The Best Of iRunFar In 2014

A look at iRunFar’s best articles of 2014.

By on December 30, 2014 | Comments

‘Tis the season to celebrate a year’s accomplishments, and what a year it has been at iRunFar! We’re incredibly proud of what our ever-growing team of editors, columnists, contributors, and volunteers has put together for our readers and fans in 2014. In the balance of this article, we highlight the year’s best of the best, from video interviews to creative writing, from in-depth interviews to profiles of far-off running destinations, and from resources to help you improve your running to inspiration for getting out the door.

Before we begin, Bryon Powell and I want to THANK YOU for supporting iRunFar in 2014. Thank you to everyone who followed our race coverage, read our articles, and left great comments. It’s because of you–your running, your excitement about our sport, and this community–that we’re here. We’re as excited as you are about where 2015 will take us!

Race Coverage

In 2014, iRunFar brought you live race coverage from 23 of the world’s most competitive ultramarathons in 11 different countries! We are proud of the manner in which we’ve conducted our coverage: storytelling the race from before the start to after the finish, bringing alive the vibrant environments and communities through which races travel, highlighting front-of-the-pack performances, and doing all of this in as unobtrusive manner as we can for both the runners and the environment. We are committed to bringing you the best of the trail and ultrarunning international race scene again in 2015.

Race-Coverage-Related Articles

Video Interviews

General Editorial Articles

We’ve brought you a diversity of stories from dozens of dedicated editors, columnists, and contributors who hail from all over this earth, and the rest of this article is dedicated to highlighting the best of these from 2014. We endeavor to turn a mirror upon the trail and ultrarunning community, to tell a complete story–however short, long, quirky, powerful, awkward, endearing, or off-the-wall it is–and to write with high quality every time. In all, iRunFar’s writers published 578 articles this year, and we promise to deliver as best as we are able in 2015.

Philosophizing

  • The Hunt — Mike Wolfe writes about the equally ethereal and tangible connection between running and hunting. [Author’s Note: This link discusses hunting intimately and contains photos of an elk carcass as well as incidental blood from a hunt. The images are a great deal less gory than most modern horror films, but we’re letting you know in case you might be uncomfortable with them.]
  • Untethered — Joe Grant explores the notion of feeling free and untethered in running and other sports.
  • What Makes A Classic? — Andy Jones-Wilkins examines the qualities of a ‘classic’ ultramarathon.
  • Rules — Tropical John Medinger philosophizes about the challenges of creating and enforcing rules for a sport as diverse and off-beat as ultrarunning.

Creative Writing

The Obscure and Humorous

Potpurri

  • “Dejame Vivir” Film Review — Meghan Hicks reviews iRunFar’s pick for the best trail running film of 2014, “Dejame Vivir.”
  • The Perfect Run — Geoff Roes tries to put words to what the perfect run feels like.
  • Trail Running In Bulgaria — Trail running is a booming sport worldwide, and our guide to the trails, races, and runners of Bulgaria by Gancho Slavov is one example of this.
  • Ultrarunning And The Future — Andy Jones-Wilkins’s teenage son, Logan, takes on the future of ultrarunning. You may not agree with where he thinks we should go, but you’ll appreciate his ability to rationally approach our changing sport and he’ll probably get you thinking, too.
  • “Western Time” Film Review — Meghan Hicks reviews “Western Time,” a moving trail running film by Billy Yang about Sally McRae’s story, which transcends our sport.

Resources on Running

The Personal: Profiles and Race Reports

Profiles

  • Ann Trason: The Pioneer Returns — This past year marked ultra icon Ann Trason’s return to the ultra scene after a decade hiatus. Ann granted Meghan Hicks one of her first interviews in years, and what resulted from it was this intimate profile of Ann’s compassion, tenacity, and grace.
  • WeRunFar Profile: Gary Knipling — Jessica Campbell profiles Gary Knipling, who has long brought his humor, volunteerism, and, uh, booze to the Eastern ultra scene.
  • Emma Roca: A Force Of Nature — Robbie Lawless’s awesome in-depth profile of Catalan ultrarunner and mother Emma Roca.
  • WeRunFar Profile: Scotty Mills — If you’re a fan of ultrarunning, you should be fan of Scotty Mills. Here’s your chance to get to know him in this profile by Jessica Campbell.
  • ParkLife: An Interview With Anton Krupicka — Robbie Lawless gets in real deep with this profile of Anton Krupicka.

Race Reports

FKT/Non-Race Reports

Gear

Shoes

Other

Call for Comments

  • What were your favorite on-camera interviews?
  • Which races did you most enjoy following on iRunFar?
  • What were your favorite iRunFar articles of 2014?
Meghan Hicks

Meghan Hicks is the Editor-in-Chief of iRunFar. She’s been running since she was 13 years old, and writing and editing about the sport for around 15 years. She served as iRunFar’s Managing Editor from 2013 through mid-2023, when she stepped into the role of Editor-in-Chief. Aside from iRunFar, Meghan has worked in communications and education in several of America’s national parks, was a contributing editor for Trail Runner magazine, and served as a columnist at Marathon & Beyond. She’s the co-author of Where the Road Ends: A Guide to Trail Running with Bryon Powell. She won the 2013 Marathon des Sables, finished on the podium of the Hardrock 100 Mile in 2021, and has previously set fastest known times on the Nolan’s 14 mountain running route in 2016 and 2020. Based part-time in Moab, Utah and Silverton, Colorado, Meghan also enjoys reading, biking, backpacking, and watching sunsets.