Hellooo runner and happy Friday! Here’s another dose of running inspiration for you. From a crazy downhill race to a road running shoe from VEJA and a (half) marathon with 🍷 in Spain.

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Now, let’s get started ⤵️

Okay. So you’re standing at the top of a very steep hill with a bunch of other crazy people, waiting for a cheese to roll down so you can chase it. The goal? To reach the bottom first.

That pretty much sums up The Cheese Roll (full name: Cooper's Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake). Probably one of the maddest, weirdest races on earth. The race only lasts a few seconds, but it’s entertaining nonetheless (and a little painful).

In the video below, we follow Chris, a YouTuber, as he takes on The Cheese Roll for the third time. As an “experienced Cheese Roll runner”, he’s got some tricks up his sleeve to make the podium. But can he do it?

Every year, the Javelina Jundred takes place on the weekend closest to Halloween (or, as they call it, Jalloween). It’s a huge running party, and a popular race for many ultra runners with 3 distances: 100 miles, 100km, and 31k.

The race is held on a ~20-mile rolling single-track trail course. You have your crew at the same spot, loop after loop, and you get to know the course quickly, making it a perfect race to run fast.

This year, Carla Molinaro won second place in the 100-mile race, and heck, what a vibe is this woman. She actually reminds me a bit of a friend of mine (Hannah, I’m talking about you).

Here’s her race debrief (worth watching too, it’s very much Carla).

To sum Carla up: high energy, burger aficionado, running coach who has a strength & mobility app for runners, British but living in Cape Town, successful ultra runner with many podiums in her name, YouTube vlogs with Steph McCall (who took 3rd place in the 100k), and… just hilarious.

She’s a rockstar and possibly my idol now. Maybe she’ll be yours too. So give her a follow (and tell her RunLetters sent you her way!)

Imagine running a marathon through vineyards, old city squares, and sherry cellars. That’s exactly what the Sherry Marathon in southern Spain is like.

You run through the city of Jerez de la Frontera and the vineyards of the Marco de Jerez. You can choose between several distances: 14km (about 8.5mi), a half marathon, and a full marathon. As you might expect, this isn’t a flat course, or one to run a PB on (though if you do, props to you!).

The race takes place April 18, 2027. A perfect time to explore this part of Spain, since it won’t be too hot. From here, you could explore more of the south and drive into Portugal.

You may know VEJA from their regular shoes, but this French brand has entered the running space too.

VEJA is mostly known for its fair and sustainable practices. “VEJA” means “to see” in Portuguese, a name chosen to encourage consumers to look beyond a product itself. From sourcing materials and selecting producers to the working conditions behind every sneaker.

You can read more about VEJA here. I think they’re truly setting the stage and wish more brands were like them. Especially in the running space, where many shoes end up in landfills, and production is not only unfair, but also relies heavily on plastic materials (especially polymers that are 99% petroleum-based).

As runners, I feel we should do our best to help protect the trails we run on. Every choice matters.

Many people worry that plant-based materials aren’t as good/don’t hold up. However, after wearing the VEJA Condor 3 Advanced for 100 km+, I can confidently say this shoe (which is so much better for the world than many other running shoes) is awesome. It’s comfortable from the get-go. No hotspots, no annoying rubbing, just good.

VEJA also pays its workers fairly and buys materials for a fair price (e.g., cotton 5x the market price). One way VEJA is able to do this is by not spending any money on traditional marketing. No influencers, no ads, nada.

The good news for you: besides the shoes being great, they’re not more expensive than other options. They cost the same as, for example, a Saucony Endorphin Speed 5 or Asics Novablast 6.

This short video from the World Marathon Majors on Instagram made me shed a little tear. It’s stories like these that inspire me so damn much.

Like, come on, how incredible are humans? How special is running? The finish line often is so much more than just a finish line. It’s a breakthrough, the reward after a lot of hard effort.

Just watch it. I promise it’ll leave you feeling inspired.

That’s it for another edition of RunLetters ✅

As we head into the holiday season… what’s one running-related thing you wish you’d get for Christmas?

I want to create a series for Instagram and a gifting guide here in the newsletter, and I’d love your input! So hit reply to this email and let me know.

Alrighty, here’s to a great weekend ahead ☀️

Caroline