United We Run. While 4th of July tends to be a quieter weekend for ultra-distance events, runners across the country come out in force for celebratory shorter races. 

Want something a little more spiky? Check out this fresh footage of Allie Mac cruising down Mount Marathon yesterday for the women’s win.  

Want more racing? Check out these upcoming “Hot List” events still open for registration, sorted by region here. 

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting ultrarunner Kuni Yamagata at a race, you’ve also likely met his wife, Daise, a master crew chief. After 47 years of marriage, they are an endurance partnership with a whole lotta love. 

From Tokyo’s infamous redlight district to the mid-life heart scare that caused Kuni to take up ultrarunning, their life together has more plot twists than a Hollywood movie.

Jared Beasley sat down with the couple as Kuni, 69, goes for his 5th Hardrock and completion of the Rocky Mountain Slam. If he completes it, he vows he’s giving up ultrarunning. Dasie says she’ll believe it when she sees it. 

Hardrock is the spiritual epicenter of my trail running journey. Over the years, I often ran to get a break from being a mom, but in the end it was my boys, each in their own way, that brought me back here.

Most of us have a heartstring race. A run that wraps itself in a fierce knot around your heart and then tugs – gently, but insistently – year after year until you are finally able to participate. For me (Jenn), that race has always and forever been Hardrock.

In 10 days, I’ll be toeing the line at my first Hardrock. This week, we share my decade-long intertwined journey of mountains and motherhood, and how ultimately it was my boys that helped make my heartstring dream come true.

With 650k+ miles of trails in the onX Backcountry app, there is no shortage of options to help you push your limits when training for your next race. 

Featured routes show you specific distance, elevation gain and loss, as well as low and high points to be sure you are on par to perform to the best of your ability come race day. onX Backcountry makes it easier to strategize, adventure further, and have more fun in your training program.

Try onX Backcountry for FREE for 1-month or purchase the app now for 20% off using the promo code UltraSignup20.

? Welcome Home: A heart-warming, low-key finish to Mike Wardian’s extraordinary 61-day push across the country, raising over $100,000 for World Vision’s clean water projects. Family, friends, and his very excited dogs cheered him all the way into the shores of Delaware as his wife proudly told passersby, “he just ran here from San Francisco.”

⌚Your Watch is Clueless: Sport science writer Alex Hutchinson looks at whether you should take the training advice your watch spits out with a grain of salt. “The algorithms used to estimate your training load have some fundamental flaws, scientists say.” 

? Productivity Gains: Could running one mile each hour lead to increased productivity? Semi-Rad’s Brendan Leonard took the popular challenge (based on this original) and found time for chores like editing essays, making empanadas, and achieving inbox-zero. Final Word: A unique combination of hectic, yet focused. 

? Regrets, I Have a Few: #WorkoutWednesday means it’s time to bring your A-game, but Ethan Newberry’s bemoaning that mac n’ cheese he ate.

? Bring The Heat: Follow the blistering-hot white line across Death Valley and get ready for next week’s Badwater 135 with this inspiring vid.

? Outdoor Horror: From cougars to quicksand, Outside magazine gathers tales of misadventure in one place for your reading pleasure (and horror).

?️ Alaska Style: 2,675 feet in 0.9 miles. Dubbed the “craziest race on earth” and a true Alaskan classic, Max Romy takes us along for the vertical ride in this short, epic view of the Mount Marathon.