Riley Brady has been steadily climbing up the ranks of ultrarunning since inserting second of their first 50k again in 2014, however within the area of six months, the now-29-year-old has taken a large leap ahead onto the highest tier — profitable the Javelina 100 Mile within the fall of 2024, earlier than setting a course document on the ever-competitive Black Canyon 100k in spring of 2025. As Brady — who identifies as non-binary however competes within the ladies’s race — gears up for this yr’s Western States 100, we caught up with them to search out out about their background and what’s clicked of their current coaching to make them one of many prime contenders for the win at this yr’s Western States.
Riley Brady, the 2025 Black Canyon 100k ladies’s winner. Brady identifies as non-binary and competes within the ladies’s race. Photograph: World Path Majors
Early Years
Riley Brady grew up in New Hope, Pennsylvania, an hour north of Philadelphia, and was not born into a very sports-centric household. Nonetheless, they dabbled in basketball and soccer. Though Brady claims to not have been significantly gifted when it got here to ball-handling, they added, “however I might simply run all day. And I used to be the one individual on the crew who was like, ‘I can’t await the Friday time trial.’”
They added, “Additionally in highschool, my dad took my brother and me to the ice rink each Sunday afternoon. I actually loved ice skating.” By junior yr of highschool, Brady had taken up cross-country operating, and though nonetheless enjoying lacrosse within the spring, they had been leaning extra towards particular person sports activities.
In faculty, Brady’s rising love of operating took an sudden flip. They mentioned, “I noticed that there are different individuals on the market who needed to only go run for a very very long time within the woods … I met my buddy, Amelia [Kaufman], and he or she was like, ‘There’s this race in my hometown, Ithaca, New York, the Cayuga Trails 50 Mile, we must always do it.’ And I used to be like, ‘That sounds enjoyable.’”
Needing a qualifying race to entry the 50 miler, Brady first signed up for the 2014 New Jersey Extremely Path Pageant 50k, and positioned second to Kaufman. They mentioned, “Between having some early success, although it was only a actually small native occasion, and having this buddy who I used to be aggressive with, that form of launched stepping into the game extra critically.”
Riley Brady (left) on the 2016 Vermont 100 Mile. All photographs courtesy of Riley Brady, until in any other case famous.
The Western States 100 Golden Ticket Chase
By age 21, Brady had stepped up the gap, operating the Vermont 100 Mile in 2016, ending in seventeenth place. They continued to hone and enhance, and in 2018 positioned second at each the Vermont 50 Mile and 100 Mile, and third on the JFK 50 Mile.
Though solely beginning to make a reputation for themselves, Brady already had excessive ambitions, and mentioned: “I bought on the Western States 100 Golden Ticket chase fairly younger, even after I had no enterprise chasing a ticket.” Their first Golden Ticket race was the 2019 Black Canyon 100k, the place they completed fifth, proving that securing a Golden Ticket to the Western States 100 was not an unattainable purpose. Whereas they racked up wins at distances starting from 50k to 100 miles, the Golden Ticket continued to elude, till 2022.
A solo run in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Altering Up Coaching
Early within the yr, Brady enlisted the assistance of David Roche as their coach, who nonetheless coaches them to at the present time. Their coaching rapidly grew to become extra intentional, and so they shared: “I really began doing exercises as a substitute of simply being like, I’m going to run for so long as I can.” The construction was a welcome change for Brady, who mentioned, “I didn’t come to operating from a conventional operating background. I used to be by no means on a university crew, my highschool was not very aggressive. So, I simply didn’t have an understanding of the best way to do exercises and stuff like that. As soon as I began doing them, I used to be like, That is enjoyable. Though my favourite is at all times the long term.”
Later that yr, a chance for the large break that Brady had been working towards introduced itself, within the type of a newly added Golden Ticket race — the Javelina 100 Mile.
They shared, “When Javelina grew to become a Golden Ticket occasion, I used to be like, Sure, that is my alternative, as a result of it’s 100 miles. The terrain didn’t actually matter a lot to me. It was extra simply that it was longer and I’ve at all times felt like I’m higher at competing on the 100-mile distance than any of the under distances.”
Brady ran a affected person race at Javelina, and moved up the sector to take second place behind Devon Yanko, lastly securing their place on the beginning line of the 2023 Western States 100.
2023 Western States 100
When Western States rolled round, Brady suffered abdomen points, which they put right down to taking up an excessive amount of salt. They shared, “Main into Western States, I used to be like, Okay, I’ve bought to get my diet dialed. I’m not taking in sufficient salt … After which after that I found that I’m an especially low salt sweater, and that I used to be most likely taking in means an excessive amount of. So, it was a studying expertise … I simply spent numerous time throwing up on the aspect of the path.”
Regardless of this, Brady nonetheless managed to make it to the end of the bucket record race in 14th place, and mentioned: “I really feel like with Western States, you may’t go there and drop out. So many individuals work so laborious to get there.”
Following on from their Western States debut, Brady knew that they had extra to present on the course, however had but to unravel the diet puzzle, which continued to be their Achilles’ heel. On the 2024 CCC, they once more suffered abdomen issues, and had been pressured to drop from the race.
Recalling CCC, their first expertise on the UTMB Mont Blanc competition, they shared: “It was my first time ever at UTMB Mont Blanc, and that was simply an enormous funding. I didn’t have a sponsor on the time. It’s so costly to recover from there. I additionally simply don’t actually just like the UTMB occasions … However you need to do them, and a number of the programs are very nice.”
