In August 2017, Hillary Allen fell off a cliff halfway through the Hamperokken Skyrace ultramarathon in the mountains of Norway. She dropped 150 feet, hitting the rocks on her way down, and blacked out. Allen broke a dozen bones and tore a ligament in her right foot. Though neither leg was broken, a doctor told her the injuries were bad enough she might never run again.
Allen, aka “Hillygoat,” was determined to fight her way back. During her long recovery and rehabilitation, she began using the social exercise platform Strava, and became more active on social media in general. She found encouragement from a supportive online community, some of whom have become real-life pen pals. Last June, less than a year since her accident, Allen raced the Broken Arrow Vertical Kilometer in Squaw Valley, Calif. She finished a close second in her return to competition, completing the steep 3.1-mile course in 46 minutes and 28 seconds.
Besides being sponsored by The North Face as an ultrarunner, Allen is a science instructor at Front Range Community College near Boulder. She is also fascinated by insects.