Community Trail Running

Haven Johnson found running as she quit drinking and the allure of trail kilometres and the community around it was so strong she felt supported and strong enough to stay sober. She felt safe amongst those trails and runners in a way she had never before. When Amanda Palmer met her at a local Capra group run, the pair hit it off. As Amanda learned more of Haven’s story, it was clear that this was a story that needed to be told. Haven trusted Amanda enough to green light the project and now the two have a beautiful film called “Haven” that will debut this Thursday, April 2, as part of our Trail Running Film Festival evening at the Rio Theatre, and Chantelle and I were so grateful to hear more about it. This was a fun and emotional chat, and we’re thrilled to share it.Haven started a sober run club:Pink Cloud Run ClubAmanda shouted out the fund for their great support:Women’s Trailrunning FundHelp us get to 2,000 subscribers. We are getting close!Film Description:Directed by Amanda Palmer, the film follows a 43-year-old single mother named Haven, who finds sobriety and an unexpected lifeline in trail running. What begins as a way to quiet the chaos inside becomes a two-year journey toward her first 50km ultramarathon, The Squamish 50. Along the way, Haven discovers a trail-running community that lifts her up and refuses to let her journey be a solitary one. This is a story of resilience and the power of community that keeps showing up.The Last Episode:The Trail Running Film Festival:The Miller Minutes:Crossing Lines:Food Fight Friday: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

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