August 7, 2025 Seward Folly Staff

Ruby Lindquist’s trajectory in mountain running feels almost inevitable to anyone who watched her grow up hiking the trails above Moose Pass with her family. Now 25, Lindquist recently won the Cirque Series race at Mt. Alyeska, a 6.2-mile event that climbs 3,890 feet over ridges and cliffs, including sections so steep they require hand lines.

For Lindquist, running at home remains meaningful.

“I love the race for its beauty,” Linquist reflected, ” and how hard it is, scrambling the rocks on the climb”.

It’s performances like these that led her to be named to Team USA’s short trail team (44K, or 27.3 miles) for the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships, set to take place in Canfranc-Pirineos, Spain, in two months.

Lindquist’s athletic record is extensive. She’s a multi-time state champion from her days at Seward High and set program records at Black Hills State University. Sponsored by The North Face, she has compiled several wins and top-10 finishes on the professional circuit.

This year, she won the Big Alta 28K in Marinwood, California, and followed it up with a strong performance at the Ultra Trail Mt. Fuji Kai 70K in Japan. Her third race, the Broken Arrow Skyrace 46K in Palisades Tahoe, California, saw her finish sixth in a competitive field — where the top three finishers all broke the course record by nearly 10 minutes.

She’ll join Anchorage’s Klaire Rhodes, two-time Mount Marathon champion, and David Norris, the six-time Mount Marathon champion and course record-holder, at the world championships.

For the past two and a half years, Lindquist has lived in Truckee, California, balancing her training and racing with part-time work as an executive assistant for the town manager and attorney. Sponsorship from The North Face, she says, is essential to maintaining her training and travel schedule, which has included races in Norway, Italy, Mexico, and Japan.

Her coach, Rick Floyd, provides guidance and helps her avoid burnout by tailoring her training to include activities she enjoys, such as skiing and trail running.

“He asked me what I like to do, what gives me inspiration, and that makes a big difference,” Lindquist says.

She credits her ability to stay healthy to knowing when to rest, and when to reconsider certain climbs: “I’m good at backing down or out when I feel something isn’t right.”

Lindquist’s weekly training for mountain races is demanding and varied. It often involves long runs of four to five hours on steep trails, back-to-back three-hour runs, speed work on the track, weightlifting, and stretching or yoga. Many of these sessions take place at elevations of 6,000 to 7,000 feet in the Sierra Nevadas.

Her background in running and skiing started early, keeping up with her parents on Alaskan trails and competing in cross country running and track throughout high school and college. In the winter, she spends significant time cross-country skiing in Truckee, which she believes contributes to her overall health and resilience.

Lindquist’s long-term goal is to reach the podium at the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB), a 170-kilometer race around the Mont-Blanc, passing through Italy, Switzerland and France.
It has 10,000 meters of climbing and is widely considered the most prestigious event in trail running.

Profile of the UTMB 170km race

Asked what draws her to this lifestyle, Lindquist says, “I love to be outside — I don’t necessarily feel I need a reason. The goal can grind you down. When I don’t get out, I feel crazy — I’m addicted to the adventure.”

As Lindquist prepares for her next race, her approach remains steady: focus on the process, enjoy the terrain, and keep chasing what’s possible in the mountains.