Life in Colorado
Brady, who now lives in Boulder, Colorado, prefers racing nearer to house within the U.S. They’re lucky to have the proper coaching floor proper out the door, and likewise profit from the robust path operating group that exists in Boulder. They mentioned, “I’ve a very good group of about 5 associates who run collectively fairly commonly, or some mixture of us. After which clearly I’ve different associates that I additionally run with. That’s the most effective components of residing in Boulder, simply having so many associates and individuals who need to do the factor that I need to do.”
In contrast to a number of the increased altitude mountain cities round Colorado, Boulder has a wide variety of trails that keep accessible year-round. Brady says, “There’s a bunch [of trails in Boulder] that keep dry all through the winter. Like Lion’s Lair, it simply will get numerous solar and tends to dry out in a short time, even when we get snow.” They added, “However then in the summertime, I undoubtedly prefer to get to the mountains slightly bit extra. We’ve got actually superb entry right here.”
A run with associates on the Pawnee-Buchanan Loop in Colorado. Pictured from left to proper are Amanda Basham, Clare Gallagher, Brady, and Abby Levene.
The 2024 Javelina 100 Mile and 2025 Black Canyon 100k
In October 2024, returning to a race that had been type to them earlier than, Brady secured their second likelihood at Western States in a extra decisive trend than earlier than — with a win on the Javelina 100 Mile and the Golden Ticket that adopted.
With an entry to Western States already secured by means of one of many earlier Golden Ticket races, Brady might have loved a quieter buildup to the race. Nevertheless, by no means one to shrink back from a aggressive subject, they determined to line up for the 2025 Black Canyon 100k. When requested what drew them to the beginning line, they reasoned: “A part of it’s that it’s a very aggressive race. The opposite half is it’s form of a mini Western States — it’s internet downhill. In order that’s form of good. After which I actually like that occasion. I like that path, I like that the vegetation and terrain form of change from the place you begin in Mayer, Arizona, right down to Phoenix. I simply suppose it’s a cool race and I’m an enormous fan of Aravaipa Operating and every thing they do for the game.”
Moreover, Brady felt that they had by no means had a very good race on their earlier 4 makes an attempt on the Black Canyon 100k, and so there was a way of unfinished enterprise on the course. The day unfolded fantastically, ending in one other win and a course document. Brady recalled: “The had been no actual lows. I used to be simply doing my factor. My massive focus has been diet … and ensuring I used to be staying on prime of hydration. However yeah, no abdomen points. And I used to be simply having enjoyable the complete time, there was no level the place I used to be like, This sucks. I would like this to be over.”
Riley Brady profitable the 2025 Black Canyon 100k in course document time. Photograph: World Path Majors/Howie Stern
Turning Professional
Exterior of operating, Brady has packed quite a bit into their younger life so far, and their skilled resume is filled with surprises. Having studied anthropology in faculty, they labored a broad vary of jobs earlier than lately securing knowledgeable operating contract with Nike.
They recalled, “I labored at a daycare for some time … I did take pleasure in that as a short lived factor, but additionally I used to be sick on a regular basis, so I used to be like, I can’t.” They added, “I used to be simply form of doing a smattering of issues. After which I ended up making use of for a few jobs at bike outlets.” In doing so, they stumbled upon a chance from Trek, who supplied coaching in addition to a job, opening a gateway to a profession as a motorcycle mechanic. Brady shared: “I bought a ton of expertise in a short time working within the bike trade. I actually did take pleasure in being a mechanic for some time, after which I simply form of reached a degree the place I wasn’t studying as a lot as I needed to be studying.”
Whereas Brady has by no means ridden competitively, they take pleasure in bike touring, and biking nonetheless varieties a key a part of their coaching for operating. Securing sponsorship with Nike has now allowed Brady to run full time, whereas additionally working as a coach.
Cheeky parking on a U.S. West Coast bike tour with associates.
A Second Try on the Western States 100
Like a lot of the elite path operating world, Brady is now firmly targeted on the 2025 Western States 100. Though in a really totally different place with their operating than they had been in 2023, they’ve nonetheless benefited from the expertise and might method their second run with a cool head.
They shared: “I feel simply getting the nerves out of the best way the primary time operating [Western States] is a large deal. The beginning line was form of demanding for me. You are feeling such as you’re on this press of individuals, it’s darkish, you may’t see, however you don’t need to have a headlamp as a result of it’s going to get mild in 10 minutes. And so simply realizing that, and I feel realizing what to anticipate on that begin line, makes me really feel higher about it.”
They added, “It began so quick and I wasn’t anticipating that, and I feel my mindset round racing has actually modified. I’m rather more prepared now to only be like, Alright, we’re sending it from the beginning.”
Though not underestimating the competitors, Brady was not shy about sharing their ambitions for the race, saying: “I feel you need to line as much as win, proper? I feel you need to have the unreasonable purpose, as a result of in any other case you’re by no means going to hit it.”
Past Western States, they’ve signed up for Run Rabbit Run 100 Mile later in the summertime, and can then change gears within the fall to coach for a quick street marathon at CIM, the California Worldwide Marathon. For now, nevertheless, it’s laborious to look previous June 28, after we stay up for watching Riley Brady ship it laborious on the Western States Path.
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