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.
For Michael Pearce, the line between determination and insanity is often blurred, and that's just the way he likes it. With four decades of running and triathlons under his belt, Michael isn't new to endurance challenges, but 2024 has pushed him to embrace a whole new level of "crazy." After discovering the world of XTERRA in 2023, he’s taken on a series of back-to-back races that would make even the most seasoned athletes pause. From completing an off-road triathlon in Texas to driving through a stormy night to run a marathon in South Dakota the very next day, Michael’s relentless pursuit of adventure and challenge is a testament to his unyielding spirit. As he prepares for the XTERRA Trail Run World Championship, his story serves as a reminder that sometimes, a little bit of crazy is exactly what it takes to achieve greatness.
“No, I’m not crazy… just crazy about competing and so happy I found my way into the XTERRA family.”
People say you need to be a little crazy to compete in endurance sports.
Crazy enough to run a marathon on a mountain?
Crazy enough to do an off-road triathlon in the mud and rain?
Both on the same day?
Michael Pearce is that type of crazy.
Michael has been a runner and triathlete for 40 years, but he only discovered the wild and wonderful world of XTERRA in 2023. Last year, he competed in four off-road triathlons and the XTERRA World Championship in Molveno, Italy, which he describes as a “truly epic event and experience of a lifetime.”
Then, he discovered that XTERRA also has a Trail Run World Championship… That’s how the crazy challenge of 2024 was born.
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Michael’s first experience with running came in 1982 after he graduated from high school. After college, he became a teacher and a coach working with athletes in cross-country and track.
“I was privileged to work with some amazing athletes and unbelievable human beings,” he says. “I encouraged them to always give their best effort, strive to improve daily, and enjoy the whole process of competition. That’s how I coach myself as well and why I love competing, no matter the sport.”
His first foray into the world of trail running took place in 1989 at the Pikes Peak Ascent in Colorado. This epic half marathon has a vertical climb 7,800 feet up the historic Barr Trail to the 14,000-foot summit of Pikes Peak.
“After that, I was hooked on trail running,” he says. “Since then, I’ve done too many races to count, all the way from a one-miler to the marathon.”
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Michael has done countless running races and triathlons over the past four decades. He now competes in the 60-64 age group at XTERRA events.
After competing at XTERRA triathlons, he realized that most races have both a triathlon and trail running component. So if he wanted to, he could do both during the same weekend…
At the start of 2024, Michael selected three XTERRA triathlons that also offered a half marathon trail run: XTERRA Puerto Rico, XTERRA Oak Mountain, and XTERRA Cameron Park.
Puerto Rico was the first of the three, and he ran the half marathon the day before the triathlon. He finished first in his age group, which qualified him for the XTERRA Trail Run World Championship.
Then in May, he competed at the XTERRA North American Championships at Oak Mountain where he improved his time from the previous year.
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On June 1st, he competed in the triathlon at XTERRA Cameron Park in Waco, Texas. He was supposed to run the half marathon the following day, but as Michael says, “This is where things get a bit crazy…”
He learned that the points he earned while running the half marathon at Cameron Park wouldn’t count towards his standings in the XTERRA Trail Running World Series. So he had to make a last minute adjustment.
It just so happened there was a qualifying race at XTERRA Deadwood Mickelson the very next day. The problem is the race was in South Dakota and he was in Texas, almost 1,200 miles away.
“No problem, or so I thought…” he says. “After completing the triathlon in Waco, I went to the DFW airport a couple of hours away. As we lined up to board the plane, the airline announced there would be a delay. I made it to Denver late and missed my second flight to Rapid City, South Dakota. So I sat in Denver knowing that the race was starting in Deadwood in about 12 hours.”
Undeterred, Michael needed to come up with a Plan B. Fast.
As every runner knows, having the ability to pivot and make adjustments on the fly is essential to success. Michael needed to walk a few aid stations, take on some carbs, and get his mind right before continuing on this marathon adventure.
His new plan included renting a car, driving through the night, sleeping in the car, and running a marathon the next morning. Perhaps not the best plan, but runners know how to roll with the punches and adapt to challenging circumstances. Michael was committed to finishing what he started.
“Well, it didn’t go that smoothly,” he says. “There were no rental cars available. A severe hailstorm took out half the fleet a couple of days before. It was approaching 10 pm, and I was starting to lose hope that I would have enough time to get to Deadwood even if I did get a car.”
Michael begged the rental car attendant to give him whatever they had. He got a Honda van for $500. He jumped in the cab and started north toward Deadwood.
Every seasoned runner knows about running math. When you’re at mile 20 of the marathon and your pace begins to slow, that’s when the mental arithmetic begins. How fast do I need to go to make the cut-off?
“I calculated it would take me about six hours to get there, so I would pull over and sleep a couple of hours at the halfway mark,” he says. “But as I crossed the Wyoming border, a severe thunderstorm broke out.”
Knowing he wouldn’t make it in time for the race if he stopped, Michael kept driving through the wind and rain. At some point, the storm let up, so he pulled over at a rest stop and took a 20-minute nap.
He needed to get on the shuttle bus at 6:30 am if he was to make the 8 am race start. He’d lost so much time due to the storm that he couldn’t stop again. Michael needed to push through.
“The rest is kind of a blur,” he says. “I rolled into Deadwood at sunrise and picked up my race number. Then, I drove at high speed to the shuttle buses. I arrived less than ten minutes before the buses were about to pull out.”
He grabbed a bag with his gear and got dressed on the bus ride to the start line. His pre-race breakfast was a bizarre, caffeine-laden concoction of gas station drinks.
“I warmed up like everything was cool- knowing I’d only slept for 20 minutes and I’m about to run a marathon after just completing a triathlon in Texas less than 24 hours before,” he says.
Michael ran a respectable 4:19:03 and placed second in his age group. Although the journey presented many challenges, he describes it as one of the most beautiful races he’s ever done. He also learned something about himself along the way.
“I gained a whole new perspective of what’s possible, both mentally and physically, if you just don’t give up or give in to challenges that come your way,” he says. “I hope this story will be an inspiration for others to raise the bar and fight through the trials of life.”
“I encouraged [athletes] to always give their best effort, strive to improve daily, and enjoy the whole process of competition. That’s how I coach myself as well and why I love competing, no matter the sport.”
Since racing in Deadwood, Michael decided to take a last minute trip to Andorra to compete at the European Trail Run Championships. It was another logistical challenge full of twists and turns, but he achieved his goal of finishing the race and raising his multiplier before the XTERRA Trail Run World Championships in September.
He still has one more triathlon + trail run challenge to complete before he races at Sugarloaf. On August 25th he will attempt the “Full G” at XTERRA Sleeping Giant in Thunder Bay, Ontario. “You have to complete the full triathlon and the half marathon back to back on the same day. Should be a fun challenge,” he says.
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Michael relies on several mantras to push through life's challenges and the tough moments in his training. These sayings serve as a source of strength and resilience, especially when adversity strikes.
He often reminds himself, "If this was easy, everyone would do it," acknowledging that the difficulty he faces is also what sets him apart. In the moments of pain, he turns it into a source of empowerment with the mantra, "My pain is my power." And no matter the outcome, he maintains an unbreakable spirit by affirming, "You may beat me, but you will never defeat me."
He will take these with him as he heads to the XTERRA Trail Run World Championship and XTERRA Triathlon World Championship in September.
“I plan to have a great race, do my best, and enjoy what the day brings,” he says. “Good luck to everyone, and hope to see you out there in the world of XTERRA, the best place on earth!”
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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, part #2 and part #3, 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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