Words by Andy Waterman
Photo by Matt Shapiro
Heritage, community and Cocodona.
Wynonna Curely-Fulgham, Arizona, USA
For Wynonna Curely-Fulgham, Cocodona 250 was more than just her first 200 mile race. It was a fast track to transcending her mental and physical limits.
“Running has been part of my life for as long as I can remember,” she says. “It’s deeply rooted in Navajo culture and plays a vital role in our ceremonial practices, especially during a girl’s transition into womanhood.” Beyond fitness or competition, for Wynonna, running is how she continues to feel connected to her ancestors and her culture. “Running has taught me how to live through the hard moments, how to persevere, and to always show up,” she says.
That connection came alive in the last mile of Cocodona, when a drumming circle brought her to the finish line. “The drumming brought about so much joy and energy,” she says. “It was a powerful reminder that I am worthy, loved, and part of an uplifting community.”
For the diversified terrain at Cocodona, she relied on the Mount to Coast T1 and H1. “I love the dual lacing system and the light durability,” she explains on how the T1 has become her favorite shoe of the year. “I love how I had zero blisters - a huge bonus!”
Wynonna’s journey has been a steady progression – from her first 100K in 2023, to 100 miles last year, and now breaking the 200-mile barrier. In 2026, her plan is to run the Arizona Monster 300. “I am excited for new adventures, new distances, and new discoveries,” she says.
Photo by Jose Miguel Muñoz
Trans Europe Express.
Michael Bohm, Hannover, Germany
The highlight of Michael Bohm’s year was crossing Europe on foot – 6,800km over 19 weeks. “It was a unique experience,” he says. “For four and a half months, running was my entire world, with nothing in my mind besides reaching the destination.” It was an intense, transcendent experience. “I learned a lot,” he says, “solving problems on the move and discovering exactly how far I can push without suffering over the next days.”
A moment of unexpected joy came in Germany when friends of his running club joined him for two days and offered a place to stay, reminding him of the community behind every solo effort.
Michael’s gear had to match the challenge. “I put 4,444km on a single pair of Mount to Coast R1s,” he says, “taking them from Riga, Latvia, all the way to Tarifa, Spain. I had planned to retire them, but they were still performing so well after 3,000km that I trusted them to the very end.”
Looking toward 2026, Michael’s athletic horizons remain distant. “I am currently deciding between the 6-day World Championship or a 10-day race,” he says. We’ll be supporting him every step.
Photo by Chris Alonso
Volunteering at the extremes.
Nico Shangpeng Liu, Switzerland
Nico’s 2025 season reads like a misprint. In the span of just one summer, this 24-year-old completed a dizzying trifecta of Europe’s hardest races: the 855km Transpyrenea, the 171km UTMB, and the 330km Tor des Géants. He became the first person to finish all three in a single year.
Yet, for Nico, "transcending distance" isn't about the total mileage, it’s about the people. "In every race, I make it a point to engage with volunteers, locals, and fellow runners," he says. "It’s about sharing joy, laughing together, and creating moments of happiness." Even amidst the sleep deprivation of 900km efforts, he prioritizes connection over isolation.
That sense of community became personal during UTMB week. At the La Fouly aid station, he was stunned when friends showed up unexpectedly to cheer him on. "The joy I felt in that moment was overwhelming," he says.
Nico is also rewriting the rulebook on age and endurance. "Many people say that at 24 it’s impossible to run ultra-distance races," he notes. "But I truly believe that with consistent training, anything is possible."
To navigate the Alpine and Pyrenean giants that dominated his summer, Nico’s shoe of choice has been the Mount to Coast T1 in the Snow Line colorway. He credits its light weight and durability for helping him survive the season.
In 2026, his focus is shifting to self-supported navigation and technical challenges, including Crossing Switzerland and the Ticino Wildlands 500, a race he founded himself.
Photo by Rylee Jade
“There is always a way.”
Chase Bandolik, Illinois, USA
“Running 416 miles from the bottom of Illinois to the top was my definition of transcending distance this year,” says Chase Bandolik, who ran the length of his home state in 2025. It wasn't just about covering the map, he says, “it was about learning that there is always a way as long as you refuse to give up.”
The journey pushed Chase beyond his limits, testing his fitness and faith. “On one day, I had been limping for 20 miles, barely managing 3-mile increments. By mile 30, I couldn’t move,” he says. “I tried walking laterally, even walking backwards, but I couldn't do any of them. Then I tried running. All the pain went away and I was able to run the next 10 miles. It was incredible. There is always a way as long as you never give up! That moment was a testament to my faith and persistence.”
For the Illinois run Chase lived in the Mount to Coast R1. “I love that there is a ton of room for my toes,” he says. Room for your feet to expand is critical when you are on the road for that long, and that’s why Mount to Coast pioneered the TUNEDFIT Dual Lacing system. “The R1 is by far the most comfortable shoe I’ve ever used on the road,” says Chase.
