Their footsteps cross mountains and rivers, and even cross people's hearts

In the world of trail running, no one is an "ordinary person".
They may be mothers who get up early to prepare breakfast for their children, teachers who stand on the podium to impart knowledge, office workers who are busy running in the city cubicles; or farmers who work silently in a quiet village. But on the mountain trails surrounded by morning mist, on the rock walls under the scorching sun, on the ridges covered with wind and snow, when they put on running shoes, carry water bags, and take the first step, they have another identity-trail runners.
Trail running is not to escape from the daily life, but to re-understand the daily life with footsteps. It does not care about your starting point, but whether you are willing to walk into the unknown, go deep into the mountains and forests to face the truer self.
Today, Haimont wants to introduce you to three trail runners from different corners of the world. They cross the Gobi Desert, snowfields and dense forests with sincerity and footwork; they have been in the trough and confused, but every start is a restart. Their stories have no filters, no halos, but can ignite every heart that yearns for freedom and power.
Because off-road is not only a sport, but also a way of rebirth.

Harvey Lewis (USA)｜Running for four days and nights without sleep, just to prove the limit of will
"I am not a natural champion, but I believe that will can overcome everything."
--Harvey LewisIn a high school classroom in Cincinnati, Ohio, you will see a history teacher wearing glasses and speaking in a gentle tone talking about Lincoln and the Civil War. But it is hard to imagine that this teacher will put on running shoes after class and transform into one of the world's toughest ultra-long-distance runners. His name is Harvey Lewis, a legendary figure who challenges the limits of human beings with his feet.
Competition introduction: Marathon without a finish line
Big Dog's Backyard Ultra is one of the most unique and cruel trail endurance events in the world. It has no clear distance and no finish line.
The rules are simple-start every hour to run a 6.706-kilometer (4.167-mile) lap, and the remaining people continue to the next lap until there is only one person left on the field.
This race is not only a test of physical fitness, but also a psychological tug-of-war: sleep is cut into pieces within 20 minutes, muscles accumulate fatigue lap by lap, and you never know "where the end is". The only opponent you have to defeat is not others, but your heart.
Harvey's 108 hours: Four days and nights of dialogue with the heart
In the 2023 race, Harvey Lewis created a miracle of human limit-
108 hours of non-stop competition, completed 108 laps, a total of 724 kilometers, and became the longest-lasting player in history.
On the first day, he handled each lap at a leisurely pace, as if he was participating in a gentle weekend jog. After each hour of the race, he would quickly eat his own peanut butter sandwich and energy bar to replenish electrolytes, and then lean back in a chair for a short time to close his eyes and rest.
On the morning of the third day, there were only a few people left in the field. His toes began to blister and his legs became heavy. Every start was like rekindling his tired body. He began to adopt the "micro-sleep" strategy-trying to get 10 minutes of sleep after each lap. Outside the tent, it was the cold of the night, and inside the tent, it was a soul struggling not to "stay in the dream".
At the 100th lap, Harvey could hardly speak, but just smiled and nodded to the volunteers. His eyes were bloodshot, but his gaze was firm. Finally, at the 108th lap, he became the "last man". He completed this "sleepless hell run", became the world record holder, and also became one of the most respected names in the entire trail circle. "Pain is temporary. Pride is forever." 
Training philosophy: not to win, but to live soberly
 Harvey Lewis is not a professional athlete. His training never pursues high-intensity laps, but emphasizes rhythm and long-term adaptability. He completes countless hours of jogging in city parks and practices willpower in the winter snow. He regards running as a kind of meditation: "When running, I find a clearer way of thinking than life itself." He teaches students American history in the classroom and teaches people what persistence and dignity are on the track.

Emelie Forsberg (Sweden) | After returning from childbirth, she resumed running between snow-capped mountains and sea of flowers
"I no longer run just to win the race, but to feel the new balance between nature, body and motherhood."
Emelie Forsberg is recognized as the "Queen of the Mountains" in the world of trail running. She is not only a champion who has won the Skyrunning World Series and UTMB series many times, but also an ecologist, plant lover, winemaker, farmer, and mother of two children.
From the peak of the field to the birth of new life
Before 2018, Emelie was already a star player in the Skyrunning world. She has won many high-altitude technical events such as Tromsø Skyrace, Zegama-Aizkorri and Transvulcania, and is a life partner with UTMB champion Kilian Jornet. Outside the field, she loves farming, climbing, skiing and recording the names of wild plants.
In 2019, she chose to temporarily leave the arena and usher in a new stage of life - the birth of her and Kilian's first child Maj.
She once admitted in her blog: "My body has changed. The pelvis, core, ligaments are all different. I'm not even sure if I can run like before."
Postpartum comeback: not "return to the arena", but "return to the mountains"
Emelie did not rush to resume high-intensity training, but chose to dance with nature to get back to her form:
●She jogs with a stroller every day between the mountains on the border between Åre, Sweden and Norway;
●She practices gentle physical recovery and core muscle training, emphasizing respect for the body's repair rhythm;
●She shares her loneliness and strength when crossing the snowfield, and admits that "not all days are sunny, and I even cry on some morning runs."
But in 2022, Emelie returned to the arena in the Tromsø Skyrace in Norway and finished the race in amazing condition. It was not only a return in terms of performance, but also an integration of "motherhood": her child greeted her at the finish line, and she smiled and said: "In this race, I am not running for the championship, but to share another side of motherhood with Maj."
Emelie Forsberg philosophy: jogging, farming, breathing in the wind
Emelie never hides her love for "non-competitive running". She often writes on social platforms:
"I like to run 10 kilometers in 4 hours, just because I stop to look at flowers, pick mushrooms, and listen to the wind."
She founded the brand Moonvalley, advocating plant nutrition and a natural and sustainable lifestyle, and promoting "mountain slow life" with two Norwegian trail runners Ida Nilsson and Mimmi Kotka.
On her Instagram, you can often see her hiking with her children on her back, weeding in mountain pastures, or standing barefoot in the snow.
She said: "I no longer pursue 'returning to the way I was before', but strive to become a brand new me." In 2023, she welcomed her second child and began writing a book about "Women and Trail Running", covering postpartum training recovery, nutrition, psychological fluctuations and the integration of motherhood roles. She hopes that more female trail runners will know: "You can pause or restart, and life and the track can be redefined."

