Elite & professional athletes
Profiles and stories of top-level runners.
Forged in the Mountains
There is a particular breed of athlete that thrives in alpine environments. This person is gritty and resilient: courageous in many aspects, especially when facing daunting terrain.
An Island of Heroes
Gran Canaria – and the islands that make up the archipelago that the Spanish call Las Islas Canarias – were once known as the Fortunate Isles: a winterless paradise that, according to ancient Greek mythology, was home to especially blessed heroes.
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.
Time for change
After five minutes or so, the dancing comes to an end. The women make their way to rows of plastic chairs arranged under a gazebo. The organisers take their seats in a second gazebo facing the main group.
Remembering Joss Naylor
From time to time a single athlete defines a part of the running world. Usain Bolt in the 100m and 200m; Kilian Jornet on mountain trails; Eliud Kipchoge over the marathon distance; Emil Zatopek in seemingly everything he tried.
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, 20-year-old Kilian Jornet shook up the small world of trail running to the point of breaking its codes.
“Do you think that’s wise?”
Whatever challenge she takes on, Courtney Dauwalter continues to amaze, pushing herself beyond her limits to reach new highs. Writer Sarah Barker has known Courtney since the ultra runner was in high school with her daughter …
What a Difference a Day Makes (or, How I Became an Elite Athlete for 24 hours)
Only the most talented runners receive star treatment. But what if, by some quirk of fate, it actually happened to you? It did to one runner.
Facing the Elements
There are 48 peaks higher than 4,000ft in New Hampshire, in the north-eastern corner of the USA. On Thursday 15 July 2021, endurance athlete and adventurer Stefanie Bishop set out to climb all of them.