Hey runner! This week’s edition features a girl running her first half marathon ever (and doing it on ice!), a running coach worth following, an event with a distance for anyone, the new Adidas Hyperboost Edge, and a gorgeous documentary about a Kenyan runner.

With all that said, I do want to ask you to vote on the poll below. It helps me immensely.

If none of the goals match yours, then please tap on number 5 and let me know what type of goal you have. I really appreciate it!

Done? THANK YOU. You are a ⭐️. Now let’s dive into this week ⤵️

You read that right. Imagine running your very first half marathon (EVER), and doing it on icey roads in cold temperatures (read: -16°C/3°F). That was what the half marathon was like for Makari Espe.

Makari is not your typical running content creator. In fact, her whole YouTube channel (which has a whopping 288k subscribers) has only 4 videos about running. From starting with running, to running her first race, training for her first half marathon and… running it.

I know many of RunLetters readers are in a similar position to Makari when it comes to training. And for all of us, just like Makari, some days go well, others don’t.

So, I thought I’d switch things up this week. No heavy storytelling or incredibly produced documentary. Instead, some raw and real running. Enjoy!

Tommy Lewis, aka @tommyrunpt, is a running coach, personal trainer, and ultrarunner with 218k followers. He also hosts the That's Runnable podcast.

The reason I decided to give him the social spotlight this week is that he's not only pushing out a lot of content, but... it's actually useful. Good tips and advice, no bragging.

Tommy's undeniably a strong and fast runner himself, but that's not what his account is about. He tackles problems that almost all runners face at some point. What I love even more though, is that Tommy's articulate. He voices his opinion with strong arguments, no matter the topic. He takes time to explain his thoughts. Something many "runner influencers" could learn from.

Hope I've inspired you to give him a follow: @tommyrunpt

If you’ve been a long-time reader of RunLetters, you know Ultra X holds a special place in my heart, as I did my very first ultra with them (50k on Madeira).

So I’m excited to tell you all about Ultra X England, taking place on 12—13 September, 2026 in the Peak District National Park (in… yeah, you get it, England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿).

One of the best things about Ultra X is the wide variety of different distances you can choose from. That means your whole family can join.

At this specific event, there are six distances: from the Dash (12km with a spicy ~470m/~1500ft of elevation) all the way up to 112km. So whether you're dipping your toes into trail running or ready to go full suffer mode over two days, there’s a distance for you. DISTANCE AIN’T AN EXCUSE! 😁

Peak District ridgelines, moorland trails, and limestone valleys. You’ll want to take breaks to take pictures, I promise.

A few things worth knowing: all GB Ultra X distances (110km, 60km, 50km) are UTMB Index Races, and Under 23s can enter for free across all distances.

The cutoff policy is generous (2.5 hours per 10km), which means this isn't just a race for the fast. You could definitely finish this powerhiking your way through. I’d say this race is for anyone who wants to experience one of England's most beautiful national parks in the best possible way: on foot, tired, and completely in awe.

OK. We have to talk about this.

Yeah. When I first saw a picture of the Adidas Hyperboost Edge, I didn’t even spot the 3 stripes (the photo was taken from another angle), and all I could think was: what. the. heck?

While the design screams to me “race day shoe”, it’s not. This is Adidas’ answer to the Asics Megablast, On Cloudmonster Hyper, and Nike Vomero Plus. A max-cushioned, non-plated super trainer (retailing at about $200/~€185).

It’s intended for easy runs, recovery runs, and relaxed long runs. According to the first reviews out there, it’s a one-shoe-does-it-all supertrainer. They say it’s good for beginners or runners looking for a reliable daily option.

Early reviewers do say the toe box is quite narrow, the laces are hard to secure, and the upper feels stiff.

I’d definitely be keen to give it a try, but design-wise.. I don’t know. Not my style. What do you think?

Last week, I was visiting my family in the Netherlands. Friday evening at my parents', we ended up watching a documentary on Netflix called The Unknown Runner about Geoffrey (Kipsang) Kamworor, who, as some of you may know, is anything but unknown nowadays. And hey, good news, you can find the full documentary on YouTube! (Linked below!)

It's from 2014, but still a brilliant watch. A fascinating look into Kenyan training culture, and how these athletes live and train. My friend Lydia Oldham visited Kenya not too long ago, and from her stories, not much has changed. Except that these days, the training camps are regularly visited by foreigners who want to learn to run like the Kenyans.

A genuinely pleasant and inspiring watch. Perfect for a chill weekend afternoon.

That’s it! Another edition in the archive. If you want to support RunLetters, then you can do that in 3 ways:

Here’s to a great weekend ahead ☀️

Caroline

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