Step by Step Through Fire: 100K at Zugspitz Ultratrail

This was a race I didn’t ask for. But maybe the one I needed.

The Starting Line of Something Else

When I signed up for the Zugspitz Ultratrail 100K, it wasn’t just about finishing another ultra. I had two reasons, both clear, both personal.

First: I wanted to connect with the place I now call home, the Garmisch-Partenkirchen area. To move through its landscape not as a guest, but as someone who belongs.

Second: I needed a Western States qualifier, and this race would do it, as long as I finish under...