Sarah Lavender Smith lives and runs near Telluride, Colorado. A coach and longtime freelance writer, she began covering the sport and its culture for Trail Runner in 2009. She is the author of the 2017 book The Trail Runner’s Companion: A Step-by-Step Guide to Trail Running and Racing, from 5Ks to Ultras. She writes a column for UltraRunning magazine, formerly co-hosted UltraRunnerPodcast and blogs at TheRunnersTrip.com. Sarah took up running as a 25-year-old graduate student in 1994 and progressed to trail and ultra in the early 2000s. She has run several of North America’s toughest 100-milers and, at age 50, became the female champion of the 2019 Grand to Grand Ultra 170-mile self-supported stage race. She is the mom of two grown children and, when not running, devotes most of her outdoor time to riding her two horses. See her website sarahlavendersmith.com for info on her coaching.
