3 Legendary Women. 3 Different Majors. 1 Fueling Partner.

A Season for the Ages

In the history of ultrarunning, there are seasons that feel destined to be remembered forever. 2025 was one of those years. Three legendary women—Abby Hall, Katie Schide, and Ruth Croft—each stood atop the podium at the sport’s most important and prestigious majors: Western States 100, Hardrock 100, and UTMB. These are races that test not only physical endurance, but also mental resilience and, increasingly, the science of fueling. What made this season even more remarkable was that each of these athletes charted her own path to victory, using different fueling strategies tailored to the unique demands of their races. But while their approaches varied, one constant tied them together: Neversecond. The brand’s science-first, system-based fueling gave each athlete the tools to adapt, perform, and ultimately dominate on ultrarunning’s biggest stages.

Abby Hall Achieves Redemption

Western States is the original 100-mile footrace, a blistering tour of canyons, climbs, and heat that has humbled champions for decades. For Abby Hall, 2025 was more than just another race in the schedule—it was a comeback. After a severe injury setback threatened her career, Abby returned to Western States determined not only to compete but to win. Her secret weapon wasn’t just training volume or grit—it was a fueling plan built to eliminate her biggest weakness: late-race bonks. Abby partnered closely with Neversecond to fine-tune a strategy that would deliver consistent energy from mile one to mile 100.

Abby's Plan: 120g of carbohydrate per hour, anchored by Neversecond C30 Energy Gels and C30 Sports Drink. Every hour, Abby consumed one liter of fluid containing two scoops of C30 Sports Drink (60g of carbs), plus two C30 Energy Gels (30g each). This gave her total control over fueling, hydration, and sodium intake.

Results: Abby’s average intake—120g CHO, 800mg sodium, and 1L of fluid per hour—kept her strong even in the brutal final 20 miles where races are often decided. Instead of fading, she surged. Her victory at Western States wasn’t just a personal redemption—it was a statement of what planning and precise execution makes possible.

Katie Schide: Another Record-Breaking Effort at Hardrock 100

If Western States is about heat and speed, Hardrock is about altitude and survival. The majority of the 100-mile course sits above 10,000 feet, and runners spend over a full day battling thin air, technical terrain, and massive climbs. Fueling here is a puzzle, complicated by the fact that altitude makes digestion harder and nausea common. Katie Schide didn’t just solve the puzzle—she rewrote the record books. Her 2025 Hardrock run shattered the women’s course record, and she did it by striking a balance between science and comfort. Katie’s fueling plan was built on Neversecond’s C30 Sports Drink and Energy Gels, but she smartly mixed in small portions of her favorite solid foods: Wonder Bread, cheese, and ramen. These comfort foods gave her relief from palate fatigue—the taste fatigue that can come after hours of relying solely on sweet gels and drinks. She also supplemented with Neversecond S200 Sodium Booster, dialing in her sodium intake with precision—200mg increments that kept her levels stable throughout more than 25 hours of running.

Katie's Totals: 80g CHO, 800mg sodium, and 750ml of fluid per hour. While less carbohydrate than Abby’s Western States plan, Katie’s blend of Neversecond nutrition and familiar solids was exactly what her body could handle at extreme altitude.

Results: Steady energy, a settled stomach, and a record-breaking finish. Katie proved that sometimes the smartest fueling is not just about numbers, but about flexibility and balance.

Ruth Croft: UTMB and the Elusive Triple Crown

If Western States and Hardrock are icons, UTMB is the global stage. The 170-kilometer circumnavigation of Mont Blanc is the crown jewel of ultrarunning, and winning it cements an athlete’s place among the all-time greats. For Ruth Croft, her 2025 UTMB victory meant even more—it delivered her the elusive Triple Crown of ultrarunning majors. What set Ruth apart was her willingness to innovate. Working with her nutritionist, she rejected a rigid fueling plan in favor of a dynamic strategy—adapting intake based on terrain, conditions, and how her body responded in real time. Her foundation was extensive gut training in the months leading up to UTMB. Ruth practiced with flasks filled with C30 Energy Gels and her personal favorite, Unflavored C30 Sports Drink, so that race-day fueling felt natural and familiar.

Ruth's Totals: 90g CHO, 800mg sodium, and 1L of fluid per hour. This balanced approach gave her the steady energy needed for climbs, while her adaptability allowed her to increase intake when pushing the pace or scale back when her stomach needed a break.

In her own words, Ruth described the strategy as “winning the carb arms race”—not overwhelming her body with static intake but out-smarting the race by fueling dynamically. The result was a masterclass in controlled, sustainable fueling and a career-defining UTMB crown.

The Common Thread: Science and A System

While Abby, Katie, and Ruth each fueled differently, the thread running through their victories was Neversecond’s system-based approach to sports nutrition.

• Consistency: All three athletes measured fueling in precise increments—30g carbohydrate, 200mg sodium—giving them predictable results in unpredictable conditions.

• Flexibility: Neversecond’s modular system allowed each runner to adapt. Abby went all-in on gels and drink mix, Katie blended in solids for variety, Ruth fueled dynamically based on conditions.

• Confidence: Informed Sport certification and FDA-compliant labeling meant that each athlete knew exactly what they were putting into their body—an essential level of trust when racing for 24+ hours.

For these women, fueling wasn’t just a detail. It was the difference between fading and finishing strong, between podiums and history.

A Season That Changed the Game

The 2025 ultrarunning season will be remembered not just for who won, but for how they won. Abby Hall’s comeback at Western States, Katie Schide’s record-breaking Hardrock, and Ruth Croft’s UTMB and Triple Crown—each was a triumph of training, resilience, and above all, fueling precision. Three legendary women. Three unforgettable wins. One fueling partner in common. Neversecond didn’t just fuel victories in 2025—it fueled a new standard for how ultrarunners approach the sport’s biggest challenges. Because at the highest level of endurance sport, talent and toughness set the stage—but fueling is what carries champions to the finish line.

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