iRunFar

[Editor’s Note: This article discusses the topic of suicide. We ask those sensitive to the issue to proceed gently.] It was just over a month ago that the world lost Megan Kimmel, a mountain runner, entrepreneur, bodyworker, family member, friend, and dog mom. Earlier this week, we remembered her in front of the glorious Sneffels Range at her celebration of life outside of her home in Ridgway, Colorado. Friends gather at Megan Kimmel’s celebration of life. Photo courtesy of Zach Miller.

[Editor’s Note: This article was written by guest columnist Clare Gunton.] After weeks of uncertainty caused by the Willow Fire outside of Leadville, Colorado, entrants and supporters of the 2026 Leadville Race Series, including the Leadville 100 Mile, scheduled for August 22, received welcome news when organizers announced that, barring any significant changes in fire conditions or air quality, the remainder of the race season is expected to continue as planned.

The Mount to Coast T1. All photos: iRunFar/Bryon Powell When it comes to a shoe that can excel on a variety of terrains, the Mount to Coast T1 ($180) has an exceptional combination of a durable upper with a comfortable toebox, a LightCELL midsole with a 4-millimeter drop and 36-millimeter stack height under the heel, and a Vibram Megagrip outsole for exceptional traction with Litebase technology for a lower weight.

For nearly two decades, KIPRUN has been gaining fans as the dedicated, in-house running line of French sporting goods retailer Decathlon. The farther you live from France, however, the less likely you are to have heard of the brand named for the frequent marathon cheer to “Keep Running.” The KIPRUN KIPSUMMIT MAX, one of the brand’s trail running shoes.

[Editor’s Note: This article was written by guest columnist Clare Gunton.] François D’Haene (France) is once again the men’s supported fastest known time holder on Corsica’s GR20 trail. On July 9, 2026, he reclaimed the record with a time of 29 hours, 46 minutes, and 20 seconds, improving on the time set in 2021 by France’s Lambert Santelli by just over 40 minutes. Prior to Santelli, D’Haene had held the fastest known time (FKT) on the route since 2016 with a time of 31 hours and 6 minutes.

This morning, I went for a run. Every hill I went up, I came back down. Every step I ran forward, I retraced. I made no material progress in terms of arriving someplace new. I started at my doorstep and I finished there, too. Sabrina Little out for a run. Photo courtesy of Sabrina Little. Runners are like boomerangs. We toss ourselves into the world, only to return to the exact same place where we started — a little bit sweatier for our efforts. We are like homing pigeons of the sporting world.

Trail running and ultrarunning — we all love these sports! We pile on the miles, explore beautiful trails, and charge up and down mountains — and have a blast doing it. To keep the good times rolling, one of the smartest things we can do is take excellent care of where our bodies meet the trail: our feet. Taking care of ankles and feet is critical for healthy and fast running.

Colorado’s Hardrock 100, Switzerland’s Trail Verbier St. Bernard, and Idaho’s Beaverhead Endurance Runs were among the weekend’s big mountain runs. You can also check out our race coverage from the weekend: 2026 Hardrock 100 Results: Ludo Pommeret and Courtney Dauwalter Set Records Hardrock 100 – Silverton, Colorado Men For the third year in a row, Ludovic Pommeret (France) won the “wild and tough” run through the San Juan Mountains.

Making her debut at the event, Careth Arnold ran to an impressively gritty second-place finish at the 2026 Hardrock 100. In the following interview, Careth talks about how Hardrock differs from other mountainous races she has excelled at, the challenges of breathing at high altitude and in smoky air, and what she would do differently if she gets the opportunity to run again. Read our 2026 Hardrock 100 results article for the full play-by-play on this year’s race.

His first time at the event, Jimmy Elam ran a brave race to finish second at the 2026 Hardrock 100. In the following interview, Jimmy talks about his all-in racing mentality, how he navigated such a challenging course on his first attempt, and how this podium finish at Hardrock compares to his other impressive race results. Read our 2026 Hardrock 100 results article for the full play-by-play on this year’s race.