06/13/2026
Meet Nicholas Steel. Riverside, CA. 25 loops. 31st hundred. Spikey made the trip too.
Nick found Elm Creek through Ultra Running Magazine and showed up with 30 completed 100-mile races already under his belt. The baseline goal, as always, was 100 miles — because for Nick, that's where the floor is.
The first 10 yards were pure joy — frolicking around the course, feeling good, soaking it in. Then the IT band flared up. Yard 20 brought his slowest loop, an emergency mid-course detour into the woods, and the real question: how much further do you push it when the next 100-miler is six days away?
The answer was 25 yards. He hit 100 miles, checked the box, and made the smart call. "I could've completed another yard or maybe 20, but it came down to how much more injury do I want to cause. 100 miles was the baseline goal — we achieved it."
When things got tough out there, Spikey came out on course. Follow the journey
Matt Lamos was the unexpected anchor — carrying Nick through a lot of the yards and delivering the line that cut through the noise: "You've already proved you can run far. Hit 100 miles, check off that box, and recover for the next." His mom, dad, and Eva kept things running at camp. In a backyard format, he'll tell you — you can't go far without your crew.
His advice: "Toe that start line no matter what, every hour. Once the bell rings and you're out on course, decide then. But you're already out there — you may as well finish it."
Out of 31 attempts at 100 miles, he's finished every single one. Officially or unofficially.
See you in 2027, Nick.
📸 Photos by Eva Romsdahl ()
