With races cancelled, many trail runners have been attempting Fastest Known Times or FKTs. Remarkably, FKTs have increased fourfold during the pandemic. To set a FKT, trail runners head to fastestknowntime.com, choose a route, and decide which style FKT to attempt: supported, self-supported or unsupported. Athletes are further divided into gender category: male, female or... Continue Reading →
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What I’m Listening to This Week
I like podcasts. This is my weekly(ish) thank you to those creating great podcasts about female endurance athletes for me — and you — to enjoy. "Panda Power - Amanda Nauman" // Girls Gone Gravel (June 9, 2020) A fantastic interview with pro gravel cyclist and two-time Dirty K*** winner Amanda Nauman about virtual rides... Continue Reading →
GRETCHEN KARSTENS: Kind of a Tough Runner
This is the story of my friend Gretchen Karsten's first 100 mile trail race: the Superior 100 mile in Northern Minnesota. Gretchen is a pediatrician, a mom of two girls, and, despite what she says in this interview, very much a runner. Prior to the Superior 100, she had run several road marathons, several 50k's... Continue Reading →
HANNA DERBY: From Adrenaline Junkie to Second Place at her First Endurance Mountain Bike Race
Hanna Derby is an outdoor enthusiast with a hunger for adventure. She is a competitive mountain biker who competes in a variety of disciplines, including downhill, enduro, cross country and now endurance. She’ll often compete in multiple types of events in a single weekend. In 2019, Hanna won 14 out of the 16 mountain bike... Continue Reading →
ESTABLISHING A SUPERIOR HIKING TRAIL FKT: With Western States Cancelled, Brittany Peterson and Cody Lind Set Their Sites on a New Goal
Brittany Peterson and Cody Lind had been hoping to race Western States this coming weekend. Brittany earned herself a Western States spot with an impressive second place finish at last year’s race. Brittany’s boyfriend Cody — fresh off a win at The Coastal Challenge — was planning to run a Golden Ticket Race to see... Continue Reading →
TAMMI BRAUND: Running is my Escape
Tammi Braund is a trail runner, a cross country coach and a mother of six. Last year, Tammi ran the Voyageur 50 mile a mere five days after her oldest daughter Jordan was in a serious car accident. Jordan's accident caused her to ultimately lose both her legs. After last year's Voyageur 50 mile, I... Continue Reading →
APRIL ANSELMO: Competing with my Pre-Baby Self
April Anselmo has been one of the top trail runners in the Midwest since she started trail running in 2007. In 2013 in particular, April was the woman to beat. She won all the Midwest trail running races that year, including the Superior 100 mile, Zumbro 100 mile, Wild Duluth 100k, Voyageur 50 mile, Surf... Continue Reading →
What I’m Listening to This Week
I like podcasts. Here are some of the best podcasts I've listened to recently about women in endurance sports. "The Representation Cycling Needs Now: How Black Girls Do Bike is Changing Cycling" // Better with Bikes (July 3, 2019) I was energized and moved by this podcast. I first listed to this podcast last summer,... Continue Reading →
How Sandy Marshall Learned to Mountain Bike and Completed the Hardest Race in the Country — in 14 Months
Sandy Marshall was the tenth and final female finisher at the Marji Gesick 100 this past fall. I have got to highlight how impressive it is to finish this race. The Marji Gesick 100 is extremely technical and has a stringent time cutoff. The most remarkable thing about Sandy's finish is that she started mountain... Continue Reading →
How Alex Elizabeth Established a Female “Fastest Known Time” or “FKT” on the Superior Hiking Trail
On October 21st, 2019, Alex Elizabeth set out with the goal of running all 310 miles of the Superior Hiking Trail in a single push. While most thru-hikers complete the trail in two to four weeks, Alex’s goal was to complete the trail in less than 6 days and 8 hours. If she did so,... Continue Reading →