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Showing: trail-running (18 posts)
Race the Route: Running Trail 100 Andorra's 105K Pyrenean Circuit
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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 Team
Trail 100 Andorra by UTMB 2026: 6,900m Into the Pyrenean Roof
trail-runningutmbandorra

Trail 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 Team
soccerfootballtrail-running

From 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
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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
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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
journalathletes-on-the-maptrail-running

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
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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
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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 Team
journaltrail-runningrunning

First 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 Team
journaltrail-runningrunning

Trail 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 Team
journaltrail-runningultra-running

Race-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 Team
journalclimbingalpinism

From 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 Team
journaltrail-runningrunning

Chamonix 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
Strength Got Her Started. Endurance Took Her Further.
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Strength Got Her Started. Endurance Took Her Further.

Gigi Fettuccini didn't become a runner by being good at it. She became one by refusing to stop.

By ZealZag Team
Mari Souza Never Meant to Become a Runner.
journalathletes-on-the-maprunning

Mari Souza Never Meant to Become a Runner.

She started because she needed somewhere else to put her mind.

By ZealZag Team
Run the Mozart 100 Route: Austria's Alpine UTMB Guide
trail-runningultraaustria

Run the Mozart 100 Route: Austria's Alpine UTMB Guide

A practical guide to running the mozart 100 by UTMB route through Austria's Salzkammergut — 119km, the Schafberg and Zwölferhorn summits, and the most scenic lakes in the Alps.

By ZealZag Team
Mozart 100 by UTMB 2026: Austria's Alpine Ultra Fires Up Tomorrow
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Mozart 100 by UTMB 2026: Austria's Alpine Ultra Fires Up Tomorrow

The mozart 100 by UTMB returns to Austria's Salzkammergut on May 23 with 119km, 5,700m of gain, and a field assembled around two savage alpine summits: the Schafberg and the Zwölferhorn.

By ZealZag Team
Trail Running Innsbruck: Nordkette Access, Race Calendar, and Why the City-Mountain Combination Works
journaltrail-runningaustria

Trail Running Innsbruck: Nordkette Access, Race Calendar, and Why the City-Mountain Combination Works

Innsbruck sits at 587 metres above sea level with a 2,300-metre limestone ridge directly above it and a cable car from the city centre. For trail runners, the combination of full urban infrastructure and genuine alpine terrain within 30 minutes is difficult to find elsewhere in Europe.

By ZealZag Team