Running and Chronic Illness: Between Two Worlds
Runners with chronic illness inhabit two faraway worlds–one characterized by fitness, and one characterized by debilitating symptoms and daily uncertainty
Author
Emma Zimmerman
Emma Zimmerman is a writer and journalist based in Brooklyn, New York. While she grew up on the East Coast, she has lived and explored all over the U.S., by foot whenever possible! Her work has appeared in Runner’s World, Taproot Magazine, and Trail Runner, as well as a number of literary journals. Emma is currently pursuing her MFA in Creative Nonfiction Writing at NYU. She hosts and produces the Social Sport Podcast, on endurance athletes who use their platforms for social change.
My Stories
Allie Ostrander’s Radical Transparency
NCAA track champion and Mount Marathon winner Allie Ostrander continues to be open about the long road of eating disorder recovery. Could her transparency change the sport?
Navigating Long COVID as a Woman Runner
Long COVID can affect anyone, and women runners are no exception. Often, the experience of a runner with long COVID is one of isolation alongside the physical symptoms.
New England’s Most Intense Race Celebrates 30 Years of Blood, Sweat, and Tears
The Seven Sisters Race in Western Massachusetts centers local conservation work while celebrating the surrounding land.
A New Program Aims to Close the Gender Gap in Sports Science Research
Most studies on sports performance don’t include women. The team behind Stanford’s FASTR program is building a healthier culture for female athletes.
How To Build A Sustainable Race
Experts weigh in on how we can reduce the environmental impact of trail races.
Building Better Communities
Rudy Espinoza, Executive Director of LA’s Inclusive Action for the City, suggests a new model for building diverse and inclusive running communities.
Jenny Jurek Comes Full Circle On The Appalachian Trail
In 2015, while crewing for her husband, Scott’s, successful Appalachian Trail speed record, Jenny Jurek began healing from the grief of two traumatic miscarriages. In 2021, she returned to the trail with their two young children in tow.
Verna Volker Finds Healing In A Community She Built
One Indigenous runner didn't see her community reflected in running media, so she set out to build her own community based on representation and an intersectional awareness of barriers many runners of color still face.
Sponsored Content
Adam Merry Claims the Mount Yale 360 Supported FKT
“If you’re going to run at that effort, it’s almost like jumping off a dock—as soon as you jump, you’re going in the water. You can’t turn around,” Merry explains.
How Dinée Dorame Is Building a Deeper Understanding of Running Culture
Dinée Dorame is the one-woman host, creator, and producer of the Grounded Podcast, on the intersection of running, culture, land and community. Through all of her work, Dorame builds upon a legacy: the values that her family and community have passed down to her.
These Women Say Trails Aren’t Safe For Everyone
Certain groups and individuals are considering how gender and race interact to limit women’s access to, and experience on, the trails.
Meet The Woman Making Space For Black Trail Runners In The UK
Trail Access Series: Sabrina Pace-Humphreys, and UK-based Black Trail Runners, provides a powerful example for the global trail running community
When Plant-based Eating Becomes Unhealthy
Some athletes follow a plant-based diet for ethical or environmental reasons. But it's important to do so carefully.