I remember that well, Pam! You were a rockstar out there, and I was honored to witness your WR that day.

A stone dragon drinking cup is very badass, indeed. Well done, my friend. Well done.

New York does not have elevations above 2,000m, as its high point, Mount Marcy, is 5,344', which equates to approximately 1,629m. The high point for both the Whiteface Sky Race and VK is about 4,500'. So yes, it appears that US Skyrunning did relax its 2,000m guideline for this event.

Any news/results from the Gobi 50km?

Although he's in high school, not college, frequent, and fast, mountain/sky runner and cross country athlete, Sisters, Oregon's TJ Hooks took 2nd place in the Oregon State High School Cross Country Championships last weekend.

I disagree that the corridor trails have been put on a pedestal, or that there is an obsession with running or hiking these routes. I think people flock to the corridor trails because that's where the services are, mainly water, but also, Phantom Ranch. If there were other 40+ mile routes in the Canyon with as much easy access to potable water as the corridor trails have (i.e., where one doesn't need to treat the water, assuming the chosen route even has access to water), more people would use those other trails.

I've lived about an hour away from the Canyon for a little over 2 years. In that time, I've gone to the Canyon 15 times, so, on average, about once every other month. August is the only month I haven't visited it. The fact is, for me personally, below the upper 2ish miles on Bright Angel Trail, I just haven't experienced what I would consider over-crowding on the corridor trails; and only a couple times on those upper 2 miles of Bright Angel has it been what I would consider crowded.

Now, that said, because I am fortunate to live close enough and have the luxury of playing in the Canyon on a whim, I don't have to choose just one route to run for a once-in-a-lifetime trip. I have been able to explore some of the lesser-traveled trails, and they are incredible. I love the remoteness, ruggedness, beauty, and solitude of those other trails. I also love the corridor trails. Parking near Bright Angel Lodge, running the Rim Trail to South Kaibab, running down South Kaibab to Phantom Ranch, taking a break to eat a Snickers and cool off in the creek, then running up Bright Angel Trail is a pretty sweet, and logistically easy, morning adventure for me.

The part of the article that I found most interesting was your ultrarunning stat: 1/3 of your ultras have been 100 milers. That's impressive!

I wish you the best for a successful surgery and full, efficient recovery, my friend.

Jamie is definitely one of the greats. Her commitment, determination, and willingness to suffer are traits I will always fondly remember about her. As you mention, her non-running side is what made her a dear friend to me. She's just so incredibly nice and fun to be around, and loves to get out and play hard once the work is done. As I know you do, I miss her.

And my body keeps reminding me that it's currently been just over two weeks...

You mention that Luis Alberto Hernando ran UTMB only 4 weeks ago; correction - it was only 3 weeks prior to this weekend's race! It will be interesting to see how he has recovered after UTMB, as for most runners, it takes a while to recover from their first 100 miler.