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Race the Western States 100: Sierra Nevada Trail Running Guide
How to run the iconic 100-mile Western States course — Olympic Valley to Auburn — in training segments, the practical permits, the lodging logistics, and the heat training that race day requires.
By ZealZag Team
Western States 100 2026: Race Week Begins in the Sierra Nevada
The 53rd Western States Endurance Run is one week away — 100.2 miles from Olympic Valley to Auburn, the original 100-mile trail race. Here is what the 2026 field, the trail, and the week look like.
By ZealZag Team
Race the Mont-Blanc Marathon Route: Chamonix Trail Running Guide
How to train, run, and experience the trails that host the Marathon du Mont-Blanc — Brévent, Flégère, Posettes, and the high Chamonix balcons that define alpine racing in Europe.
By ZealZag Team
Marathon du Mont-Blanc 2026: Chamonix Welcomes the World's Best Trail Runners
The Marathon du Mont-Blanc returns to Chamonix June 25-28 — 90K, marathon, 23K, KMV and Cross — a UTMB World Series cornerstone that gathers the best of mountain running beneath Europe's highest peak.
By ZealZag TeamFlying to Your Ultra: Kit Compliance, Drop Bags, and What Overseas Race Registration Actually Looks Like
The running in an ultra is the part you're most prepared for. The administrative layer — mandatory kit compliance, medical documentation, drop bag logistics, overseas registration, and jet lag before a 5am start — is where first-timers lose hours and sleep. Here is what it actually looks like.
By ZealZag TeamTrail 100 Andorra UTMB: The Ultra 105K Steps Into the High Pyrenees
The Ultra 105K — the flagship distance of the Trail 100 Andorra by UTMB — started today from Ordino with 105 kilometres and 6,900 metres of elevation ahead of each athlete. Rod Farvard, Thibaut Marguet, and Martina Valmassoi lead the seedings into Andorra's most demanding single-effort mountain race.
By ZealZag TeamZermatt for Trail Runners: Cable Cars to 3,883m and the Trails That Use Them
Zermatt sits at 1,620m in the Mattertal with the Matterhorn at 4,478m above it and cable cars climbing to 3,883m. The village is car-free, the trail network covers 400-plus kilometres, and the Matterhorn Ultraks skyrunning race fills the high terrain every July. What that actually means for a trail runner planning a trip.
By ZealZag TeamTraining for Your First 24-Hour Adventure Race: What the Disciplines Actually Demand
A 24-hour adventure race combines trail running, mountain biking, paddling, and rope work into a single overnight team event navigated by map and compass. The fitness requirement is real but rarely the limiting factor. Navigation errors, sleep management, and team communication usually determine the result — and all three are trainable.
By ZealZag TeamTrail 100 Andorra by UTMB: The Complete Running Guide to the Pyrenean Principality
How to run the Andorra UTMB — four distances, three major summits, and 2,942 metres of altitude in the world's highest-average-elevation principality. A guide to the courses, the logistics, and why Andorra is one of the UTMB World Series' most underrated venues.
By ZealZag TeamTrail 100 Andorra UTMB 2026: Trail 80K Climbs Andorra's Highest Peaks
The Trail 100 Andorra by UTMB Trail 80K launched from Ordino at dawn on June 12 — 79km and 3,900m of Pyrenean climbing across the principality's three major summits, with 3,800 athletes competing across four distances this weekend.
By ZealZag TeamRunning Oslo: Nordmarka, Bislett, and the Home of Scandinavian Athletics
Oslo has a track with a world-record history, a 2,700-square-kilometre forest starting inside the city limits, a September marathon, and a running culture so embedded in the national fabric that a rest day from training is regarded with mild suspicion. A practical guide for destination runners visiting Bislett Games week and beyond.
By ZealZag Team
Race the Route: Running Trail 100 Andorra's 105K Pyrenean Circuit
Trail 100 Andorra by UTMB sends 105K runners through every parish of a micro-nation built from mountains. A practical guide to the Ultra 105K course, logistics, gear, and what makes the Andorran Pyrenees worth the journey.
