All over the world, a common passion for running
 
As runners, we know our sport creates space for us to stretch our bodies and minds, but running also gives us the opportunity to examine where and who we are. The 33rd edition of Like the Wind once again travels the world, researching and writing stories about what it means to be a runner in 2022.
 
Famed photographer Alexis Berg trained his lens on the Hardrock 100, and his stunning photos give us a fresh perspective on one of America's toughest trail races. Meanwhile, in the Swiss Alps, Pasqual Bourquin tells Julie Freeman, creative director of Like the Wind, its mission consisting of covering the 66 km of marked trails in the country.
 
We are all aware of the benefits of running for the body and the brain, but for many runners the sport is also an exploration of identity. Art historian Charles Moore examines the challenge of the marathon from the perspective of a black man, while Lucie Beatrix recounts how she traded the highly scrutinized existence of a model for the exploration of her personal limits by running. In the UK, Carl Adams tells how running changed his sphere of influence from drinking and gambling to training and self-improvement, and why his meeting with coach Geoff Watkin changed his outlook on life.
 
We're also revisiting a topic we first covered in 2019: participating in running events when you identify as non-binary. While gender identity remains controversial at the elite level, a portion of mass-attendance events welcome those who don't check the traditional "M" or "F" box on the entry form. And if you identify as a woman, Anna Harding examines why the experience of running is often totally different from that of a man.
 
This issue is published to coincide with the Ultra Tour du Mont Blanc (UTMB), and it wouldn't be complete without mountain trail stories. Flora Duguid competes in a multi-day event in Croatia, while in the United States, Becky Walters and Riley Nachtrieb look back on trails they first tackled as young women, and share their experiences.
 
Whether you're on the trails, tracks or sidewalks in your neighborhood, we hope this issue inspires you to run or share your story with us.
 
PS: for each tree used in the manufacture of the magazine, Like the Wind will plant 3 trees via Active Giving and in partnership with the reforestation project Eden. Like the Wind also donates 1% of each sale paid by credit card to Stripe Climate Pledge, which funds carbon removal projects.