Ultra runners become more in tune with themselves by the mile

Long distance runners, from left, Timmy Morgan of Pittsburgh, Don Knight of Castle Shannon and Naseen Rayyan, background, of Bethel Park, participate in a practice run in South Park.

April Miller owns Adroit Athletics in Level Green, where she trains and coaches athletes. “I tell my clients every day that they can do it and that they can accomplish their goals. I wanted to lead by example.” To do that, she ran the King’s Highway Ultra in South Carolina earlier this year.

Long distance runners, from left, Timmy Morgan of Pittsburgh, Don Knight of Castle Shannon, and Naseen Rayyan of Bethel Park, run one of the trails in South Park.

Ruth Werne of Gibsonia with fellow athletes Amy Nelson and Elisa Edgar, background, along the mountain bike singletrack in North Park.

Submitted by Megan Parke Swissvale athlete Megan Parke hikes to the top of Hyner View in Renovo, Pa., during the Hyner 50k in 2019.

Kevin Hartnett, left, and Don Dobbs, right, both of Mt. Lebanon, chat while Hartnett laces his running shoes before hitting the trails for several miles of long distance running in South Park.

Long distance runner John Warrick of Bethel Park joins fellow members of the South Park Trail Runners Facebook group during a practice run in April in South Park.

Ruth Werne of Gibsonia runs with Amy Nelson and Elisa Edgar, background, along the mountain bike singletrack in North Park.