Yihaaa runner! Happy Friday. Time for another edition of RunLetters. From half marathons to ultras, a Strava mule and goooood fuel ⛽️

Before we start though, a little poll..

Voted? Awesome. Let’s run this thing ⤵️

This race has been on my bucket list for a while (and I truly hope to run it one day 😂). I mean, running a half marathon through Hobbiton is everyone’s biggest dream, isn’t it?

All jokes aside, I think this must be one of the most fun half marathons out there. You can go for a swim halfway, the course is gorgeous, and the aid stations look great too. And you can combine it with a trip to New Zealand, which is a whole reason on its own to go. You can learn more about the race here.

Anyway, Jeremy Miller (a runner, coach, and content creator from Austin, Texas) caught the race nicely on camera. Just a fun watch!

Alex Cyr: a freelance writer, a runner, in charge of videos for the Marathon Handbook channels, and… a funny guy. The type of runner I recommend you follow to brighten up your feed.

Alex doesn’t just post skits like this (although just for those I’d follow him). You’ll find clips from educational podcast episodes, shoe reviews, and little peeks into his personal life.

On top of that, he’s also a damn fast runner. In the 3-part series “Breaking 14”, you can follow him trying to go sub 14 minutes on the 5k distance. Wonder if he managed to do so? You’ll have to watch the video!

If you've ever thought about running the ultimate challenge, this is your sign. Registrations for the 2027 Marathon des Sables Legendary open on June 10, 2026 (and are bound to sell out fast). Dates: April 2-12, 2027.

The MDS Legendary is a 250km self-supported stage race across the Moroccan Sahara. Six stages over seven days, in temperatures that will make you question every decision you've ever made. It's been called the toughest foot race on earth, and the 40th edition just wrapped up.

Here's what you're signing up for (if you really want to know, ha!): you carry everything. Your food, your sleeping bag, your kit: all of it, on your back, every single day. Water is provided on course and at camp, and so is your tent (which you share with seven other mental runners in traditional Berber-style open-sided tents, or maybe we should call them shelters). But everything else has to be carried by you, including all your food for the full seven days.

The exact stages and distances change a little each year, but most stages are under 40km, with one at 80-100km (for which you get 48 hours). The cut-off is very generous though, as the race also allows walkers to join. As long as you can do 3.5km/hour, you’re good!

You’ll spend a total of nine nights under the Saharan sky. Followed by two nights in a hotel in Ouarzazate, where you'll probably cry a little (with your fellow finishers) and eat everything in sight.

Registration starts at €3,995. Not cheap (at all). But an experience for a lifetime.

If you’re curious about the race, you can find many videos on YouTube from past participants (like this one and this one). And there’s also this official video from the 40th edition.

In 10 days from now (WHAAA), I’ll be running 110km along the coast of Croatia. I’ll be bringing a variety of different brands with me for fuel and hydration. One of them is NeverSecond.

I started using NeverSecond’s gels and bars about ~2-3 months ago, and have been really enjoying their products. The gels are easy to open while on the run, have a good taste, and are easy to consume. The bars are great too - two bites and you get 30 grams of carbs in. Personally, I sometimes find a bar much more rewarding when out on a run than a gel. Especially during longer efforts (like a 110km, ha!).

I don’t get any kickback here - just recommending the products because I like them.

Last weekend I was on a run with my friend Lieke. While we were running a lovely 30k (in prep for our 100k effort in ~1.5 weeks in Croatia), she shared a variety of incredible stories with me. Stories to think about when it gets tough during a run. One of them is this one 👇

Mike Egan is a US Marine Combat Veteran who lost both his legs due to an improvised explosive device (IED) blast while serving in Afghanistan. He underwent more than 40 surgeries and had to go through a long and intense recovery process. You can read more about this here.

Just before BPN’s “Go One More” ultra event, Mike said he would go “until the wheels came off”. Unfortunately, he had to stop “when the wheels got stuck” as the weather turned and the path became too muddy for him to continue.

That was it for edition 50!

I wish you an absolutely wonderful weekend. Hopefully you get a nice (little or long) run in. Maybe with some ☀️

If you enjoyed today’s newsletter, please share a screenshot on Instagram and tag me @runletters. It would mean the world to me.

Best,

Caroline

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