Innehållsförteckning för Winter 2025 från Runner's World

AROUND THIS TIMElast year, I arrived at the Runner’s World office and was greeted by a bright orange shoebox sitting on my desk. I had signed up the day before to become a shoe tester, and the box heralded my first assignment. Excited, I rushed to open it, finding a pair of Nike Zoom Fly 6s inside—in bright pink. For as long as I can remember, I’ve not been a fan of the spotlight. I default to listening rather than talking and wearing simple, neutral-colored clothes to avoid drawing attention to myself. Much of this stems from insecurities about my body. It was when I started running in high school that, in the locker room, I realized the extent of my body self-consciousness. Runners are not exactly known for their…

I’VE RUN ALLover New York City, but lacing up my Hokas in the community room of a rehab center in Midtown Manhattan was definitely a first. My body felt shaky and exposed, limbs heavy with the leftovers of tapering medications that help addicts get clean. My brain was a stormy sea. I was about to go for my first sober walk in Central Park. I felt terrified and sick, but I needed to learn how to put one foot in front of the other again. I’d always been a social drinker, sharing a glass of wine with friends or playing games in a brewery on weekends. But at the beginning of 2025, when my body began to betray me, with failing muscles, limbs going numb, and a cascade of other…

The first wave of super shoes ushered in a lightweight and bouncy new foam. Since then, new advances in tech and compounds have made shoes even lighter, softer, and faster—and not just racers. Super shoe tech is trickling down to daily training shoes. Our wear-test team of more than 250 runners logged thousands of miles in 92 different models to help you find your favorite next pair. On Cloudultra Pro PRICE: $260 | TYPE: TRAIL RACING | WEIGHT: 9.7 OZ (M9), 7.4 OZ (W7) | DROP: 6 MM IT’S NOT EXACTLY the Cloudboom Strike for the trails, but it’s pretty close. On’s trail super shoe is certainly one of the most versatile models in the category we’ve tested, and it’s ready to go right out of the box. It was…

1 → Avoid the scorching summer months, when temperatures can soar past 100°F on the canyon floor. March (as I found) offers a risk of snow but also fewer people on the trail to weave around. April, October, and November are also good options. 2 → Start early enough to ensure you’ll be finishing in daylight (12 to 13 hours is a good benchmark time). Use trekking poles, and carry sufficient supplies to fuel your day, including a water filter, and to perform at least basic first aid. 3 → Check the National Park Service website (nps.gov) for updates on trail closures and water availability. Storm damage and wildfires often affect accessibility. 4 → Ideally, run with someone else. If this is not possible, notify someone of your attempt, arrange…

IF YOU LIKE JEANNIE RICE HAS A SECRET / P.22 CHECK OUT NINE TIPS FOR OLDER RUNNERS IF YOU LIKE STARTING OVER—THIS TIME SOBER / P.16 CHECK OUT HOW FAR CAN RUNNING TAKE YOU AFTER A DECADE OF ADDICTION? IF YOU LIKE THE BEST NEW SHOES YOU CAN BUY NOW / P.35 CHECK OUT THE RUNNER’S WORLD SHOE AWARDS 2025 IF YOU LIKE THE RUNNER’S WORLD GUIDE TO STRENGTH TRAINING / P.54 CHECK OUT HOW TO RUN LONGER IF YOU LIKE INTO THE VOID / P.64 CHECK OUT A RACE SO GRUELING, ONLY 17 PEOPLE HAVE FINISHED…

At 17, Winnie Yu was a high school track-and-field runner with a bright future. When Yu’s parents encouraged her to try sports in middle school, they didn’t expect she’d fall in love with running—heading to New York City’s East River Park in the middle of the school day to run with friends, reveling in the freedom of movement. By high school, she was a track team captain with an intense schedule: running five to six days a week and competing every Saturday. Despite all the training, her body often felt weak. Sure, the team worked out at the gym once a week, doing some sit-ups, push-ups, and pull-ups, but it was more about adding to the volume of overall exercise rather than truly improving strength. By junior year, Yu started…

AS I SAT in the passenger seat of my friend Tom’s blue Mazda—with a teal bandana tied tightly around my face—I thought: I hope no one calls the police. After all, I could have been mistaken for an abductee. The blindfold was intentional. A few months earlier, I complained about how the local greenways where I often do my long runs are great, but had been getting old. So Tom and I came up with a semi-crazy idea to spice it up. He’d blindfold me and drop me off somewhere outside our town of Easton, Pennsylvania. Then it would be up to me to find my way back home—without the use of GPS or outside help (though I did have my Garmin watch and phone, just in case things went…

JEANNIE RICE SEEMS to be floating down Mentor Avenue in Painesville Township, Ohio, her chin-length bob bouncing gently in rhythm with her footsteps. Despite the humid July heat, the 77-year-old is pacing at 7:59 as she makes her way toward the finish line of the 2025 Johnnycake Jog 5 Miler. Her lipstick-red smile is spread wide. Five miles is not a big deal for Jeannie, who takes part in some 30 races a year. So far in her running career, she’s entered about 1,000 of them all around the world, including roughly 300 half marathons and 137 marathons. This one has a special meaning, though. In 1983, Johnnycake was the first race Jeannie ever ran, the one that made her realize how much she relishes the competitiveness but also the…