Sean Meissner’s race, the Peterson Ridge Rumble in Sisters, Oregon, is perhaps the best representation of him as a runner, coach, community member, and dog lover. The dog-friendly race follows a network of singletrack trails on rolling hills through ponderosa pine forest before returning to the middle school track for a round of burritos — for the humans — and pigs’ ears — for the dogs. Funds from the race go to the high school cross-country team, where Meissner served as a volunteer assistant coach for 10 years.
With more than 200 ultramarathon races completed himself, and at least a decade of sustaining 90 to 110 miles per week, Meissner knows a thing or two about the love for running. Now living in Vermont, he continues to run, race ultras, pet dogs, and coach every variety of runner. He’s one of those people who’s so embedded in the trail and ultra community, if you don’t already know him, you’re probably only separated by one degree. And if his name still doesn’t ring a bell, then come out to Sisters next April, run the Rumble, and say, “Hi.” Better yet, bring your dog.
Sean Meissner and partner Kristina Siladi with Milo and Ardy the doggos while living in Flagstaff. Photo: Nico Barraza
Raised in a Running Town
Growing up in Spokane, Washington, Meissner was introduced to running at a young age through family, school running programs, and the town’s strong running culture. The Lilac Bloomsday Run, a 12-kilometer road running race that takes place every April and can draw up to 50,000 runners, was Meissner’s first race at age nine and especially influential in cultivating his love for running.
Meissner got started with track in elementary school, and as a high school and college student, he specialized in distance events — the 800, 1,600, and 3,200 meters. On his sister’s suggestion, he tried cross country in high school, and it quickly became his favorite style of running. Meissner also dabbled in other athletic pursuits, including soccer and wrestling, though admittedly, his favorite part of wrestling was running laps during practice.
Sean racing the Kennebec Mountain Run with Ardy in 2014. Photo: Brendan Trimboli
After running another local race, Let’s Climb A Mountain, as part of relays multiple times throughout high school, the 34.3-mile road race was also his first ultra when he did it solo in 2001. Meissner was returning to Spokane for his 10-year high school reunion and realized the race would fall on the same weekend. He registered and pulled off a win, though he admits it hurt. This experience, despite the suffering, motivated Meissner to explore trail ultras. The McDonald Forest 50k — a classic trail race in Corvallis, Oregon, fondly referred to as “The Mac” — was Meissner’s first trail ultra, followed by the Black Canyon 50k and the Bighorn 50 Mile within a matter of weeks.
Two Decades of Ultrarunning
After those initial trail ultras in 2002 — Meissner ended up racing seven that summer — long-distance trail running became a dominant theme in his life. In 2003, he ran 14 trail races, including his first 100 miler at the Bighorn 100 Mile in Wyoming, where he placed eighth overall in 29 hours and 6 minutes. Over the next two decades, he ran a dozen or more trail and ultra races most years, and for most of that time, he maintained a weekly running volume of 90 to 110 miles per week.
It was all part of a goal he set in July 2001 after his first ultra at Let’s Climb a Mountain when he decided to try to run 200 ultras in two decades. In June 2021, he completed his goal at the Laurel Highlands Ultra, now a 46-year-old event in southwestern Pennsylvania. Although he had his sights set on the 70-miler option, sudden back pain just five days before the race caused him to switch to the 50k. “I had trained really hard and was hoping to win,” Meissner said. “I was disappointed, but I was grateful to even be able to walk.” Currently, Meissner’s ultra racing tally is at 209. His most recent was the Lover’s Lane 6 Hour in his home state of Vermont, where he placed second.
Sean (left) on the North Rim of Grand Canyon during a 2019 rim-to-rim-to-rim run with Victor Ruggiero, Kyle Curtin, and Dana Sedin (left to right). Photo: Kyle Curtin
Among a depth of ultramarathon experience spanning more than two decades, a handful of races have been 100 milers. Meissner has four 100-mile finishes: Bighorn in 2003, the Western States 100 in 2005 and 2009, and UTMB in 2015. However, Meissner noted, “Hundreds have not been my distance,” sharing that he has started nine total 100 milers. Most recently, he’d hoped to run the 2025 Vermont 100 Mile, but he was dealing with plantar fasciitis and couldn’t get the training volume he wanted. Instead he opted for the 100k distance at the event. “I’ll try again in the future,” he said. “I love going to 100 milers and crewing, pacing, and volunteering.”
Overall, Meissner is drawn to low-key races with a deep history, and he prefers the 50-mile and 100-kilometer distances. “The 100k is fun — it’s a long day in the daylight hours. I usually hit a low somewhere in the 40-mile range, but stuff really gets weird around mile 70, so the 100k is over before it gets weird.” One of his favorite races is Bighorn in June, which offers multiple distance options. Meissner has run the 50 miler four times.
