The Trailhead Nick Triolo on Running For No Reason and Not Chasing The Top
Aug 5, 2025
Nick Triolo, a writer and ultrarunner known for his book The Way Around: A Field Guide to Going Nowhere, delves into the freedom of running without metrics. He discusses the joy of loop running, embracing presence over performance, and how circling back can be more fulfilling than chasing summits. The conversation highlights the transformative nature of running as a creative practice, the tension between ambition and societal expectations, and the beauty found in nature during personal journeys. A light-hearted debate about favorite running loops adds a fun twist!
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Early Obsession With Circumference
- In his early 20s Nick felt compelled to move his body around the planet's circumference.
- Moving to the Pacific Northwest led him to explore loops around volcanic bases.
Circumambulation As Counter-Narrative
- Nick spent a decade researching people who walk around mountains instead of up them.
- He frames circumambulation as a kinesthetic restraint and a counter to peak-bagging culture.
Elk Stopped A Summit Run
- Nick ran Mount Jumbo and found 25 elk grazing at the summit, so he stopped short to watch them.
- That unplanned pause replaced a need to 'finish' and deepened his presence on the run.
