‘ellooo runner, happy Friday! 👋 In today’s edition, I’ve got a video for you that you must watch, huge discounts on Altra shoes, and an amazing race for your bucket list (for which you can sign up now).

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This week, your feed has likely been full of UTMB Chamonix. The biggest trail running event of the year.

It's become absolute madness, and the mayor of Chamonix has even said he wants the event to become smaller next year as it's simply too much for the town.

Many trail running events, especially ultra running events, are mostly covered by male photo- and videographers.

It struck Oliver Denton that at the finish line of UTMB, it was all men. He decided right then and there that he wanted to bring an all-women's team for Salomon the next year. And they did.

The women were there capturing the event, but behind the scenes, they were captured, too. Their relentless effort, the nightmare logistics, the ups and downs. All of it comes together in a film called Incredibly Close.

It's not just proof that women can do as great a job as men can (if not better, hehe). It's also a really fun look at what goes on with a content team during an event like this.

I think we are all so focused on the runners, but those capturing it all are also true endurance athletes. It takes quite a lot to carry heavy camera gear, be constantly on, pivot every other hour, run up and down mountains after the runners, and never put yourself first. These ladies are prime examples.

The outcome is a really great production that is 100% worth your time. Enjoy!

Every now and then, the Instagram algorithm surfaces someone on my explore feed who I am so happy to follow. Christine Hobson is one of those people.

She's a retired headteacher from West Yorkshire, 73 years young, who ran her first marathon at the age of 61, right after she retired. This was the London Marathon. During her second marathon, she spotted someone wearing a "100 marathons" T-shirt and decided to make that her target, too.

What a power woman, right?

"So… did she hit that target yet?"

Heck yes she did! She's run 125 marathons so far, across all seven continents. She's even done two separate stretches of seven marathons in seven days. Oh, and she holds the Guinness World Record for being the oldest woman to complete the Antarctic Ice Marathon. She's currently training to run the North Pole Marathon in 2027.

Her granddaughter taught her how to use Instagram. That's where she now documents her journey, including her strength training.

One of my favourite quotes from her? This one: "There's no such thing as motivation, really. It's discipline."

Back in 2016, I spent a few months in South Africa and got to explore quite a bit of the country. So when I see runners describe the Two Oceans Marathon as one of the most beautiful races they've ever done, I believe them.

Don’t be fooled by the name; there’s no marathon distance. You can choose between the 21.1km Half and a 56km Ultra. Two Oceans started in 1970 as a training run for the Comrades Marathon (South Africa's very famous, longer ultra). There’s no 42.2km. The Ultra has a very spicy climb for you (Chapman’s Peak), which rewards you with incredible ocean views.

For 2027, the half is on Saturday 3 April, and the Ultra on Sunday 4 April. Both distances just expanded to 21,000 runners each, up from 17,000 and 14,000.

International spots can be bought through Marathon Tours & Travel, roughly £115 for the Half and £165 for the Ultra. You can buy just a race entry, or a complete travel pack which includes a bunch. The race sells out every year, so if you’re keen, don’t wait too long.

Worth knowing: the Ultra requires a qualifying marathon (or longer) under 5 hours.

If you’ve been looking for a new road shoe with a wide toe-box, the Torin 8 might be for you. It’s one of Altra’s most popular shoes.

It’s durable and stable, and most people can wear them straight out of the box (no break-in required). Some say they prefer the Torin 7, which has a narrower toe box but softer foam (less firm feeling).

The shoe’s pretty grippy for a road shoe, which can come in handy on rainy autumn days.

Right now, Altra has a big Labor Day Sale going on. You can get 40% off the Torin 8, and 50% off the Torin 7.

For reference, that means the Torin 8 comes down to just $96 and the Torin 7 to $75.

"Eating during your long run is not just about surviving, but about thriving," Dr Lyss says. I nod my head yes. That's right.

This week's Wild Card goes to an incredibly well-articulated video about running nutrition, electrolytes, and hydration. She says all the things I say to my own athletes. Hence: a highly recommended video if you want to learn more about fuelling your (long) runs!

I’m writing the end of this newsletter while I’m on a train in sunny Hungary (where I plan to run some KMs along Balaton Lake, for anyone familiar with it).

Anyone running anything fun this weekend? Hit reply to this email and let me know!

Here’s to a great weekend ahead ☀️

Caroline

P.S. Altra’s sale is from today through September 07. Definitely check it out; the discounts are solid!