Variety is Key to Longevity
Over many years and thousands of running miles, Meissner has dealt with relatively few injuries and little mental fatigue. He credits this longevity to several factors. In addition to having a fairly resilient body and good running form, he knew when to rest: “If something didn’t feel right, I didn’t have any ego in taking a day, or three days, off immediately.” While there may have been some genetics and some luck involved, he said, “The biggest thing was that I really, really listened to my body.”
Varying the running surface and terrain helped, too. Mixing up his pace between speedwork and slow, easy runs, switching between roads, trails, technical terrain, hills, and flatter surfaces, and ranging between short and long distances all contributed to being able to maintain a high mileage volume. “The variety in everything keeps my body from getting stuck in a rut and getting an overuse injury or burnout,” Meissner explained.
Sean and Kristina on the Middle Teton in 2017. Photo courtesy of Sean Meissner.
Meissner has also stayed active on a bike throughout his life. When he was a teenager, his uncle started a cycling program through Explorer Scouts, an offshoot of Boy Scouts. Meissner ended up racing bikes and duathlons through high school and college. Although he continued running through his college years at the University of Idaho, Meissner gravitated toward the cycling team and loved racing bikes.
In 2022, Meissner achieved a goal of riding across the country before he turned 50. In a self-supported style, kept light by staying in hotels and Airbnbs rather than camping, Meissner and a friend followed the self-created, 3,300-mile “Sean Route,” from his favorite spot on the West Coast — Pacific City, Oregon — to his in-laws’ house in Lewis, Delaware. Along the way, the duo pieced together each section as they went, and they completed the journey in about a month.
Sean crossing Teton Pass during his cross-country bike trip in 2022. Photo: Zoltan Belady
Currently, Meissner is in his early fifties and no longer sustaining 100-mile weeks, in part due to niggling physical issues. That said, he’s doing his exercises prescribed by his wife, Kristina Siladi, who is a physical therapist, getting out for runs most days of the week, and continuing to ride his bike. “I did a 50k a couple of days ago, between a long run with a friend and coaching in the afternoon,” Meissner shared. “And I was able to string together some good training for the Vermont 100k [over the summer].”
Coaching Nirvana
Meissner’s coaching career started modestly in 2002 when he saw an ad in the local newspaper inviting members of the local community to come run with the Sisters High School cross-country team. Meissner ran with the team through the summer and then began joining their practices and meets as a volunteer assistant coach. In the meantime, he worked at a running store in nearby Bend, where he was frequently asked for tips and running advice, and he soon began coaching friends. Eventually, his friends suggested that he should be getting paid for his efforts.
Although his coaching role at Sisters High School was always a volunteer one, his individual coaching business grew. In 2011, he joined iRunFar as a coach, taking over the duties from iRunFar’s founder, Bryon Powell. He and Bryon had met through running for Montrail and had become fast friends. Eventually, Meissner became an official iRunFar employee when he started managing the site’s online store, which he did for three years before iRunFar decided to close it. “That was really fun, and occasionally overwhelming, to have a room full of running shoes, packs, clothes, and shipping supplies to send to customers.” Although the store management responsibilities were relatively short-lived, Meissner credits Bryon and iRunFar with laying the foundation for his coaching career.
Sean with Bryon Powell in Moab while operating the iRunFar online store. Photo: iRunFar/Bryon Powell
Today, Meissner coaches a wide range of runners, including the middle school cross-country team near his home in Vermont, the collegiate cross-country team at Landmark College, and about 15 adult individuals who include seasoned ultrarunners, shorter-distance runners focusing on the 5k and 10k distances, and runners who are newer to the sport.
Similar to his love for variety in his personal running, Meissner loves the differences among the athletes he coaches, whether it’s brand new runners or more experienced athletes who are getting out of their comfort zone and trying something different, like switching from roads to trails or stepping up to a longer distance. Meissner derives joy from his athletes’ accomplishments. “I love getting texts on Saturday and Sunday mornings, especially when I’m on the West Coast and getting early morning texts from runners on the East Coast.” Getting news of a personal record is particularly exciting, especially when the runner wasn’t expecting it. “I encourage people to go for it when they’re ‘having a day,’ even if it’s a B or C race. Often, there’s less pressure, so if they’re feeling good, they should go for it.”
The Flagstaff Festivus Brewery Run, one of the many running communities Sean has been a part of. Photo courtesy of Sean Meissner.
Mostly, Meissner loves helping people open up opportunities for themselves, whether they’re new to running and discovering just how far or fast they can go, or runners at any level discovering their strengths across distances and running surfaces. Recently, Meissner’s coaching worlds collided in the best possible way at a local 5k when his collegiate team, his middle-school runners, and one of his individual athletes all ran the race. “It was coaching nirvana for me.”
