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We've all been there - overwhelmed by the day-to-day demands of life, responsibilities, chores, and grocery shopping - living our lives a day at a time. 

In this grind, it's too easy to let opportunities for spontaneity, connection, and awe slip by us. The great naturalist-poet Henry David Thoreau called such ways of being in the world as living out "lives of quiet desperation." If any of you relate, it's alright. Welcome to the club. 

But here's the thing: there are countermeasures to such a life that we know work, simple strategies that can shake us from our overthinking, over-analytical minds and into go-mode, into lives that are full-bodied and full-hearted. And the best part? Too often it's the simplest things that can help us most, a direct, less-is-more attitude that reconnects us with trail running and with our most adventurous self. Slow down. Set a goal. Buy the ticket. Go. 

We asked our Run Editors what were the single best pieces of advice they've ever received for living an adventurous life. Here's what came up.  

Your Goals Should Set You Up To Live the Kind of Life that Excites You

I used to sign up for races on a whim, then rearrange my whole life to facilitate those events. I found myself logging grindy, long runs through the snow in the winter and avoiding the alpine adventures I wanted to pursue in the summer. Then, my coach David Roche dropped this knowledge bomb: you need to sign up for races that force you to live the kind of life you want to live, now. 

This was revelatory. My life wasn't going to change overnight, giant gulfs of time and energy weren't going to suddenly materialize. I fundamentally needed to ensure the goals I chose (which I have control over) facilitated the joyful adventures I wanted. In the winter, I don't want to have to run more than 25 or so miles at a time, so, I need to NOT sign up for longer races in January/February.

In the summer, I want to spend every weekend camping and adventuring in Colorado's high country. So, I need to sign up for fun mountain races that require that kind of adventurous training. - Zo Rom, Trail Runner, Editor in ChiefEnjoy Your Time On the Trails. Repeat Forever. 

A long time ago, I relished running fast on the track and, OK, I still do. I was a good high school runner who had a brief stint as a walk-on in college. But after I switched gears to trail running in my early 20s, I kept up the same intensity that came with running middle-distance events on the track. Given that I'm built more for speed than endurance, it led to always being dissatisfied with my race results or getting injured.

My dad, who was always my biggest supporter, leveled some tough love on me. "Stop running like you're still an 800-meter runner. You've got nothing to prove and nothing to win. Just enjoy your time out on the trails and do it for the rest of your life." 

It sounds simple, but it made sense and changed my approach. I realized it didn't matter if I finished in the top 20 or in the bottom 20 of a trail race. I realized running trails was all about the experience, and it's always better when you do it with friends. His simple advice helped me run free without getting buried in self-imposed pressure or expectations. 

At the end of the day, nobody cares what place or how fast you finished, the trail running community will still embrace you for being there. More importantly, I'm still running trails decades later with my only goals of being present in the moment and staying fit and strong. - Brian Metzler, Trail Runner Contributing Editor 

Buy the Ticket.

Gag, I know how terribly consumptive this sounds, but hear me out. 

So often, our deepest longings for adventure can stay eddying in the ideation phase, lodged in daydreams instead of being made manifest, perhaps because we're too busy hedging our bets, too busy playing it safe, uncertain about the future. For me, often through this processing the adventure-to-be becomes too late, too expensive, or that a deadline has passed. 

One of the best pieces of advice I've ever received about how to short-circuit this, and how to live adventurously, is to "buy the ticket." 

Now this might not literally mean purchasing something, but what I'm saying here is to lock in some logistical, social, or financial commitment as soon as you can, as soon as you feel clear about it being a priority in your life. I'm not suggesting here that you, say, dream of summiting Denali and then must, therefore, buy a flight today, that you must reserve an outfitter and put all your chips in now.

Rather, I am suggesting that the sooner you can make a binding commitment with consequences - which is another way to say accountability - the closer you'll get to actualizing dreams. Because what you're often doing here is going public with your intentions, putting a financial penalty in front of you for not seeing the adventure through. So often we ask ourselves what barriers are keeping us from adventure, but what if we flipped the script and said: what barriers can I build so that I keep on living my most adventurous life? 

