Helloooo runner and happy Friday! Here’s another edition of RunLetters for you, with this week a Spanish half-marathon, the INSANE BackYard Ultra World Championships, and more 🙌

Let’s get started ⤵️

You may already be familiar with Eva zu Beck. She’s a travel creator turned adventure athlete who’s made a name for herself by throwing comfort out the window (and she gained an impressive 1.86 million subscribers on YouTube doing so). Usually, it’s through expeditions and solo challenges across remote corners of the world.

This time, it’s running 27 miles through Northern Mexico’s Copper Canyon alongside the Rarámuri, also known as the Tarahumara. These are an Indigenous people. They’re world-famous for their incredible long-distance running ability, often running dozens if not hundreds of miles across steep, rugged terrain in thin leather sandals called huaraches.

Running isn’t just a sport for them. It’s woven into their culture, used for communication, ceremonies, and connection to the land. They’re the same community that inspired the book Born to Run, which helped introduce their endurance traditions to the world.

Sandals instead of supershoes. Dirt trails instead of tarmac. Community instead of competition. Eva joins them to learn what endurance really is.

The film is beautifully shot; you can almost feel the dust and hear the laughter as generations of runners move together. It’s not about pace or splits, but about belonging.

If you’re not already following Elsey Davis, this might be the week to start. She’s a mountain runner and adventurer from the UK who’s built a name for herself by taking on wild, beautiful, and ridiculously hard challenges. And she’s freaking good at it, too. Back in August, she became 12th at UTMB in Chamonix (and 1st British Female). Oh, and, she’s also a doctor (fully qualified GP). And she’s a mom. Do I need to keep going?

Talk about a power woman.

Earlier this month, she ran the entire perimeter of Cornwall. That’s about 384 miles (618 km) and nearly 88,000 feet (26,800 m) of climbing, all in six days. She called it the “Circuit of Cornwall”, and it’s every bit as epic as it sounds.

She ran it to raise awareness for Alzheimer’s, inspired by her grandfather, and documented the whole journey on Instagram.

Her feed is full of rugged coastal trails, sea cliffs, and an honest behind-the-scenes look into her training. She makes you want to lace up, train smarter, and explore.

If you love running content that makes you want to travel, test your limits, or simply get outside more, give Elsey a follow.

If you’ve been thinking about a destination race (meaning: a race + holiday in one!) for next year, this one might steal your heart. The San Sebastián Half Marathon takes place in one of Europe’s most beautiful coastal cities. If you’ve never heard about San Sebastián… well, think seaside views, Spanish charm, and some of the best food you’ll ever eat after crossing a finish line.

The route is flat, fast, and perfect for chasing a PB. You start near the city centre, run past La Concha Bay and the beaches, and finish back where you began, surrounded by cheering crowds and sea air.

Next year’s race takes place on Sunday, October 4, 2026, and registrations are already open. The price right now is €34 ($39).

It’s the kind of race you could easily turn into a weekend getaway. Fly into Bilbao or San Sebastián, run your heart out, then recover with pintxos (small bites), ocean swims, and sunsets.

Honestly, it’s the perfect mix of performance and pleasure. And… you might bump into me while you’re there 😉

P.S. I made a tool for you to find your bucket list running races! You can check it out here. Feel free to share it with others too!

What do you do with all your medals? Do you have them hanging on the wall, or are they stacked away in a shoebox somewhere because you don’t have a nice way to display them?

If you’re part of the latter group, here’s a solution for you. These honeycomb medal hangers are a true piece of art and a beautiful way to show off your achievements. A friend of mine shared a video of these (or a similar version) on Instagram the other day, and I thought they looked incredibly sleek.

Links to get yours:

Amazon (affiliate link) | Etsy (ships from Europe) | And then there’s this option, which isn’t wood but plastic, but available in any color

114 laps of 6.7km. 764km total. That’s the amount Phil Gore had to cover to be the “last man standing” and win the world championships of the Backyard Ultra.

For those not familiar with Backyard Ultra, it’s a race format whereby runners have to run a specific loop, starting every hour on the hour. The total distance of the loop depends on the race.

Although super impressive, the amount Phil ran here is not a world record… but he does hold that title, too. Because earlier this year he ran 119 laps, or 797.3km, at the Dead Cow Gully Backyard Masters event. Meaning he now is both the World Champion as well as the world record holder. Go Phil!

Go to 7:26:44 in the video below to see him come in and finish his run.

Every week, on my YouTube channel, I review running gear, gadgets, and events. I want to make sure I review things you are interested in. So, I’ve got a question to ask you ⤵️

Now, time to carb load 🍝 I’m running the Lisbon Marathon tomorrow. What about you?

Cheers!

Caroline

P.S. Looking for trail shoes? Check out my video from earlier this week about the Brooks Cascadia 19!