For nearly four decades, hundreds of runners have risen early to find their place behind the starting line of the McKenzie River Trail Run in Oregon. Instead of hitting the pavement, these athletes are getting off the beaten path. Along the 31-mile challenge are awe-inspiring waterfalls, an old growth forest and a lake so clear and blue it seems otherworldly.
These are just a few of the highlights that make the McKenzie River Trail Run a sought-after experience for ultrarunners.
“The physical beauty of the trail itself it unbelievable,” 73-year-old Race Director Tim Hooton says. “It rivals almost any scenic place.”
The event has tested runners’ strength and stamina along the Oregon trail for 38 years. The physical feat is paired with nature and camaraderie, some of the key differences that set ultramarathons apart from other competitions.
What started in the late ’80s with five men running 50 miles is now an annual 50K race that sells out in 24 hours, attracting runners from near and far.
“This year’s registration, we have people from 18 states and two foreign countries—New Zealand and Australia,” says Tim, who has been involved with the run for decades.
Ultramarathon runners push their physical limits while competing for top placement or simply crossing the finish line. The organizers behind these events dedicate their time to keeping participants coming back, all for the love of the sport.
What is ultrarunning?
Ultramarathons are characterized as anything longer than a 26.2-mile marathon. While 31-, 50- and 100-mile races are common, there are challenges of far greater distances.
While the races put runners to the ultimate test, UltraRunning Magazine Editor Amy Clark says competitors find community and connectedness with smaller participant size and support along the trail.
“As ultrarunners, we understand that physical and mental breakdown of just trying to get through,” she says. “Most of the people who are drawn to this sport really care about each other. We want to see each other succeed.”
These events attract runners from all age ranges and walks of life. Race rosters list participants in their early 20s up to 80 years old.
Tim reflects on his lifetime of running, noting the increasing popularity of trail running since the late ’80s, which led to the growth of ultramarathons throughout the country.
The number of runners finishing ultramarathons in North America has steadily increased—with some dips when races were canceled during COVID-19 years 2020-2022—from 11,171 finishes in 1998 to 142,890 in 2024, according to UltraRunning Magazine.
Also on the rise is the number of female participants. In 2024, of the 2,949 ultraraces with 50 or more finishers in North America, female competitors won more than 51 ultramarathons.
“Our race is almost 50% women,” Tim says. “We’re talking women who can hang with the men and even kick butt. It has been fun to watch.”
While marathons attract thousands of competitors, ultramarathons typically draw fewer than 1,000. Many, such as the McKenzie River event, cap registration around a few hundred.
“The entire sport itself, it is so different from what I was used to with the running community,” Amy says.
Amy ran her first marathon in 2002 with the goal of eventually qualifying for the Boston Marathon. After having children, Amy returned to running marathons but found she didn’t have the same excitement for the experience. She decided to give ultrarunning a try at the McDonald Forest 50K in Corvallis, Oregon, in 2014.
“It was a completely different community and felt like a different sport than running on a road for 26 miles,” she says.
In a typical road-running experience, Amy’s goal was to run as fast as she could for as far as she could. In ultramarathons, she found people talking and encouraging each other between the eight check-in stations.
Along the route, volunteers are stationed to help runners get a quick snack, refill water bottles and attend to any medical needs.
“It’s a symbiotic relationship,” Amy says. “The volunteers, if they weren’t out there, it would be a lot harder. They are what help keep us going.”
Amy ran the McKenzie River Trail Run in 2015 and returns in June.
“That’s why I go out and run these races,” Amy says. “I love the scenery, experiencing it with other people and pushing yourself a little harder than another run.”
Giving Back
The McKenzie River Trail Run is about people over profit. When Tim became the race director in 2018, he had a vision to transform the one-day event into a vehicle for positive change in his rural community.
“I knew what I could do to expand it to have a greater impact,” he says.
The McKenzie River Trail Run became a nonprofit event seven years ago. Tim and event volunteers have expanded the number of annual participants. They find race sponsors and encourage racers to support local lodging, eateries, stores and services while in town.
The nonprofit donates race funds to community projects, including providing equipment for the local cross-country team, replacing freezers and storage shelves for the food pantry, repairing the roof at the community center and replacing gear for the volunteer fire department.
“We take great pride in our local community,” Tim says. “I cannot take the credit for all this stuff. I surround myself with people who are way smarter than me.”
Support is vital to the continuation of ultramarathons throughout the country. The McKenzie River Trail Run has held onto its roots for four decades and continues to take new strides to support the rural community.
“To have what McKenzie River has—a dedicated race director, a dedicated community and a dedicated volunteer base—is a unique thing and should be celebrated,” Amy says.
For more information about the McKenzie River Trail Run, visit mrtr.org.
Keeping Time
Ultrarunner beats the odds
As a runner and musician, Aaron Reed’s life revolves around keeping time. From pace to beat, he follows a rhythm of performance as he traverses trails and takes the stage.
In December 2024, time took on new meaning when Aaron collapsed during a routine gym workout. Suddenly, he was hanging in the balance between life and death.
“I didn’t realize anything was wrong until I had a seizure,” Aaron says.
