Happy Friday runner! 👋 I feel like today’s edition of RunLetters is packed with great content. From a super unique race in France (with a distance for everyone!) to Nike’s new race shoe, a beautiful documentary about runner Ruth Croft (so inspiring), and a great runner to follow (Wyatt!).

Before we get started, with so many new readers here, let’s check which camp is now strongest:

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Alrighty, let’s get started ⤵️

This is one of the BEST, most inspiring running videos I’ve ever watched.

Ruth Croft is a professional ultra runner from New Zealand. You might know her as the first woman to win CCC, OCC and UTMB. But this documentary is not just about what a special, talented runner she is.

It’s about her whole journey. Ruth opens up about it all. Her eating disorder. Running scholarships. Stress fractures. Moving to Taiwan (to teach English in Taipei). Falling in love with running again. She started with trail running, and learned about proper fuelling. Then, finally, she got her first period, only at the age of 27.

In 2017, she moved back to New Zealand and split her time between there and Europe, training and racing a lot. But it wasn’t all roses and sunshine.

For the rest of the story, and especially the race in Chamonix, I think you should really watch the video. There’s so much more to this story. It’s beautifully shot, very cinematic, and the storytelling is great. I promise you’ll leave feeling inspired (and maybe a little in love with Ruth!).

Three years ago, Wyatt Moss wasn’t a runner. Instead, he went viral for eating Chipotle in all 50 US states in 50 days.

In October 2023, he committed to running a mile a day (maybe the Chipotle had him feeling like he should pick up some cardio? 😉). That turned into a marathon a month… which turned into a marathon in every US state in a single year (he funded it by building and selling wooden tables, and slept in airports, parks and rental cars).

He ran many of them in costumes: a tux in New York, a blue onesie along the Ocean City boardwalk, a wetsuit in Carlsbad.

He also ran the World Marathon Challenge (seven marathons, seven continents, seven days), and this summer he co-founded Relay for America. In 20 days, more than 250 everyday runners carried the US flag 4,800 km (3,000 miles), from San Francisco to Washington, D.C.

What I love about Wyatt is that it's never about pace. His motto is “live the greatest day ever, every day”, and his feed represents exactly that. He’s like a running hype man, bringing smiles to everyone’s face, whether it’s while he’s running another marathon or handing out pickles in Chicago.

P.S. Watch this one till the end for a marriage proposal

Imagine running a dreamy (half) marathon or trail race in France, without the crazy crowds, by a UNESCO World Heritage site.

After 8 years, the Mont Saint-Michel race is back. And it’ll be special. There are multiple distances to choose from: a 10k, half marathon, full marathon, 45k trail race, or 90k ultra.

The number of participants is super limited for each. The marathon only allows 1,000 people, the two trail races only 500, and the half 5,000. The reason is that the routes go through beautiful, protected natural areas (where many species of birds and plants specific to the coastline live). Hence, there’s a ballot for the marathon and the trail races (registration open until the end of this month).

There are not many races this special with such a low participant cap. I’m pretty sure this will make the race even more memorable.

The trail races take place on March 20 and the 10k + (half) marathon on March 21st, 2027.

You like to run, you like to race, but your pace… isn’t quite at that Vaporfly or Alphafly level (Nike’s beloved carbon-plated super shoes).

Well, good news! Nike’s now got a shoe for you, too.

The Swooshfly was designed with a mission. As Nike puts it: “Designed to deliver the lightweight feel and energy return runners want on race day, with the comfort, stability and confidence that make stepping into a super shoe feel more approachable.”

I’m extremely curious about this shoe. The plate in the Swooshfly is supposedly a little less stiff, yet still stiff enough to give you that propelling feel. I’m personally not a big fan of super-stiff shoes, so I think this could be an incredible shoe.

Unfortunately, we have to wait a little while before we can give the Swooshfly a go. It will first be available in China in February 2027, before entering the global market.

Would you be keen to try it out? Hit reply and let me know!

Andy from the Running Channel takes on the 2 Valleys Trail Race in the Lake District. He may be an Olympic middle-distance runner, but trail running? A different beast for him!

Turns out that switchbacks and hills are not his thing 😂

That’s it for another edition of RunLetters ✅ Thank you for being here and for reading the newsletter. I hope it brought you some joy, inspiration, and/or motivation. Or at least a good video to watch after your long run.

Here’s to a great weekend ahead ☀️

Caroline

P.S. Know someone who just got into running? Share this quiz with them so they can find their bucket list race!