Dancer to Runner: Alix Ford’s Ultrarunning Transformation

Alix Ford’s journey from dancer to runner is anything but ordinary. Growing up as a dancer—tap, jazz, ballet, and modern—she never imagined running would become her true calling. For her, running was once just a punishment, something dancers did for conditioning.

“When you’re not someone who’s run before, you just assume you go out hard,” Alix remembers. “But I realized I needed to slow down.”

The First Steps of a Dancer to Runner Transition

In college, Alix started with a Couch to 5K program. Her parents, both runners, had quietly modeled endurance athletics in her life. Her dad competed in triathlons and eventually ultrarunning. Still, running remained a sporadic hobby. Everything changed when a friend proposed running a half marathon for her birthday. 

Alix committed to training, truly training, for the first time. Something clicked. Alix found something that filled the void left by her time in dancing. Running became a thing of joy.

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Discovering Ultra Running

May 2023 marked Alix’s first ultra—a 12-hour looped course in Flagstaff, Arizona. She ran 34 miles, stopping at 10 hours, symbolically completing 33 miles to match her age. “I was at a point in my life where I was ready to dedicate time and energy to see how far I could take it,” she says.

An Unexpected Setback

Just as Alix was gaining momentum, training for her first 50-miler, a freak accident occurred. During a trail run, she kicked a rock and sustained a hip injury. What seemed minor initially turned serious—an avulsion fracture and a stress fracture requiring immediate surgery.

Resilience in Recovery

True to her background in health education, Alix approached her injury with remarkable perspective. “I developed empathy for others who’ve been injured,” she explains. “I always had a framework to view this as a barrier we move through, prioritizing longevity.” 

The Comeback Trail

By mid-January, Alix was cleared for all activity. She’s now several weeks into her return-to-running plan and has already signed up for a half marathon in Stillwater, Oklahoma. For Alix, Oklahoma is where she is from and it’s also the birthplace of her running journey. Her goal is to finish and have fun. 

A Broader Perspective

As a health educator at West Virginia University, Alix understands resilience intellectually and personally. Her transformation from dancer to runner reflects a deep commitment to growth. “If we stay focused on gratitude,” she believes, “challenges become easier to navigate.” Alix Ford embodies the spirit of the everyday athlete—adaptable, persistent, and always moving forward. You can join Alix on her journey by following her on Instagram. 

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