Running in his footsteps

ELROSA, Minn. — Five years of running on dirt paths, rugged terrain and river crossings has made ultramarathon trail racing almost second nature to Danny Borgerding. Now, he is sharing the experience with a new running partner: his 15-year-old son, Bryce.

“The fact that Bryce did this with me made it extra special,” Danny said.

Danny first began participating in ultramarathon trail races in 2021 after witnessing his brothers-in-law, Kyle and Matt, compete. Ultramarathons are any footrace that goes beyond the 26.2 miles of a standard marathon. Trail races take place in the woods, mountains and hills rather than on paved roads.

As an athlete growing up, Danny took to the new sport, with his first experience being an at-home 18-mile ultramarathon set up in the backyard.

“I jumped in … because I wasn’t sure if I could do it or not, and I wanted to challenge myself,” he said.

Growing up, Danny worked on his family’s dairy farm near Elrosa. Today, he owns and manages the 200-cow organic dairy with his brother, Tommy. Their youngest brother, Tyler, recently came home to help their father, Joe; and cousin and long-time employee, Roman Walz; with the crop side of the farm.

The brothers are fourth-generation dairy farmers in Stearns County and third on the farm. Their mother, Toni, is still actively involved and manages much of the bookwork. Bryce tackles chores as well, helping handle equipment. The family grows their own feed and farms around 1,200 acres of organic corn, soybeans, alfalfa, small grains and some winter annuals like rye and triticale.

Since beginning ultramarathons, Danny has completed around eight races, ranging from a 50K to a 100-mile race.

“The ultras are a … slower pace because you’re doing hills, hiking and longer distances,” Danny said. “There’s very little running involved; it’s mostly fast hiking.”

Bryce, who watched his uncles and dad train and compete for years, recently made the decision to join the family tradition.

“I’ve seen them do it for a few years, and I knew what it was like, and I knew I would be able to do it if I tried,” he said. “Around March, I decided to train for it and do it.”

The duo then began practicing together, running on gravel roads after sports games and offering each other support. Danny said the training process varies for each person, depending on skill set and training desires.

“For us, the fun thing about ultramarathons is that it involves a wide range of people,” Danny said. “You can be really good and into running, or you can do it as a hobby. So, for us, it’s more of a hobby, (and) we’re in the back of the pack. I’m more of a weekend warrior and fit in when I have time.”

Bryce, on the other hand, was more consistent about his training, waking up early most weekdays to run a few miles before school.

“Someone like Bryce, at his age, you don’t have to be the fastest, the strongest or the most talented,” Danny said. “It just takes consistency, determination and grit, so anybody really could do it.”

Danny said managing both the farm and training can be challenging.

“Training, especially if you want to do it well, takes a lot of time and can take time away from the farm and family,” he said. “Taking time off for this forces me to be a good manager (and) to get better at managing the work, the people and the employees. So it helps me in that sense.”

After training for several months, the father and son completed a 30K June 27 at the Black Hills 100, which hosts ultramarathons on the Centennial Trail, also known as Trail #89, in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

On the day of the race, both father and son felt emotions as they prepared.

“It’s usually excitement — you’re preparing to suffer for a while,” Danny said.

Bryce agreed and said he felt eager and nervous, especially since it was his first ultramarathon trail race.

Yet, the race went off without a hitch. Bryce and Danny finished 32nd and 33rd, respectively, with their times close to 4.5 hours, a measure good enough to rank in the top third.

“If you train hard enough to do something, you can do it,” Bryce said.

For Danny, having a hobby off the farm has improved his mental health, allowing him to better connect with himself and spirituality.

“A saying in ultra running is, ‘It doesn’t always get worse,’ so when things get tough, you can still hold onto that slightest bit of help,” he said. “You’re going to spend a lot of time with yourself and learn a lot about yourself, and the experience — especially the 100-miler — can’t be taken away from me. I always have that, so I can compare that to things in life.”

Following in his father and uncles’ footsteps, Bryce has plans to continue training and competing in ultramarathon trail races.

“I’m going to jump up to 50K right away, or in the next few years, but eventually I want to try and do the 100-mile,” he said.

For Danny, he said he hopes to continue making memories with his son and participate in another 100-mile ultramarathon.

“I hope he really gets into running, so that we can keep taking these adventures, but really, there’s no pressure; it is fun to get away, get to the hills and do those trips,” he said.