hurt runner, sacrificing his own race ambitions at the 2025 Speedgoat 50k. Photo courtesy of Majell Backhausen.
A Fall on the Speedgoat 50k Trails
The Speedgoat 50k takes place in Utah’s Wasatch Mountains in late July. Over two days, the event hosts three races that start and finish at Snowbird in Little Cottonwood Canyon, approximately 30 miles from downtown Salt Lake City. Sunday’s 50k premier event, which was started in 2008 by ultrarunning legend Karl Meltzer, is known for its more than 11,000 feet of vertical gain over 31 miles and is advertised as the toughest 50k in the U.S.
About 14 miles into the race, Backhausen was descending from Hidden Peak on a rock-strewn trail. “The race was feeling tough on the first climb, but that’s Speedgoat, I guess, and I had found some more rhythm descending a very technical section of the course in its first major downhill,” recalls Backhausen. “Myself and a number of other runners were in close proximity descending this section, and the next moment, we just saw Scott lying on the ground, motionless.”
Scott Klingonsmith wrapped in an emergency blanket while Majell Backhausen (orange shirt) manages the situation. Photo courtesy of Scott Klingonsmith.
Backhausen said the group stopped to check on the unconscious runner, and to his relief, Klingonsmith stirred after a few moments. “The second big relief came when he slowly pressed pause on his watch,” Backhausen shared. “Like a true racer.”
Both Backhausen and Klingonsmith are competitive athletes and experienced trail runners. Backhausen is an athlete for the Australia/New Zealand The North Face team and has been trail running and ultrarunning since 2012. He’s completed several 100 milers and notable races such as UTMB, the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships, Marathon des Sables, and the Skyrunning World Championships. Klingonsmith is 20 years old and started running four years ago as a high school cross-country and track athlete and had goals of finishing in the top 10 at Speedgoat. “Before my fall, I was doing well,” said Klingonsmith. “My fueling plan was going perfectly, and I was in a good place as we were about halfway into the race. I was excited to see what my body could rally in the second half of the race.”
The Fall, Rescue, and Priorities
Klingonsmith recalls running downhill fast, trying to make up ground on the runners ahead of him, when he fell: “I was in a good rhythm until my toe snagged on a rock and I fell hard on a rocky part of the trail. My knees took 90% of the weight of my fall as I landed on some sharp rocks I remember falling and closing my eyes after I came to a stop. I was lying down in the middle of the trail. From that point, I don’t remember much except that I started to gain consciousness when Majell came down the trail and had me squeeze his finger. I remember he kept feeding me the Precision gel I was carrying, as well as some of my liquid carbs.”
Unfortunately, the competition came to a halt for both athletes, although Backhausen did eventually go on to finish the race. “As the seconds ticked by and [Scott’s] movement and awareness were slow but evident, it occurred to me that any sort of racing was well and truly finished for the day,” said Backhausen. “I think it was tough for us both to accept, but ultimately, I had to believe the words I told Scott, which were: ‘This is a blip on the radar of life, man; there will be many more opportunities to race and don’t sweat it. There are bigger things in life.’” For the next 40 minutes, Backhausen stayed with Klingonsmith as he slowly recovered and waited for medical attention.
Scott Klingonsmith was eventually able to walk out with assistance from the race medical crew. Photo courtesy of Scott Klingonsmith.
Meanwhile, about a mile and a half down the trail at the American Fork Canyon aid station, Ryan Cooper, part of the event’s operations team with medical training, started organizing a rescue as soon as he received reports of an injured runner. Cooper shared, “It’s a remote area between Snowbird and Midway, and takes two to three hours to get there on a gnarly, boulder-ridden 4×4 road.” He noted, “It’s not a good place to get hurt.”
As Cooper was making his way up the trail with medical supplies, Backhausen and Klingonsmith, wrapped in an emergency blanket and with lacerations on his hands and legs, were slowly walking down. Cooper noted that he showed some signs of shock, but he was coherent and able to walk and talk. The group got Klingonsmith to the aid station, where he rested and hydrated while Cooper cleaned and bandaged his cuts. “He said he was able to hike out,” said Cooper, and Klingonsmith made it to the medical tent at the finish line by the time Backhausen ran the second half of the course and finished the race.
The Selflessness of Trail Runners
Since the incident, Klingonsmith has almost fully recovered. “I had a deep puncture wound on my left knee that required stitches, my right knee was swollen to the size of a grapefruit, but luckily had no internal fracture, my finger was broken, and my hands had a lot of cuts and scrapes,” Klingonsmith shared. Fortunately, he did not sustain a head injury. “Perhaps I had the wind knocked out of me,” he said. He is now running again — mostly pain-free — and he recently returned to racing by taking third at the 2025 Big Cottonwood Classic, a local race.
Backhausen went on to compete at the 2025 TDS in August, part of the UTMB Mont Blanc festival.
Majell Backhausen and Scott Klingonsmith reunite in the medical tent at the end of the 2025 Speedgoat 50k. Photo courtesy of Scott Klingonsmith.
The two runners have kept in touch over social media. “We both got a new Instagram follower out of it, so I guess that is huge success in this sport,” said Backhausen with a laugh. “I’ll be watching his profile for the next race celebration.”
Klingonsmith shared, “I have learned so many lessons from my experience at Speedgoat. The main one being that there are good people out there who are willing to stop what they’re doing and prioritize someone in need over themselves. I’ve learned that the trail running community has some of the most selfless people I’ve ever met. Every runner who ran down that trail as I was lying down in pain was willing to stop and help. Training months and months for a race only to throw it out the window to help a random person who fell, that’s a true act of selflessness and kindness. I experienced an immense amount of gratitude that day, for everyone who was involved.”
Call for Comments
Have you ever encountered an injured runner on the trail who needed help or been in a situation where you needed assistance on the trail?
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