Cal Neff

Marathon Milestone 🥹 It’s pretty incredible to look back on this list. Wins, PRs, pacer gigs, perfect days, rough days, a stroller world record, 211 laps on an indoor track, and one very long walk through DC last year that reminded me how unpredictable this sport (and life) can be. To give context on how inconsistent the training and results can be and what it can take: I’ve only really gone all-in chasing a big result maybe five times. I’ve paced seven of these — including my three fastest — raced in truly ideal conditions maybe five total, and learned far more from the tough ones than the shiny ones. Along the way I’ve been lucky to share miles with some incredible people — Olympians, record holders, legends of the sport — and last year in my slowest marathon ever (4h49m), with my wife unknowingly, carrying my future son. Sunday marked my 8th Houston Marathon. My top ten average now at 2:21:48. I’m determined to break the 2:19 PR and chase the OTQ in my 40’s and also fill up this bingo card: missing a mark at 2:25, 2:29, and 2:32 would hit ever minute from 19 to 35. Every race has added perspective to all aspects of life that I use everyday. Biggest takeaways after 25: • Show up healthy • Respect and enjoy the process more than the outcome • Some races are for performance, all are for experience and growth • Keep the enjoyment and purpose — that’s what carries you forward I’m deeply grateful to everyone who’s been part of this journey: training partners, competitors, pacers, race directors, friends, coaches, therapists, family, and the communities that make showing up possible. And to Altra, thank you for believing in me from my very first marathon and continuing to support the long game every step of the way. Proud of the journey, not just the results. Onward. 🏁 Not sure why this felt like a retirement post, but I’ve just begun! *dusts off the stroller #marathon #running #marathontraining @altrarunning #TeamAltra

FKT: Texas Four Highest Peaks “Guad Quad” Spent another week in West Texas at the Guadalupe Mountains National Park providing Preventive Search and Rescue and assistance with TEXSAR. Part of being out there also requires knowing the park like the back of my hand, so that the first time I see it is not in an emergency. So with that being said, I’ll start with a disclaimer: These types of adventures can get people into trouble that could require a lot of valuable resources to get out of. The FKT mentality can push people over the edge and into deep when going light, pushing effort, denying assistance (for “unsupported”), traveling off-trail in very rugged, extreme, wilderness. Routes like this have full commitment to some serious exposure to unforgiving elements and terrain. Be (over) prepared. Have backups. Be in the right mind-space and give yourself the option to change that. There is positive power in negative thinking “what if” (thanks @realwillgadd ), evaluate, and reevaluate the changes. I chose the non-typical counterclockwise direction for the fact that the final four miles would be on a popular and busy trail, this is one example of making decisions that could have game changing results in the event of an issue later in the run. Official @fastestknowntime for the Texas Four Highest Peaks (plus a bonus summit of Texas’ 6th highest) in 5h05m55s. The most challenging component, other than the near 7,000ft of climbing in just 25km was that the link up between the four peaks is an extremely rugged bushwhack full of plants and rocks that want to slice, dice, poke, and prod (the animals too). It was slow going in the heat high stepping plants on steep lines. Almost 1.5h off the previous FKT and some meat still on the bone for next time 😏 Full report up on the FKT site. 👟 @altrarunning Mont Blanc Carbon 😎 @opticnerveeyewear FixiePHENOM Photochromic 🎽 @runinrabbit #StayOutThere #trailrunning #FKT @trailracingovertexas

XMAS GIVEAWAY TIME It’s been awhile since a good old fashioned giveaway. To wrap up an awesome 2025 and coming off an incredible weekend at the @trailracingovertexas Brazos Bend 100, sponsored by #AltraRunning we’ve put together a little prize pack including our favorite sunglasses from @opticnerveeyewear Prizes: 👟: Free Pair of Altra Running Shoes 😎: Free Pair of Optic Nerve Sunglasses (up to $100!) 🏃: Free race entry to any TROT event (sub-ultra) To Enter: Must like this post ♥️ and follow all four accounts: @theneffpace @altrarunning @opticnerveeyewear @trailracingovertexas Bonus Entry: Comment on this post with what you’re most excited about #running in 2026 Bonus Entry: Tag a friend About the Sponsors: Altra Running has a full quiver of road, trail, and hiking footwear ranging from 0mm to 4mm heel drop in a foot shaped design for natural strong movement. My personal favorites this year have been the Wild 2, Olympus 275 (pictured here), and the Flow 2. Optic Nerve premium sport and casual sunglasses at a great price point. I’ve never been a fan of the cheap running sunglasses out there and don’t want to break the bank; these are the perfect balance. Top picks FixieBlast, Phenom, and the AIR. TROT: Has a trail run, walk, or ruck for anyone. “Get Off the Road”™️ in the South/Central Texas area almost every month of the year with challenges from 1mi to 100 hours and everything in between with fun atmosphere, quality shirts, and unique medals, buckles, and coin awards. The greatest volunteers from the best aid stations to support your #trailrunning & #ultrarunning It’s race week for me, follow along The Marathon Project which will closely be followed by the Houston Marathon as I build for my return to the Black Canyon 100k (third times a charm right?!) Thanks for following along! - Cal General Rules/Terms: No purchase necessary, random drawing from entry list will be done on December 25th, 2025 and verified with entry requirements before announced on this post, entries open until that time, not affiliated with Instagram/Meta/Facebook and operated independently from sponsors. Winner is responsible for any potential extra fees/shipping/travel.