By ZealZag TeamTrail 100 Andorra by UTMB 2026: 6,900m Into the Pyrenean Roof
Four days before the Ultra 105K gun goes off at Ordino, Trail 100 Andorra by UTMB is already generating the quiet intensity of a race that knows exactly what it is: 105 kilometres and 6,900 metres through the highest country in the Pyrenees.
By ZealZag TeamFrom the Pitch to the Trail: A Trail Running Off-Season for Soccer Players
Trail running rebuilds the ankle stability, single-leg control, and aerobic base that a competitive soccer season erodes. A 4-week off-season program for footballers — what trail running trains, why it works, and where to do it.
By ZealZag Team
Race the Route: Running Transvulcania La Palma's Volcanic Ultra
Transvulcania's 73km volcanic ultra on La Palma is one of the world's great trail running experiences. Our complete guide covers the route section by section, gear for lava terrain, flights to SPC, local food, and training advice.
By ZealZag Team
Transvulcania 2026: Sinclair and L'Hirondel Shatter Records on La Palma
David Sinclair wins Transvulcania 2026 in 6:32:24 — a 19-minute course record — while Blandine L'Hirondel breaks the women's mark by 22 minutes. All six race formats set new records on a historic day in the Canary Islands.
By ZealZag Team
More Than Kilometres: Antonio Jaén and Twenty-Four Years on the Mountains of Cehegín
Twenty-four years after his first run, Antonio Jaén still wakes before sunrise with the same excitement to meet the mountain. A portrait from the Sierras del Noroeste of Murcia.
By ZealZag Team
Running Western States 100: The Sierra Nevada to Auburn Trail Guide
Olympic Valley to Auburn: 100.2 miles, 18,000 ft of climb, 23,000 ft of descent through the Sierra Nevada. Everything an endurance athlete needs to know before attempting the Western States 100 course.
By ZealZag Team
Western States 100 2026: Deepest Elite Field in Race History Set for June 27
Jim Walmsley ends his Western States sabbatical. Kilian Jornet returns to avenge 2025's near-miss. Courtney Dauwalter defends her course record. The 2026 Western States 100 elite start list is the most stacked in the race's history.
By ZealZag TeamRace-Week Taper for 50K+ Ultras: What the Data Actually Says About Volume Cuts
The marathon taper literature is extensive. The ultra-distance taper literature is much thinner — and the lessons that transfer from marathon work do not all transfer cleanly to 50K and longer. Here's what the available evidence actually supports for ultra-distance race-week preparation.
By ZealZag TeamFirst Hydration Pack: Vest Fit, Bladder vs Flask, and Why Most Runners Over-Buy
The hydration vest you actually need is rarely the one runners buy first. Capacity, fit, and the bladder-vs-flask choice all interact in ways that matter once you're out for 4+ hours — and the wrong choice produces back chafe, sloshing weight, and a vest that lives in a cupboard. Here's the framework.
By ZealZag TeamTrail Running Shoe Rotation: Why Two Pairs Outperform One
Most trail runners buy one shoe and run everything in it. Rotating two pairs with different geometry isn't a gear upsell — it produces measurable changes in foot tissue load, mileage durability per pair, and injury rate over a season. Here's how to set up a simple two-shoe rotation.
By ZealZag TeamFrom Endurance Athlete to Alpinist: The Skills Gap and How to Bridge It
Trail runners and cyclists who arrive at a glaciated peak with strong aerobic engines and no idea how to put on crampons are a recognizable type in alpine guiding. The cardio is genuine and useful. The technical deficit is a specific, fixable problem — but no amount of fitness substitutes for it.
By ZealZag TeamChamonix for Trail Runners: The UTMB Corridor and What the Trails Actually Ask
Chamonix sits at 1,035 metres in the Arve Valley, hemmed in by the biggest peaks in the Western Alps. Trail running here operates on three distinct altitude bands, from accessible afternoon runs at 2,000m to technical high-altitude routes that ask for more than aerobic fitness.
By ZealZag Team