Published Work

The Trail Runner’s Companion author

Sarah’s how-to guide, based on her expertise as a coach and competitor, used vivid first-person storytelling to impart practical, well-researched advice. The book sold quite well for its niche. Available on Amazon.

“With The Trail Runner’s Companion, veteran ultramarathoner Sarah Lavender Smith presents a thoroughly researched compendium full of useful tips. Sarah is an engaging storyteller, and this fun-to-read book is chock-full of great recollections and advice from savvy mid-pack runners and elite competitors. An essential resource for beginners and experienced runners alike.”

- John Medinger, veteran ultrarunner and Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run past president

UltraRunning columnist

Sarah has written a column for UltraRunning—the venerable magazine regarded as the voice of the sport—since 2018. This sample, “Mountain Terrain vs. Emotional Terrain,” shows how she draws on personal experiences to illuminate the challenges and lessons of the sport.

“Sarah’s ability to write from her heart, while pulling in-depth personal experiences from her own running adventures, has cemented her spot as one of the most recognized voices in UltraRunning.”

- Amy Clark, editor-in-chief, UltraRunning magazine

Trail Runner contributor

For many years starting in 2008, Sarah contributed features and news articles to Trail Runner magazine (and later to run.outsideonline after Outside purchased the publication).

This sample, “Live Through This,” profiles a runner coming back from advanced colon cancer.

Telluride magazine first-person feature

Sarah regularly writes for the biannual issues of Telluride. This sample, “Wild & Tough,” shows first-person narrative combined with journalistic reporting.

Telluride magazine feature

Sarah’s buddy story of two chefs, “Dine-amic Duo,” typifies her lively writing style.

“All Dolled Up” newsletter sample

Sarah often uses her newsletter to tell stories with themes that her memoir-in-progress expands. This essay, about dressing up and flashing back to the time in junior high when she transformed from a bullied outcast to a Playboy bunny, exemplifies how she uses running as a springboard to make sense of early life and aging.