‘ellooo runner 👋 This week’s edition of RunLetters includes so much gold. A film premiere, an incredible runner to follow, an amazing charity ultra, trail shoes from Mammut, a huge discount for a trip to Slovenia and the opportunity to win shoes.

Before we get started…

Voted? Thank you! Then let’s get started ⤵️

This. One. Is. WORTH. Your. Freaking. Time! 🙏

IN THE BELLY OF THE WHALE is a short documentary following René Claußnitzer as he runs The Speed Project: a solo, unsupported race from LA to Las Vegas. 500km. No crew, no support, just René and the road.

I got to see this short film here in my hometown, and it left me (and the rest of the audience) pretty mesmerised. Emotional at times, hilarious at others. René has an incredible personality, the filming and editing are beautiful, and the landscapes are something else. But it's the combination of all of it that makes this one so memorable

I've been itching to share it in the newsletter, and the moment is finally here.

It premieres today. Go watch it, leave a comment, give it some love. 👇

Many road/track runners try out trail running at some point. But for most, that path won't look anything like Rachel's (@rachrunsworld).

Rachel spent years as a competitive track runner, made the Olympic Trials in the steeplechase in 2016, and was a six-time All-American at Baylor University. Then in the summer of 2021, her husband convinced her to give trail running a proper go. She said yes.

Within two years (!!!) she became 2x US Mountain Running Champion, won the XTERRA Trail Run World Championship 21K, and started competing at the Golden Trail World Series Final. Talk about a transition!

She's now a Merrell athlete and one of the most exciting names in US trail and mountain running.

Her Instagram is fun and worth following, but even better is her YouTube channel. The videos give a great peek into what life looks like as a pro athlete. She also recently announced she's pregnant, so we get to follow that journey too. 🙌

What if your next race wasn't really about the race at all?

That's the idea behind WhyWeRun.

In 2022, Lewis Robling committed to running five 250km multi-stage ultras in eight months to raise money for bigmoose, a mental health charity on a mission to fund accessible therapy in the UK. By August of that year, he'd already completed three of them. Two left: Jordan and Mexico. Then, with just nine weeks to go, Mexico got cancelled.

Most people would call it a day. Lewis didn't. He teamed up with sports nutritionist and ultrarunner Renee McGregor, and together they created their own event from scratch in weeks. That event? WhyWeRun. 🙌

What was supposed to be a one-off adventure turned into something much bigger. A recurring event and a whole community around it. The "flagship event" is their 250km ultra marathon. Five days through the stunning Welsh landscape. 50km a day, 6,900m of elevation, starting in St Davids.

What makes this ultra so different from many others is the “why” behind it. Every participant raises a minimum of £500 for bigmoose, a mental health charity offering free therapy and support, helping to save and change lives in the UK. There are no podiums or race rankings. You're not competing against anyone. It's all about running for a purpose, together. 

2026 entries are open now. If you've ever wanted to do something extraordinary, this might just be it. 👇

Not every shoe can do everything. Most trail shoes are great on dirt, but too stiff for the road. Most road shoes make you ice skate on mud or dusty gravel. Finding one that handles both? Not easy!

The Mammut Aenergy Trail All Mountain Low is one of those rare exceptions. While it's a trail shoe, it could definitely also be seen as a road-to-trail. I got to test them out and was pleasantly surprised. Although I have to say, Mammut in my head stands for quality, so maybe not that surprised...

I took them over muddy trails, gravel, forest paths, and plenty of stretches of road. They handled all of it without trouble. The CORE Plus foam midsole gives you solid cushioning and a nice rebound, while the rand and upper keep your feet protected from rocks and debris when things get technical.

The fit, at least for me, was great straight out of the box. No break-in period, no annoying pressure points. Just put them on and go.

Oh, and they look really good. This is highly subjective, but I think this might be one of my favourite colorways on a trail shoe ever.

They come in both men's and women's versions. If you're after a shoe that can keep up with whatever terrain you throw at it, check these out 👇

Eight cities. Eight marathons. One very good excuse to see Europe on foot.

The European Marathon Classics officially launched just last week. The concept is simple: complete at least 5 of the 8 marathons to earn the "European Marathon Classics Finisher" title and a commemorative medal. There's no time limit either.

The 2026 lineup: Rome (Mar 22), Vienna (Apr 19), London (Apr 26), Madrid (Apr 26), Copenhagen (May 10), Warsaw (Sep 27), Lisbon (Oct 10), and Frankfurt (Oct 25).

While a fun concept, I do wonder... Why London, Lisbon and Copenhagen?

London is already a World Major, and both Lisbon and Copenhagen are SuperHalfs cities. They're hardly lacking in international attention. Meanwhile, there are so many incredible European marathons that could have used this kind of spotlight: Athens, Amsterdam, Porto, Bruges, Ljubljana, Edinburgh... the list goes on.

And getting into London is already super difficult, so that's a whole separate headache.

But... If you've been looking for a reason to travel across Europe and run some iconic races along the way, this might be perfect for you.

That’s it for another edition of RunLetters ✅ Thank you for reading!

I hope you’ll have an amazing weekend. I’ll be running the Lisbon Half Marathon this Sunday (together with two RunLetters Run Club members, how awesome is that?!) ☀️ What about you?

Cheers,

Caroline

P.S. If you're looking for an adventurous running trip, I’ve got one for you. Rogue Expeditions is running a guided trip through the Julian Alps in Slovenia (GORGEOUS country!) with ultrarunner and wellness advocate Flora Beverley. Turquoise rivers, alpine trails, incredible food, and good company. Enter your email on the trip page to get €500 off 👇

→ The Julian Alps with Flora Beverley

🎁 P.P.S. Join the RunLetters Run Club, run 4 long runs this month (March), and you could win a pair of shoes! The club is completely free, hosts a bunch of amazing discount codes, and more. → Join here.