Community Trail Running

Hans Kristian Smedsrød Engdahl wanted to tell this story and managed to find a way to do so within his own means and on his own time. He loved that athletes were training in his hometown and how amazing both the terrain and the runners were. It was a passion project that people are loving, and Hans is thrilled that it’s out there.Help me get to 2000 subscribers and sign up today!Film Description:Unpacking the secret training method of the mountain endurance athletes in Romsdal, Norway, and their journey to succeed at the iconic 100 mile foot race Western States Endurance Run 2024.The Last Episode:Trail Running Film Festival:Shirts for sale:I’m so excited and grateful to get Community Trail Running shirts for sale on the Spry website! Spry is located in Crowsnest Pass, Alberta. It’s an awesome retail shop that caters really well to trail runners. I work in the back for the distribution company “Rock Gear Distribution”. So this is a really cool partnership, and I’m so excited for it. Grab your shirt here!Listen where you listen:Spotify: Click HereApple Podcasts: Click HereMusic by Paolo Argentino from PixabayWe’re on the journey to 2,000 subscribers. Please help us get there!If you enjoy this podcast, I would really appreciate it if you could like, share, subscribe, or comment! I’m trying to make this the best trail running podcast it can be, and I certainly appreciate your time. Thank you all and happy trails :) Get full access to Community Trail Running at communitytrailrunning.substack.com/subscribe

Carrie Highman is so passionate about telling stories that she and her partner, Tim, live the “van life” so that they can be mobile enough to tell them all the time. When the chance came to work with Stephanie Case and Sophie Grant, they were all over it. An emotional journey followed and Carrie is proud of the offering they’ve put out together. It’s part of the online film selection and I hope you enjoy hearing about it as much as I did!Film Description:Off Course is an intimate documentary about ambition, uncertainty, and the unpredictability of trying to create a family while living at the edge of human endurance.The film follows two elite ultrarunners, Stephanie Case and Sophie Grant, who are deeply familiar with risk, suffering and control.In the mountains, effort leads to outcome; preparation leads to progress. But when their lives take an unexpected turn, they are confronted with a journey where timelines collapse, certainty disappears and no amount of discipline can guarantee an outcome.Set against the extremes of endurance sport, the film takes viewers through the highs and lows of iconic races such as the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc, the Hardrock Hundred and Tor des Geants, while exploring moments of vulnerability off the trail that are rarely seen or spoken about. Off Course is a powerful reflection on letting go of control, redefining success, and learning to endure when the path forward is anything but clear.Shirts for sale:I’m so excited and grateful to get Community Trail Running shirts for sale on the Spry website! Spry is located in Crowsnest Pass, Alberta. It’s an awesome retail shop that caters really well to trail runners. I work in the back for the distribution company “Rock Gear Distribution”. So this is a really cool partnership, and I’m so excited for it. Grab your shirt here!Trail Running Film Festival:The Last Episode:Crossing Lines:The Long Run:Listen where you listen:Spotify: Click HereApple Podcasts: Click HereMusic by Paolo Argentino from PixabayWe’re on the journey to 2,000 subscribers. Please help us get there!If you enjoy this podcast, I would really appreciate it if you could like, share, subscribe, or comment! I’m trying to make this the best trail running podcast it can be, and I certainly appreciate your time. Thank you all and happy trails :) Get full access to Community Trail Running at communitytrailrunning.substack.com/subscribe

Allie Mac had long thought about this project, but it took a while for all of the pieces to come togheter. Max Haimowitz was the right filmmaker for the job, and they teamed up to make the project as they envisioned. It was fun hearing about how it came to be and some of the pressure that came with creating it. I hope you enjoy the chat as much as I did!Film Description:Allie races herself up and down the iconic Tombstone formation in Moab, UT. One version of Allie runs the full ascent and descent, relying on endurance. The other sprints up and BASE jumps off. Through clever camera trickery, we see Ultra Runner Allie vs. BASE Jumper Allie…which is faster? This short film captures the duality of ascent and descent, showcasing human power vs. gravity. The clock doesn’t lie, who will win?Shirts for sale:I’m so excited and grateful to get Community Trail Running shirts for sale on the Spry website! Spry is located in Crowsnest Pass, Alberta. It’s an awesome retail shop that caters really well to trail runners. I work in the back for the distribution company “Rock Gear Distribution”. So this is a really cool partnership, and I’m so excited for it. Grab your shirt here!The Last Episode:Crossing Lines:The Miller Minutes:Trail Running Film Festival:Listen where you listen:Spotify: Click HereApple Podcasts: Click HereMusic by Paolo Argentino from PixabayWe’re on the journey to 2,000 subscribers. Please help us get there!If you enjoy this podcast, I would really appreciate it if you could like, share, subscribe, or comment! I’m trying to make this the best trail running podcast it can be, and I certainly appreciate your time. Thank you all and happy trails :) Get full access to Community Trail Running at communitytrailrunning.substack.com/subscribe

