Short stories
Brief, word-led narratives that capture snapshots of the running experience. These pieces are compact and focused, offering readers a quick but resonant story.
Seba Vandermolen: Via PanAm
The long run is a fixture in most runners’ weeks. But how long is long. How about from the northern extreme of Alaska to the southern tip of Argentina?
The New York Pioneer Club – the Forgotten Heroes of Running
In the current edition of Like the Wind – LtW#25 – we tell the story of a remarkable group of runners who used track, road and ultra running as a way to create hope and pride in young people treated as second class citizens in society …
I Dream of Running
I dream. I dream about running in the mountains. Running free, with great vistas before me. I run strong on the uphills, powering though each rise and turn. I dream of running fast and free on the descents, skipping from corner to corner …
Down from this Cloud
The UTMB tells a different story for every one of the 2,000 runners who toe its start line on the Friday night of one of the busiest, but most incredible weekends in Chamonix.
Join the Dots
Early Saturday morning. Very early. I’ve carted a supply of cheese-and-pickle sandwiches from France, through Italy, on into Switzerland and am finally taking the remains back towards France.
A Ring Around Mont Blanc
I handed Dom the small piece of red ribbon, clipped from the signature bracelet they affix to all starters of the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc, and asked him to kiss it. I needed him to know we were in this together.
Gavin Boyter: Border Crossings
A stern and professionally displeased border patrol officer shook his head at my proffered British passport and sent me back the way I’d run. “No Schengen,” he insisted.
Simon Freeman: It’s in the Bag
“It had been a busy day. In fact it had been a busy week. We had come to Chamonix for the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc and to launch the sixth edition of Like the Wind.
Scott Partenheimer: Winning Streak
Have you ever wondered about your running bucket list? What kind of running experiences do you want out of life before you ascend to the great trail in the sky? By the age of 33, I had tried every distance from the 5km to the 50km …