In the fall of 2024, my friend Rachel let me chase her around the mountains with a camera, and she shared some insights into running and why she loves it. When I first called her about the project, I envisioned a powerful dive into Rachel’s broader story with running, injury, identity and grand new revelations about life and what the sport meant to her. Butttttt, after sitting with the footage in the edit, it was obvious that Rachel’s simple and pure love of movement in the mountains was the real focus here. I decided to keep it short and sweet, and focus on simplicity instead of trying to get people to feel a lot in such a short amount of time. The piece ended up being more of a vibe than a story, and I think it’s way more fitting that way.

As of this writing, Rachel holds multiple Fastest Known Times (FKTs) in the Colorado Rockies and is quickly emerging as a prominent endurance athlete across multiple disciplines.