Edisa Zorilla kept showing up at her local Protect Our Winters meetings and events so often that they asked her to be involved. Her passion for the outdoors and sharing those spaces made her a perfect fit for the organization. She loves that she can be involved with her community and make a difference in the city of Edmonton. Making a difference at home and finding ways to preserve our awesome outdoor spaces keeps Edisa working hard with POW, and I loved hearing all about why she is involved. Protect our Winter's will be at the Edmonton Trail Running Film Festival! Come see us all on Thursday May 14 😁I hope you enjoy the show as much as I did. Edisa was a great guest, and it was awesome to hear about why she wants to make a difference. Check out the POW event coming up this weekend!The Last Episode:Tickets to our screenings:Crossing Lines:Listen where you listen:Spotify: Click HereApple Podcasts: Click HereMusic by Paolo Argentino from PixabayWe’re on the journey to 2,000 subscribers. Please help us get there!If you enjoy this podcast, I would really appreciate it if you could like, share, subscribe, or comment! I’m trying to make this the best trail running podcast it can be, and I certainly appreciate your time. Thank you all and happy trails :) Get full access to Community Trail Running at communitytrailrunning.substack.com/subscribe

Patrick O’ Leary tried to get into the Dipsea many times, and once he finally did, his love only grew. The chance to make the race more diverse and showcase where the sport wants to go was one that he leaped at. It was great hearing about his motivation for the story and some of the challenges they faced along the way. It was great chatting with another passionate creator and film festival entrant!Film Description:Trail running is disappointingly homogenous, yet the Bay Area is home to a diverse population and some of the best trails in the US. This film follows five young runners from across the Bay Area as they take on the oldest, and perhaps the most unique, trail race in the US, the iconic Dipsea race. Its unique handicap start makes it ripe for improving access to the sport.Our screenings:The Last Episode:Listen where you listen:Spotify: Click HereApple Podcasts: Click HereMusic by Paolo Argentino from PixabayWe’re on the journey to 2,000 subscribers. Please help us get there!If you enjoy this podcast, I would really appreciate it if you could like, share, subscribe, or comment! I’m trying to make this the best trail running podcast it can be, and I certainly appreciate your time. Thank you all and happy trails :) Get full access to Community Trail Running at communitytrailrunning.substack.com/subscribe

Billy Barraclough has a deep connection with fell running and so he wanted to tell the story in a specific way. Everything came together for him with the production of “Fellsman,” and now he gets to tell the story that honours the style of running and the region that mean so much to him. It was great hearing about why he wanted to tell this story, and I’m excited to share it today!Film Description:‘Fellsman’ is a portrait of young fell runner Sonny Ashton-Fitch. The project follows Sonny during the spring season as he trains for the annual Three Peaks Fell Race. The work is an exploration of Sonny’s relationship with the fells that surround him, the landscape that unfurls under foot and the animals he passes. The film reflects on what it means to be a Yorkshireman, how it feels to push your body to its limit and the freedom that comes with an ability to run all over the Dales.From a small village at the base of the North Yorkshire Dales, Sonny has grown up with the fells in his back garden. Ingleborough, Pen-y-Ghent and Whernside stand tall above the rest, and since the age of 12 Sonny has spent any spare time running their steep untamed contours. An unusual fell runner at 6 foot 6, Sonny is a talented athlete who pushes his rangy frame to its limit up the fells and let his legs go loose on technical descents – picking up a speed propelled by gravity that relies on confidence of stable footing.Defined by the steepness of the mountains that are ascended, fell running is a quintessentially amateur British sport that exists in the humblest scale across Northern England.Our screenings:The Last Episode:The Long Run:Listen where you listen:Spotify: Click HereApple Podcasts: Click HereMusic by Paolo Argentino from PixabayWe’re on the journey to 2,000 subscribers. Please help us get there!If you enjoy this podcast, I would really appreciate it if you could like, share, subscribe, or comment! I’m trying to make this the best trail running podcast it can be, and I certainly appreciate your time. Thank you all and happy trails :) Get full access to Community Trail Running at communitytrailrunning.substack.com/subscribe

