Like the Wind Digital Storytelling
Still waiting for the change
Just after 11.30am on 5 November 2006, Samia Akbar took a last right turn in Central Park and raced towards the finish line of the 37th annual New York City Marathon. As 12th woman, she would cross the finish line – in her first marathon – in 2h34m14s. She ran each 5km split at a pace that didn’t vary by more than three seconds per mile. It was a pretty flawless performance for a first-time marathoner, albeit one who already had a solid distance-running career behind her.
enough is enough
I ran every night in the dark and had felt pretty comfortable. A man blocked the bridge I was crossing to ‘get directions to the metro’… aka to tell me I was beautiful and that he wanted to talk to me. I basically had to change my routine, so I would take the metro to the other side of the river and then run from there, just because it didn’t feel safe any more to be even briefly in a more remote area of a pretty busy trail. I’m not particularly concerned about someone jumping out of the bushes on a trail or anything, but having someone physically block my path was a bit of a game-changer.”
Turning Point
First the suspicion, then the revolution.
Fifteen years ago, a young Catalan runner shook up the then small world of trail running. Accused of cheating in the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc (the first time he had entered the race), 20-year-old Kilian Jornet shook up the small world of trail running to the point of breaking its codes. After that, nothing was ever the same again.
Opportunities for excellence
Like the Wind visited On’s youth training camp in the Swiss town of St Moritz to meet the 14 young participants from across Europe
Early morning, October 2023. The thin air does little to offset St Moritz’s early morning chill. Before the sun has crept above the surrounding mountain ridges, the path around the lake that sits just to the east of the town crunches with frost. The open- air running track glitters with icy particles. The young runners taking part in On’s second annual youth camp, seeing the town for the first time, are wrapped up in insulated jackets, their breath visible as they explore their home for the next 10 days.
St Moritz sits 1,800m above sea level in the Engadin valley. The town is perhaps best known as a winter resort (it’s been the venue for two winter Olympic Games) but in other seasons, it is the perfect European location for athletes wanting the benefits of altitude and first-class training facilities.
It’s About Time
A Fresh Start
We all know the feeling. You’ve finished your session and the watch says it’s gone well. You’ve done what you set out to do. But something just doesn’t seem right. You should be exhilarated, but you actually feel like your feet weigh a ton. You unlace your shoes and suddenly all becomes clear: bunched-up, sweat-soaked socks.
Runners talk about shoes all the time – we can’t really help it. But the fabric between your shoes and your feet is arguably even more vital to achieving running happiness.
All We Need is an Island
The seven races that make up The North Face Transgrancanaria are a reflection of the island on which they take place. While each individual race (from the 126km classic to a vertical kilometre) offers something for everyone, the challenges are unforgiving. The terrain is varied. And the feeling you get is that these races are imbued with the indominable spirit that people of the isolated and weather-beaten island have forever displayed.
Gran Canaria is sometimes referred to as a “continent in miniature” because of its variety of geography. Despite having an area similar to that of London, Gran Canaria features wild mountains, deep ravines and ancient craters. The island is ringed by busy beach resorts and secluded coves. The cliffs known as Mirador del Balcón, in the Andén Verde area on Gran Canaria’s western edge, drop hundreds of feet almost vertically into the sea. On the southern tip of the island is a desert – the Dunas de Maspalomas. And in the interior, you’ll find great tracts of rainforest.
The year that was … and will be.
Everybody’s Local
London-based running crew Run The Boroughs (RTB) is the embodiment of the idea that running is for everyone. It was founded in late 2018 as a way for a group of friends to be more active – as well as to be sociable. Ben Ari, founder of RTB, explains: “The idea for Run The Boroughs was to create a crossover between running as part of our lifestyle and the performance side of the sport. The idea was to produce something that has less of an elitist approach to running.”
Embracing runners of all types has given Run The Boroughs a true community feel while also maintaining the sense that running is a challenge. For example, Ben points out that 22 members of RTB took part in the London Marathon in April 2023.