E47 | Recapping the Laurel Highlands Ultra with Nikki and Wil

The Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail Ultra stands as one of the East Coast's most formidable trail challenges, and in our latest episode, we get an unfiltered look at what makes this Pennsylvania race so legendary. Guests Nikki Niemeyer and William Walmsley take us through their recent battle with this 70-mile trail featuring 11,000 feet of elevation gain across relentlessly rocky terrain.Both Nikki and Will arrived with solid training and race plans, only to face the perfect storm of 90% humidity and technical terrain that humbled them from the early miles. Will began cramping just five miles in despite conservative pacing, while Nikki found herself contemplating dropping at mile 19 before pushing through to finish. Their raw stories demonstrate what ultrarunning is truly about—adapting when things go sideways and finding strength when your body wants to quit.