Milo wants to make sure we link to Born to Adapt, so that’s where we start, and I’m pumped to share our conversation about his film festival entry, We Belong. Milo was a part of the festival in 2023, so it was exciting for me to see him involved once again. I enjoy his insightful thoughts on what made the project exciting for him and why he wanted to tell the story.It’s gonna be another great year of films at the festival! Film Description:Featuring On Running para athlete Zach Friedley and 2x paralympian Dani Aravich, this film tracks the rise of para-athletes in the mountains as trail running races update their policies. The story focuses on Jahir, an Ecuadorian runner born with one leg, as he targets the UTMB OCC race. Through his eyes and with insights from UTMB race organizer, we witness the evolution of trail running and the vital importance of representation on the course.Trail Running Film Festival Screenings:The Last Episode:Crossing Lines:Listen where you listen:Spotify: Click HereApple Podcasts: Click HereMusic by Paolo Argentino from PixabayWe’re on the journey to 2,000 subscribers. Please help us get there!If you enjoy this podcast, I would really appreciate it if you could like, share, subscribe, or comment! I’m trying to make this the best trail running podcast it can be, and I certainly appreciate your time. Thank you all and happy trails :) Get full access to Community Trail Running at communitytrailrunning.substack.com/subscribe

Dick’s is a burger joint in Seattle. One of those IYKYK burger chains, and the thought of running a marathon between their 5 locations while consuming something at each one is daunting. Dylan tells us why he wanted to tell this story and how it came together. It’s a silly run, but comes from a deep place of meaning, and it was great to hear more about the project.Film Description:26.3 Miles. 5 Dick’s. 5 Meals. 1 wild tradition to honor a friend, and give back to the outdoors. Learn about Seattle’s most unique marathon, and the touching story behind it.Screenings:The Last Episode:The Miller Minutes:Listen where you listen:Spotify: Click HereApple Podcasts: Click HereMusic by Paolo Argentino from PixabayWe’re on the journey to 2,000 subscribers. Please help us get there!If you enjoy this podcast, I would really appreciate it if you could like, share, subscribe, or comment! I’m trying to make this the best trail running podcast it can be, and I certainly appreciate your time. Thank you all and happy trails :) Get full access to Community Trail Running at communitytrailrunning.substack.com/subscribe

It’s film fest week on the podcast. I’m always excited to chat with the filmmakers behind the stories we feature during the Trail Running Film Festival. This is a pleasure for me as I get to get excited for festival season and spread the word about what these great creations are all about! We’re starting with “Becky Bates, Not a Running Story”. Scot Proudfoot and Lukas Neemeth joined me and it was great hearing all about it!Film Description:Becky Bates entered the world of ultra running at the age of 50. Famously claiming to not be a runner, in reality, she’s one of the best in her class. We follow Becky as she trains for her 3rd Hardrock 100 at the age of 62.I hope you will enjoy the conversation as much as I did and come back tomorrow for the next interview!Screenings:The Last Episode:Listen where you listen:Spotify: Click HereApple Podcasts: Click HereMusic by Paolo Argentino from PixabayWe’re on the journey to 2,000 subscribers. Please help us get there!If you enjoy this podcast, I would really appreciate it if you could like, share, subscribe, or comment! I’m trying to make this the best trail running podcast it can be, and I certainly appreciate your time. Thank you all and happy trails :) Get full access to Community Trail Running at communitytrailrunning.substack.com/subscribe

