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Four years across dozens of trails, selecting America's 50 classic trail runs
1 sources · 1 reports
On October 7, 2026, Trail Runner reported on trail and ultrarunning that "The 50 Classic Trail Runs of America," co-authored by Andy Cochrane with Rickey Gates and Ian MacLellan, was published by the New York publisher Rizzoli. The three spent more than four years running every route included in the book, covering over 2,000 miles in total, making 6 to 10 trips per year, with Rickey Gates having devoted more than a decade to this. Each route in the book was selected for its unique scenery, geology and landforms, or Indigenous history, and is accompanied by the authors' firsthand running stories.
Story reports
Andy Cochrane co-wrote The 50 Classic Trail Runs of America with Rickey Gates and Ian MacLellan, published by New York-based Rizzoli. The three ran every route on the list over more than four years, logging over 2,000 miles with six to ten trips a year; Gates had worked on it for over a decade. Each trail was chosen for something unique—alpine views, geology, or Indigenous history—and comes with a first-person story.
Trail Runner