Trail and ultrarunning is in the news a lot already, and it’s only the first week of March.
Last week, the violence and unrest in Mexico following the death of drug cartel boss “El Mencho” led to the five-week postponement of the UTMB World Series race in Puerto Vallarta. Gina Myers set a new women’s 50-mile record at the Moab Red Hot Ultras, coach Cliff Pittman wrote about how he’s helping Molly Seidel convert her marathon fitness to ultras, Nike ACG runner Liam Meirow raced a winterized vehicle on the snow in Montana, while new trail shoe reviews are popping up all over the place. Plus, new videos have debuted about the importance of representation of black runners in mountain ultrarunning, the perseverance of Texas runner and terminal cancer patient Rob Shaver, and the extreme challenge of the Barkley Marathons.
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.
Headlines
Puerto Vallarta by UTMB Postponed Due to Violence
Puerto Vallarta by UTMB was postponed late last week due to violence and unrest in the Mexican state of Jalisco.The original race dates were March 5-7, and the race is now scheduled for April 16-18. In a message posted on the event website and on social media, the race team thanked runners for their feedback and acknowledged concerns raised in recent days.
Read More: Canadian Running
Ironman Tightens Tech Rules: No Photos or Video Recording During Races in 2026
If you’re racing an Ironman or Ironman 70.3 in 2026, you’ll have to leave the action cam or smartphone at home. Ironman has officially updated its global competition rules to ban all on-course photo and video recording. That means no GoPros, smart glasses, or mid-race smartphone filming allowed during the event. The organization said the move aims to prioritize athlete safety and focus on the course rather than content creation. The new regulation doesn’t mention UTMB World Series trail races that Ironman owns or manages, but many of those races require runners to carry a cell phone for safety, and it could be more difficult to manage that rule on a trail running race route.
Read More: Tri Today
Run the Alps Expands its Tour Grant Program for 2026
the Run the Alps Tour Grant Program has been expanded, thanks to a generous contribution from On and being aligned with its Right to Run Program. Ten participants will be selected through the application process, which closes on March 8.
Read More: TrailheadMedia
Coaching Molly Seidel: Translating Marathon Fitness to Ultras
Read coach Cliff Pittman’s column for UltraRunning as he discusses how he is training Olympic marathon bronze medalist Molly Seidel for ultra-distance trail races.
Read More: UltraRunning Magazine
The Landscapes of Kilian Jornet’s States of Elevation Project
Writer Zander Chase goes deep on Kilian Jornet’s States of Elevation Project, a 31-day event in which he summited 72 14,000-plus-foot in peaks across the American West. Jornet’s project can be seen through the lens of distance, elevation, and the capabilities of the human body, Chase writes, or as an exploration—and celebration—of the terrain of the American West.
Read More: iRunFar
Competitor Dies in Sea to Sea Adventure Race in Florida
A solo competitor died during the 72-hour Sea to Sea Adventure Race in Florida after being involved in a fatal vehicle accident on course. Race organizer Warrior Adventure Racing confirmed the death and halted the event immediately.
Read More: Warrior Races
French Media Outlet Critical of UTMB’s Mobility Bonus
The UTMB organization announced an unprecedented measure for its 2026 edition: runners who commit to coming to the Mont Blanc valleys without using their personal car—by taking train, bus, structured carpooling or shuttles—will automatically benefit from 30 percent more chances in the draw for the UTMB, CCC, OCC and ETC races. However, the French media organization U-trail argues that “flying from China to run the UTMB is fine, but driving from the next village over is penalized. The mobility bonus awards the biggest polluters, not the neighbors.”
Read More: U-Trail
8 Mistakes New Trail Runners Make (and How to Avoid Them)
Veteran trail runner Ashley Arnold writes about eight common mistakes trail runners make as they’re getting into the sport for the first time or in a deeper way.