Yannick Vézina is the host of Pas Sorti du Bois, the Canadian Podcast Awards winner of Outstanding Francophone Series, and he joined me to chat all about himself and his show. It was so awesome hearing about his love for the trails and how much he enjoys his show and the community. I really love that his show and ours both won awards, as I think it shows what great shape our sport is in here in Canada. After speaking with Yannick, it’s obvious how much he loves this space!I hope you enjoy the chat as much as I did. I’m so excited and proud to be a part of this great community, and it’s because of folks like Yannick!The Miller MinutesPumped to be back with Andrew again, as we work towards Fat Dog 120. This month, we catch up on how February went, how March is looking, and why I need to run a 100k event in June. I love working on The Miller Minutes with Andrew!The Last EpisodeThe Trail Running Film FestivalNext week on the showAs the official media partner of the Trail Running Film Festival, we are incredibly excited to feature the filmmakers here on Community Trail Running, and we will start that next week!! Monday, March 9 - Friday, March 13, you can expect an episode every day. We will get you excited and ready for the coming festival season. We can’t wait!Listen where you listenSpotify: Click HereApple Podcasts: Click HereMusic by Paolo Argentino from PixabayWe’re on the journey to 2,000 subscribers. Please help us get there!If you enjoy this podcast, I would really appreciate it if you could like, share, subscribe, or comment! I’m trying to make this the best trail running podcast it can be, and I certainly appreciate your time. Thank you all and happy trails :) Get full access to Community Trail Running at communitytrailrunning.substack.com/subscribe

Fred Jeffery is always outside. It’s a huge part of his life, and so the opportunity to host races and bring the community together is one that he takes very seriously. That’s why he helped start the Hillbilly Hustle and why he gets involved with so many events in his hometown area of Nanaimo, BC. They continue to grow in popularity and Fred is always excited about getting more people out. This event sounds like a great and challenging time. A perfect combo!I hope you enjoy the episode as much as I did. Fred was so fun to chat with. I can’t wait to see him at Fat Dog this year, and I’m thrilled to be sharing a little bit about him and the Hillbilly Hustle!The Last Episode:The Trail Running Film Festival:Listen where you listenSpotify: Click HereApple Podcasts: Click HereMusic by Paolo Argentino from PixabayWe’re on the journey to 2,000 subscribers. Please help us get there!If you enjoy this podcast, I would really appreciate it if you could like, share, subscribe, or comment! I’m trying to make this the best trail running podcast it can be, and I certainly appreciate your time. Thank you all and happy trails :) Get full access to Community Trail Running at communitytrailrunning.substack.com/subscribe

Runner finds trails, runner finds trail running, trail runner finds trail running community, and trail runner wants to grow and give back to the trail running community. The story may be similar, but that doens’t make it any less awesome! For the crew behind North Sun Ultra, the idea was to bring that community together in the city of Edmonton proper. They love that their trail race starts downtown and offers runners a singletrack paradise. Conor Hadley and Hadley Mann are two of the race directors and were kind enough to join me and chat all about the event. They shouted out the awesome job the Edmonton Mountain Bike Alliance does and how grateful they are for all their hard work, and they gave us a great idea of what their event is all about!We’ve got a contest going on our IG page now because the North Sun Ultra folks were kind enough to give us a couple of bibs to give away. So get over there and see if you can win an entry into this great-sounding race! The North Sun Ultra crew will be at the Trail Running Film Festival in May, and we’re super excited for that season as it quickly approaches.The Trail Running Film FestivalThe Last Episode:Listen where you listenSpotify: Click HereApple Podcasts: Click HereMusic by Paolo Argentino from PixabayWe’re on the journey to 2,000 subscribers. Please help us get there!If you enjoy this podcast, I would really appreciate it if you could like, share, subscribe, or comment! I’m trying to make this the best trail running podcast it can be, and I certainly appreciate your time. Thank you all and happy trails :) Get full access to Community Trail Running at communitytrailrunning.substack.com/subscribe

