Best Ultralight Backpacking Gear
The iRunFar team offers their picks for the best items for an ultralight backpacking or fastpacking kit.
This is a huge week for trail & ultra! Here’s what you need to know:
- We’re covering the 2025 Transvulcania Ultramarathon this week. Follow our live coverage, read women’s & men’s previews, & watch interviews!
- Megan Eckert & Ivan Zaborsky set six-day world records last week. See our post-race interviews with Megan & Ivan.
- Dan Green & Rachel Entrekin set big course records at this week’s Cocodona 250 Mile.
Eszter Horanyi
Title: Buyer’s Guide Editor
Location: Planet Earth
Social Media Links:
Instagram
Expertise
- Topics of Expertise: Mountain wandering, bikes
- Amount of Expertise: Over 7 years trail running and 20 years mountain biking. Have fixed lots of commas, hyphens, and general grammatical errors over the years.
Education & Experience
- Education: Bachelor of Arts, Physics, University of Colorado; Masters in Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado; Doctorate in Dirtbaggery
- Years of Professional Experience Relevant to iRunFar: 15 years writing and editing professionally with one year of editing iRunFar Buyer’s Guides.
- Other Relevant Positions: Editor for The Town Bicycle; Editor for Bikepacking Journal
A Word from Eszter Horanyi
I like being outside. My personal interests include trail shuffling, ultra trail shuffling, mountain bikes, packrafts, and burritos.
“Into the (Un)Known:” New Film Documents Kilian Jornet’s 2023 Pyrenees Adventure
Watch “Into the (Un)Known,” a new film about Kilian Jornet’s eight-day Pyrenees adventure in 2023.
Best Cushioned Trail Running Shoes of 2024
A look at some of the best cushioned trail running shoes out there today.
Mammoth Trail Fest 26k Results: Joyce Muthoni Njeru and Elhousine Elazzaoui Dominate
Results of the 2024 Mammoth Trail Fest 26k, which was won by Joyce Muthoni Njeru and Elhousine Elazzaoui.
Tara Dower Sets New Overall Supported Fastest Known Time on the Appalachian Trail
Tara Dower set a new overall supported fastest known time on the Appalachian Trail in September 2024, beating Karel Sabbe’s 2018 record.
Kilian Jornet Completes Alpine Connections: 82 4,000-Meter Peaks, 19 days
Kilian Jornet completes all 82 of the 4,000-meter peaks in the Alps in a record 19 days in a self-powered adventure.
“Feel it All:” Film Follows Skier Drew Petersen’s Journey to Recovery Through Running the Leadville 100 Mile
A film deals with professional skier Drew Petersen’s mental health struggles and the role that running the Leadville 100 Mile played in his recovery.
“Wa/ondering:” New Film Follow’s China’s Miao Yao on the Comeback Trail
A new film follows China’s Miao Yao on her return to trail running during the 2023 racing season.
Sophia Laukli: From Skis to Trails
Defending Sierre-Zinal champion Sophia Laukli talks about her ski career, her appreciation for trail running culture, and training.
58 Peaks in 12-Plus Days: Andrea Sansone and Andrew Hamilton Establish Co-Ed Supported FKT on the Colorado 14ers
Andrea Sansone and Andrew Hamilton established a co-ed supported FKT by summiting the 58 Colorado 14,000-foot peaks in 12-plus days.
Kyle Curtin Sets Men’s Supported Colorado Trail Fastest Known Time
Kyle Curtin resets the men’s supported Colorado Trail fastest known time for the east-to-west direction via the Collegiate West variant.
Tyler Green: On the Pursuit of One’s Personal Best
Tyler Green talks about his less-than-direct journey into ultrarunning, motivations, goals, and defining success at the Western States 100.
2024 Western States 100 Women’s Preview
An in-depth preview of the women’s race at the 2024 Western States 100.
Best Trail Running Shoes for Mud of 2024
A guide to the best trail running shoes for mud with models from Icebug, Inov8, Salomon, Saucony, and Topo.
Manuel Merillas: Relationships with the Mountains
Manuel Merillas, the 2023 Zegama Marathon champion, has spent years building relationships with races and mountains, and his list of future goals is long and varied.
Education, Service, and Running: Join Camp & Run 2024 in Colorado
Camp & Run 2024 gives participants the chance to engage deeply with the Leadville area and give back to the community.
‘Walmsley – The Film:’ A Look Behind the Public Image
A feature-length film looking into Jim Walmsley’s life, his relationships with both people and running, and his evolution as an athlete.
2024 Madeira Island Ultra-Trail Results: New Winners with Valmassoi and Dhiman
Results from the 2024 Madeira Island Ultra-Trail 115k won by Martina Valmassoi and Ben Dhiman.
Best Lightweight Trail Running Shoes of 2024
A guide to the best lightweight trail running shoes for shorter, faster runs, including trail races with models from Arc’teryx, Hoka, Merrell, Nnormal, and Salomon.
Ruth Croft: An Evolving Relationship with Running
Ruth Croft takes a dive into her early years as a runner, and how her relationship with the sport has evolved.
Russ Cook AKA the “Hardest Geezer” Finishes 10,130-Mile Run Across Africa
Russ Cook, better known as the Hardest Geezer, finishes his 10,130-mile run across Africa on Sunday, April 7, 2024.
2024 Barkley Marathons Results: Jasmin Paris First Ever Women’s Finisher, Most Finishers Ever
Results from the 2024 Barkley Marathons, where Jasmin Paris made history as the first woman finisher ever and four men’s also finished.
Lululemon Athletes Push Limits at the 2024 FURTHER Women’s Ultramarathon
lululemon’s FURTHER is a chance for this group of women to chase records while gathering valuable data on female endurance performance metrics.
2024 UTMB Events Women’s Top Runners
We take a look the entrants at the top end of an incredibly deep and competitive 2024 UTMB, OCC, CCC, and TDS women’s fields.
Best Road Running Shoes of 2025
We tested some of the best road running shoes to find the best ones for anything from tempo and interval workouts to a daily runner.
2024 Transgrancanaria Classic 126k Results: Courtney Dauwalter Repeats and Raul Butaci Wins
Results from the 2024 Transgrancanaria Classic 126k won by Courtney Dauwalter and Raul Butaci.
