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The Active Joe

@theactivejoe

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Road and trail race production! DFW-area, TX. Proud sponsor @wser. NEXT: Dino Valley Endurance Run, Nov. 21-22, Glen Rose, TX. 5 mi to 100 mi!

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I'm so excited to announce we are partnering with the Trail Mix Fund @trailmixfund . They fundraise to provide free race entries for LGBTQ+ and BIPOC athletes who can't afford race entry fees! If this is you, please visit www.trailmixfund.org to apply. We’re working together to bring more diversity to race start lines, and we’re starting with Dinosaur Valley Endurance Run as the first race outside of the Pacific Northwest!!

You can also help!! When you register for Dino Valley, you have the opportunity to add a small donation toward the fund. Money will go straight into the Trail Mix Fund to continue providing this support to groups still underrepresented in our trail community!

Everyone deserves a safe and welcoming space in our sport, and we’re inviting you all to join us November 18 and 19! #dinovalley100 #ultrarunning #trailrunning by @theactivejoe

We are so absolutely tickled that UltraRunning Magazine @ultrarunningmag chose to include a story by Jenny Thorsen about our Dinosaur Valley Endurance Run event, and then they further chose to make it their cover as well!!! The article is titled ”The Power of Inclusion.” It talks about the @dirtbagsrun Dirtbags Run Team, a team of BIPOC athletes who are part of @dirtbagrunners Dirtbag Runners, who all journeyed to Glen Rose, Texas for our event! The article touches on all those small moments in event production that put us at the forefront of making sure marginalized groups feel safe, welcomed, and encouraged to come race with us! From our transgender entrant athlete policy to our non-binary entrant athlete policy to being a @trail_sisters Trail Sisters-approved race with menstrual kits at the aid stations to our land acknowledgment as part of the Running on Native Lands movement with Rising Hearts @rising_hearts to making an important note during the pre-race trail briefing to working with this team to bring them to the Dallas area… and more!

Please share this far and wide and help us continue to grow this race!! Tag a friend you think should come run this!! Our grassroots event depends on word of mouth!

All distances from 5 Miles to 100 Miles are affordable, but with a $130 100M and $120 100K, those are a remarkable deal. At 25% full more than 8 months away, it will sell out. Link to the website where you can then register on @ultrasignup is on our bio! #dinovalley100 #trailrunning #ultrarunning #dallasrunning #dfwrunning by @theactivejoe

SHOUTOUTS 46 AND 47 FOR DINO VALLEY ENTRANTS! Matt Dibb (100 Miler; bib 116; Scituate,MA) and Patrick Grengs (100 Miler; bib 888; Sierra Vista, AZ) are no strangers to the 100 mile finish but are looking forward to adding a buckle with a dink skull to the mix!
Matt has lived in Massachusetts for nearly 25 years, but he actually grew up in Texas! He's been a distance runner for 15 years and running trails for 10 of that, and runs with the Trail Animals Running Club in Boston. He has FIVE previous 100-mile finishers, and while this will be his first 100 miler here, it isn't his first ultra in Texas (Bandera 100K, 2025). Matt also has the achievement of having been a former FKT holder when he set the Fastest Known Time on the 220-mile Bay Circuit Trail in Massachusetts!
Patrick has some impressive finishes, including 2 past Western States Endurance Run finishes. This past year, he finished Yeti 100, Denali 135, Salt Flats 100, and more.But Patrick tells us, "I am not much of a runner. I prefer shamboling ... this is the act of moving from one aid station to the next while making sure to arrive ready to ask for a cold adult beverage and fried chicken sandwich." by @theactivejoe

Got a Dino Valley question you've been meaning to ask? Bring it to our Ask Me Anything on November 5. 🦖

Whether you're joining us for your first ultra (and we know that over 50% of you are) or coming back with a new goal, this is a chance to get your questions answered before race weekend.

What would you like us to cover? Leave your question below.

This will be a Facebook Live Event, hosted by the Dinosaur Valley Endurance Run Facebook page, and is at 8 pm CST on Nov. 5. Link in our bio! by @theactivejoe

Getting active doesn't have to look SCARY! And New Years Double is here to banish that fear!

Whether you're starting with a walk around the block, or a 10 miler before dawn, we have a reasonable challenge that fits you. We offer a 5K, half marathon, and marathon on BOTH New Year's Eve morning AND New Year's Day morning.

Do one day, or do both days - it's your choice. But for those who participate both days, they will earn the heavy CHALLENGE PLATE.

Registration is open, and the only thing to be scared of... is that it will sell out before you decide! Link in our bio so you can commit NOW! by @theactivejoe

9 Weeks to Go! 🎉
Ready to finish the year with purpose and start the next one on the right foot?

The New Years Double is two days of running, celebrating, and community fun and the perfect goal if you’re looking to start training now.

🗓️ Race Dates: Dec 31 & Jan 1
🏅 Run one day or both — your choice!
💪 Choose from 5K, Half, or Full distances
🥳 Great for first-timers and seasoned runners alike

NINE WEEKS gives you time still to train for your distance, set a new goal, and join hundreds of runners ringing in 2027 the active way!

👉 Register now to lock in your spot - link in the bio!