Ryan Sandes (South Africa) | From surfing boy to "King of the Desert"
"I never thought I could run 250 kilometers in the desert. But it was trail running that made me know another me."
--Ryan Sandes (interviewed from "Outside") Running between the world's polar deserts and winning all four polar ultra marathon championships-this is not the protagonist setting of a Hollywood blockbuster, but the real life of Ryan Sandes, a real South African trail runner.
From South African beach boy to mountain challenger
Born in Cape Town, South Africa, Ryan Sandes was originally an ordinary young man who loved beaches, surfing and parties. In college, he was obsessed with adventure sports, but never thought that "long-distance running" would become the main line of life.
In 2006, by chance, he signed up for the Fish River Canyon Ultra (96 kilometers) in South Africa, which completely changed his life. He wore ordinary training shoes, no high-tech equipment, only a few energy bars and a "playful" heart. But he unexpectedly completed the race and found himself "addicted" to this extreme challenge.
Four polar desert series champions: the birth of the "King of the Desert"
In 2008, he signed up for the legendary Gobi March (China Gobi Marathon), a self-sufficient ultra marathon where each runner must carry 7 days of supplies and complete 250 kilometers in extreme climate and terrain. He not only completed the race, but also won the championship and broke the record in one fell swoop.
After that, he fought in four world-famous multi-day desert trail running races in a row:
●Gobi March (China Gobi)
●Atacama Crossing (Chile Atacama)
●Sahara Race (Egypt Sahara)
●The Last Desert (Antarctica)
In 2009, after completing the Antarctic race, Ryan Sandes became the world's first athlete to complete and win all four polar trail running races, and was hailed as the "King of the Desert" by the international media.
He once said in the documentary:
"In the desert, your world is only heat waves, salty sweat, and footsteps. You have to find yourself in loneliness."
(Source: "Wandering Fever", Red Bull TV)
Heading towards technical mountain races: from desert to mountains
Ryan was not satisfied with the glory of desert races. He then began to switch to Skyrunning and high-altitude trail running events, including:
●Leadville 100 (USA): won the championship in 16 hours and 46 minutes in 2011, becoming the first non-American to win
●Western States 100 (USA): won the championship in 2012 and finished in 15 hours and 07 minutes
●Ultra-Trail Cape Town (UTCT, South Africa): participated in and promoted it to an internationally renowned event many times
●Transgrancanaria (Spain), **Tarawera (New Zealand)**, etc. also left his footprints
Traveling with family: passing on the "spirit of adventure" to children
Ryan is a loving husband and father. He often goes camping and trail running travel with his wife Vanessa and son Max. He said: "I hope Max understands that adventure is not an escape from life, but a way to go deeper into life." He also took his children to complete a multi-day hiking project, and recorded how family life and trail running spirit merged on social platforms. How does he deal with fatigue and lows? Ryan has shared in many interviews the moments when he faced extreme fatigue, dehydration, and even mental breakdown during the competition: "When you are still walking in the desert on the 7th day, your feet are blistered, and your lips are chapped, your only motivation is the voice in your heart: 'Don't stop.'"
 He also mentioned that meditation, self-dialogue and "detailed goals" are the key methods for him to overcome his limits:
●Treat 250 kilometers as "10 kilometers × 25 sections";
●Treat each step as a step towards a stronger self;
●Practice gratitude in pain. 

Every step of a trail runner is the beginning of a journey. From the snow-capped mountains of Sweden to the deserts of Africa, from the curiosity of novices on the road to the tears when crossing the finish line, they measure the earth with their feet and also measure the boundaries of their will.
In them, we see not only speed and endurance, but also "persistence", "recovery", "freedom" and "love". These stories are not for glory, but for a sincere response to the mountains and fields.
As a trail running equipment brand, Haimont always believes that equipment is not just a tool, but also a partner to accompany you through the wind, snow and scorching sun, challenge yourself and embrace nature. We are willing to run with you in the next part of the story.
Because the mountain road is not over, the story is not over.