Writer and ultrarunner Sarah Lavender Smith joins The Trailhead to discuss aging, Hardrock 100, stage racing, and the joy of finding meaning on the trails.
This week on The Trailhead Podcast, hosts Zoë Rom and Brendan Leonard sit down with writer, runner, and trail storyteller Sarah Lavender Smith, a voice who has been chronicling the culture of trail and ultrarunning for more than 15 years. From early trail magazines to her widely read Substack newsletter Mountain Running and Living, Sarah has built a reputation for blending sharp reporting with deeply personal reflections on what it means to live and age as a runner.
In our conversation, Sarah shares how she transitioned from a career in journalism to finding her footing (literally) on the trails—and how running evolved from a pastime into both a calling and a second career. She talks openly about the challenges of midlife, from rethinking her relationship with alcohol to navigating the complex realities of aging with honesty, humor, and grit.
Sarah also brings us inside some of her biggest adventures: from finishing the legendary Hardrock 100 at age 56 to discovering her passion for multi-day stage racing at events like the Grand to Grand Ultra. Along the way, she reflects on parenting at aid stations, the philosophy of “maximum enthusiasm,” and how endurance, in running and in life, is about far more than pace charts and race results.
Looking ahead, Sarah is channeling these stories into her next big project: a memoir that captures the resilience, joy, and sometimes-strange beauty of chasing meaning in the mountains.
This episode is about more than trail running, it’s about storytelling, resilience, community, and the way the sport invites us to wrestle with acceptance, suffering, and joy in equal measure. Whether you’re a midlife runner finding your stride, an ultrarunner curious about stage racing, or simply someone who loves the culture of the trail, Sarah’s perspective will resonate.
Tune in to hear Sarah Lavender Smith on The Trailhead Podcast, a conversation about the soul of ultrarunning, told through laughter, suffering, and a deep love of the trail.
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