Trail Running Magazines???

I would be interested to hear what kind of trail or ultra running magazines you subscribe to.

I often get "Trail Runner" in the goodie bag after a race and it looks OK. I understand there is also "Ultra Runner", but I've only seen their website; none of the local bookstores carries it. I'm not looking for anything in particular from these magazines; just general interest articles with some product reviews, etc.

What are your thoughts, wise ones? Which magazines do you like, and why?

Personally, I like Trail Runner the best because of the pictures and it's in color. I also think that the articles are better. Ultra Runner is in black and white and has more race results in it. I actually receive both magazines and I enjoy both of them. Hope this helps.

I can vouch for Trail Runner. I don't think it's quite as polished as say, Runner's World, but it's getting better all the time and -- being a true-blue trail runner -- I always eagerly read every page whereas I just skim Runner's World (my wife's subscription). The photos in TR are always inspiring. I've seen the Ultra Runner website but I haven't seen the printed magazine itself.

I like Trail Runner for the trail running info, duh. ;) Some of the articles and color pics just make you want to get out there and run - or at the very least salivate over the locations. The cover photos are almost always someone running through some neat terrain, rather than posed stances. It keeps me aware of general trail running things - sometimes just from the ads - gear, camps, etc. Alaska tends to get isolated so it's like my view to the world outside.

Some articles tend to be on the light side, more like abstracts than full articles, but that's ok for a popular magazine. Their training articles may be from interviews with an assortment of trail runners so have "real" ideas rather than "science", so there may be many thoughts without a good connection - as in, here's some ideas for you to try that others have used successfully in their training. (Sometimes I like this approach, sometimes I don't.)

TR gear reviews are ok - lots of products in one theme (like hydration bladders or shoes), but the reviews tend to be short, light, and rarely say anything bad. They did have one really good one a few years ago on waterproof / breathable shells and ranked them according to each of those criteria recognizing there weren't any waterproof shells that would breathe enough for running. More reviews like that would be really nice. I'll try to find more complete online reviews, if I can.

TR addresses the full spectrum of trail running - trails, ultras, mountains, snowshoe, adventure, and I think I've seen some ride and tie in there. UltraRunning focuses on distances over marathon be it trail, track, or road. So it lacks some of these other trail features.

If I'm home, I'll usually sit down and read much of a TR issue the day it arrives.

As Chanda already mentioned, Ultrarunning may be about half race results and some race reports with photos. The mag has been around since before web became an important source for many of these things. Those race reports are usually more about the race itself, than an individual's efforts within a race, like most on-line reports are. I think it's available only by subscription. The articles are generally longer than TR with more substantial content, and some may have a science base, which can be good, as long as applications are there (ie not just a bunch of theory). While there's some gear reviews, they are lighter than TR's and not as many products. I don't know what the criteria for selecting gear are. (what the guy got new that month?)

I prefer both of them to RW, or at least the couple issues I've seen. I've never had a subscription. Running Times has a trail column, which isn't too bad, iirc. I've only seen a couple issues of it (came with another subscription).

When I want my scientific training fix, I depend on some of the newsletters like Peak Performance or Running Research News, both of which are more technical than TR or UR, but they don't address trail running directly. They wait for me to have time to sit down and digest an article, rather me jumping right and snacking on them the day they arrive.

That's great feedback, Chanda, BCR, and AKTrail! Thank you very much. I think I'll check out TR some more!

BTW, if you join ATRA (American Trail Running Association), you get both TrailRunner and Running Times with your membership, I think - plus their own newsletter.
http://www.trailrunner.com/
I also just noticed they have some reports on WMRT and World 100km race.

Marcel, I absolutely loved my first issue of TRM a couple of years ago. It was the first magazine I could ever remember reading cover-to-cover. Of course, I was very new to the sport, so my enthusiasm was a factor, I'm sure.

Lately, however, I've been disappointed in the thinness of the publication. The stories seem to be more fluff than stuff, and I've been left with the impression that the articles are about the friends of the editorial staff, rather than about the "real" accomplished people out there. This is just my impression.

I've let my subscription expire, and have-not-yet-but-probably-will subscribe to UltraRunning magazine for race info and the reports, and probably Marathons & Beyond for the stories.

I will also get a free subscription to TRM if I become a member of the USARA (US Adventure Racing Association), which I will still read.. in about 15 minutes every month.

Alex, I'll take "Threads that warrant a Bump" for $800....

I'm into the 1st year of my 2nd 3-year UltraRunning subscription (I just had to see how that would look in print) ... honestly, if they offered a decade-long subscription at even a modest discount I'd likely take it!

In just the 4 years I've been acquainted with the publication it's undergone some important changes, apparently in response to a number of detailed customer satisfaction surveys. Rather than just looking like the Daily Racing Form with primarily statistical results (which it still has - only ultrarunners could look at those pages of race times and see a hundred stories! :)) ), UR now boasts a panoply of regular features by specialists or veterans in crucial areas like nutrition, recovery, gear, and even the all-important mental aspects of the sport. As well, UR now regularly prints results and race reviews for at least the most prominent international events.

Anyway, next time yer in the big city, stop by a large bookstore (if any still exist) and pick up a copy to sample!/K