Pushing the Limits With Jennifer Lichter

This summer Montana resident Jennifer Lichter was officially added to the Spring Team! A young 27-year old full of talent, Jenn has had an impressive start to the sport, making the podium at almost every single race she has ran, and represented the United States this year at the World Mountain and Trail Championships. She continues to amaze us with her dedication to her craft, by pushing the limits at the hardest races against the toughest field of competitors. We are beyond thrilled to have Jenn join the Spring Family and support her journey on the trails.

Jenn grew up playing basketball at a young age then stepped her feet into the world of cross country. She wasn’t a fan at first, but kept showing up and realized her natural talent. As a freshman in high school she competed on the Varsity team, finishing in the top 5 at every event. Colleges recruited her and she accepted a Division 1 spot at the University of Toledo, where she was challenged by her coaches and teammates in the 5k and 10k distances. During this time is where she learned to train properly, became disciplined, and had a strict schedule she followed. All of her hard work paid off when she made the list for the Top 10 fastest times in history for the 10k in the NCAA.

Post-college and after obtaining an Art-Therapy Degree, Jenn fell in love with Montana while on a road trip and became a hiking guide for the national parks. This is where she discovered trail running and later ultra running. After only running a trail 15k during her college years for fun, with the nudge of her partner, Jenn signed up for her first ultra, The Rut 50k. Her longest run prior to this race was only 16 miles, but Jenn was biting for the challenge, hired a coach, and finished 1st with a time of 6:14:34, the second fastest time in the history of the race. Incredible! Shortly after this performance, Jenn signed with the North Face in 2022, and was welcomed into the pro life of trail running.

While training in Mammoth with Spring Athlete Dani Moreno, Jenn was introduced to Spring Energy, which complemented her plant-based lifestyle. In addition to real food energy gels, she also incorporates coconut water, himalayan salt, and vegan protein powder during training cycles and loves the 300 calorie Wolf Packs for her pre-race fuel. This year she has followed this nutrition plan to a 1st place finish at the Lake Sonoma Marathon, 4th female at the Worlds Championships in Austria, and 1st place at The Rut 50k this past September. Next on the radar for Jenn is the JFK 50 in November followed by more goals in the spring of 2024.

The Spring Energy Family is thrilled to have Jenn on board, and together we are ready to face the challenges and celebrate the triumphs that come with this amazing sport. Here’s to a bright and promising rest of the year and future as together we embark on this wild ride. Welcome Jenn!

Rapid Fire Questions:
Current go-to shoe: North Face Infinite
Favorite distance to run: 50k
Favorite place to run/explore: Glacier National Park
Race you haven’t done that you really want to race: Marathon du Mont Blanc
Favorite non-running thing to do: Backpacking
Favorite Spring Energy Flavor: Canaberry (Strawberry Smoothie)

You can follow Jenn's adventures at instagram.com/jenniferlichter

Written by Isabella Janovick

Cover image contributed by Steven Gnam