Trail running is having a moment, and it’s only late February.
Not only did international trail runners make a big splash in the inaugural ski mountaineering races at the Winter Olympics, but Nike’s new ACG Ultrafly trail running super shoe was seen on the feet of dozens of American athletes, including Mikaela Shiffrin after she won the gold medal in the women’s slalom race.
Other recent news includes a new women’s 100-mile world record from Ashley Paulson, a harrowing report of a British runner falling 1,500 feet but surviving almost unscathed, interesting new data about women’s participation in trail running, and that Kilian Jornet plans to run Western States and UTMB this summer. Plus, there’s a compelling new video about this year’s Barkley Marathons, which was earlier and harder than ever before.
Read more in this week’s Trail and Ultra News Recap below, cutting through the noise to the trail running headlines you don’t want to miss from media outlets across the sport. And be sure to browse for your next trail or ultra race on UltraSignup.
Kilian Jornet Plans to run Western States and UTMB
In 2011, Kilian Jornet became the second runner to win the Western States 100 and Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) in the same year, following American Nikki Kimball doing it for the first time in 2007. Since then, the feat has been attempted numerous times, but only U.S. runners Courtney Dauwalter (2023) and Katie Schide (2024) have succeeded. Can Jornet do it again this summer? The 38-year-old Spanish runner, who was third in last summer’s Western States 100, announced that he plans to run Western States and UTMB this summer, as well as Sierre-Zinal. Jornet (2008, 2009, 2011, 2022) and François D’Haene are the only four-time winners of UTMB’s men’s race, while British runner Lizzy Hawker is a five-time winner of the women’s race.
Read More: NNormal
Pannu wins Jackpot 100 Again; Paulson sets 100-Mile WR
Ashley Paulson set a new 100-mile female world record in a time of 12:39:34 at the 2026 USATF 100-Mile Road Championship hosted by the Jackpot Ultra Running Festival. The 44-year-old runner from St. George, Utah, averaged a 7:21 pace per mile on her way to eclipsing Ireland’s Caitriona Jennings’ previous 100-mile record set three months ago. Jennings, 45, set a new women’s 100-mile world record of 12:37:04 at the Tunnel Hill 100 in central Illinois last November 8. Rajpaul Pannu won the event for the third year in a row, improving his personal best to 11:38:56 (6:57 per mile) while inching closer to Zach Bitter’s American record for 100 miles (11:19:13).
Complete Results: UltraSignup
Women in Trail Running: What Data Reveals
The International Trail Running Association (ITRA) posted new data on its LinkedIn page about women’s representation growth, showing an increase in women’s race participation from 16% in 2007 to 30.5% in 2025. It’s analysis suggest that women’s participation is highest in Oceania (40.6%), South America (40.3%) and North America (38.9%), but lower in Africa (31.6%), Asia (31.1%) and Europe (28.8%).
Read More: ITRA
A Trail Runner Fell 1,500 Feet But Landed Softly
British trail runner Callum Laird plunged 1,500 feet off Goat Fell mountain on Scotland’s Isle of Arran due to icy conditions, and although he managed to break his descent at points by clinging to rocks, the 25-year-old eventually dropped safely onto a grassy marsh. He only realized the extent of his injuries when he encountered a woman and her daughter who had noticed a trail of blood along a hiking trail. He then proceeded to run 4 miles to get help. Laird, who was training for a race of the March 4-8 Transgrancanaria in the Canary Islands, was taken to a local hospital, where he was treated for his injuries. He suffered only superficial burns, a chipped ankle and an injured shin.
Read More: The Scottish Sun
Ultraunners Zach Miller and Jess Schueler Tie the Knot
In a small, private ceremony at Barr Camp on the east face of Pikes Peak above Manitou Springs, Colorado, Zach Miller tied the knot with longtime girlfriend Jess Schueler on February 14. They’re planning to split time between Manitou Springs (in Miller’s Zach Shack van) and Bend, Oregon, where they recently built a house. In his monthly column for iRunFar, Miller compares racing to marriage, suggesting both can feel intimidating but that the commitment to the cause creates beauty.
Read More: iRunFar
Trail Runners Shine in Olympic Skimo Debut
Ski mountaineering, aka “skimo racing,” made its debut in the Winter Olympics, and trail runners were the ones making the action at the Stelvio Ski Centre in Bormio. In its inaugural Olympics, skimo included men’s and women’s short sprint races on February 19 and a combined relay event on February 21. French athlete Emily Harrop, who has experience in skyrunning—including a fifth-place finish at the 2021 La Skyrhune race and a win at the 2021 Tignes Trail—led Team France to a dominant gold medal alongside teammate Thibault Anselmet in 26:57.44. The 28-year-old who lives in the Tarentaise Valley of the French Alps, won silver in the skimo women’s individual sprint event.
Team USA’s Cam Smith and Anna Gibson, who advanced to the semifinals in the individual sprint races, powered their way to a fourth-place finish, just 17 seconds out of the medals. Both Smith and Gibson represented the U.S. in the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Spain in mid-September, with Gibson taking a bronze in the 6K uphill mountain race. The New York Times wrote a great piece about Smith being a U.S. skimo evangelist, while NBC went deep with Gibson in this 22-question report.
Read More: iRunFar
RELATED: Listen to The Buzz Podcast as Buzz Burrell talks about skimo racing with Cam Smith and Nikki LaRochelle.