This fall, American football fan Chase set himself the challenge of running a mile for every point his team lost by, immediately after the game. So if they won, he got the day off, but if they lost by 50 points, he’d be in for a big day of running. Luckily, the team have been having a good season. In 2026, his ambitions are moving to more formalized formats. “I’m ready to push my limits in Backyard Ultras and attempt things that have never been done before,” he says.
Photo by Tanner Kirk
A year of conquering home turf.
Mason Wright, Utah, USA
In 2025 Mason Wright ran 421 miles across the entire length of the state of Utah, setting a Fastest Known Time (FKT) in the process.
But "transcending distance" isn't just about going further, faster; it's about challenging mind and body and seeing how the spirit responds. Deep into his journey, at mile 320, Mason decided to test his limits. He dropped the hammer and ran a 23-minute 5k, just to prove that he could. “We all just stood there in silence and awe of what had happened,” Mason recalls of his crew’s reaction. “It was an amazing and a bonding moment for us all.”
That burst of speed crystallized his biggest lesson of the year. “I learned that we can push beyond what we thought humanly possible,” he says. The journey proved to him that he is capable of "impossible feats."
Mason ran the entire 421 miles in a single pair of Mount to Coast R1s. “It’s such an amazing and durable shoe,” he says.
If running across a state sounds extreme, his plans for 2026 redefine the idea of patience and athletic persistence. Mason is preparing to run 1,000 miles around a 400m track – 4,024 dizzying laps of mental fortitude and physical endurance.
Photo by Sam Lhermillier
“Stick to the plan and trust yourself.”
Alison Walker, Yorkshire, UK
In 2025 Alison Walker became the first Malaysian athlete – male or female – to break the 200km barrier in a 24-hour format. It was a year of milestones, in more ways than one.
While running alongside Eliud Kipchoge in Bangkok was an unexpected (and surreal) highlight, the always upbeat Alison finds the deepest value in the struggle. At the IAU Asia Championships, she battled back from a mid-race fall to finish strong. "It’s often the races that don’t go well that I treasure more than record runs," she says. That resilience reinforces the value of discipline: "Patience and pacing. Let everyone go, stick to the plan and trust yourself."
The year solidified her connection to the global running community, from forging lifelong friendships with the Mount to Coast team at the France 6-Day to introducing the brand to runners back home at Runfest KL.
Living in the rugged terrain and harsh climate of Hebden Bridge in the north of England demands a specific shoe rotation. Alison splits her mileage between the Mount to Coast R1 for racing and the Mount to Coast H1 for training on wet Yorkshire roads. "I love the H1 because it gives me versatility to run on road as well as trail," she explains, describing it as the "lightest and most reactive hybrid shoe" she has ever worn.
In 2026, Alison’s calendar remains fluid, but her focus is locked on Japan for the IAU Asia and Oceania 24h Championships.
Photo by Matt Hines
An Appalachian achievement.
Jeff Garmire, Montana, USA
Simply completing the Appalachian Trail is a life-defining ambition for many people, but to do it at pace adds a whole extra level of challenge. The trail covers a staggering 2,200-miles of East Coast rock, forest and unpredictable weather and in 2025, Jeff Garmire set a self-supported record of 45 days, 8hrs and 37mins for this epic challenge.
His run was a masterclass in self-sufficiency. "Running can be incredibly slow and everlasting," he says. “When you are tackling a 45 day, 2,200 mile record, every mile can stretch on and be difficult under the weight of a pack. But, patience, perseverance and grit can help you achieve anything.”
Beyond being an expression of transcendent endurance, the Appalachian Trail was a learning experience, teaching him that "nothing is ever out of reach if you prepare, train, and attack it with everything that you have."
But the year also demanded reliance on others. Jeff credits the expertise of his crew and pacers for helping him to navigate illness to complete the Cocodona 250, his fifth straight finish. In 2026, Jeff he’ll return to Cocodona “aiming to make it six years finishing in the top 10.”
On technical terrain, Jeff relied on the Mount to Coast T1. He specifically points to the TUNEDFIT Dual Lacing System as a game-changer. "I like the dual adjustability of the lacing system, the durability of the shoes, and the efficacy of the sole and tread," he says – critical factors when every step requires trust in your gear.
Photo by Sam Lhermillier
The physics of the transcending distance.
Jenny Hoffman, Massachusetts, USA
In the summer of 2025, the Dalton Highway became a laboratory of a different kind for Harvard physics professor Jenny Hoffman. Traveling north toward the Arctic Ocean, she covered the 414 miles of the infamous "Haul Road" in 5 days and 18 hours, battling a landscape that defies categorization.