Read More: Trailhead Media
Debacle at USATF Half-Marathon Championships as Female Leaders Were Guided Off Course
Jess McClain was leading the race in commanding form with about 2 miles remaining. But her race was thrown off course as she was led off the path by a media vehicle, according to Athletics Illustrated. McClain reportedly followed the media vehicle, a police motorcycle and a motorcycle with a camera. By the time she turned around, she was well off new leader (and eventual winner) Molly Born and wound up in ninth place. The official statement from USATF didn’t help rectify the problem. But it’s such a controversial story that even People Magazine and the New York Times covered it.
Read More: Runner’s World
Nike ACG Runner Takes on Fat Ice Race in Montana
Last weekend, Nike ACG showed up on the ground at FAT Ice Race in Big Sky, Montana, for those who seek the challenge, adventure and connection of thriving in the wild. Set against the backdrop of FAT Ice Race in Big Sky, the car culture celebration founded by entrepreneur and CEO Ferdi Porsche, ACG made its debut on the frozen track with Man vs. Machine—a head-to-head race between ACG Racing Department athlete Liam Meirow and the All Conditions Test Vehicle. Wearing one-of-a-kind prototype Ultrafly “spikes,” Liam raced a full lap on the FAT Ice terrain, stopping halfway through to grab a hot chocolate he hand-delivered to Ferdi Porsche before crossing the finish line.
Read More: Nike ACG
The Art Direction of Nike’s ACG Line
Creative director Jason Murray (aka @jason_swet) breaks down the art direction and aesthetics of Nike’s ACG relaunch and repositioning and says it’s a beautiful mix of absurdity, irreverence, nostalgia, and outdoor obsession.
Read More: Instagram
The Lap Count Newsletter Called the Black Canyon 100K ‘the London Marathon of Ultras’
The newsletter published by CitiusMag said that this year’s Black Canyon, “really is the equivalent, in terms of field quality, of a London elite field” because the women’s field featured the Appalachian Trial FKT holder, the Western States champ, the 50 mile WR holder, and the Speedgoat course record holder all going head-to-head with a 2:23 marathoner. What does that mean? It’s a sign that the traditional road running and track and field world are paying attention to what’s happening in the trail and ultra world.
Read More: The Lap Count
Gina Myers Sets New Women’s 50-Mile CR at Moab’s Red Hot Ultra
At the 20th annual running of the Moab Red Hot Ultra races, Gina Myers, a 31-year-old runner from Truckee, California, set a new 50-mile women’s course record of 9:56:27 after finishing second overall behind Tyler Kivelson, 22, of Boulder, Colorado (9:49:19). Bryan Kerl (4:03:41.31) and Hannah Allgood (4:32:56.91) won the competitive 55K races.
Full Results: UltraSignup
Patrick Blair, Emily Driscoll Win Hashawha Hills 50K Trail Run
Patrick Blair (4:02:18) Emily Driscoll (5:07:54) won the 16th annual Hashawha Hills 50K Trail Run held at the Hashawha Environmental Center in Westminster, Maryland.
Full Results: UltraSignup
More Coverage of Trail and Ultra Races
UltraRunning’s Ultra Weekend Recap: March 1
Read More: UltraRunning Magazine
iRunFar’s This Week in Running: March 2
Read More: iRunFar
Gear
Are Gravel Running Shoes a Gimmick or Can They Actually Enhance Your Training?
Writer and gear reviewer Lisa Jhung reveals what she believes is the real difference between road-to-trail and gravel running shoes.
Read More: Outside
RunRepeat’s 7 Best Trail Running Shoes in 2026
After rigorously testing the shoes on the trails and in its lab, RunRepeat lists its top recommendations of the best trail running shoes in several categories.
Read More: Run Repeat
Videos
Keen Launches Idemo! film
Starring runners Mileshka Cortes Bernard and Essaw Tekle and set in Montenegro’s Durmitor National Park, Idemo! follows a shared journey through unfamiliar terrain and culture. Rather than centering race results, it focuses on exploration, connection, and renewal through movement. “Idemo” means “Let’s go” in Montenegrin—an invitation that mirrors KEEN’s ethos: running as connection to place, to others, and to self. The film brings Run for the Trails to life visually and emotionally.