Luke Tuttle loves exploring and sharing about his explorations. He loves the act of finding new places, and he loves the dopamine hit he gets from hitting “publish” on the articles he writes about these amazing places. It’s how he’s ended up with so much content at Ultrarunning Destinations and a book as well. He’s always looking for the next adventure, and he enjoys researching his new run locals as much as he enjoys actually running them. He just wants people to share in the fun!Luke was a great guest, and it was really fun hearing him chat about his passion project. I’m sure you will like this interview as much as I did, and you will be checking out his adventures before you know it!The Last Episode:The Miller Minutes:Trail Running Film Festival:Listen where you listenSpotify: Click HereApple Podcasts: Click HereMusic by Paolo Argentino from PixabayWe’re on the journey to 2,000 subscribers. Please help us get there!If you enjoy this podcast, I would really appreciate it if you could like, share, subscribe, or comment! I’m trying to make this the best trail running podcast it can be, and I certainly appreciate your time. Thank you all and happy trails :) Get full access to Community Trail Running at communitytrailrunning.substack.com/subscribe

I love the way Raziq Rauf writes and so I’m very excited that he is releasing a book this spring! This is Running will be his debut book and it was awesome to hear about it, and get an update on how is Running Sucks publication is going. Raz has a fun and unique perspective which excites me for the book. I’ve even made sure to order an extra copy so I can do a giveaway with our awesome little bookshop here in Crowsnest Pass (Tuesday’s Bookshop). I hope you enjoy the chat as much as I did, and you can learn a bit more about Raz (albeit from a few years ago) on the past episode we did together:The Miller Minutes:The Miller Minutes is back as Andrew and I get ready for Fat Dog 120!The Last Episode:Trail Running Film Festival:Listen where you listenSpotify: Click HereApple Podcasts: Click HereMusic by Paolo Argentino from PixabayWe’re on the journey to 2,000 subscribers. Please help us get there!If you enjoy this podcast, I would really appreciate it if you could like, share, subscribe, or comment! I’m trying to make this the best trail running podcast it can be, and I certainly appreciate your time. Thank you all and happy trails :) Get full access to Community Trail Running at communitytrailrunning.substack.com/subscribe

Rene Unser has been bringing people together on the trails through PACE. She has a great team around her, which has PACE providing coaching and race events in the Kelowna area of BC, Canada. She loves being around her team and she loves sharing her love of trail running with as many people as she can. They currently host 3 races, and they are working on a new high alpine event for 2027. You’re gonna be interested in checking out these events, and I hope you enjoy the conversation with Rene as much as I did. She was insightful and passionate and I hope to check out one of these events soon!The Last Episode:The Trail Running Film Festival:Listen where you listenSpotify: Click HereApple Podcasts: Click HereMusic by Paolo Argentino from PixabayWe’re on the journey to 2,000 subscribers. Please help us get there!If you enjoy this podcast, I would really appreciate it if you could like, share, subscribe, or comment! I’m trying to make this the best trail running podcast it can be, and I certainly appreciate your time. Thank you all and happy trails :) Get full access to Community Trail Running at communitytrailrunning.substack.com/subscribe

Craig Lewis and his wife Michelle, are the folks behind Running Tales. The UK-based publication loves to tell the extraordinary story behind everyday runners. Craig is a passionate person who loves learning more about the people running around him and sharing those stories through their podcast and written articles. It was awesome hearing how Craig and I have very similar stories in a lot of ways, and I’m excited to share our chat today! Craig had me on his show a little while back which was a lot of fun for me:You can see the written article here:The Last Episode:The Trail Running Film Festival:Listen where you listenSpotify: Click HereApple Podcasts: Click HereMusic by Paolo Argentino from PixabayWe’re on the journey to 2,000 subscribers. Please help us get there!If you enjoy this podcast, I would really appreciate it if you could like, share, subscribe, or comment! I’m trying to make this the best trail running podcast it can be, and I certainly appreciate your time. Thank you all and happy trails :) Get full access to Community Trail Running at communitytrailrunning.substack.com/subscribe

