Meet Jennifer Lichter

Born in the high-altitude city of Bogotá, Colombia, Jennifer Lichter’s path to the mountains began with extraordinary resilience. After a difficult early childhood, Jenn and her two siblings were adopted at age nine and moved to La Crosse, Wisconsin, where they learned English and began building a new life together. In seventh grade, Jenn discovered running—an outlet that would eventually become her passion and profession. After competing throughout high school and college, Jenn took a brief hiatus from training before finding her stride in the mountains while working as a hiking guide in Glacier National Park. Trail running gave her a new way to venture farther into the remote landscapes of the Northern Rockies. In 2021, she entered her first ultramarathon, The Rut 50K, and smiled her way to a win.

That breakthrough marked the beginning of a remarkable rise through the trail-running ranks. Jenn has since earned course records and victories at some of the sport’s most demanding races, including Broken Arrow 46K, Transgrancanaria 47K, Gorge Waterfalls 50K, Speedgoat 50K, Black Canyon 100K, and the legendary Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run. Now supported by Nike ACG, Jenn continues to establish herself as one of trail running’s most formidable—and joyful—competitors. Jenn currently lives in Missoula, Montana, where she spends her days training and exploring the surrounding mountains with her partner, Nick. When she isn’t chasing finish lines, she can usually be found with her dogs, Uno and Vesper, or cooking something delicious to fuel her next adventure.

Accomplishments:

• Won the 2026 Western States 100 in her debut at the 100-mile distance, winning in 15 hours, 28 minutes, and five seconds. Her time was a new course record.
• Broken Arrow 46k Champion (2025)
• Speedgoat 50k Champion (2025)
• Black Canyon 100k Champion (2026)