Trail Runner

This is a special edition of Managing Editor Abby Levene’s newsletter from October 9, 2026. Every week, she shares her most unfiltered thoughts on the sport and beyond. But it doesn’t usually make it onto the website. It’s a newsletter, after all. To have it delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for her newsletter here. Aloha from the Ironman World Championship in Kona! This morning I was running on Ali’i, the main drag along the water here on Hawai’i’s Big Island, with … Courtney Dauwalter.

What You Need to Know: Sometimes you can’t stop nature from calling, but don’t let the infamous Hyrox incident stop you from getting to the start line. The perfect poop starts with a plan, and believe it or not, it’s far easier on trails than in a convention center. Sarah Wassner Flynn fleshes, or should we say flushes, out the rules for a courteous crap below.

How We Reported This Dan England put his journalistic and ultrarunning chops where his mouth is, consuming a menu item at 10 different Taco Bells over the course of running 50 kilometers. Along the way, he spoke with the Taco Bell 50K race director and dozens of participants to understand the unique allure of this race, which has expanded from a quirky local event to a beloved race format across the country.

To understand why you undertake something as complex and demanding as writing a book, you need to start at the beginning. I started running in the fall of seventh grade as a pimpeled, slightly-overweight, late-blooming pre-teen. Middle school wasn’t a kind place for kids like me, but I found solace in the cross country team. None of us were cool. Or particularly athletic. None of us knew how to dance. Or flirt. Or talk to girls.

About the Author Allie Kolaski, Ph.D., is a licensed counseling psychologist and executive director of Women of the Wasatch, a northern Utah-based women-centered trail running group. The first time I ran a 50K in 2018, my fingers swelled. Maybe from the salt. Maybe because I only learned about electrolytes this spring after eight years of running. All I know is that, at the end, my wedding band felt uncomfortably tight. I didn’t grow up running.

People I Lost My Marriage on the Trails. But I Found Myself When Allie Kolaski started running while pursuing a PhD in psychology, she had no idea it would teach her how big life can get—and how much joy can fit inside of it. October 6, 2026

How We Reported This Story Trail Runner Community Engagement Editor David Gleisner spent 24 hours fastpacking (and successfully not freezing through the night) in the Chiwaukum Mountains of Washington. I watched the stars disappear until there was just one left, directly overhead, a pinprick of white in the pale blue sky. When that last speck disappeared, I knew it was time to get up.

Somehow it’s October, which means we can retire Earth, Wind & Fire’s banger until next year, along with most of our summer running staples. Summer running staples are not what you’ll find here, though. Our team has been busy testing the latest and greatest trail running gear from Chamonix to Chicago, as well as some tried-and-true pieces that never go out of style. Of the dozens of items we tested, here are the six pieces that we deemed worthy of telling you about.

What You Need to Know Journalist Emma Zimmerman met Kae Ravichandran—the first nonbinary champion of the Boston Marathon—while reporting at the All the Above Trail Fest in Western, MA. Ravichandran sheds light on the complicated reality of being a transgender runner for whom the sport is an outlet of joy, freedom, and self-expression, and also judgement, confinement, and grief. When Kae Ravichandran won the 2023 Boston Marathon, no one told her she was a champion.

What You Need to Know Germany’s Katharina Hartmuth won the 2026 Tor des Géants in 67 hours, 10 minutes, and 9 seconds—breaking her own course record by over 13 hours. She also finished third overall and closed the gap to the men’s CR to just 1.8%. She credits the huge leap forward with fearless pacing: “I used to hold back in races, I think I was afraid of failing.