He was facing an unexpected challenge— time running out. Yet, mental and physical strength, along with divine intervention, prepared Aaron for the fight of his life.
Going the Distance
Aaron, 42, has loved running since middle school. When he moved to Oregon in 2004, he ran along the state’s scenic trails and found a path to the ultrarunning community.
“I was always really into long runs and as I got older, got into running ultras,” Aaron says.
Aaron continues taking on challenges at longer distances and finds new trails to explore while touring and performing with his brother, Phil. Known as The Brothers Reed, the duo takes the stage at intimate venues from Washington to Arizona, combining storytelling with original lyrics.
During a tour stop in Arizona, Aaron discovered the Cocodona 250, a 250-mile ultramarathon from Black Canyon City to Flagstaff through some of state’s most scenic landscape.
In May 2024, seven months before he collapsed in the gym, Aaron found himself relying on his mental strength to push his body through the challenge. He was 80 miles in when he sensed something was wrong. By mile 161, he suffered a stress fracture in his leg.
“I had to make the decision,” Aaron says. “I am going to finish. The only way I won’t is if I am taken out of the race.”
He walked the remaining 89 miles in 52 hours, completing the race in four days, eight hours, 16 minutes and 33 seconds.
While achieving some of his best performances, on the trail and stage, a bigger threat was growing inside him.
Divine Intervention
At the end of the year, following a series of tests at the hospital, Aaron was diagnosed with a brain tumor.
“It’s kind of interesting, because (the tumor) was in there … I was racing really hard,” he says. “I was doing really well in races, the music, just everything was going so well, and then this happened.”
Due to the severity of the tumor, the surgeon didn’t know if it was possible to remove it all or what type of life Aaron would have after surgery. He could lose his vision, his ability to speak or, in the worst case, his life could be cut short.
“If we don’t get it out immediately, you got maybe six weeks,” Aaron recounts the doctor’s prognosis. “How long if I get it out? Thirteen months.”
Aaron’s wife, Becca, says time seemed to move backward as she stood next to her husband in a hospital bed and tried to process the news.
“I felt like things were going slow but incredibly fast,” she says. “The neurosurgeon came in, and it felt like this weird time warp of slow motion and super quick all at the same time.”
As a nurse, Becca helps people through some of the worst times in their lives. Yet, knowing her husband was facing a life-threatening diagnosis was different.
“Nothing can prepare you for it,” she says. “It just absolutely floored me.”
Becca kept replaying the morning before Aaron’s seizure in her mind. They were drinking coffee together and planning the weekend. She savored the last moments of normalcy as she came to terms with the fact that if her husband survived, his life may never be the same.
As Aaron awaited surgery, Becca and Phil huddled with him on his hospital bed, shedding tears and holding on to the person they loved in his toughest moment. Aaron says a calm washed over him as he drifted into a deep sleep.
That is when he heard a voice. From somewhere unexplained and unsolicited, Aaron experienced a moment of divine intervention, offering him protection and peace of mind.
“God just literally put me to sleep,” Aaron says. “As soon as he put me to sleep, he said, ‘You’re gonna be OK.’ I just came out of it knowing I was going to be OK.”
Eight days after Aaron’s seizure, doctors successfully removed his tumor. Now, everyone waited to see what would remain of Aaron’s abilities when he woke up.
Shortly after finding out Aaron was awake, the doctor returned to his family with an update.
“He came storming back in and said, ‘He’s awake,’” Aaron says. “‘He knows his name. He knows where he’s at. He knows where he’s from. He just said the Packers game is on in 45 minutes. He’s talking.’”
On Christmas Day, just two days after surgery, Aaron was released from the hospital. He was back on a stationary bike seven days later. Since then, he’s started racing again in preparation for ultramarathons this summer.
Aaron’s pathology tests continue to show improvements.
“I know this isn’t going to be the thing I die from,” he says.
Coming Together in McKenzie River
In June, Aaron, Becca and Phil are joining the McKenzie River Trail Run, an ultramarathon coordinated by their friend, Tim Hooton.
“Tim is one of my soul friends,” Aaron says. “It’s cool to get to be there and get to do this thing he puts so much work in.”
During race weekend, Aaron and Becca will commemorate their 10 years of marriage with a vow renewal.
“McKenzie River has always been a really special place for us,” Becca says. “There’s something magical in that area. The forest and that river, you feel like you’re so far away. There’s barely any cell service. It’s just a time to disconnect from the craziness of the world, and it just feels really peaceful and serene and quiet.”
While the worst is behind Aaron, building his mental stamina is just as much a part of his daily life as his physical fitness. Aaron writes in a journal, meditates twice a day and eats healthy. His practices include writing on paper five things he’s grateful for each day and placing the list in a jar.
“It seems to do quite a bit, especially if you’re one of those people who tends to gravitate towards the gloom and doom,” Aaron says. “I always have believed that the mind is super powerful.”
Yet, he doesn’t give himself credit for his miraculous recovery. Aaron believes a higher power gave him back his most precious resource: time.
“I didn’t have to tell myself it was OK,” Aaron says. “God literally came to me uninfluenced and just told me I would
be OK.”
To listen to Aaron and Phil’s music, visit thebrothersreed.com.