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
The Guardian lifestyle feature
Sarah wrote an advice-oriented feature for a mainstream audience, “Midlife is the perfect time to start trail running—here’s how to get into it” (June 2026). She interviewed several over-50 runners, along with a physician and coach, to convey the appeal of trail running in the second half of life and to give concise, practical advice on how older adults can take up trail running safely.
The Guardian first-person narrative
In February 2026, Sarah bravely went public with her secret of having breast implants and her decision to remove them and stay flat-chested. Her story, which incorporated other women’s similar experiences, examined the surge in demand for breast implant removal and gave voice to the desire to defy beauty standards and age naturally. The article was picked up by Apple News and included in The Guardian’s “Five Great Reads” weekly newsletter. She also was interviewed about the topic live on Ireland’s NewsTalk national radio show.
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. This first-person feature, “Ojai Valley Trails to Shangri-La,” captures the nostalgia of hometown trails and provides a descriptive guide.
“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
Trailhead Media feature story
In April 2026, Sarah profiled one of the most innovative and influential people in the sport of ultrarunning, Jamil Coury, and focused on his new platform and its implications. She leveraged her firsthand observations of how he and his business have evolved over the past decade to write about him in a way that few could.
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 feature
Sarah writes for the biannual issues of Telluride. This sample from Summer 2025, “Wild & Tough,” used first-person narrative combined with journalistic reporting to tell the story of why the Hardrock Hundred is the ultimate ultra goal for so many, including herself.
Telluride magazine feature
Sarah’s feature story in the Summer 2026 issue, “Married in the Mountains,” examined the region’s elaborate and extremely expensive weddings, revealing why Telluride is a sought-after wedding destination in spite of significant logistical and financial challenges.
“All Dolled Up” newsletter sample
Sarah often uses her newsletter to tell stories with themes that her memoir-in-progress expands. This essay from October 2025, 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.