#NewYearsDouble #RunInto2026 #TheActiveJoe #NewYearNewGoal #TexasRunning by @theactivejoe

SHOUTOUTS 44 AND 45 FOR DINO VALLEY ENTRANTS! Friends Michael Leal (bib 940; Throckmorton,TX) and Kyle Wojciechowski (bib 81; Okarche,OK) both have their eyes set on the 100K for their first 100K.
Michael sees running and racing as a challenge of what he is capable of more than the pace. Michael shares, "I’m just a regular guy from a small Texas town who decided to see if he could run 100K. Hopefully my journey shows somebody else that you don’t have to be an elite athlete to set a big goal. Sometimes you just have to be stubborn enough to keep going."
Kyle found running when he was a larger weight, and it helped catapult him into a healthier lifestyle. Through time, he took on OCR (obstacle course racing) events, longer distance races, and crewed and paced a friend at a 100 miler. Now he is ready to finish his first 100K before moving his focus to a fast first official marathon next Spring. Kyle said, "Initially, Dino Valley just fit mine and my friend's schedules the best, so that's why we chose it. We quickly realized it's built around a great community first initiative that seemed inviting for runners of all calibers!" by @theactivejoe

For some Dino Valley runners, the best sight on the course will be Valley Village.

It’s where you’ll find the start and finish, the end of each loop, crew areas, and the Cedar Brake aid station. You might come through ready to go again, or you might need a few minutes with your crew before taking the next step.

We’re thinking through that space now: how runners and crews will move through it, find what they need, and feel welcome whenever they arrive. We can’t wait to see it come to life on race weekend.

📸: Our amazing team of Dino Valley photographers: Jennifer Thorsen @luoyunghwa, John Knepper @john_knepper, Misty Herron @misty.dawns by @theactivejoe

SHOUTOUTS 42 AND 43 FOR DINO VALLEY ENTRANTS! Rocio Villalobos (100 Miler; bib 421; Austin, TX) and Michael Sanders (100 Miler; bib 525; Hurst,TX) are both running their first 100 miler with us! Representation Matters, and we believe in showing diverse faces and experiences at our events! Rocio and Michael are two of our almost two dozen receipients of entries through the Trail Mix Fund.
For Rocio, she shares, that in her 10 years she has been running and then exploring trails, "Although I didn't see very many other women who looked like me doing trail running here locally, it helped to have some examples on social media that I could look up to. Through Native Women Running and Rising Hearts, I found a little community of women online who helped me believe in myself and in turn inspire others to pursue challenging goals that once maybe felt impossible." Rocio went on to found the Indigenous Movement Crew in 2020 that focuses on movement as medicine and individual wellness directly tied to community well-being.
Michael has been a runner since high school and is actually a track and coach country high school coach! Michael shares, "I wanted to prove to my athletes and my kids that you can do things that other people will tell you is impossible." Michael is one of the 9% of our participants who are in the queer rainbow (LGBTQ2SIA+). Also, he has family from Glen Rose so it's a nice connection he has through our event! by @theactivejoe

SHOUTOUTS 40 AND 41 FOR DINO VALLEY ENTRANTS! Emily Green (25K; bib 213; Houston,TX) and Emily Schlake (50K; bib 94; Edmond,OK) are 2 of the 5 people named Emily participating at Dino Valley this year!
Emily Green says that running is about community and challenging herself. She loves dinosaurs, but also picked Dino Valley because its proximity to family means they can come cheer her finish! "I’m a product of the people (and cat) nearest and dearest to me. My family, who probably finds my running a little annoying because I’ll drive up to visit them and then disappear for half the day to go run. My friends, who also probably find it annoying because we have to schedule plans around long runs. And my cat, Milldred, who definitely finds it annoying because sometimes my running means her breakfast is late. So, really, this race is for all of us."
Emily Schlake joined us at Dino Valley last year and finished her first 50K there. She is back to enjoy the course again and tells us, "Running - especially trail running has always been my happy place." She gets most of her training miles with her husky, Denali! We're excited to have her back and have Emily Green joining us for the first time! by @theactivejoe

Your next step toward the Dino Valley start line? A little reading. 🦖📖

The 2026 Runner’s Manual is now available in English AND Spanish.
Read it, save it, and share it with your crew and pacers. Getting familiar with the details now means one less thing to think about on race weekend.

Still have questions after reading? Reach out; we’re here to help.

📖 Find both versions through the link in our bio.

¡El manual del corredor también está disponible en español! Encuentra ambas versiones en el enlace de nuestra biografía. by @theactivejoe

SHOUTOUTS 38 AND 39 FOR DINO VALLEY ENTRANTS! Adalberto Jaimes (100K; bib 141; Snyder,TX) and Nathan French (100K; bib 73; Flower Mound,TX) are both coming to Dino Valley to race their first 100K and get that buckle!
Beto has been running for a little over a year now and has spent the last few months focusing on trails and longer distance running. Already a fan of Dino Valley State Park, he says, "I knew it would serve as a perfect goal to build up to."
Nathan started running in 2020 when he did his first HYROX. Since then, he's run half marathons, he loves to life weights, and his proudest efforts include a 18:46 5K at 190lbs and a 50K at 7:13 with limited training.
Let's wish Beto and Nathan a wonderful journey to the finish line! by @theactivejoe