Running Beyond Limits: How Elizabeth Ossers Finds Joy, Identity, and Community in Ultrarunning

Photo Credit: Katrina Gaisford

The saying goes something like this: You never know who is watching, reading or sharing your story but keep doing it. My connection to Elizabeth Ossers can be described in that manner. Elizabeth read this story about Aubri Drake, a non-binary ultrarunner, over a year ago. but I didn’t know it. This came to light when I asked her for an interview. When they said yes, I was excited to chat. There was so much I wanted to know about this athlete doing amazing things like their team winning the Inaugural Twin Cities Twilight Relays non-binary division.

At first Elizabeth couldn’t recall how she came to know about Run Tri Bike and myself but then she sent me an email. I smiled from ear to ear when she said it was because of Aubri’s story. A 1,000 word article floating around on the internet was the connection between Elizabeth and myself. This is why I started this business and continue to share the story of everyday athletes.

How It All Started: A VHS Tape and a Love for the Trails

Before there were finish lines, ultramarathons, or sled-pulling winter races, there was a middle school classroom and a cross-country coach with a VHS tape. That’s how it began for Elizabeth Ossers. “It was some Olympian running a race,” they recalled. “It just piqued my interest.” That video ignited a spark that would carry Elizabeth from grassy golf course loops to hundred-mile ultras and some races with subzero temperatures.

Elizabeth ran cross country all four years of high school and was co-captain by senior year. Though they dabbled in basketball, soccer, and track sprints, nothing quite matched the joy of long runs through wooded trails, even if one was near a landfill. “It didn’t matter,” Elizabeth said. “It was still a beautiful course.”

The passion continued into college not competitively, but consistently. After graduation, Elizabeth tested her endurance with a few local races, eventually signing up for their first half marathon in Madison. “I was nervous. Really nervous. But then I did it, and I thought, ‘That was a blast.’”

And just like that, the Twin Cities Marathon came next.

Running While Coming Out: Two Marathons at Once

As Elizabeth trained for their first marathon in 2009, she was also preparing for something equally life-altering: coming out to their family.

“I knew my mom would be at the race and meet all my queer friends,” Elizabeth said. “So I used video chat to come out to her before the marathon.”

What could’ve been a source of tension became a memory filled with grace and humor. “My mom goes, ‘I should probably make this a bigger deal.’ And I said, ‘I don’t think it’s a big deal.’ And that was that.”

The emotional marathon paired with the physical one created a moment of transformation. “My parents really lucked out with all these queer kids in their life,” Elizabeth said, laughing. Today, Elizabeth identifies as non-binary, their brother is trans, and they’re married to their partner Jen, who also identifies as non-binary.

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Doing Hard Things — And Doing Them Together

Running long distances isn’t easy. Neither is coming out or navigating the world as a queer, BIPOC athlete. But there’s a certain education that comes with hard things. “I didn’t think about it then,” Elizabeth said, “but running built up my ability to do other difficult things like coming out. And vice versa.”

One of those “hard things” involved training for a 50-miler that started at midnight in sub-freezing temps. “Jen set up a tent and nearly got hypothermia, but she stayed the whole time,” Elizabeth said. “She’s always been there for me.”

That support system extends beyond the finish line. “Jen’s not a runner,” Elizabeth said, “but for my 30th birthday, I decided to run 30 miles. Jen rode their bike the whole way with me.” Elizabeth’s brother, parents, and friends joined in on the celebratory run too–some by cheering and some by running.

But nothing tops the Tuscobia Winter Ultra, which is a frigid 80-mile foot race on a snowmobile trail where athletes pull their gear in sleds. “Jen decided to do it with me,” Elizabeth recalled. “She had only ever run a 5K, and she made it 45 miles. That’s way more impressive than me finishing all 80.”

The Power of Community and Representation

Elizabeth doesn’t just run for the love of it. They also run to be seen and to create space for others. “I didn’t even know the term non-binary growing up,” Elizabeth said. “I identified as genderqueer, gender non-conforming. But seeing a non-binary division at a race? It feels like, ‘Yes, that’s me. I belong here.’”

They’re not alone. Elizabeth is part of multiple community groups: Moving While BIPOC, donut-themed run clubs, queer and trans running collectives. “The cross-connections are amazing,” she said. “I love when people from different groups recognize each other. It feels like home.”

But representation isn’t always seamless. “I ran a 100-miler where I could register as non-binary, but the awards information on the website only mentioned male and female,” Elizabeth explained. “Still, at the finish line, they told me I was the first non-binary finisher and that was a happy surprise.” Thinking back to one of the first trail races Elizabeth ever participated in, a fellow racer opted to wear a ‘One Man, One Woman’ shirt, clearly in opposition of marriage equality and dampening the mood at what should have been an inclusive event.

Some local race directors are doing it right, like Twin Cities in Motion and the Loppet Foundation. “Even if I’m the only one in the non-binary division, the Loppet awards it equally. That’s huge.”

By telling her story as a non-binary ultrarunner, Elizabeth is showing that we are all just people doing our best to be our best. That message comes through clearly when you talk to her.

You’re Fine. Keep Going.

When asked if they have a mantra, Elizabeth chuckled. “It’s pretty simple: ‘You’re fine. Keep going.’” That line carried them through their toughest race, the Kettle 100. “I was chasing cutoffs for 12 hours. It was brutal. But I just kept repeating that to myself.”

It’s not always about pushing pace or racking up miles. Elizabeth is quick to say that running should be fun even when it hurts. “You get to do this. It’s fun. It hurts. It’s great.”

Finding Joy in Solitude and Shared Miles

Elizabeth has long been a solo runner, but in recent years, they’ve embraced group running. “I’ve found so much joy in it,” they said. “Not all run clubs are the right fit, but there’s likely one out there for everyone.”

Still, the solitude of a solo long run holds its own magic. “Running’s incredible like that. My cross country coach would say ‘It’s the teamiest ‘team’ sport there is,”’ she laughed.

Between meeting new runners on the course to your crew to donut run club meetups afterward, Elizabeth sees running not just as a way to grow individually, but also as a bridge to meaningful connection. “It’s not just about the run. It’s about the people you meet along the way.”

The Final Word: Keep Showing Up

Elizabeth wants new runners to know that not every run will feel amazing but the next one might. “Running is so much about showing up. For yourself, for your communities, for your enjoyment.”

And it’s that showing up, again and again, that fuels Elizabeth’s love for running whether it’s for a desert 100-miler, a frosty winter ultra, or a 5K Pride run in a new city. As for those various races, you can read about them on her blog.

“I don’t limit myself,” they said. “I keep going. Because running is forever interwoven into all aspects of my life.”

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