AUBURN, CALIF. — The 2025 Canyons Endurance Runs by UTMB turned the Sierra foothills into a stage for grit and determination, as hundreds of runners pushed through brutal climbs and descents in pursuit of personal breakthroughs.

Aroa Sio and Tom Sullivan fought through every mile of the 100, crossing the line in two incredible 2nd places. Júpiter battled hard for 7th in a fierce 100K. Grant gave it everything he had — sometimes courage looks like knowing when to stop. And Tommy Rivs ran the 25K with pure joy, back where he loves to be.

For Aroa Sio, the Canyons Endurance Run 100 Miles demanded everything — and gave even more. It was about finding rhythm, staying present and and running a race that felt different in all the right ways. Read Aroa's own words about the race:

“I still get goosebumps when I think about what I experienced at Canyons Endurance 100 Miles.”

I was excited, nervous… with my heart full of hope. Running in such a special place, on a course that suits me perfectly, was already a dream.

But what made this race even more magical was sharing miles with two very important people in my life: my partner and my friend Ipzan.

I felt strong from the very first step. With a positive mindset that kept pushing me forward.

The better I felt, the more motivated I was — and the more motivated I was, the stronger I became.

“I’ve had dark moments, but this time… everything flowed."

In other ultras I’ve definitely had moments of negative thoughts. When that happens, I try to shift my focus quickly, because I know those thoughts can sabotage the race.

One thing I do is count backwards from 5 to 1, and when I get to 1, I mentally bring myself to a “safe place” — I call them my sanctuaries. They’re places that make me feel calm, loved, and grounded. It could be something as simple as imagining myself in my garden planting flowers… That usually helps me clear my mind and stay in control.

It’s super important for me to keep negative thoughts away. Same thing when I feel physical pain — I try to shift my focus to another part of my body to avoid getting stuck in that discomfort.

Just little tools I’ve learned along the way — but thankfully, everything flowed beautifully in this race.

I crossed the finish line in second place, breaking the course record by a significant margin. But the most powerful moment was hugging my team, those who had been there at every aid station, cheering me on, supporting me, and taking care of me.

"When you run with your heart, no finish line is out of reach."

That’s what drives me to keep going: the emotions, the shared strength, and that feeling of being exactly where I’m meant to be.