Happy Sunday. If your current "interval training" consists of sprinting from the car to the front door to avoid a 15-degree windchill, you’re in good company. Pour something warm—we’ve got the news to keep your motivation from freezing over. ☕

Spring goals, consider yourself on notice. 👊 Loved this read? Pass it on to your running circle and let’s all level up together!

The "You Pack Your Fears" Rule 🎒 The 2026 Winter Spine race proved once again that trail runners pack their anxieties: for every mile of trail, there’s usually an extra ounce of gear you won't use. Between frozen slush and "Goretti" gale-force winds, this year’s DNFs reminded us that even the best gear can't save you if you haven't mastered the art of "suffering with a smile." Your pack might be heavier than your resolve!

Cape Town is Chasing the Seventh Star 🌟 The Abbott World Marathon Majors has confirmed that finishers of the 2026 Sanlam Cape Town Marathon will receive a "provisional" star as the race nears official Major status. This move supports the race after its 2025 evaluation was postponed, meaning that if the event passes its 2026 assessment, finishers will have officially run Africa’s first Major. Get ready to update your star count!

Spring Major Madness: Entry Windows Closing 🗓️ While you were sleeping off your New Year's resolution, the entry windows for the 2026 AbbottWMM Spring races officially slammed shut. If you missed the boat, keep your eyes on the "Team Abbott" program, which opens applications for Fall 2026 races shortly for runners with unique health-transformation stories. Time to start crafting that compelling narrative!

The 2026 Shoe Drop Calendar is Here 🚀 January is officially "New Gear Month" with massive releases including the Asics Nimbus 28, the New Balance 1080 v15, and the Saucony Ride 19 hitting shelves. This year’s trend is leaning heavily into "supercritical" foam evolutions, aiming to give your daily trainer the same energy return as your carbon-plated racers. Your feet are in for a treat! [Full Story]

Nike Alphafly 4: Whispers from the Track 💨 Industry insiders confirm the Alphafly 4 is slated for a May 2026 launch, but prototypes have already been spotted at early-year elite gatherings. Expect a refined Air Zoom pod integration and a move toward an even more aggressive rocker geometry to help athletes chase the elusive sub-2:00 barrier. Could this be the shoe that helps you PR? [Full Story]

The "Caffeine Arms Race" in Sports Nutrition ☕️💥 A new recap from The Running Event highlights a 2026 trend where brands are doubling down on caffeine, with new chews packing up to 100mg per serving. This shift meets the growing demand from marathoners looking for a mental "pick-me-up" that also decreases pain perception during those brutal final six miles. Just don't overdo it! [Full Story]

Gut Training is the New Interval Session 💪 The 2026 Nutrition Awards emphasize that "oxidative efficiency" is the metric of the year, focusing on how well your body handles high carb loads. Researchers and dietitians are now recommending up to 90-120g of carbs per hour for long-distance efforts, provided you've spent the winter "training your gut" to absorb it. Your stomach needs its own workout plan! [Full Story]

2026 Declared the Year of "Endorphin Tourism" New travel data suggests that over 50% of runners are now ditching "fly and flop" vacations for "Earth Syncing"—trips planned entirely around local race calendars and sunrise run communities. If your "relaxing getaway" involves a 4:00 AM alarm and a bib number, you’re officially on-trend for the year [Full Story]

Tokyo Marathon Foundation Taps Climate Tech for 2026 Baseline The Tokyo Marathon has officially partnered with climate tech firm ASUENE to measure and reduce its greenhouse gas emissions for the 2026–2028 race cycles. This partnership aims to visualize the event's environmental impact through cloud-based CO2 tracking, ensuring the journey to the 20th anniversary in 2027 is as green as it is fast. It matters because "The World Majors" are shifting from vague promises to hard data, setting a transparency standard that smaller races will soon have to follow [Full Story]

ASICS Scales "Closed-Loop" Recycling with the Nimbus Mirai ASICS is doubling down on its 2026 Mid-Term sustainability goals with the Nimbus Mirai, a performance shoe designed to be returned and remade into new footwear. Through a partnership with TerraCycle, runners can ship back their retired pairs for free to be processed back into raw materials, boasting a carbon footprint 57% lower than the industry average. For you, this means the "guilt" of tossing dead shoes every 400 miles is finally being replaced by a circular system that keeps foam out of landfills [Full Story]

Chicago Marathon Renews "Evergreen" Status for 2026 The Bank of America Chicago Marathon has officially recertified at the Evergreen Level, the highest distinction from the Council for Responsible Sport, for its upcoming 2026 event. Key initiatives include using all-electric Kia EV9 pace vehicles, sourcing 100% renewable energy for facilities, and investing in urban forestry to offset runner travel emissions. It matters because it proves that a massive, 50,000-person event can achieve "Zero Waste" status without sacrificing the premium experience runners expect from a Major [Full Story]

Stay tuned for upcoming conversations on What Runs a Run podcast by Traxamo on Sustainability:

How do you manage the environmental footprint of 50,000+ runners, millions of spectators, and 26.2 miles of city streets? In the upcoming episode of What Runs a Run, we go behind the scenes with Kate Chapman, Head of Sustainability at London Marathon Events leading the London Marathon’s ambitious journey to net-zero by 2030.

Every runner knows the drill: once you hit that 300-mile mark, it’s time for a new pair. But have you ever wondered where those old "retired" trainers actually go? Moe Hachem, the man on a mission to ensure no sneaker ever sees a landfill again. Moe is the founder of Sneaker Impact, a social enterprise that is redefining the "End of Life" for footwear. We go behind the scenes of their high-tech sorting facility to see how AI and sustainable engineering are turning waste into opportunity.