Elite Heart

• Devin Whetstone, Jordan Marie Whetstone
• Rising Hearts - jordan@rising-hearts.org

When a body challenged woman starts running, she enters a 100 mile race to help bring representation to a space lacking diversity and body positivity. Elite Heart features Callie Vinson, who once weighed 377lbs and put her health first and is now training to compete in a 100 mile trail race while promoting body positivity, representation, accessibility, diversity and inclusivity at a race where the environment and culture is changing in the right direction. She attempts the Western States Endurance Run 100 and brings the heart of the back of the pack runners to this stage. Will she make it? Or is getting to the start line the celebratory moment?

Our Terrain

• Anna Brannon
• annambrannon@gmail.com

Missouri isn’t a place most people think of when they think of ultra running. But it’s here on the rolling hills and chunky karst terrain where race director Shalini Bhajjan has built Terrain Trail Runners, a community of long distance ultra trail runners. On April 15th, 2023, three members of this community set out to complete Shalini’s toughest race and run 100 miles through the Ozark Foothills in Wildwood, MO. What started out as a beautiful day quickly turned into a weather nightmare when a tornado touched down 10 minutes from where the race was being hosted. Tough calls were made and limits were tested, ending in a finish that no one saw coming.

We Are Here. We Run Long.

• Tony DiPasquale
• tony@tonywithasony.com

The inaugural Camp We Run Long brought together BIPOC trail runners from all over the country for three days of workshops, community and the West Line Winder trail races. Founded in 2021, WRL is a community of Black, Indigenous and People of Color runners seeking to expand their presence in a sport that they don’t often see themselves in. WRL works to honor Indigenous lands and amplify diversity at races by partnering with race directors and running brands each year. The 2024 camp was sponsored by Altra Running and Freestone Endurance.

The Pointe Pessey

• Alexandre Chambet 
• Glace Noire Films - alex@chambet.fr

In her village of Le Grand-Bornand, in France, nestled at the foot of the Pointe Percée, Iris is preparing for a challenge that resonates far beyond the summits: to set a record climb on the mountain she's cherished since childhood. Between intense training sessions and silent doubts, Iris draws on her roots, her memories and her determination for her attempt.

Narrated by her twin brother with a mixture of humor and tenderness, the film paints the portrait of an inspiring woman torn between the expectations of others and her deep love for this little-known mountain. Through her journey, we discover a quest for freedom, resilience in the face of adversity, and a reflection on what it really means to “reach a summit”.

Talk to Frank 

• Matt Green - Summit Fever Media E & M Green
• Matt@summitfevermedia.com

My name is Frank, and I’m a cocker spaniel from Manchester. My story began when I moved in with Maleek, my human. He wasn’t in a great place—having just finished a four-year sentence, he found himself transitioning from one prison to another: the COVID lockdown and a debilitating depression. I gave him no choice; he had to start walking me. One walk led to another, and soon we were running. Before he knew it, we were on our way up Pen Y Ghent, his first mountain. The mountains are his spiritual home, he needs them just as much as I do. His ambition is to run in the Alps. To push his boundaries and tackle a route higher and further than he has ever been before. So that’s our plan. Together we are going to go to the Alps, we’re going to see the peaks, the ridges, the summits, and we’re going to heal together.

Halfway to Crazy

• David DAngelo
• ddangelo@gmail.com

What happens when you push your body to try and run 60+ miles a day, over and over again? Ultra runner Candice Burt finds out as she attempts the fastest time on the entire length of the 800 mile Arizona Trail.

This journey ends up being not so much about the record, but what happens when things start to fall apart as she pushes her body to the edges of what’s physically and mentally possible. Follow along as Candice explores the depths of her mind, and ultimately the meaning of success.