For decades, runners have sought a shoe with the perfect combination of cushion and rebound—that is, plenty of both in a lightweight package. Leave it to The North Face, long a leader in creating the most innovative trail running gear and apparel, to come up with the winning formula for a midsole technology that meets the ever-changing demands of both trail and runner. The secret sauce? The all-new DREAM maximum performance midsole technology, tested and designed in partnership with some of the world’s best-known runners. It’s made using a special process where the proprietary midsole foams a ..read more

No matter what kind of athlete you are—from casual dabbler to elite competitor—you’ve likely experienced the soreness that follows a strenuous workout. In medicalese, it’s called delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), and it usually peaks 48 hours after exercise. It’s a normal consequence of pushing yourself to get stronger or tackling a big goal like riding a century, but that doesn’t make it any more pleasant. It can be especially frustrating when you’re just starting out and push too hard before you build up your fitness. Despite the near-universal experience of DOMS—runners, cyclists, hike ..read more

How your foot interacts with the trail shapes your running performance. A natural foot-to-ground interaction enhances balance and stability, while a diminished connection can result in the opposite. That’s why INOV8 prioritizes a natural feel—so the foot controls the shoe, not the other way around. With four new models in its trail running collection, INOV8 is changing the way trail runners connect with the terrain while also packing its shoes with unmatched grip, comfort, and durability. To learn more about the collection’s design and benefits, we talked to two experts: Luke McConnie, senior ..read more

Emily Hawgood is always running—and not just on some of the most challenging ultramarathon trails in the world (she recently won the Salmon Falls 50K in Pilot Hill, California)—but she’s also always dashing through an airport to catch her next flight or even zipping about her kitchen, whipping up meals between showers, weightlifting, and recovery sessions. As one of the world’s top female ultrarunners, who now lives most of the year in Roseville, California, Hawgood grew up on her family’s farm in rural Beatrice, Zimbabwe, among fields of potatoes, corn (“My family called it mealies,” she say ..read more

At 5:17 A.M. eastern on Wednesday, a bearded, bespeckled man lit a cigarette and a gaggle of people ran past a yellow gate and into the dense woods of Frozen Head State Park in Tennessee. That man is Gary “Lazarus Lake” Cantrell. The gaggle is a collection of some of the most meticulous, perseverant, and hardened ultrarunners in the world. The 2024 Barkley Marathons have begun. There is perhaps no footrace surrounded with more lore, mystery, and intrigue—yet so little information. Barkley is notoriously nearly impossible to finish. For the first 36 years only 15 people had completed it, until ..read more

Switching between pounding the pavement to navigating the trails, or vice versa, is an exciting yet challenging transition for runners. Each type of running offers unique benefits and challenges, requiring mindset, technique, and gear adjustments. Here are five key considerations to ease the transition between road and trail running, helping you make the most of both worlds. RELATED: To Get Faster, Focus on Positives Road Running Vs. Trail Running Shoes One of the first aspects many runners want to address when transitioning between road and trail running is your choice of footwear. Road runn ..read more

I’m not saying I’m good at trail running or ultrarunning; I’m just saying I’ve learned some things in the past nine-ish years of doing it. I’ve put in a few miles and finished a few races—a few 100-milers, a few 100Ks, a few self-supported 50-milers and 100K efforts—and as with anything in life, you hope as you get older and more experienced in something, you get wiser, or at least less dumb. So what are some things I’d tell myself, if I could travel back in time? Here’s a short list. 1. You Pack Your Fears As a longtime backpacker/climber/hiker/backcountry traveler, as well as someone who ..read more

Trail running has a diversity problem. If you’ve taken part in a trail race recently, especially an ultra-distance trail race, you’ve probably noticed that the field is very white. It’s also male-dominated and largely affluent. There are a lot of people who feel like ultrarunning isn’t for them, and that needs to change, according to the Trail Mix Fund. According to a recent study by the Running Industry Diversity Coalition (RIDC), BIPOC runners hold significant concerns regarding trail and road running and racing. These include barriers to access, safety, and inclusion during trail competiti ..read more

“I can’t finish this workout; it is too hard.” “I should have the FKT for that route.” “If I were a faster runner, I would be done with this race.” The sentences above are examples of Automatic Negative Thoughts, or ANTs. These pessimistic or cynical ideas often—consciously or subconsciously—pop into a person’s mind and can feel uncontrollable at times. When running, ANTs can derail a race or workout, and lead to decreased mood or self-esteem. You might think you’re just being hard on yourself, but the repercussions of ANTs are incredibly harmful and difficult to stop. However, there is a way ..read more

Starting a new sport like running offers a special advantage: rapid improvement from the get-go. When you begin running, your body faces a completely new challenge, pushing its physiological systems beyond their usual limits. In response, your body strengthens its systems and tissues, preparing you better for future challenges. This process is an adaptation to training, where stress followed by rest leads to improved fitness. Novice runners often experience a honeymoon phase with a new training program, where adaptations feel quick and easy. However, at some point there comes a moment when th ..read more