MEET YOUR GUIDE

I'M KYLE CASH, THE TRAVEL RUNNER

Hey, I’m Kyle

I’m the founder of The Travel Runner, a first-person running travel site built around one simple idea: I run the routes, race the events, test the gear, and figure out the logistics myself before I tell you what’s worth doing.

What started with a 10K in Thailand has taken me to trails, races, and running destinations across more than 20 countries and 15 U.S. national parks. The Travel Runner is where I share what actually happened, what worked, what didn’t, and what I wish I’d known before I went.

Kyle runs across a finish line

How I Became The Travel Runner

I didn’t grow up running. In fact, I kind of hated it.

I was a small-town Ohio guy who avoided the track like the plague. But everything changed when I moved to Phuket, Thailand, in my late twenties. One day, my fiancée (then girlfriend) and a friend convinced me to sign up for a 10K. I trained just enough not to collapse — and somehow, I crossed that finish line with a big, goofy smile on my face. I was hooked.

Kyle, The Travel Runner, walks on a log during a trail race

From there, running became my way of exploring. Whether it was the beaches of Vietnam, the jungles of Costa Rica, or the mountains of Albania, I found myself lacing up my shoes and heading straight into the wild. What started as a simple 10K turned into a way of life.

Why I Started The Travel Runner

After running in more than 20 countries and 15 U.S. national parks, I kept running into the same problem: most travel advice wasn’t written for runners, and most running advice ignored the realities of travel.

I wanted something built around what it’s actually like to plan the trip, find the route, run the race, pack the gear, and deal with whatever goes wrong along the way. So I built The Travel Runner.

The Travel Runner and his fiancee before a trail race

I made this site to fix that. Everything here starts with firsthand experience. I run the routes, race the events, travel to the destinations, test the gear, and work through the logistics myself.

Sometimes it goes perfectly. Plenty of times it doesn’t. I share both because the mistakes, bad decisions, wrong turns, gear failures, and things I’d do differently are usually the parts that help another runner most.

What You’ll Find Here

  • Running destinations: Firsthand trail reviews, runnable routes, GPX files, logistics, and destination guides.
  • Race travel and runcations: Race experiences, trip planning, training while traveling, packing, fueling, and lessons learned the hard way.
  • Gear tested through real use: Running shoes, packs, apparel, tech, and other gear I’ve actually used while training, racing, or traveling.
  • The full story: What worked, what didn’t, what surprised me, and what I’d do differently next time.

The goal is simple: I run it first, figure out what’s actually worth knowing, and give you the version I wish I had before I went.