Nike’s New ACG Ultrafly Makes a Big Splash
Nike’s long-awaited ACG Ultrafly shoe officially debuted to consumers last week in conjunction with the Winter Olympics in Italy. (Nike was an official outfitter of Team USA athletes competing in the Games, but it also co-organized a disruptive, three-day Exhibition of S.P.E.E.D. event inside the Spazio Maiocchi cultural center in Milan, Italy in which eight runners completed the 666-lap 100K on a 150-meter loop.) The new shoe has little in common with the original Nike Ultrafly that debuted in 2023, but it has received good reviews as an improvement over the original. While it has a stiff, full-length carbon-fiber propulsion Flyplate, but it also has a higher heel-toe offset and stack height (8.5mm; 38 mm in heel, 29.5 mm in forefoot), a new, more responsive version of its ZoomX midsole foam, and an updated Vibram Megagrip outsole. Caleb Olson wore a protoype edition of the shoe on his way to winning last summer’s Western States 100, and other Nike athletes have worn it in races since then.
Read More: Believe in the Run and RoadTrailRun
Satisfy’s Global TraiLSD Runs Set for March 7
Satisfy’s first Global TraiLSD community runs of the year will take place on March 7 around the world. That includes U.S. venues in Portland, Oregon, Austin, Texas, New York City, and Los Angeles, as well as international locales in London, Sydney, Bali, Hong Kong, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Barcelona, Tokyo and Bangkok. The brand says “the runs are designed to bring runners together on inspiring trails and city edges, fostering connection, exploration, and a shared journey. No front of the pack, nor back of the pack. Just the pack.”
More Details: Satisfy/Eventbrite
Report Explores How Ultrarunning Can Damage Red Blood Cells
They report on a new study from the journal Red Blood Cells & Iron said running ultra-distances can lead to the damage of red blood cells and lead to inflammation and anemia. The study, which was highlighted briefly on NPR’s Short Wave science podcast, only included 23 runners, and researchers stopped short of saying running ultra distances is actually bad for you. “Participating in events like these can cause general inflammation in the body and damage red blood cells,” said the study’s lead author, Travis Nemkov, PhD, associate professor in the department of biochemistry and molecular genetics at the University of Colorado Anschutz in a report released by the American Society of Hematology.
Read More: Discover Magazine
For this Ultrarunning PE Teacher, the Trails Are the Clasroom
Qin Guidu recently won the title at the Hong Kong 100, a prestigious race celebrated for threading through spectacular, protected wilderness foothill terrain just outside one of the world’s most dense urban centers. Guidu, 32, a physical education instructor at China’s Chongqing College of Mobile Communication and head coach of the school’s triathlon and mountain trail running team, says he translates the firsthand experiences from trail running directly into his teaching. He leads students beyond the confines of conventional running, introducing them to the expansive, rigorous, and rewarding world of trail running in the wilderness, and passing on the deeper philosophy of life that the sport has taught him.
“Trail running is like life,” Guidu said. “There are flat sections and steep climbs. The key is to maintain your own rhythm, stay undisturbed by outside noise, and run your own path.”
Read More: The China Daily
Rachel Entrekin’s Advice on How to Train for 200-Milers
Rachel Entrekin is an elite ultramarathon runner and physical therapist, specifically known for her dominance in “mega-distance” races exceeding 200 miles. Entering 2026, she has won 18 consecutive ultras. In this article, she offers 200-mile race advice about training, sleep, fueling, pacing, crewing, and more.
Read More: UltraRunning
Will Trail Running Be an Olympic Sport?
While trail running is not yet locked in for the 2032 Summer Olympics in Brisbane, Australia, it’s officially been shortlisted for consideration and the possibility for inclusion seems to be gaining momentum. But could cross country running get there first in 2030.
Read More: Trailhead Media from UltraSignnup
Read iRunFar’s This Week in Running for February 23
Read More: iRunFar
Ultrarunning’s Ultra Weekend Recap for February 23
Podcasts and Videos
Recovery Expert Christie Aschwanden Joins The Trailhead Podcast
Listen to Zoë Rom and Brendan Leonard talk to recovery expert Christie Aschwanden, New York Times bestselling author and former lead science writer at FiveThirtyEight who spent years investigating the multibillion-dollar recovery industry for her book Good to Go.
Is Your Watch Lying? The Truth About VO₂ Max and Real Fitness
Cliff Pittman, Coaching Development Director for CTS, joins the TrailRunner Nation podcast as hosts Scott Warr and Don Freeman take a practical look at VO₂ max and what it really means for everyday runners.
Listen: TrailRunnerNation
Jenn Lichter and Anthony Costales Recap the Black Canyon 100K
Jenn Lichter turned in a rock-solid 100K debut to win the women’s race at Black Canyon Ultras, while Anthony Costales put up a statement runner-up performance in the men’s race after a couple tough years of racing, proclaiming at the finish line “I’m still here!”
The 2026 Barkley: The Strongest Field Ever vs. The Course
The 2026 Barkley Marathons featured one of the deepest and most accomplished fields in race history. With elite ultrarunners like Mathieu Blanchard, John Kelly, Max King, Damian Hall, and Sébastien Raichon all on the start line, many wondered if this would finally be the year the course was conquered again. This 21-minute video from Singletrack tells the story in full detail.
Sabrina Stanley is Back to Racing After Cancer
After years at the top of the trail and ultra running worlds—Hardrock 100 champion, Nolan’s 14 FKT holder, and consistent podium finisher—Sabrina Stanley’s life changed overnight when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2025. What followed were multiple surgeries, chemotherapy, medical menopause, and ongoing immunotherapy.
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