The Rambling Runner

Leah Yingling is an ultrarunner based out of Salt Lake City, Utah. Leah started racing ultras in 2015 and most recently was ranked #9 in the UltraRunning Magazine Ultrarunner of the Year rankings. In 2022, she finished 6th (and top American) at the Western States Endurance Run, 2nd at the Canyons 100k, and competed for Team USA at the Trail World Championships in the 80k. With that amazing resume it would be reasonable to assume that Leah has been steeped in elite running since she was a teenager. While reasonable, that assumption would be wildly incorrect. In fact, Leah still holds down an amazingly complex job at the intersection of healthcare and tech that requires her to run at night and fit her training around a hectic and shifting schedule. In this conversation Leah breaks down her start in running and how she has reached the top of the sport despite not devoting herself entirely too it. In addition, Leah also discusses being sexually assaulted on a trail run at age 19 and how she overcame that horrific