If this all sounds transactional, it's because it sort of is. But adventures often take a little buy-in, and I promise: it works! For example, during college I had this dream I couldn't shake of traveling by myself, literally around the world, for one year. As soon as I was in a financial place to do so, I bought a series of plane, train, and bus tickets to lock in the first six months, and then spent the next year working my ass off to save.

Once I took these steps, I felt committed to adventure. I'd invested in my adventuring future, and then filled in the gaps in my preparations to make it happen. And you know what transpired? The biggest adventure of my life. - Nicholas Triolo, Senior Editor, Outside Run and Trail RunnerThe best pace is the one that's sustainable for long-term growth.

I was in the depths of winter, training around snow plows and sheets of ice. I was recovering from an injury. I didn't feel adventurous, and I was drowning in the comparison trap. 

My friends in other parts of the country, in other phases of training, were running faster and farther than I was, and it got to me. I doubted myself and lost faith in the process. I ended up running too hard to impress my unknowing competitors and sending myself into a spiral. I was still slow, mentally and physically exhausted. Then my coach reminded me to throw pace out the window and run knowing I will grow, knowing that keeping it easy now will make me faster in the future.

At its face, this is running advice. It's not meant to be deep or life-changing. But following this advice required that I drop my ego, accept myself, learn to lift others up without putting myself down, and chase big dreams because growth is inevitable when you forget about pace and enjoy the process. With long term vision, I allowed myself to explore more and worry less. I slowed down and found adventure in my neighborhood on a new road, in a snow covered trail, or with a pair of great horned owls. Don't let comparison taint the daily grind. Replace it with authenticity and curiosity, and every day might feel a bit more adventurous. - Gordon Coates, Trail Runner, Digital Producer

Jakob Ingebrigtsen brought his remarkable 2026 season to a fitting close on home soil, winning the men’s street 1500m at the inaugural Runfest Norway in Sandnes on Friday.

Competing in front of an enthusiastic hometown crowd, the Olympic and world champion took control of the race from the early stages and maintained his authority through the finish, stopping the clock at 3:40.7.

Andreas Fjeld Halvorsen followed in second in 3:43.3, while Sigurd Tveit completed the podium in 3:47.8.

The unusual street race added another dimension to the occasion, with 273 runners taking part on the same road and sharing the course with one of Norway’s most accomplished distance runners. For the recreational participants, it offered a rare opportunity to compete alongside Ingebrigtsen in an event that brought elite athletics and mass participation together.

The victory also provided a fitting final chapter to a season that began with significant uncertainty for Ingebrigtsen. After undergoing major Achilles surgery in February, the Norwegian was forced to miss a substantial portion of the summer campaign as he worked his way back to full fitness.

His return, however, quickly developed into another championship-winning chapter. In Birmingham, Ingebrigtsen captured European 5,000m gold before adding another major title at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, where he won the 5,000m.

Those performances transformed what could have been a disrupted season into another year defined by championship success and a determined return to the highest level.

Now, with the Sandnes victory added to his 2026 record, Ingebrigtsen closes the year exactly where it began in spirit — overcoming adversity, rebuilding his form and once again competing at the front.

From Achilles surgery in February to major championship victories and finally a 1500m win before his hometown crowd, the Norwegian has given his 2026 season a memorable final scene.

Olympic 100m hurdles champion Masai Russell has announced her engagement to longtime partner Robert “Robbie” Springfield, adding a major personal milestone to the remarkable journey of one of America’s leading track and field stars.

Russell shared the news with her followers, revealing that Springfield had proposed and that she had accepted. Reflecting on their relationship, the Olympic champion described him as her best friend and expressed her excitement about spending the rest of her life with him.

The couple’s relationship dates back to their college years at the University of Kentucky, where both were student-athletes and competed in track and field. Russell established herself as a standout hurdler, while Springfield competed in the long jump, giving them a shared understanding of the demands, sacrifices and pressures that come with pursuing success in athletics.

Springfield has since transitioned from competition into coaching. A former collegiate long jumper, he is now part of the coaching staff at Morehead State University, where he works with the programme’s sprinters and jumpers.