"The amazing thing about northern Alaska is that it is simultaneously a desert and a wetland," she explains. The snowmelt creates lush greenery, but the sky yields little rain. Yet, the ground told a different story: "There was so much mud."
Conducting her journey in the summer, a time of year where night only gets as far as "civil twilight" – where the sun sets but darkness never truly arrives – Hoffman faced down exhaustion and jet lag, fueled by breathtaking encounters with grizzlies, musk ox, and caribou.
This Alaskan solitude stands in stark contrast to looped races such as the World 24hr Championship in Albi, this October, where Hoffman represented team USA. "It's almost like two different sports," she told the Mount to Coast podcast. "Running on a looped course is all about the people while FKTs are about exploration, and seeing something I haven't seen before."
Yet, even in the isolation of the Arctic, she was never truly alone. Supported by a paired-back crew in a small car, she proved that while the ambition is exploration, the effort is always collective. It was a masterclass in minimalism, resilience, and the restless urge to discover new horizons.
Photo by Mads Holm Andersen
Of romance and ultrarunning.
Morten and Julie Klingenberg, Denmark
For most couples, the walk down the aisle lasts only a minute. For Morten and Julie Klingenberg, it took 19 hours and 55 minutes.
The Danish couple, who first met at a backyard ultra, decided to turn the "100 Miles Around Mors" race into the ultimate wedding procession. "We met at an ultra, so why not marry at an ultra as well?" Julie says.
The journey around the island of Mors was a mix of celebration and suffering. While Morten describes the miles as being "light and easy" with his soon-to-be wife by his side, the distance inevitably took its toll. Julie, running on a recovering bone stress injury, hit a wall in the final 30km. "It was a bit of a struggle," she admits, but Morten guided her through the final stretch – a literal practice of sticking together "through thick and thin" before the vows were even exchanged.
For their wedding shoes, the couple bypassed tradition and laced up matching pairs of the Mount to Coast R1. The road-ultra reliability was essential for a 160km ceremony on asphalt.
At the finish line, amidst cheering spectators and support crews, they finally exchanged vows and unique rings designed to match the elevation profile of the route where they first met. Toasting with champagne as Mr. and Mrs. Klingenberg, their message was clear – they are truly a couple "in it for the long run."
Photo by Jakob Lilja-Ruiz
Defying convention, defying categorization.
Madeline Wolfenbarger, Utah, USA
In 2025, Madeline Wolfenbarger, aka the Ghost Runner, lived up to the ethos of "transcending distance" by becoming a truly versatile athlete, racing road ultras one day and scrambling to technical summits the next.
The highlight of her year was competing in a relay from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. The defining moment of this brutal and chaotic test of collective endurance came deep in the second night, when the team made a pact to abandon sleep and push through non-stop shifts. "Realizing we were in second place with just six miles to go before the Las Vegas sign – after all of us agreed to stay up – was unreal," she says.
That shared suffering forged an unbreakable bond. She describes crossing the finish line with teammates who started as strangers but finished as family. The experience taught her that running is a gift, and proved that her "ambitious goals are not too big or out of reach."
To handle the vertical demands of training in Utah, Maddy relied on the Mount to Coast T1. While it's noted for its comfort and durability, for Madeline, the standout feature was the traction. "It has the best grip I have ever experienced in a shoe," she notes. The T1 gave her the confidence to start scrambling more aggressively, allowing her to check off dream summits that required technical precision.
The forecast for 2026 looks just as rugged: Madeline is preparing for a 100k desert race and an attempt to run the iconic Teton Crest Trail in a single day.
Photo by Ethan Schalekamp
Great expectations.
Allie Gibbons, USA
For Allie Gibbons, this year has been defined by “doing hard things in seasons where most people would choose comfort.” For the van-life nomad, 2025 wasn't just about covering ground, it was about redefining expectations of expectant motherhood.
It began with the Bigfoot 200 at six weeks pregnant, but the culmination was soloing 300 miles across the Atacama Desert. Running at 22 weeks pregnant, Allie didn't just finish; she arrived as the first female.
"Transcending distance isn’t just about mileage, it’s about removing the mental ceiling of what you think is possible," she explains. This year taught Allie that running is "a long conversation, not a demand." Progress comes from patience and presence rather than force, especially when your body is focused on growing a new member of the family.
That presence was felt most deeply in the middle of the Atacama. Running alongside her fiancé “under a massive, silent sky,” she felt her baby girl move – a grounding reminder that she was never truly alone. "Getting pregnant didn’t take anything away from me as an athlete," she says. "It added clarity, purpose, and a deeper reason to show up."
To support this evolving journey, Allie utilized a mixed rotation: the Mount to Coast R1 for responsive mileage on the road, and the Mount to Coast H1 for stability and protection on the trails.
The horizon for 2026 feels wide open, as she prepares for life’s next evolution, both as an athlete and a mother.