XTERRA Trail Run World Championship
Every runner has a reason, with no two stories the same. Stories of Stride and Spirit is a series dedicated to the runners of the 2024 XTERRA Trail Run World Championship, and the beautiful, inspiring, and even tragic stories that have led them to the starting line on Sugarloaf Mountain. From the front runners to the back of the pack, these are the stories of those who kept on running.
In the shadow of every stride lies a legacy of love, courage, and inspiration. For Emily Tolman, the XTERRA Trail Run World Championship is more than just a race; it's a tribute to the indomitable spirit of her father, Greg Tolman. A voice that echoed "Dare to be great" throughout her life, Greg's motto has encouraged Emily to embrace challenges with unwavering resolve.
After his second cancer diagnosis, Emily found solace and strength on the trails, honoring her father by running her first race in the French Alps. As she now prepares to compete at the World Champs in Maine, USA, her story is a poignant reminder of how the pursuit of greatness is not only about reaching the finish line but also about embodying the courage and kindness instilled by those we love. Through every step on Sugarloaf Mountain, Emily carries forward her father's legacy of daring to be great, celebrating the journey as much as the victory.
“‘Dare to be great,’ echoes my father’s voice. It’s a mantra that reverberated before every competition, exam, or pivotal moment. From soccer pitches to ice arenas and track meets, he never missed a beat, always there to lace up our shoes and instill in us the courage to face life’s challenges head-on.”
It was in the wake of her father's second cancer diagnosis that Emily Tolman found solace through trail running.
Originally from Scarborough, Maine, Emily has been living in Paris since 2020. After learning of her father’s diagnosis, she was determined to show him her own brand of bravery. She registered for a 10K in the French Alps- running through the night while wearing a headlamp on snow-covered trails.
“The experience pushed me beyond my limits, each grueling step up a massive incline felt like a testament to the courage he had instilled in me,” she says. “Running these trails was a way for me to honor his legacy through action.”
Emily started running track and field and cross-county when she was eight years old. She ran competitively at Colby College in Maine where she was named a four-time All-American.
After college, she moved to Paris and rediscovered running through a group called KIIN. She ran her first trail race in the French Alps- Les Lumières de la Muzelle- in January 2023.
“The race itself was a turning point for me. It rekindled that Mainer love of being in nature and the more personal challenge of pushing myself in ways I never thought possible,” she says.
“The experience pushed me beyond my limits, each grueling step up a massive incline felt like a testament to the courage he had instilled in me.”
Emily inherited this deep desire to test her personal limits from her father, Greg Tolman. His motto, “dare to be great,” holds great importance in her life and inspires her to embrace new challenges. ‘To dare’ means resolving to try your best, because if you have, then there’s no way you can fail.
“My dad wanted us to be brave enough to chase after lofty goals despite failure and to pursue new opportunities in the face of doubt,” she says.
Emily describes her dad as goofy, vibrant, creative, and incredibly smart. He established a family tradition of an unconventional triathlon centered around food. The Tolman clan would kayak to a local beach to eat breakfast, ride bikes to get ice cream, and walk on a neighborhood trail to dinner.
Every Friday, he would send a dad joke to his four kids. When they were young, he drove up and down the East Coast attending soccer games and hockey tournaments. He went to all of Emily’s track meets.
On July 5th 2024, Greg lost his battle with prostate cancer after two and a half years spent fighting the disease. Despite being very sick, participating in research trials, and ultimately receiving a terminal diagnosis, he was always positive and full of hope.
“He shared updates about his diagnosis by writing and performing a short musical,” Emily says. “It sounds cliché, but he was truly a light in all of our lives.”
Since childhood, Emily and her siblings could never quite explain what their dad did for work, so they joked that he was a spy. Over the years, they would text each other updates about their location (grocery story, running errands, ect.) with “codenames” that for some reason were always bird-themed.
“When my dad was diagnosed, we formed an inside joke that we were a special task force called BEAC (Birds Energized Against Cancer). We even made t-shirts with our codenames on the back,” she says.
Greg’s final act as chairman of the BEAC was to write a letter to Emily, her twin sister, and two brothers.
"My only piece of father advice is to continue to honor yourselves through your actions. Know that failure is fine as nothing great was ever achieved by playing it safe. Continue to apply yourselves to the best of your ability in all that you do. Live with no regrets on what might have been, and you will always have me rooting for you from beyond for the best outcomes.
Finally, please look out for each other and your mother. Celebrate the successes and joys as life is precious; offer support and compassion when needed. Your love, support, and concern have been of incredible comfort to me. You all are strong and special individuals. Together you are an unbeatable force of positive energy and love. And that is the new mission of BEAC - continuing to soar high together."
As Emily reflects on her father’s words, she understands that his goal was never for his children to amass a collection of impressive trophies or accolades. Instead, he wanted them to feel satisfied, knowing that they’d given it their all. That was greatness to him.
“Greatness is also approaching life with kindness and humility—to be a powerful force of goodness, even through the most minute actions,” she says. “It’s something my father exemplified, and I think it may be one of his best legacies.”
“Greatness is also approaching life with kindness and humility—to be a powerful force of goodness, even through the most minute actions.”
In honor of her father, Emily and her sister will compete in the half marathon and 8K at the XTERRA Trail Run World Championship in August. As native Mainers, they’re proud to participate and welcome fellow athletes to their beloved state.
“These races aren’t just about physical endurance, but about embracing his belief that greatness lies not solely in the achievement, but in the courage to step up to the starting line, no matter the outcome,” she says.
Stories of Stride and Spirit is an XTERRA Trail Run World Championship series designed to celebrate the runners taking on the trails of Sugarloaf Mountain and the unique, diverse, and often unexpected motivations that drive them forward. For more from this series, you can read part #1 and part #2, with more to come as we get closer to the pinnacle event of the 2024 Trail Run World Series.
XTERRA is a global lifestyle brand that champions the outdoor enthusiast in their pursuit of relentless adventure.
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