Their relationship has developed alongside Russell’s rise to the top of the sport. The defining moment of her career came at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where she captured gold in the women’s 100m hurdles, securing her place among the sport’s Olympic champions.

Away from competition, Springfield has remained a familiar part of Russell’s journey, sharing in the demanding periods of training and competition that accompanied her pursuit of Olympic success. Their connection has consequently grown from a college athletics relationship into a long-term partnership.

The engagement now marks another significant chapter for Russell, this time away from the track. After reaching the pinnacle of her sporting career in Paris, the 100m hurdles champion is beginning a new phase of her personal life alongside a partner who has been part of her journey since their university days.

From competing on the same collegiate stage to building a future together, Russell and Springfield’s story has evolved alongside two careers shaped by track and field. The Olympic champion will now balance this new personal chapter with her continuing ambitions in athletics

The women’s race at the 2026 TCS Amsterdam Marathon is shaping up to be one of the most competitive editions in recent years, with a deep international field set to take on the fast Dutch course on Sunday, October 18.

At the centre of the contest will be four Ethiopian athletes who have already broken the 2:20 barrier, creating the prospect of a fascinating battle for victory and a possible assault on the course record of 2:16:52.

Defending champion Aynalem Desta will return to Amsterdam looking to retain her title after producing the biggest performance of her career at last year’s 50th edition. Desta won in a personal best of 2:17:37, establishing herself among the leading marathoners in the field and setting the benchmark for this year’s contenders.

Standing in her way will be fellow Ethiopian Meseret Belete Tola, a former Amsterdam champion who knows exactly what it takes to succeed on the course. Belete Tola captured the 2023 edition in 2:18:21, and her return adds another layer of experience and proven quality to an already formidable lineup.

The field also includes Mestawut Fikir Truneh, who arrives with an impressive marathon pedigree. Truneh finished runner-up at the 2024 Berlin Marathon in 2:18:48, demonstrating her ability to compete at the highest level on one of the world's major marathon stages.

Completing the quartet of sub-2:20 Ethiopians is Buze Diriba, whose personal best of 2:19:34 places her firmly among the leading contenders. With four athletes possessing credentials below 2:20, the race is likely to develop into a tightly contested battle from the opening kilometres.

The depth extends well beyond the leading quartet. Desi Jisa Mokonin, representing Bahrain, Yeshi Kalayu Chekole of Ethiopia and Nazret Weldu Gebrehiwet of Eritrea have all established themselves as serious marathon competitors with performances approaching the 2:20 mark.

Another major name to watch is Abeba Aregawi, the former 1500m world champion representing Sweden. Aregawi has successfully transferred her talents to the marathon and made headlines earlier this year by setting a Swedish national record of 2:23:12 on her debut. Her presence adds another intriguing dimension to an already high-quality field.

Amsterdam’s marathon course has consistently provided an opportunity for elite athletes to produce fast times, and this year’s women’s lineup has the depth to turn the race into a genuine test of both championship racing and outright speed.

With four athletes already inside 2:20, two former Amsterdam champions returning to the start line and several other accomplished marathoners ready to challenge them, the battle is expected to remain open deep into the race.

The ultimate target will be the Amsterdam women’s course record of 2:16:52. Whether the leading contenders can threaten that mark remains to be seen, but the quality assembled for October 18 ensures that the record will be firmly in the spotlight when the race reaches its spectacular finish inside the Olympic Stadium.

The 2026 Valencia Half Marathon is shaping up to be a thrilling contest of speed, endurance and tactical brilliance, with some of the world’s finest road runners set to converge in Spain on October 25.

Kenya’s Daniel Ebenyo and Alex Matata will be among the leading contenders, facing a formidable Ethiopian challenge spearheaded by Jemal Yimer and Tadese Worku. The field also features Rodrigue Kwizera, who boasts the fastest personal best among the leading entrants at 58:16.

Ebenyo arrives with a personal best of 59:04, placing him firmly among the athletes capable of sustaining a demanding pace over the 21.1-kilometre distance. Matata, who owns a 59:11 best, adds further Kenyan strength, while Andrea Kiptoo brings another sub-60-minute credential to the race.

