Athletics

By Luella Shepard '26 in Winter 2025

The Bay Area is home to some of the world’s most dedicated and talented runners, and within this thriving community lies an especially strong concentration of ultramarathon runners, some of whom are part of our Marin Academy community. From the stunning views of the Marin Headlands to the world-known destinations like the Lake Tahoe Rim Trail, the ultra-running scene here is unparalleled. With iconic events like the Dipsea Trail race, the Bay to Breakers, and the San Francisco Marathon, Marin is home to athletes who push their limits, from the 5k to 100-mile races.

Ultramarathons, which are races longer than a marathon (26.2-miles), offer a grueling yet rewarding challenge. The most common ultra distances include 50 kilometers (~31 miles), 50 miles, 100 kilometers (~62 miles), and 100 miles. Unique variations, such as the Backyard Ultra, where runners repeatedly complete short loops around a 3-5 mile course, test participants’ physical and mental fortitude. The sport of ultramarathon running is full of passion, persistence, and an unyielding drive to overcome obstacles. Before school, Jon ran 42 km (26 miles) for his 42nd birthday on a 4 mile loop.

I sat down with four ultramarathon runners from Marin Academy—Liz Gottlieb, Moriah Buckley, Jon Bretan, and Chris Detrick—to explore their experiences, philosophies, and what keeps them coming back for more. What I discovered was that ultramarathon running is not just about racing, it’s about embracing challenges, cultivating mental resilience, and finding joy in the process.

Meet the Runners

Liz Gottlieb, a devoted runner and coach who covers 50-60 miles a week has always had running in her blood. “It was almost destiny,” Liz says, reflecting on how her father ran throughout her entire childhood, and how all 6 of her older siblings took to the sport. Her favorite race distance lies somewhere between a 10-mile run and a marathon, in fact I ran a half marathon with her in early February, and she’s training for a marathon in March. She credits running for giving her freedom in her life. She loves “the way [running] makes you feel: it's empowering, it’s liberating, it’s freedom.” Liz says that the key to starting running is to set a goal for yourself and form a mantra, “find your mantra and really really believe it. The minute you stop believing you slow down, or it just gets harder.” Positivity is the best motivator, according to Liz. 

Chris Detrick, a long time casual runner who got serious about ultramarathons during the pandemic, now covers 30-50 miles a week. He’s completed several 50k races and counts trail running as his favorite. A fun fact about Chris is that he completed his first marathon in the middle of the night after putting his kids to bed. For Chris, the true joy of running lies in the stability it provides: “I can rely on it to have a reset—mentally, emotionally, or if I have a lot of work to get through, or if I’m just like grumpy. Going on a run fixes it. You never end in a bad mood, and it's a reliable way to feel great.” Chris’s advice for new runners is to not be intimidated: “it felt unattainable for me too!” He emphasized that “anything counts, consistency is key.” When asked why he does these long races he shared a valuable philosophy for life, “Easy is overrated…that doesn’t mean that being comfortable is bad but doing things that push you out of your comfort zone to balance out the times when you are comfortable is super important–that's huge!”

Moriah Buckley, a Spanish teacher at Marin Academy, is no stranger to running long distances. Having started running at just 9 years old, Moriah completed both the Dipsea race from Mill Valley to Stinson, and the double Dipsea, from Mill Valley to Stinson and back (spanning over 13 miles) all in her first year running. She has since completed 100-mile races, with one of her favorites being the famed Western States, which runs among the wilderness on Sierra Nevada trails from Palisades Tahoe to Auburn. When asked about her favorite race distance Moriah responded, “I think my favorite would not be about the distance but about the adventure…That’s probably why I don’t have a favorite race distance because they’re all my favorite races.” Running is a family tradition for Moriah: her son, Matisse, has inherited the family’s running passion, breaking the under-20 record for the Quadruple Dipsea and also completing the regular Dipsea at 9 years old. For Moriah, running brings people together, helps her build memories, and lets her experience awe in nature’s beauty. Moriah’s philosophy for new runners: “You were born to run. If you can walk, you can run."

Jon Bretan was pulled into the running community through years of biking and in training for triathlons. Jon enjoys ultramarathons for their challenging nature, stating, “It’s not so much the physical aspect, it’s about what it makes me do…I know it doesn’t land that way for a lot of others but, i don’t know, it's comforting to me.” Jon runs to clear his head and find mental clarity, and he emphasizes the importance of running for both personal growth and health, “It's this gift because when you have a good group of people or when you’re solo, you’re in this vehicle and you’re just kind of along for the ride, but it’s, it’s always a nice ride.” Jon’s advice for new runners is simple: “Anybody can do it. Practice doing something hard, that you can do. When it comes down to it, your goal is just to finish. Keep running, that's all it is, if you can get in a habit of that, that will be a very good thing for your life.”

Running as a Pathway to Growth

Despite the intense physical challenge that ultramarathons present, each of these runners emphasizes the ways that mental toughness and discipline shape their races and approach to life.

Liz believes that the mental side of running translates into every other area of life, “The training you do with your mind will show up in all parts of your life–your relationships, your work, your community.” Similarly, Chris finds that running teaches important life lessons, “You can get into some pretty dark places running, but they pass. And that's kind of a microcosm of life. It's okay, it's all good.” Moriah shares that ultra running has taught her the importance of breaking big challenges into smaller, manageable pieces: “Nobody runs 100 miles, they run one mile over and over.” This mindset can be useful in life—handling any obstacle one step at a time.

As these runners have shown, running is for everyone. Whether you’re running your first 5k or preparing for an ultramarathon, the benefits—physical, mental, and emotional—are boundless. I encourage everyone to get out there with a friend or some music and try it, you might be surprised by what you learn about yourself or the world. 

As these runners have demonstrated, running is for everyone. Whether you're lacing up for your first 5k or training for an ultramarathon, the rewards, physical, mental, and emotional, are limitless. I encourage you to grab a friend or your favorite playlist, pick one of the Bay Area’s beautiful running spots, and give it a try. You might be amazed at what you discover about yourself and the world around you.