Good morning trail friends! Pinning on a race bib is not the only way to push your limits. This week, two athletes dream big on the John Muir / Nüümü Poyo Trail with a “choose your own adventure.”

“What’s worth doing even if you fail?” asks Emily Halnon looking back on her attempt on the 223-mile trail through the Sierra Nevada, knowing from the outset that her chances of success were slim. In the Weekend Cooldown, Ashly Winchester shares numbers from her new JMT FKT, where a big black wolf may or may not have stood between her and her dream.

And, things get a little crazy down in the DFL, where Jonah Hill shows us the 2AM side of ultrarunning. 

– Jenn Hughes & Matt Hart

For the 15th year in a row, Snowbird Ski Resort played host to the Speedgoat 50k. This past weekend, Addie Bracy (?: 1) and David Sinclair took home victories at this iconic European-style mountain race.

Cascade Crest 100‘s new race director, Jess Mullen, and her team have nothing but love and gratitude for “the runners (?: 2), the volunteers, the board, the crews, and to THIS community.” ❤️

Chris Price catches this vid of Miguel Guillermo Medina topping out on the last climb of the Ouray 100-Miler, carefully hole-punching his bib for proof, on the way to breaking Chris’s own record time on the course.

In FKT news: Ashly Winchester set a new female unsupported record on the John Muir / Nüümü Poyo Trail! (?: 3) Here’s a look at what it takes to drop the fastest known time, by the numbers:

Time: 5 days 20 hours
Mileage: 213
Vertical: 57,995 feet
Calories: 31,979
Steps: 493,642
Hours slept: ~7?
Blisters: 10
Mosquito bites: 9 zillion
Hallucinations: innumerable

Want more racing? Check out these upcoming events still open for registration:

• Born To Run Extravaganza, April 2023 (CA)
• Cloudcroft Ultra, Aug 6 (NM)
• Blazin’ Summer Sufferfest, Aug 6 (TX)
• Kanawha Trace Trail Runs, Aug 6 (WV)
• Sweltering Summer Ultra, Aug 13 (MA)