Advertorial
Sponsored stories created in collaboration with a brand, written in Like the Wind’s editorial style. These pieces provide valuable content for readers while featuring the brand partnership behind them.
The Game Changer
It might surprise you to know how much goes into designing a new shoe. There are footwear designers with decades of experience building their knowledge.
Greatness Coming Together
The year 2010 was pretty much as eventful as any other. There were natural disasters, moments of social unrest and the emergence of exciting new technology. And in the midst of all the upheaval and chaos, the world of trail running also experienced some disturbances. This is the story of how that world changed and what that has meant for one athlete in particular.
A Kind of Magic
Creativity is rarely – if ever – a box-ticking exercise. There may be some guidelines but there is always, without exception, something indefinable that ignites the soul and the spirit. The same goes for running.
ALL TOGETHER NOW
There is a saying – borrowed from cycling – that it never gets easier, you just get faster. At some point on the route of a race called the Vertical Kilometre – which climbs (you guessed it) 1,000m up the side of the Chamonix valley in France – every runner has this realisation.
FOLLOWING A DREAM
Having a dream is great. But pursuing a dream is an altogether different proposition. After all, dreams are not robust – they are ephemeral, fragile, easy to break. Not that Pau Capell – elite trail runner, father, husband, member of The North Face trail team and inspiration to thousands – is going to let that stop him from trying to make his dream come true.
Mind the Canal
Venice is a city of many guises. It’s a tourist hotspot, where 438 bridges and a network of canals connect 118 islands characterised by tiny alleyways, ancient courtyards and beautiful palazzos. With a history that extends back to the Roman empire, Venice has been a global force in art, design, global trade and storytelling. (During the 1400s, the city was the printing capital of the world.) But has Venice ever been associated with running? Well, it is now, thanks to Diadora and Mind the Gap, a race with a very special format.
BREATH BECOMES EVERYTHING: The need to support clean air projects
With every stride we take along trails, roads or tracks, we inhale the air. For runners, being able to explore the outdoors, fill our lungs and oxygenate our blood is essential if we want to keep putting one foot in front of the other. But air pollution is causing huge social, environmental, health and economic impacts throughout the world. The World Health Organisation says that air pollution is the largest environmental threat to human health. But now, runners around the globe are supporting an initiative to raise awareness of clean air projects. Hannah Bailey finds out more.
To be the Best
What makes a race – or any sporting challenge, for that matter – iconic? What elevates a race to being a bucket-list event that excites runners around the world? What makes a specific 100-mile trail race stand out from all the other 100-mile races on the calendar?
The answer is never going to be just one thing. Which is probably why there is a whole heap of reasons Katie Schide – a member of The North Face trail running team and widely considered to be one of the most talented runners currently competing on the circuit – is so excited about returning to this year’s Western States Endurance Run.
From field to infield: the unstoppable force
Gentle rain showers fall intermittently on the athletes gathered on the infield of the high school track in Cottonwood, Arizona. Huddling in waterproof jackets, stretching and pulling on the gear they need for the upcoming track session, there is plenty of laughter – a measure of the strong team spirit at work. But one athlete stands out – the one tending to her baby while preparing to run.