Monthly Archives: August 2015

Here is the first thing I learn about the towns that line Europe’s famed Tour du Mont Blanc route: cavort about all you’d like in your short shorts, spandex, compression socks, and trekking-pole-flanked running pack, and it’s unlikely anyone will even raise an eyebrow. After all, you—my trail-running friend—will be in good company. Three weeks   Continue Reading →

In 1976, just two years into the now long and storied history of Sierre-Zinal, five members of a family took part in the new mountain race that was one of Europe’s first. The youngest, Daniel, needed cajoling to cross the finish—his mom Trudi promised there would be a medal awaiting him, and a chance to   Continue Reading →

This past Sunday was the 42nd running of Sierre-Zinal. The race is both legendary and, often, a true epic. Here’s why. For more than four decades, there have been famously tough competitors present—many of the world’s strongest mountain runners put Sierre-Zinal first in their summer plans. Second, the course includes a sharp, steep climb, an alpine traverse, and finally a   Continue Reading →

In the world of trail running, the vertical kilometer has quickly developed a well-deserved reputation for being as challenging as it is short. “Thirty-seven minutes in the pain cave,” as US mountain runner Max King rightfully concluded, after last month’s Chamonix’s Vertical Kilometer, or “VK.” Climbing 1,000 meters in 5 kilometers or less (and often   Continue Reading →