Check out the newest episode of #TodayInRunningHistory where I sit down with Cal Neff to hear about the 3 stroller world records he’s set with 3 of his daughters 🤯 To be completely honest, I’m not sure I could run a 1:11 10K while pushing a stroller 😂 Parents like Cal who make stroller running look easy are a different breed. The links 🔗 to the podcast are in my bio, or you can comment “YouTube”, “Spotify”, or “Apple” and I’ll DM you this episode on your fave platform.

Hour 67 Only 33 hours left to go in the @trailracingovertexas Jackalope Jam trail run, a timed event where participants cover as much distance as possible. Leading the way, Sara (pictured here), has already gone down the ranch road to the “cone of death” and back 100 times for a total of 200 miles. Her feet needed a little cooling off, and cleaning the sand out of the @altrarunning shoes, one of the many obscure race director duties that have also included cattle herding, chef, DJ, and assembly line of the over 200 mounted Jackalope head giveaways between the intensive RFID timing and all other director tasks on very little sleep. We started Wednesday at 9 AM with 23 in the 100 hour event that will go all the way to Sunday at 1 PM. Every morning, at 9 AM, we add another, shorter, duration to the field growing to over 200 runners later this morning with the 6/12/24 hour events kicking off. Every year we say “never again”, both participants and workers alike. But 100 hours of sharing food, miles, stories, four seasons of weather (and emotions), and seeing incredible feats of feet keep us coming back each year. Could not do it without the ace photographer and assistance of @jjustisphotography , this beautiful ranch, and all of our incredible TROT volunteers. Love to have all the family here too, being exposed to this crazy world, learning the ropes, and being active outside. Come on down to the ranch sometime and check out the Jackalope Jam. #racedirector #teamaltra #ultrarunning #trailrunning #jackalopejam

Black Canyon 50k 250km on this Black Canyon Trail the past three years and I’m still trying to figure it out. One thing I know for sure is I was no where ready to do the 100km this year, so good call there! The trail has a way of very quickly exposing your weaknesses. I wake up this morning after the race feeling mostly okay but my abductors, hips, and groin are completely locked up just like in the race. At least I have a focus area for improvement. The race required you to run fast when you could, and as fast as possible when you couldn’t. A stacked field and ideal morning conditions before the heat set in means this race lends itself to a positive split, mine just went a little too positive! I took it out at marathon pace for the first downhill mile off the track, around 5:20, and as we hit the first climb I settled to my own race plan and held the planned splits for almost 10mi before the early onset of tightness hit and survival mode kicked in. The last 18 was a complete struggle despite fueling extremely well with @never.second I wasn’t bonking or cramping, just no power or mobility in the hips. Had a great reload and refresh on the go coming through Bumble Bee Aid with @rachneffy crewing. @opticnerveeyewear sunglasses were another great choice as the sun was blazing! The finish line had my Dad waiting and I was very ready to be done! Overall another great annual trip, watched some incredible racing this weekend and always come back with new perspectives for coaching, racing, and race directing. Congrats everyone who ran and thanks to all the supporters! Time to start putting in some work… 📸 @AltraRunning @_kristennelson #TeamAltra #StayOutThere @blackcanyonultras #ultrarunning #trailrunning @opticnerveeyewear @never.second

Black Canyon 50k 🌵 Ready for the half canyon full send tomorrow! As I told the racers at last weekends TROT race, “keep the rubber side down” and that’s my main goal tomorrow as we try and run far too fast for the trails. @altrarunning Mont Blanc Carbon is the shoe of choice and @never.second C30’s for fueling #BlackCanyon50k #TeamAltra @opticnerveeyewear #FlatRunner #TrailRunning

Be my pacer? Happy Valentines Day to @rachneffy ! We’re back in the canyon for a third time this year and relieving Rachel of her pacer duties as she reaches halfway into the pregnancy and the 50k race on tap for me Sunday instead of today’s 100k. Super excited to race the 50k this year, the field is stacked and conditions looks great. I’m a little nervous for the speed required on the single track, a pace that would feel comfortable on the roads is kamikaze mode over this terrain, time to flip the crazy switch! The 100k is two hours in right now with an exciting race unfolding but zero regrets missing out on that distance right now. I was not prepared for the distance the past two attempts but Rachel was always there at 50mi, pacer bib ready to go, and dragging me to the finish line ♥️ @altrarunning #trailrunning @blackcanyonultras #blackcanyon100k #blackcanyonultras #TeamAltra 📸: @_kristennelson

