Simple and Cheap: A Journey to Finding What I Want
A look at how missing a goal race was a lens for finding one’s running priorities.
Jenn Lichter and Vincent Bouillard won the 2026 Western States 100 on Saturday! Read our results article for the full race story.
Bryon Powell
Title: Founding Editor and Gear Editor, currently managing iRunFar’s buyer’s guides and product reviews
Location: Silverton, Colorado
Social Media Links:
Strava | Instagram | Linkedin
Results Links:
UltraSignup | ITRA index | UTMB index
Expertise and Experience
- Topics of Expertise: Trail running, ultrarunning, running gear, run coaching
- Amount of Expertise: Over 35 years of trail running, over 25 years of ultrarunning, nearly 20 years of reviewing running gear, and 3 years coaching runners. More than 2,000 articles and interviews published on iRunFar. Book author of Relentless Forward Progress: A Guide to Running Ultramarathons and a co-author of Where the Road Ends: A Guide to Trail Running.
- Competitive Ultramarathon Highlights:
- Winner & Course Record: 2024 Ultra Gobi 400k
- 2x Age Group Winner: Western States 100 Mile
- 2x Top-10 Finisher: Leadville 100 Mile
- 4x Finisher: Hardrock 100 Mile
- I use high-altitude, ultra-distance mountain races and the training for them as my laboratory for testing the limits of the gear we review at iRunFar.
Winning the 2024 Ultra Gobi. Photo courtesy of race.
Education & Certifications
- Education: Bachelor of Arts, History, Haverford College; Juris Doctorate, George Mason University
- Years of Professional Experience Relevant to iRunFar: 20
- Certifications: Inactive Member, DC and Utah Bars (I bring the same rigors for details, analysis, and ethics from my legal background to every gear review, buyer’s guide, and article on iRunFar.)
- Club or Association Memberships: Running Rivers (conservation non-profit) board vice president, Sierra Club, Trout Unlimited, Delta Theta Phi legal fraternity
- Awards or Recognitions: George Mason University Law Review
- Other Relevant Positions, Current or Past: Former Contributing Editor at Trail Runner magazine, former freelancer with publications such as Outside, Sierra Magazine, Running Times, and GearJunkie
A Word from Bryon Powell
I aim to inform and inspire others about and through trail running and ultrarunning. My personal interests include trail running, ultrarunning, fly fishing, gardening, and skiing (both Nordic and Alpine).
Bryon Powell, iRunFar’s Gear Editor, getting ready to test some trail shoes in his hometown of Silverton, Colorado. Photo: iRunFar/Meghan Hicks
A Conversation With Kilian Jornet About the NNormal Kjerag Trail Shoe
A conversation (with transcript) with Kilian Jornet about the NNormal Kjerag, the first trail running shoe offered by his new brand NNormal.
Kilian Jornet, 2022 UTMB Champion, Interview
A video interview (with transcript) with Kilian Jornet after his win at the 2022 UTMB.
Marianne Hogan Post-2022 UTMB Interview
A video interview (with transcript) with Marianne Hogan after her second-place finish at the 2022 UTMB.
Kaytlyn Gerbin Post-2022 UTMB Interview
A video interview (with transcript) with Kaytlyn Gerbin after her third-place finish at the 2022 UTMB.
Jim Walmsley Pre-2022 UTMB Interview
A video interview (with transcript) with Jim Walmsley before the 2022 UTMB.
Hannes Namberger Pre-2022 UTMB Interview
A video interview (with transcript) with Hannes Namberger before the 2022 UTMB.
Audrey Tanguy Pre-2022 UTMB Interview
A video interview (with transcript) with Audrey Tanguy before the 2022 UTMB.
Fu-Zhao Xiang Pre-2022 UTMB Interview
A video interview (with transcript) with Fu-Zhao Xiang before the 2022 UTMB.
Katie Schide Pre-2022 UTMB Interview
A video interview (with transcript) with Katie Schide before the 2022 UTMB.
Aurélien Dunand-Pallaz Pre-2022 UTMB Interview
A video interview (with transcript) with Aurélien Dunand-Pallaz before the 2022 UTMB.
Ragna Debats Pre-2022 UTMB Interview
A video interview (with transcript) with Ragna Debats before the 2022 UTMB.
A Conversation With Kilian Jornet About NNormal, His New Brand
A conversation with Kilian Jornet about NNormal, an athletic brand he co-founded with the shoe brand Camper. (Available as both a video and written transcript.)
Courtney Dauwalter, 2022 Hardrock 100 Champion, Interview
A video interview (with transcript) with Courtney Dauwalter after her win of the 2022 Hardrock 100.
Kilian Jornet, 2022 Hardrock 100 Champion, Interview
A video interview (with transcript) with Kilian Jornet after his win of the 2022 Hardrock 100.
François D’Haene Post-2022 Hardrock 100 Interview
A video interview (with transcript) with François D’Haene after his second-place finish at the 2022 Hardrock 100.
Hannah Green Post-2022 Hardrock 100 Interview
A video interview (with transcript) with Hannah Green after her third-place finish at the 2022 Hardrock 100.
Dakota Jones Post-2022 Hardrock 100 Interview
A video interview (with transcript) with Dakota Jones after his third-place finish at the 2022 Hardrock 100.
2022 Hardrock 100 Women’s Podium Finishes
Videos of the top-three women — Courtney Dauwalter, Stephanie Case, and Hannah Green — finishing the 2022 Hardrock 100.
2022 Hardrock 100 Results: Dauwalter and Jornet Smash Course Records
Results from the 2022 Hardrock 100, where Kilian Jornet and Courtney Dauwalter, both set course records.
2022 Hardrock 100 Men’s Podium at the Finish
A video of the top-three men — Kilian Jornet, François D’Haene, and Dakota Jones — hanging out at the 2022 Hardrock 100.
Courtney Dauwalter Pre-2022 Hardrock 100 Interview
A video interview (with transcript) with Courtney Dauwalter before the 2022 Hardrock 100.
Kilian Jornet Pre-2022 Hardrock 100 Interview
A video interview (with transcript) with Kilian Jornet before the 2022 Hardrock 100.
Darcy Piceu Pre-2022 Hardrock 100 Interview
A video interview (with transcript) with Darcy Piceu before the 2022 Hardrock 100.
Final Preparation for Running a 100 Mile Race: High Lonesome 2022 Case Study
A look at how a runner might go about preparing for a 100-mile focus race in the month before the event.
