How to be an elite pacer using Footpath

Pacing an ultrarunner isn’t just about running beside them. Honestly, you’re rarely beside them. You’re usually a few steps ahead, a few steps behind, or setting a two-minute timer while they take a dirt nap in a pile of leaves. It’s about being their calm, confident navigator when the miles blur together, aid stations feel endless, and trail markers seem to disappear. Whether you’re guiding a friend through the night or helping an elite athlete chase a podium, your job as a pacer is to anticipate needs, stay on course, and keep spirits high.

Graham Blanks’ Top 5 Summer Routes

Footpath athlete Graham Blanks took to the global stage this summer, representing Team USA at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, where he finished 11th in the 10,000m final. While the race didn’t unfold the way he hoped, Graham approached it with the same honesty and self-awareness that have fueled his rise in the sport. Afterward, he reflected on the mental side of racing at the world level and shared that it was time to take a short break to reset and refocus, a mature move for any athlete chasing longevity and growth.

How to build community through run clubs

Run clubs are more than scheduled meetups on a calendar. They are spaces where runners come together to connect, build community, and share miles safely and inclusively. Behind every great group run is careful planning: choosing the route, setting expectations, managing pace groups, and making sure everyone feels welcomed. At Footpath, we know how important mapping is in this process. Routes help organizers plan logistics, communicate clearly with attendees, and keep everyone on course.

Now streaming on YouTube: Ocean to Atlas

We teamed up with Jake Catterall to capture his recent quest to travel from the Atlantic coast of Morocco to the High Atlas Mountains, finishing at the summit of Mount Toubkal, the highest peak in North Africa at 4,167 meters. The 348 km route, which Jake built entirely in Footpath, climbs 13,652 meters and weaves together rugged trail and long stretches of road through a formidable landscape. Along the way, he battled extreme heat, high elevation, tricky crew vehicle logistics, and the constant need to manage water and salt intake.

How to clean up GPX files in Footpath

If you have ever uploaded or imported a GPX file only to find the line zig-zagging off the trail, floating through the woods, or cutting corners, you know how messy map lines can be. At first glance, the route might look fine, but when you zoom in, you may see it drifting off the actual road or trail and wandering through places you never intended to travel. These small inaccuracies can be confusing while navigating and will throw off your distance and elevation stats.

Alyssa Clark on the Artistry of Mapping

Meet Alyssa Clark. Professional runner for On, coach, cat mom, and all-around stellar human, Alyssa just claimed 2nd place at the Lavaredo 120K, finishing only 29 minutes and 11 seconds behind the legendary Courtney Dauwalter. We sat down with Alyssa to uncover how route planning factored into her race strategy. From course recon runs in the Dolomites to precision shakeout routes mapped in Footpath, every line she plotted boosted her confidence and left her fully prepared for race day.

Overtraining in running and how to train smarter

Most runners have brushed up against it, some of us have barreled straight through it. Overtraining. It’s that sneaky state where too much running, not enough recovery, and a lack of planning collide into a perfect storm of fatigue, plateaued performance, and sometimes even injury. It’s easy to fall into this trap, especially as a newer runner when every group run feels like an exciting new adventure. You show up, run faster than usual because it’s fun pushing the pace with friends, and before you know it, your performance is not where you want it despite all the miles.

Route planning for multi-day adventures

Planning a multi-day backpacking, running, bike touring, or ski mountaineering trip can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to. With Footpath, you can easily map, organize, and adjust your entire adventure from the palm of your hand (or your laptop), using powerful tools built specifically for outdoor explorers. We’re excited to have partnered with Amsterdam-based ultrarunner Jake Catterall to help share his incredible journey: a 350-kilometer supported run from the coast of Morocco all the way to the 4,167m (13,671 ft) summit of Mt.

How Olympic distance runner Graham Blanks maps victory

For professional distance runner Graham Blanks, training isn’t just about putting in the miles, it’s about making every run intentional. A standout at Harvard University and sponsored by New Balance, Blanks is a two-time NCAA Champion who won back-to-back NCAA Division I Cross Country titles, only the 4th athlete in NCAA history to do so, and the youngest since Steve Prefontaine. He took that success to the world stage, competing in the men’s 5000m at the 2024 Olympics, where he placed 9th in the final with a time of 13:18.