Sugarloaf Trailblazers #5: En Route to the XTERRA Trail Run World Championship

Susanne Lockart is a 56-year-old, single mother of two teenage daughters. In her glory days, she was a competitive rower and transitioned to trail running eight years ago. She has since completed the Bataan Death March, Canyon de Chelly Ultra, and two Ragnar relays. 

In January of 2022, she was training for the JFK50 when she tore her right meniscus. “I was on a run when I felt a sharp knee pain, which ended up being a stress fracture and partial meniscus tear,” she says. After delaying the inevitable for 11 months, she had surgery that November. One of her recovery goals was to run the XTERRA New Jersey half marathon in May. 

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“My best friend, Julie, called my attention to XTERRA New Jersey. Even though she has a chronic foot injury, and I was coming off knee surgery, we signed up. Having a training goal is a huge motivation to keep pushing past limitations,” she says. “Julie and I maintain a pretty good level of baseline fitness and figured we could finish the half marathon even if it took us a little while.”

"Having a training goal is a huge motivation to keep pushing past limitations.”

Susanne and Julie have been best friends for 38 years. They’ve run a “delightfully muddy” XTERRA 5K together, as well as a handful of Turkey Trot races in Ocean City “with beer and homemade pumpkin pie afterwards,” so when Julie told Susanne about XTERRA New Jersey, she was all in. 

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“It was a gorgeous day with fantastic company on a well-marked trail,” she says. In a fun turn of events, both ladies qualified for the Trail Run World Championship and will be headed to Sugarloaf this fall. 

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“I’m thankful to be able to share this experience with my lifelong friend. She and I motivate and support each other, in life and on trail,” she says.

As a single mom raising two teenage daughters, trail running provides Susanne with an antidote to the stress and pressure that can come with parenthood. 

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“I love being in the woods. Trail running is a practice in mindfulness,” she says. “You can’t let your mind wander or you’ll trip over some inconsequential rock and faceplant. In my daily life of multitasking, being able to focus on what’s right in front of me on a trail run is mentally therapeutic.”

Nicola Nonnis is a 49-year-old endurance sport enthusiast from Italy. He lives on Sardinia, an island in the Mediterranean where the first XTERRA off road triathlon in Italy took place in 2003. There was born Nicola’s deep love for XTERRA. 

“Racing on the XTERRA circuit is like racing in a big family,” he says. “You compete, but there’s great respect for your opponent.”

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Nicola has always been an adventure lover, ever since he ventured into the mountains behind his home on a moped. He quickly started competing in motocross, enduro, and moto rally. In 2003, Nicola fell in love with triathlon and mountain biking, which means he’s “tremendously in love with XTERRA.” Last year, he decided to dedicate himself to just one discipline, trail running, with the goal of qualifying for the XTERRA Trail Run World Championship. 

“Racing on the XTERRA circuit is like racing in a big family. You compete, but there’s great respect for your opponent.”

In the lead up to XTERRA Gozo, Nicola caught the flu three different times. When he arrived at the race, he knew he wasn’t at his best. But he was there with his friend, Corrado Cicalò, so they decided to give it their best shot. 

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“The race was beautiful, but the legs were empty,” he says. “The route was technical with short, but very steep climbs. At a crossroads, I even took the wrong road. However, kilometer after kilometer, it seemed to go a little better. I launched myself downhill to recover what I lost on the climbs. But, my energy left me and the last kilometer uphill was hellish.”

Despite the difficult conditions, both Nicola and Corrado crossed the finish line and achieved their goal of qualifying for the World Championship and will proudly be standing on the line ready to give it their best once again in Maine, USA. 

38-year-old James Tucker lives in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. He’s a dad of three and has been married to his wife for over 13 years. Each summer, he sets a goal to complete a different physical challenge that will push him outside his comfort zone.

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This has led him to compete in mud runs, obstacle courses, road races, trail runs, and triathlons. This year, he decided to train for the XTERRA Trail Run World Championship qualifier in New Jersey. 

“I was searching for a summer challenge and saw that it was a World Championship qualifier, so I was hooked at giving it a shot! I’d never run a half marathon previously,” he says. “Wawayanda State Park was absolutely beautiful. I went out way too fast and on the latter part, where the major climbs were, I was humbled to say the least, but I was grateful to have qualified.”

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As a father of three, a husband, and a Supply Chain Manager at Owens & Minor, James leads a busy life. One of the reasons he’s found such joy in trail running is because of the peace it provides him being grounded to nature. “This connection to nature while running has been transformative,” he says. 

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“Life can be busy, fast paced, and at times make you feel like you’re in a pinball machine. Trail running quiets everything. In nature, it’s only the slight breeze, birds chirping, and an occasional deer sighting, but it’s mostly quiet movement and breath.”

“This connection to nature while running has been transformative."

James also enjoys hiking, but there’s something different about running on trails that requires you to be present in the moment. “There’s something that happens, perhaps a meditative flow state, where both during and after the run I feel a mixture of a quiet mind and inner peace combined with a runner’s high,” he says. 

James says that qualifying for the XTERRA Trail Run World Championship has helped push him to new heights in his training and transformed him into a stronger runner and person. Trail running has taught him the importance of patience, perseverance, discipline, and hard work. “It’s emphasized how critical it is to take care of your body from a nutritional aspect,” he says. “It’s taught me the importance of quiet, solitude, and deep reflection. It’s reemphasized that the most precious things in life can’t be bought. Finally, it’s taught me humility every time I’m on the trails.”

“It’s taught me the importance of quiet, solitude, and deep reflection. It’s reemphasized that the most precious things in life can’t be bought. Finally, it’s taught me humility every time I’m on the trails.”

James’ whole family will be making the trip to the World Championship, and his oldest daughter, Jovie, will run the 5K at Sugarloaf. 

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“I was talking to her about my expectations for this race. She said, ‘Come on Dad. Don’t you want to win?’ I told her that, for me, it’s always been about the process, not the race or finish line.”

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It’s just one lesson he hopes his kids have learned by watching both he and his wife, who's also an endurance athlete and a health, wellness, and nutrition coach. “It’s always about the journey, seeking growth through passionate pursuits and curiosity, embracing the uncomfortable, and putting in the work to become a little bit better than we were yesterday.”

Sugarloaf Trailblazers has been an ongoing series in the lead up to the XTERRA Trail Run world Championship in Maine, USA. See #1, #2, #3 and #4 for more stories of those ready to take to the starting line of XTERRA’s pinnacle trail run event.