the Zion 100 Miler Broke Me

The Zion 100 Miler has capture my imagination like no other race.

When I run it, I feel a connection to the great artists and thinkers who have gone to the desert to tear themselves down so they can rebuild.

Leading up to shooting this documentary, I ran Zion 100 4 times only finish once and I had DNF my other 5 100 mile attempts as well: Buffalo, Wasatch (2x), Bryce (2x).

This documentary is the final episode of Trail Grit, my attempt to conquer the 100 mile distance.

Written by

Josh Rosenthal is the founder of Borderlands, an editorial media company built around trail running, ultrarunning, and the culture surrounding the sport. Through essays, films, interviews, and the Borderlands Trail + Ultra Running Podcast, he is building Borderlands into a media institution for deeper stories, sharper counterpoints, and a fuller celebration of trail running. His work brings taste, curiosity, and cultural analysis to a sport often covered through race results, gear, and athlete-led narratives.