Nate Hanley

Nate Hanley of Salisbury started off with neighborhood jogs and now runs 100 milers. He continues to challenge himself and runs every distance and every terrain.

When did you start running and why?
I played a lot of sports growing up and was a sprinter in high school for a few years but didn’t get into running as an adult until about 2018. I had made a career change that involved more stationary time and I needed to up my cardio. At first it was just jogs around the neighborhood and I built distance from there. I got back to working in some old sprint workouts as well and really enjoyed the variety/change of pace.

You jumped into ultras soon in your running journey. What was the first? How many have you done and what’s your longest distance?
When I began running again, I had some friends that had run a few ultras and the competitor in me was intrigued. Not necessarily competition with others but with myself. Those friends (Josh W and Erin) came down from Pittsburgh to stay with us in 2018 to run the Algonquin 50k and I decided I would train to run Algonquin in 2019 as my first ultra so that’s what I did! I was hooked after I finished and registered for a 50 mile race the next day.

I don’t exactly keep count but from looking at race results, I have done about 35 official ultra events. I have done quite a few ultra distances on my own either self-supported or with the support of friends as well.

The longest race I have run is 100 miles. I have done four of those.

You have had some epic adventures, from runs across Delmarva roads and sand to your first fourteener – climbing a mountain peak above 14,000 feet. Share some details about those.
I like to add in an “Adventure Run” between races. They give me a new goal and an opportunity to try things out in a minimally supported format. My first run like that was in November of 2020. My friend Josh W had registered for the Laurel Highlands Ultra in Western PA; the race date had to be moved due to covid and he couldn’t make it. He still wanted to complete the course under the official race cutoff so we made a plan to tackle it together. With the support of my wife Kristi and his girlfriend Erin, we completed the 70+ miles in about 20 hours. That was an amazing experience that made me want to do more like it.

I’ve done a few others on Delmarva – like the whole of Assateague Island in an FKT (Fastest Known Time) attempt and the Trans-Delmarva Route that takes you from the bay to the ocean. These adventures were inspired by Trent Swanson’s and Gabe Matyiko’s past efforts.

My absolute favorite though, has to be Rim to Rim to Rim in the Grand Canyon. This is a big bucket list run in the ultra community. We started on the South Rim of the Canyon and ran to the North Rim and back South. 47-ish miles and over 11,000 ft of elevation gain and loss in one of the most beautiful places in the world!

I’ve done one 14er so far, Mt. Elbert, with more on the goal list to come. (Note: Mt. Elbert is the highest peak in Colorado and the second highest in the contiguous United States.) I could not do any of these adventures without the support and inspiration of my friends and family. My wife Kristi is by my side as my number one fan and crew chief and is an accomplished runner as well.

What do you enjoy about running? Are you always focused on time or do your workouts vary?
I enjoy running because it provides me an opportunity to challenge myself, see new places, meet interesting people and stay in shape. My wife and I take advantage of our training while we travel- from sprinting through the airport to hiking to really cool destinations. We’ve seen a lot of natural beauty on our feet.

I typically prioritize distance and time on feet over speed, but I do add in 1-2 structured workouts per week depending on what I’m training for. Variety is key in training and speed workouts still have their place, even when training for endurance races. Don’t get me wrong; I like to try to challenge my paces, but I make sure to not let that overshadow the experience and joy of the journey.

What are your running goals?
Honestly, I don’t have any specific goals other than to stay healthy enough to keep doing this for a long time. I look up to people like Eddy Godfrey and Penny Williams. They’ve become friends of mine over the years and I can only hope to be running the way they are when I get to their level!

What do you do when you’re not running?
I have always enjoyed strength training and still do 3-4 days of that per week. I also enjoy camping and really anything outdoors. Camping, backpacking, kayaking, biking. Anything to get outside and explore the great outdoors!