trail runners we've lost

Reflecting on athletes, community builders and sources of inspiration who left us in the last 12 months.

- the Trail Runner staff

One was a pioneer who lived most of her life unaware of that status. Another reclaimed his mind, and his life, when he found running. They were race directors; community leaders; coaches and teachers; fathers, mothers, sons and daughters; and they touched the lives of those around them and made an indelible mark on the sport and their world.

In our first-annual tribute to trail runners we’ve lost, we attempt to convey these stories and reflect on what trail running meant to these athletes—as well as what they meant to trail running. There are cautionary talesof nature’s unforgiving grasp, and tragic recountings of lives lost too soon; but accompanying them are stories of lives saved or prolonged by running, and reminders that none of us lives a life without impact. It is not a comprehensive list, but it is a diverse sampling of the myriad stories woven through each crowded starting line, or each passing face and friendly wave we encounter on the trail.

Above all, let their stories spur us all to appreciate the time we have, and make the best use of it. We’ll see you out there on the trails.

Matt Gunn

44, October 18, 2020

As a race director, Matt Gunn had a reputation for selecting locations as challenging as they were breathtaking. “He had a knack for picking beautiful locations to hold events, and putting them on even if it was prohibitively difficult or extra work,” recounted Jamil Coury, a fellow race director and friend of Gunn’s.

After running Gunn’s Zion 50K, which included a roped climb, writer Arianne Brown emphasized that “prohibitively difficult” section. “There’s a hashtag, #mattgunnwantstomakeyoucry,” she explained. “It’s totally true. His races are brutal.”