Ultramarathon Daily News | Mon, Aug 22

IRF/Mock: Justin Mock lays out all the results from the past weeks’ ultramarathon and trail running races. Leadville, Matterhorn, Squamish, and Twisted Branch 100k in New York. Geez, from looking at the splits from that last race, winner Justin Scheid had a 5 minute lead at the 6 mile mark and just kept expanding it. Nice run.

Henry Howard’s six key takeaways from Leadville.

Here’s our interview with Clare Gallagher after her first Leadville win in 2016.

The LetsRun MENSA Squad discusses men running without shirts.

Watch this: Kilian battles with Eritrean Petro Mamu (edit: I feel inclined to point out Mamu’s 2017 conviction for doping) on the final descent of Sierre-Zinal. I know I’ve been saying this for over a decade, but westerner’s stranglehold on most MUT podiums is coming to an end.

Meanwhile, Spain’s Sara Alonso makes a strong finish at the same race. Again, hat tip to Biel Rafols for the excellent footage!

Trail Runner Mag: Luis Escobar helps disabled athlete Zachary Friedley bring trail running to a wider audience. Cool story!

Dean Karnazes seems to be having a problem with the whole coyote attack story.

Two things that make the East Coast trail scene so intimidating: Technical, rocky trails and humidity so thick you can chew the air.

I didn’t know I’d find a book excerpt by a fishing guide so entertaining. (It’s much less about fishing and much more about the disdain he feels for certain types of people.)

Ultrarunning/Anton Krupicka: What to know before going scrambling.

Ultrasignup/Beasley: It’s been said that RDs really set the stage and the vibe for a race, and Jubilee Paige is no exception.

Tracksmith meeting descents into chaos when designer floats idea of double-striped singlet.

Sarah Lavender Smith lost her mom this month and writes a moving tribute to her right here.

SCMP: Two of Hong Kong’s largest MUT races–including the popular Oxfam Trailwalker– remain in limbo as the country still deals with Covid restrictions.

To be clear, we need to take integrity seriously in sport. This might mean lifetime bans or steep financial repercussions. It might mean something else. But we also need to acknowledge that balancing justice and grace in cheating situations is difficult. It is challenging to both convey no tolerance for certain actions (such as for taking drugs) but also not shirk our humanity in how we treat those who do these things. Moreover, we should not assume we are above reproach in all respects. Conversations about cheating should be broadened to take seriously the defects in our own characters and involve a little more self-examination.