In 2026, Keen is increasing its support of Runners for Public Lands to help provide educational resources, host community events to steward local landscapes, and empower runners to take action through place-based advocacy campaigns and policy agendas to protect runnable landscapes.
Debut of the Black Trail Runners Film ‘We Are Here’ About UTMB Debuts on March 12
London-based Black Trail Runners has released the trailer to a new film called “We Are Here” that follows seven Black British women as they take on races during the 2025 UTMB World Series Finals in Chamonix, France. More than a story about sport, the film explores visibility, representation and belonging in the outdoors. Sabrina Pace-Humphreys, the co-founder of the Black Trail Runners and the event director for the May 10 Black to the Trails, says, “Please know, Black women want to experience trail and mountain running—but the barriers that exist for them—and the lack of proper policy and programming that larger organizations should be leading—is what stops them.” Pace-Humphreys hopes this fim will not only act as a vehicle for discussion, and change, but as an inspiration to women and girls from ethnically diverse backgrounds who belong in this sport too.
The Life We Have: Mortality, Movement & the Richness of Being Alive
In one of the most profound trail running films in recent memory, “The Life We Have” ponders what would you do if death felt just steps away. For Rob Shaver—having lived through multiple stage 4 cancer recurrences in the past two decades—mortality has felt ever-present. This powerful 24-minute film directed by Sam Price-Waldman and released through REI follows Shaver’s journey, a daily running streak and a spirit that has kept him going through his latest terminal cancer diagnosis.
Singletrack: Can Another Woman Finish Barkley?
Two years after Jasmin Paris became the first woman in history to finish the Barkley Marathons, 10 women arrived at Frozen Head State Park in Tennessee to see what was possible. This film follows the 2026 female field and explores the difference between possibility and probability at the hardest race in ultrarunning.
The Secret to Finishing the Barkley (or any Ultra)
The Backcountry Manifesto Podcast released a new video that asks Lazarus Lake about how to finish the infamous Barkley Marathons.
Podcasts
The Buzz Burrell Podcast: Skimo Expert Nikki LaRochelle
Ski mountaineering, aka, skimo racing, just made its Olympic debut at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games, the first new sport added to the Winter Olympics since 2002. Nikki LaRochelle, former U.S. Ski Mountaineering National Team member and color commentator for Olympic Broadcasting Services, joins the show live from Milan to break down everything that happened.
Listen: The Buzz Podcast
REI Podcast: Ultra Running and Setting FKTs with Anton Krupicka
Anton Krupicka is one of the most iconic ultrarunners and long-distance trail athletes in the U.S. Known for his minimalist approach—shirtless miles, long hair, and a bushy beard—he became a defining figure in the sport. Beyond his racing résumé, he has set 28 fastest known time (FKT) records on notable routes, solidifying his reputation in endurance running.
Singletrack Podcast: Professional Trail Runner Max King
In this episode, Max King reflects on his experience at the Barkley Marathons and why he now views it as a multi-year project rather than a one-off attempt. He breaks down the realities of navigation, collaboration, foot care, cold exposure, and the mental calculus required to decide whether to continue deeper into the course.
Trail Runner Nation: CTS Coach Cliff Pittman
In this episode, Trail Runner Nation is joined by Cliff Pittman, coaching development director for CTS, to take a practical look at VO₂ max and what it really means for everyday runners.
Freetrail Podcast: Professional Trail Runner Jeff Browning
Jeff Browning is one of history’s most successful ultrarunners, especially at the 100-mile distance where he’s accumulated 30 career wins. At 54, Browning is beginning a new partnership with Keen and is targeting a challenging season that includes the Cocodona 250, Western States 100, and 90-mile TDS race in Chamonix, France, as his main competitive objectives.
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