Experience Wild 3 🔥 The original Wild’s launched a little under the radar, an unsuspecting favorite trail shoe. The Experience lineup elevating the original Altra zero drop only to 4mm. On the road you can choose the Flow 3’s and on trail with @vibram Megagrip and updated mesh upper and more comfortable and secure fit is the Wild 3. Straight out of the box and onto some of Texas’ most challenging trails this week - you might even see them on the Black Canyon course this weekend as I take on the 50k this Sunday 👀 If you’re new to trails, THIS is the shoe I’d recommend. If you’re feeling old on the trails, maybe these will put some pep back in your step. As always, comment or DM with questions or for discount. @altrarunning #TeamAltra #Wild3 #TrailRunning

Fastest Known Tights 4h57m22s for about eight minutes off my April record of 5h05m55s which beat the previous record of 6h27m38s. Still lots of meat on this bone with better route selection, smoother off-trail travel, timing, conditions, and avoiding gear and injury issues with the harsh Texas plants. Had a big week of vert in the Guadalupe Mountains, hitting 16,000ft, most of which was carrying a 30-35lbs SAR pack. A late night waiting on a potential callout situation to sort itself out meant I had a late start on my run for the day. Set out a little undecided on going for the loop or not and what the expectation was. The winter storm left a lot of snow, ice, and mucky sections but the cooler temperatures felt amazing. I still had one of my fastest ascents of the Guadalupe summit, Texas’s highest point, in 57 minutes, so I decided to continue on in the clockwise direction which was opposite from the last time. This meant I could skip the bonus mountain, Hunter Peak, not included in the official record loop, and take the Tejas Trail rather than Bear Canyon. The off trail section between Guadalupe and Bush is about 5km of gnarly Texas bush full of steep rugged terrain covered in poking, stabbing, slicing plants. I had two big stops to fix torn gear, cactus thorns through the sole of my shoe, snow removal, and rolled ankles. Good times! Still not decided on the fastest direction; they both have their benefits and pitfalls. Will just have to do it again I guess! Definitely never take this route, or any mountain travel, for granted (or you might be calling me for SAR). The Altra Olympus 275’s (women’s colorway +1.5sz) were the perfect burly shoe for the job. @altrarunning #FKT #FastestKnownTime #TrailRunning #MountainRunning @opticnerveeyewear @strava #TeamAltra @fastestknowntime @trailracingovertexas

The Race for Masters 🏆 The number one question I got before Sunday was, “Are you racing or pacing?” My answer is always BOTH—because at some point the gloves have to come off, the competitive nature must take over, the shark smells blood. It’s survival to finish a marathon, and without some fight in you, it’s not possible. I ran smooth to the Memorial Park tunnels around mile 22 with @callirianne and her husband @nickhauger12 . With no other women in sight, it looked like a safe win for Calli and a special final stretch to share with Nick. With some tightness creeping in, a few weeks out from 100k, and pure happiness over the day, I let off the gas and coasted to the finish of @chevronhoustonmarathon . What we didn’t know was that @sarahall3 was back there doing Hall things—on the hunt of her life after her own pacing work, with an open script and no obligations or expectations. Rather than shut it down, she closed nearly a two-minute gap on me, caught me jogging, and lit a fire under my ass like I’d been hit by a freight train. I thought I had my own race won—the race for top official masters runner (40+)—but then came Sara. I quickly became part pacer, part racer. There was even a faint possibility we could reel Calli back in. Nothing is guaranteed in the marathon, not even a two-minute gap with a mile to go. And hello—do y’all remember London Marathon COVID edition?! Hall closed a 40-second gap on Chepngetich to take second in a 2:22:05 PR. Never give up. That’s what I knew was running through Sara’s mind, and now it was in mine too. One of my best marathons was the 2020 @marathonproj , where I paced Sara all the way to a 2:20:32. As I jogged along the finish chute trying to stay out of the breaking-the-tape photos (media later cropped my head out), I both proudly and frustratingly watched my own PR roll up on the clock. I was fresh. I had pop. I had more fight. To this day, I’m not sure what time I left on the table. Three weeks later I broke the 30-year-old Canadian 50km record in 2:51, and I wouldn’t change that story for anything. So Sara already had one up on me—we’ll call it even now. #houstonmarathon @altrarunning #marathon

Houston, we back! 🚀 Tomorrow is the day that some might never see in their marathoning careers, the biggest thing we can’t control, it’s a no excuses conditions day and as Coach Jon Warren tells me every now and then during our recap show “an easy day to be a coach”. I wish I was better prepared for such a perfect forecast but here we all are sharing the same start and finish lines tomorrow, the only thing that matters now is how fast you go between those two points. The marathon doesn’t ask you if you nailed that workout 5 weeks ago, ran an 18 or a 20 miler, or if you were a second too slow in your intervals. So run with whatever you are given tomorrow! Bib number 13 “Pacer 4” tomorrow, with the goal of hitting halfway around 70:15 for the top women and hanging on for as long as possible on the back half. Let’s go! @chevronhoustonmarathon #RunHOU #HoustonMarathon @AltraRunning #Pacer