Hang around the trail running scene long enough and you’re bound to meet a recovering addict who’s turned their life around and taken up running ultra marathons. The first ultra runner I ever met came out of the 12-step program in 2013, put on his trail running shoes, and within two years ran the Leadville 100. A childhood friend traded a 40-a-day smoking habit around the same time and was soon battling through grueling 50k marathons like the Ben Nevis Ultra.
Several books have been written on this subject, like former meth addict Catra Corbett’s Reborn on the Run, and in his KoopCast podcast, ultra running coach Jason Koop estimates that as many as one-third of his clients are in recovery. So why do so many people in recovery find solace in running mammoth distances?
