It’s hard to explain why the trail camp we put on for veterans and surviving family members has the impact it does. It’s not because what we do is complicated. We run for two and a half days. We teach skills like hill running, technical trail running, speed work, aid station strategies, nutrition, first aid etc. etc. We do all that exceptionally well, but that’s not the reason why everyone involved from veterans to surviving family members to paying participants to the mentors themselves leave the camp feeling rejuvenated, happy and hopeful.

We manage to encapsulate and simulate the experiences we’ve all had trail running. We share the feeling of welcome the trail running community extends to everyone.

Longtime runners share their knowledge over the course of many runs.

We make room for meaningful conversations while we’re running.

And the common experience of running itself allows for friendships to form.

We do a great job sharing all that we love about the trail runner’s experience. And our love and passion for the sport and its community is contagious.

But, more than that, I think the trail camp empowers and inspires because we also manage to share the ethos of the ultrarunning community.

• Do something that helps you heal and grow.
• Keep working toward great goals while realizing that failures will be part of that.
• A little better is often good enough.
• Be kind to yourself.

This ethos has lifted all of us up at some point. It’s provided some peace in our lives. It helps us to be generous to ourselves and to others. It keeps us lighthearted. Most importantly, it helps us stay hopeful. Immersing the campers in that shared ethos allows us to have the impact we do.

Thank you to the running mentors and volunteers for embodying everything that’s great about our community.

Ricky Haro

Doise Miers

Monica Morant

Mike Ehredt

Ryan Yedlinsky

Rob VanHouten

Chris Russell

Brian Ricketts

Rachel Ballard

Katie Grossman

Dom Grossman

Joe Prusaitis

Paul Terranova

Pam Smith

Ellie Greenwood

Dale Cougot

Angela Shartel

Scott Mills

Roy Pirrung

Joe Uhan

Eliot Howard

Meredith Terranova

Paul Terranova

CJ VanHouten

Lisa Krantz

Jane Marcello

John Marcello

Cathy Berdy

Mike Jambor

Kathie Jambor

Phil Parsons

Jeff Smith

Joan DeSplinter

Thank you to Mike Ehredt for making it possible for us to put on this camp.

Thank you to Drymax Socks, Tailwind, Trail Toes, Bonk Breakers, New Balance, Austin Trail Running Company, Olga and Uhan Performance for helping to fund us and supplying us with socks, shoes, shirts, hats, blister free running, nutrition and instruction on injury prevention!

Thank you to Jennifer Berry for hosting (and putting up with) us at Camp Colby and giving us a place to run.

And thank you to all the members of the trail running community who supported Band of Runners. You donations allowed us to bring veterans to camp who wouldn’t have been able to come otherwise.

Learn more about what we’re doing here.