Meet the wild women “running” behind the scenes:
Stephanie Irving
CO-FOUNDER
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Originally an avid endurance horse racer, Steph found a new passion in running as her family demands increased. She discovered solace and deep connections in the running community, particularly with her friend Betsy, as they transitioned from road marathons to trail running. The change was sparked by the realization that road running was taking a toll on her body. Trails proved gentler and opened up new horizons for adventure in breathtaking locations. This led to starting the Wild Woman Trail Runs in 2012 as the first all-women's marathon in the country. Today, Steph has completed over 96 trail races across the globe. Each race is not just a physical challenge but a journey through the wild, reminding her of the endless possibilities that life offers. She is currently the Executive Director at Helping Hands Against Violence in Hood River.
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My brothers and I used to race back to the car after weekend backpack trip. Big packs--you know the kind with the frames on them--full of gear. And when we got a few miles from the car, if it was down hill, we didn't just run, we raced.
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Scratch lemon lime. Sour gummies interspersed with a couple of crunchy sour Nerds. Pickle juice. But the best aid station food ever was a bowl of tom kah gai soup 50 miles into my first 100 miler (Rio Del Lago). My husband brought it for himself, but offered me some, thinking I might have a sip, I downed the entire bowl.
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WSER: year 9, 256 tix. still waiting. And Bigfoot and Cocodona.
Susan Elliott
CO-DIRECTOR
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Susan turned to trail running and ultras after she became a mother. She spent previous decades dedicated to whitewater kayaking, helping people learn to paddle and recreate with purpose, writing and publishing the national guidebook "Paddling America." As a busy mom, trail running just fit into life easier, but she quickly found the challenge of training and completing ultramarathons served as bedrock to living a joyful life. Now, she wants to circumnavigate all the Cascade volcanoes, do more multi-day wilderness runs, and test her mental limits with longer ultras.
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Splashing through puddles in farm fields with friends served as my motivation to go to Cross Country practice in high school.
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Tailwind carb drink mix and a pocket full of High Carb gels make getting out for long runs easy. But a stash of sweet potatoes and my kid's leftover sandwiches also frequents my pack!
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UTMB and just about any multi-day stage race in another country. Sign me up.
Angie Marie
CO-DIRECTOR
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Angie's fascinated by the intersection of outdoor adventure and womanhood. She blends her passions into her work as a creative director helping outdoor brands advance women's equity and inclusion. Angie's also a nerd when it comes to menstrual cycles-- she even wrote a book about how they mirror nature! As a multi-passionate athlete, Angie does the typical Columbia Gorge thing of trying to fit 3 sports into a day. When not running trails, she's skiing, gravel biking, mountaineering, or scream-crying in her kayak. She ran her first 100 miler in 2024 and wants more self-supported adventure in 2025.
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Standing by my family home watching thousands of runners pass Framingham, MA during the Boston Marathon. Nothing made me more excited than little me jogging alongside for 30 seconds.
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Training runs: boiled potatoes with so much salt and stroopwaffels. Mid-race and afterward? Gimme the Coca Cola! It's the only time I want it and it's magical.
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Surprisingly not a trail-- but I spent the first 21 years of my life living on the Boston Marathon route and spent most of my teen and college years volunteering at it. Even though I'm a trail girl, Boston has a piece of my heart.
A note from our founders, Betsy + Steph
Betsy and Steph experienced the uplifting support of friendship in trail running so much that they knew they wanted to amplify it, allowing more women to tap into this source of incredible joy.
In 2012, they started the Wild Woman Trail Marathon, Relay, and 50k. It was the first all-women’s marathon in the country - trail OR road.
The event would be a personal introduction to their backyard mountain: Mt. Adams (a 12,276-foot volcano) and a way to support more women in trail running, from beginners to seasoned runners, in the most welcoming and supportive way possible.
“For the past few decades, long runs have allowed us to reconnect with girlfriends from Orcas 50K to Mountain Lakes 100, Smith Rocks 50K to Javelina Jundred,” notes Betsy.
“And over the past years, we've reached even higher—together—but in our own direction,” adds Steph. “Betsy completed Ironman Kona and I finished UTMB. And we're still reaching for more dreams! We've traded life stories over miles of trails, plates of pre-run pasta, and post-run pinot gris.”
Betsy and Steph feel extremely grateful to be able to share the magic that trail running has given them, by hosting a women's trail run in their own backyard. They knew how daunting trail running can be for beginner runners. That’s why they incorporated the Relay and Half-marathon as a way to welcome ALL women out on the trails.
“From what we've witnessed over the years, trails bring us joy—and you will find it out there too.”
Today, Steph continues to direct the races, with her two new co-directs, Susan and Angie.
Steph and Betsy on a trail running adventure in the Italian Dolomites.
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