For years, the primary option for collegiate distance runners with experience in cross country and 5,000- and 10,000-meter racing on the track was to immerse in high-mileage training after graduation and try to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon. The latest to do so is newly minted Brooks trail running team member Meika Beaudoin-Rousseau, a recent Stanford graduate from Sunnyvale, California, who was a strong cross country runner for the Cardinal with a 13:39 personal best for 5,000 meters on the track. "And then as soon as I discovered that world of competitive trail running, I was like, 'This is absolutely what I wanna do when I finish up college."
As far as sports go, trail running still isn't Sophia Laukli's first love, but it's becoming a very close second. The 23-year-old American trail runner is also an elite-level professional Nordic skier who recently moved to Norway to pursue skiing at the highest level. Most recently, Laukli outran a stellar international field to win the 50th edition of the Sierre-Zinal 31K (19.2-mile) mountain race on August 12 in Switzerland.