REI Presents: How To Run 100 Miles

In September 2017, I stepped up to the starting line of the Run Rabbit Run 100 in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, alongside my friend Jayson Sime. The race is a 102.9-mile ultramarathon with 20,000 feet of elevation gain, which is no small feat for a couple of guys who don’t know what they’re doing.

Jayson had talked me into it, and if I were to be completely honest, I’d say we were there to test out his life philosophy, which is basically that you can do anything you dream up, as long as you put in the work and refuse to quit. That ethic has worked for him in almost every other area of life, despite growing up in poverty, one of six children with no father, and dyslexia.

In the six months leading up to the race, we figured since we weren’t naturally talented runners, the best thing we could do is work hard. So we ran 50- to 70-mile weeks all summer, and went through a full range of feelings: fear, regret, sadness, FOMO, hunger, thirst, exhaustion, pain, and joy. And gluttony, which is not a feeling, but what happens after you run 20 or more miles.

How did the race go? You can watch our film, How to Run 100 Miles, to find out. No spoilers here.

Directed and produced by Brendan Leonard

Co-Directors: Hilary Oliver and Aidan Haley
Editor: Aidan Haley
Cinematography: Brendan Leonard and Hilary Oliver
Animation: Brendan Leonard and Eric Bucy

Steamboat Springs Unit:
Director of Photography: Forest Woodward
Additional Cinematography:
Aidan Haley, Brody Leven, Syd Jones, Jayson Sime, and Brendan Leonard

Original Score: Cleod9 Music
Featured Performers: Ian McLeod, Peter Mulcahy, and Matt Sedivy
Audio Post Production: Scotty Beam/Cleod9 Music

“Puppets”
Performed by Atmosphere
Written & Produced by Atmosphere
S. Daley for Upsidedown Heart Music (ASCAP) & A. Davis for Ant Turn That Snare Down (ASCAP)
Taken from the album When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold
Used Courtesy of Rhymesayers Entertainment, LLC

Thanks
Run Rabbit Run
U.S. Forest Service
Meghan Hicks
Joe and Kathy Leonard
Cheryl Sime
Anders Norblom
Kate Duch
Paolo Mottola
Syd Jones and Debi Sule
Angie Lundstedt
Brody Leven
Christian Folk
Luke Nelson
Bodie Johnson
Jessica DiCarlo
Mr. Rider

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[timdion]

“No s#%t, I had to run 1, 200 miles before the race even started.”

Best quote

[zacharywhitney]

How to Run a 100 Miles: Have a best friend that is basically a super hero

[EvilNeonETC]

I came expecting a tutorial... I did not expect a story of a man and his hero working to fight 'till the end. Beautiful.

[katechaste]

"I hate mountains, I hate running, and I hate this f*cking sandwich" 😂

[paulperetti]

I started running at 52 after I finished my last round of chemotherapy. Anything is possible

[oh_goliath]

You know what this taught me? I need better friends.

[bugater]

This and Billy Yang’s video inspired me to get into trail running and shoot for a 100 miler someday. The first I watched these were a year ago. I’ve been running 4 - 5 times a week, increasing the total weekly distance every week. I’ve since lost 90 lbs. Two weeks ago, I ran my first 100 miler: Headlands Hundred. I finished and I’m still glowing two weeks later. Look up James Marinas on Strava. That’s me.

[LaurenKraft]

"When your friend is also your hero" This one really cut me to my core. sniff sniff.

[shokot]

That tears of Jason at the finish line 😭 i think it was more than running 100mil, it was about reflections of his entire life, believing yourself and never giving up anything! Great story!

[NexusTorch]

I return to this documentary every few months to remind myself why I run. It's the single greatest source of motivation I've hit, thanks for putting it together!

[brandonify]

I’ve watched this ATLEAST 5 or 6 times.. you have finally motivated me to change my life. Extremely addicted alcoholic who’s now looking to run every single time he craves alcohol. Thanks for the push. I’ll be signing up for 100 milers in no time ;)

[myelbowisitchy]

I’m 12 and this inspired me so much I signed up for this “club” that would run 5ks every Saturday and today was the first day and I finished 1st in my age group, and finished in 33 minuets.

[mayankboob]

This is the Buddy film we didn't know we need.

[danelobe]

Marine Corps Boot camp 1983, I watched my best friend from high school get sick with pneumonia. He got a 24 hour medical chit to be bed ridden, Senior DI walks in tells him if he dont get up and fall in formation to train, he's kicking him out. We both wanted to me Marines ever sense we were 9 year old kids, the DI's words hurt me. I ran over to his bunk and told him I wasn't going to make it with out him, please get up. He got up and struggled for a few days but he got better, and we both graduated in the fall of "83".
He thinks to this day I inspired him, truth is he was always been my inspiration. We have been best friends for 4o years now.
We both feel so fortunate to have been buddy's for all these years. What a great short movie, it made me call my friend.
two thumbs up. I relived some of the pain it takes to run 1oo miles, while sitting on my !! ~ Semper Fi

[jamestomkins]

I get a chuckle from all the comments about how they didn’t “run” 100 miles. I’d wager most of these comments are from people that don’t have 100 mile races under their belts

[vessela]

First rule of running:
"Eventually, you'll probably have to poop somewhere you don't want to"

[grovitemultiverse]

I got this as an ad on one of the youtube videos I was watching and watched the whole thing straight. Such an inspiring story, about running, about life, and about never giving up.

[katieemery]

Please never take this video down! It's my number one go to for motivation and I freaking love it.

[HeathyRoidz]

Man you ALMOST made me want to start running

[chloedalton]

"You should never think about how you can't do something. You should think about how you CAN do it."