Race Directing and the Peterson Ridge Rumble
In addition to coaching, Meissner directs several races near his current hometown of Perkinsville, Vermont, and his former hometown of Sisters, Oregon. Profits from the races go to the respective local cross-country teams at Springfield High School and Sisters High School, as well as other beneficiaries such as Sisters Trail Alliance, Springfield Food Bank, and Weathersfield Food Shelf.
Meissner’s Peterson Ridge Rumble, also known as the Rumble, is a much-loved trail running event that takes place every April and has been going on for 22 years. The event has seen minor evolutions over time, as new trails are built or expanded, and it currently offers three distances: a 20 miler, a marathon, and a 40 miler. Event finishers receive a unique pair of socks, which were designed by ultrarunner and former Bend resident Jeff Browning and feature Meissner’s former furry running companion, Sascha.
Sean and Sascha on the summit of Black Butte in Oregon. Photo courtesy of Sean Meissner.
Perhaps the best thing about this race, however, is that it’s dog-friendly. The aid stations have water bowls and treats for four-legged runners, and dogs receive a pig’s ear treat when they cross the finish line. Top dog finishers also receive a special goody bag. “It’s a dog race and always will be a dog race,” said Meissner.
The Rumble started in 2003, just a year after Meissner moved to town and discovered a fun 17-mile loop in the Peterson Ridge trail system. Meissner charged a $10 entry fee and let people camp in his front yard, where the race started and finished. “We had 31 people and six dogs that first year,” Meissner recalled. He lost about $300 but decided to stick with it, adding a 34-mile distance in 2004. He also moved the start/finish from his house to the Sisters Athletic Club. The second year had a turnout of 200 runners, which was too much for the Athletic Club, so from the third year on, the race has finished on the Sisters Middle School track and is characterized by dogs romping freely or sprawling out on the track’s infield while runners enjoy fresh-made burritos.
A snowwoman kept an eye on one edition of the Peterson Ridge Rumble. Photo: Sean Meissner
Over the years, the race continued to grow, peaking at about 500 runners per year before the COVID-19 pandemic. The biggest turnout for dogs reached 100. “The starting line was pandemonium,” shared Meissner with a smile. As a race director, Meissner strives to offer well-organized events that are low-key, family- and dog-friendly, affordable, and with good post-race food and a fun atmosphere. “It is very much a reflection of me and what I personally like in races,” Meissner explained.
Running Dogs
Alongside running, dogs have been a constant theme in Meissner’s life. Upon moving to Sisters in 2002, Sascha, a husky, quickly joined Meissner’s life as his running buddy and best friend. From the local trails to the Three Sisters Wilderness and even on the track, Sascha was there. “She’d run laps with me, and then hang out for a while, then run some more laps with me,” Meissner recalled. “She was very good at keeping me honest.” Sasha passed away while Meissner was still living in Sisters.
When he moved to Durango, Colorado, Meissner met his now-wife, Kristina, who had a big Rottweiler mix named Milo. At 85 pounds, Milo was an unexpected running buddy who loved to run. “It was amazing how good of a runner he was,” Meissner said, saying Milo could run for 13 to 15 miles at a time.
Sean and Kristina with Ardy and Juniper. Photo courtesy of Sean Meissner.
After the trio moved to Flagstaff, Arizona, and another furry companion soon joined their family. Meissner went to Phoenix for a road running race, which was also a dog adoption event. Perusing the “running dog” section, Meissner saw a border collie lying quietly in its kennel. He took the border collie out for a walk and then tested it with a short jog. He was quickly reprimanded by the rescue organization staff, who worried he was trying to steal the dog. Despite the confusion, Meissner returned home, filled out the adoption paperwork, and picked up another running buddy — Ardy — a few weeks later.
Ardy became fast friends with Milo and a staple in all things running. “He was there with us through all of Flagstaff, running on the amazing trails there,” Meissner explained. “Back to Durango, he was my San Juan Mountains running partner, and he helped me train for UTMB. He ran the Rumble five times with my wife, and he would help mark the course.” Over the years, Ardy ran dozens of races. “He was Top Dog in all but one, and that one was my fault,” said Meissner. “He really, really just loved to run.”
Ardy the border collie was part of all outdoor activities. Photo courtesy of Sean Meissner.
Meissner explained that Ardy didn’t have an agenda, and he didn’t care how far he got to run. He’d perk up on dirt roads, and his face would show pure joy. Ardy passed away in June. He’d outlived Milo and had overlapped with another dog that joined the family: a corgi-and-beagle mix named Juniper. Meissner admits Juniper doesn’t love to run, but she’ll put up with a few miles. “I call it a Juni Jog,” Meissner said. “If I can get her to go three miles, it’s great.”
Perhaps the best lessons any of us can take away from Meissner’s long running career are really those he learned from his furry running pals: Run as much as you can and without an agenda. Rest when you need it. Run with joy. Smile when you reach a dirt road. And three miles at a time is sometimes just right.
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