I started Mountain Athlete Journal after recognizing that what I love about moving in the mountains is less about performance and more about depth and expression. I was exhausted by the social media slot machine and the focus on performance optimization so prevalent in traditional endurance sport discourse. What I craved instead was something slower, something tactile: a place where interesting athletes and their art could be brought together on paper. A place to pause amidst the chaos. Like the work it covers, MAJ is imperfect and ambitious. Art and athletics share in the vulnerability required to find success and meaning.

I hope it inspires more meaningful movement.

Jackson Long

Founder & Editor

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Jackson Long can typically be found skiing in Idaho’s backcountry, developing film in his bathroom, and going on gratuitously long bike rides. His professional work as an endurance coach and sports nutritionist both inform how he thinks about mountain athletics.

See more of Jackson’s work on Substack.