Endurance athlete, trail dreamer, gravel grinder, Outdoor Lover, meet Maude Farrell
Maude Farrell is redefining what it means to move through the mountains. A force across both trail and gravel, she’s as at home running high-alpine ridgelines as she is grinding out endless dirt miles on two wheels. Winner of the Leadville 100, Maude embodies grit, curiosity, and the kind of grounded joy that comes from years spent chasing sunrise over summits. Whether she’s training, racing, or simply exploring, Maude reminds us that movement - in all its forms - is freedom.
"Trail running feels like an unadulterated connection to nature."
Where did you grow up, and what role did the outdoors play in your childhood? Did your family encourage you to spend time outside?
I grew up in rural New Hampshire, surrounded by the woods. My parents had a rule that if it was light outside, my sisters and I were not allowed to be indoors. Being outside - playing in the trees, savoring the night sky, watching lightning roll in, splashing in creeks - wasn’t something reserved for intermittent seasonal trips. While we traveled on occasion to national parks, my deepest connections to the natural world were cultivated in the backyard of my childhood home.
When did you first start running, and what drew you to the trails in particular?
I started running in high school, but my real love for trails began when I worked in the Appalachian Mountain Club huts in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. As a CROO member, when we weren’t working, we’d spend long days running between huts, traversing ridgelines, and exploring untrodden trails. We learned to move quickly through technical terrain - it was pure freedom. Even now, I prefer power-hiking steep climbs and moving efficiently through rugged terrain over a traditional sense of “running.”
After school, you moved west. What brought you to San Francisco, and how did your career and outdoor life intersect there?
After college, I moved to San Francisco to start a career in clean energy. San Francisco is amazing because it directly abuts Golden Gate National Park - you can cross the bridge and, within minutes, find yourself among coyotes and sagebrush, running along coastal fire roads that lead to Mt. Tam. It’s a magical city, and the headlands are just begging for you to visit in the mornings before work. The city is woven with nature - parks, hills, and incredible trail running right within the city limits. I grew up in the woods, but San Francisco offered the perfect blend of wild and urban living.
How did cycling enter your life, and what made gravel and off-road riding such a natural fit for you?
Cycling found me through a running injury - but I stayed for the friendships that I built with a weekend adventure crew. Bikes (specifically gravel and off-road varieties) became a new way for me to spend all day traveling through the natural world and breathing fresh air. I always loved pushing my abilities and tackling new challenges, and I realized I had a special talent for riding bikes. I dabbled in local races, and when the pandemic hit, I focused all my effort on training and preparing for the return of races. Since 2021, I’ve been racing gravel professionally and love that I’ve grown so much as an athlete within a sport that’s experienced an explosion of popularity over the last four to five years.
Over time, you’ve returned to trail running. What inspired that shift, and how does it feel to be back in the running community?
The past two years, I’ve felt a deep craving to return to my roots as a trail runner. It’s always felt like my true inner self, despite injuries and years of hiatus. I always knew running would be something I returned to later in life - I used to joke that my cycling career was just a “sabbatical” from running trails. Trail running feels like an unadulterated connection to nature. It reminds me of my childhood exploring the woods, bounding across the Whites in New Hampshire with friends, and having the magic ability to simply “go,” unencumbered by gear or boundaries. While I love bikes and appreciate them as a tool to travel so far in a day, running will always feel like home.
What does trail-running give you that cycling doesn’t, and vice versa?
Running is a simple endeavor for me. It’s a nice mental (and physical) break from cycling, where so much of what we do relies on equipment - the bike, helmet, apparel, nutrition, etc. Getting out the door for a run is lower friction, which means faster access to fresh air and dirt under me.
But bikes have become such a huge part of my life and identity now that I can’t see myself ever saying goodbye or trading one for the other. Bikes can take you so far - 50, 70, 80, even 100 miles in a day is par for the course. Running those distances requires so much training and recovery. Bikes are magical in that way.
Bikes have also gifted me a huge and deeply embedded community of friends - people I love dearly, beyond just our shared dedication to the sport. For me, these two pursuits complement each other, and doing - and loving - both makes me the best athlete I can be.
You recently won the Leadville 100 - one of the toughest high-alpine trail and cycling races in the world. Congratulations! What was that experience like, physically and mentally?
Thank you! It was pretty cool. It’s a challenge I learned about years ago and had always daydreamed about - not in the sense of “I want to do this one day,” but more as an idea I couldn’t stop thinking about. Over time, I got more curious and eventually thought, “It seems like the run/bike double to win all run/bike doubles” (of which there are few!).
It was fun to race close to home for most of the summer season. It allowed me to settle into the rhythm of training - I could recover faster and more comfortably than when I’m flying all around the country. The challenge itself suited me! I loved the variety it demanded in my training, and the freedom to join whatever adventures my friends were planning that weekend - big high-country runs or long rides.
Each of the five races in the series brought totally different challenges, but all were mentally demanding. Running 100 miles was something I’d always dreamed of doing, though I couldn’t fathom what the pain and endurance would truly feel like. It was harder than I could have imagined, and I’m so proud of myself (and so grateful for my crew and family) for getting through it. I have to say... I’m intrigued — and not totally untempted — to try another :)
"My skin is the first line of defense against the elements. I think about protecting it the same way I think about my career in athletics - I prioritize longevity, sustainability, and consistency above all else’"
You spend a lot of time training and racing at high altitude, where the sun and elements can be intense. How do you think about protecting your skin and prioritizing your overall health in those conditions?
Since I can remember, my mom’s key tenet of wellness was - wear sunscreen every day. I’m of Irish heritage and burn easily, but I love being outside all day. My skin is the first line of defense against the elements. I think about protecting it the same way I think about my career in athletics - I prioritize longevity, sustainability, and consistency above all else.
I want to be able to do the things I love for as long as I live, and taking care to protect against harmful UV rays, chemicals, and the elements is a big part of that. I’m utterly in love with Utu because I know the formula not only protects from the sun but actively nourishes my skin. The quality and texture make it a delight to apply every morning and to reapply in the mountains. I also find comfort knowing I’m reducing my plastic consumption — especially for something I use so often. Utu unlocks the outdoors for me so I can romp free!