Jeff and Warren Dudar are the race directors behind Prairie Sky Running. The brothers started Prairie Sky Running with Beaver Flats 50 (registration opened this morning at 7am for the 10th anniversary!), and now have a second race, Reesor 50. They love the sport and getting people together, and they do so in a lighthearted manner. The races are tough and fun. They look to make memorable experiences and I really enjoyed hearing about how they get there!They are also passionate about growing the sport. They started Prairie Harriers to help youth get into the sport. Prairie Harriers is a cause near and dear to them and it was really awesome to hear the impact they are having on Saskatchewan trail running! The Miller MinutesIt’s back! I’m so excited to be working with Andrew Miller on Fat Dog 120. He’s a great coach to run with, and I’ll be leaning heavily on him to prepare for August 7!Fat Dog 120 Episode:Listen where you listenSpotify: Click HereApple Podcasts: Click HereMusic by Paolo Argentino from PixabayWe’re on the journey to 2,000 subscribers. Please help us get there!If you enjoy this podcast, I would really appreciate it if you could like, share, subscribe, or comment! I’m trying to make this the best trail running podcast it can be, and I certainly appreciate your time. Thank you all and happy trails :) Get full access to Community Trail Running at communitytrailrunning.substack.com/subscribe

Fat Dog 120 is set for August 7-9 in Manning Park, BC, and it will be my first crack at this distance!I’m terrified and excited. A great spot to be.Erik Bird is the Race Director, and his journey to directing this race is a fun one to hear. His passion for the sport and the area drives him, and the race offers a remote and breathtaking ultra-challenge. Erik is proud of all the work Fat Dog does on the area trails, and it’s gonna be amazing getting to explore them. I can’t wait to run it and I am so excited to share this chat!The Miller MinutesIt’s back! I’m so excited to be working with Andrew Miller on Fat Dog. He’s a great coach to run with, and I’ll be leaning heavily on him to prepare for August 7!The Trail Running Film FestivalShout out your favourite shop:We’re running a contest for the film festival where you tell us your favourite run shops, and we give them free tickets to the show!Thank you for the support and downloads. It means a lot! I’m thrilled to grow this project with all of you.Listen where you listenSpotify: Click HereApple Podcasts: Click HereMusic by Paolo Argentino from PixabayWe’re on the journey to 2,000 subscribers. Help us get there!If you enjoy this podcast, I would really appreciate it if you could like, share, subscribe, or comment! I’m trying to make this the best trail running podcast it can be, and I certainly appreciate your time. Thank you all and happy trails :) Get full access to Community Trail Running at communitytrailrunning.substack.com/subscribe

I am so excited to run towards a 100-mile finish in 2026! I am even more excited to be working with Team Run Run coach Andrew Miller once again to do so! He and I worked together while I trained for Moab Run the Rocks this past year, and so I’m really grateful Andrew wants to work with me some more towards my biggest goal ever. Andrew is also running 100-mile races this year, for the first time in a while, so I’m pumped we’re going to be going through similar journies at the same time. We invite you along with us and hope you will find it educational. We received a lot of great feedback from Moab, so I think this 100-mile training story will be a popular one as well! Early Bird Tickets:Shout out your favourite shop:The last episode:Thank you for the support and downloads, it means a lot! I’m thrilled to grow this project with all of you.Listen where you listenSpotify: Click HereApple Podcasts: Click HereMusic by Paolo Argentino from PixabayWe’re on the journey to 2,000 subscribers. Help us get there!If you enjoy this podcast, I would really appreciate it if you could like, share, subscribe, or comment! I’m trying to make this the best trail running podcast it can be, and I certainly appreciate your time. Thank you all and happy trails :) Get full access to Community Trail Running at communitytrailrunning.substack.com/subscribe

Merry Christmas and happy holidays my friends. It’s an exciting day around here, and it’s time for our holiday special episode. The third year! The holiday special is when former guests share their funny trail running stories with all of us, and it’s something I greatly appreciate they take the time to do! This year is a set of fantastic stories that I know you will all enjoy and probably relate to.Big thanks to our guests, here’s who you will hear from:Jeannine Avelino Cory JennermanKirsti & ShepPeter CudmoreJason BahamundiJay TinsleyAmy ReynoldsAllison PowellBig Shout out to Brian Gallant, Shelley Chen, and Craig Lewis for sharing their stories as well!Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your support. We continue to do the thing and see where we end up, and it’s pretty fun doing this all together. Upwards and onwards friends.Sincerely,Adam Lee Get full access to Community Trail Running at communitytrailrunning.substack.com/subscribe