Yimer has already established himself as one of the fastest athletes in the field with a 58:33 personal best, while Worku has clocked 58:35. Kenya’s Owen Korir, with a best of 58:58, further underlines the remarkable depth of the men's lineup.

Valencia Half Marathon 2026 Entries

1. Rodrigue Kwizera (Spain) — 58:16

2. Jemal Yimer (Ethiopia) — 58:33

3. Tadese Worku (Ethiopia) — 58:35

4. Owen Korir (Kenya) — 58:58

5. Daniel Ebenyo (Kenya) — 59:04

6. Alex Matata (Kenya) — 59:11

7. Andrea Kiptoo (Kenya) — 59:11

8. Thierry Ndikumwenayo (Spain) — 59:42

9. Said Mechaal (Spain) — 1:00:24

10. Adel Mechaal (Spain) — 1:02:30

Kwizera, who finished second in Valencia last year, leads the field on paper and will be seeking another standout performance on the famously fast Valencia course. With several athletes carrying sub-60-minute credentials, the race has the ingredients for an aggressive battle from the opening kilometres.

Beyond the headline names, the men’s field is deep and highly competitive, bringing together a strong collection of experienced international athletes with proven ability over the half-marathon distance. With so much quality packed into the lineup, the race promises an intriguing battle in which tactics, endurance, positioning and finishing speed could all play a crucial role in determining the eventual champion.

Yet personal bests will count for little once the gun goes off. The title could ultimately be decided by patience, positioning and the ability to respond when the pace begins to rise in the closing stages. Every surge, every tactical move and every second saved could prove decisive on the road to the finish.

With Kenya, Ethiopia and Spain represented by athletes of exceptional quality, Valencia promises a high-octane men's showdown in which the leaders are likely to be separated by only a handful of seconds. The final kilometres could provide the defining moments of a race packed with speed, ambition and anticipation.

On October 25, the question will be simple: who has the strength to command the streets of Valencia and claim the coveted half-marathon crown?

 

April 19, 1982. The Boston Marathon unfolded under unusually warm, sunny conditions, and by the closing stages, the race had become a private battle between two very different American runners: Alberto Salazar, already one of the biggest names in distance running, and Dick Beardsley, the Minnesota runner who had emerged as a serious marathon contender.

For roughly nine miles, from the Newton Hills toward the finish, Beardsley did much of the leading, with Salazar tucked close behind. Neither man could shake the other. They ran deep into Boston locked together, trading surges and refusing to surrender an inch as the crowds along the course grew louder.

Salazar finally made his decisive move with less than a mile remaining. He opened a small gap, but Beardsley refused to disappear. The Minnesota runner chased him through the final streets, closing again as they approached the finish.

Then came the final sprint.

Salazar held his form and reached the finish first in 2:08:52, with Beardsley only two seconds behind in 2:08:54. It was an extraordinary result: both men broke 2:09 in the same Boston Marathon, and both shattered the previous course record.

The race became known as the “Duel in the Sun,” and it remains one of the most celebrated head-to-head battles in Boston Marathon history. Beardsley had not won, but his performance established him as one of America's elite marathoners.

For Salazar, however, victory came at an enormous physical cost. Immediately after crossing the finish line, he collapsed and required emergency treatment, including several litres of intravenous saline. The combination of heat, dehydration and an all-out effort had pushed his body to the limit.

Salazar's marathon career would never again produce quite the same kind of performance. His celebrated 1981 New York City Marathon victory had produced what was initially considered a world record, although the course was later found to be short. His Boston triumph therefore became one of the defining victories of his career.

Beardsley's story would take an even more difficult turn. Injuries disrupted his career, and after returning to the highest level, he suffered a devastating farm accident in 1989. Further accidents, surgeries and severe physical pain followed, eventually leading to a long battle with painkiller addiction.

He eventually overcame that struggle and transformed the darkest chapters of his life into a story of recovery, resilience and redemption.

That is what makes the 1982 Boston Marathon more than a two-second victory.

For one extraordinary afternoon, Salazar and Beardsley produced a marathon duel in which neither man was willing to give way. One crossed the finish line first. The other finished only two seconds behind him.

Two seconds separated them at Boston. Decades later, their legendary duel remains one of the greatest chapters in marathon history.