Lizzy Jones and the Art of Running

"I make jokes that I came out of the womb with a paintbrush. I have been painting since my earliest memories. My great-grandma was a professional painter, and my dad drew with me all the time when I was a kid. I remember looking through his drawings at a really young age, and I wanted to be as good an artist as he was."

"I found ultrarunning when I was 23. I had never been a runner before, but I met my partner, Zach Johnson, who was training for the Burning River 100 Mile. I couldn't believe people ran that far. I told him I wanted to try running, and he convinced me that I should just try the 100-mile distance. My first-ever ultrarunning event was the 2022 Scout Mountain 100 Mile, and I was hooked."

"At that time, I was also newly sober. I had just quit smoking cigarettes and was freshly out of rehab. Running gave me something to focus on and helped me to get sober and stay cigarette-free."

"My personality as an artist is obvious in the way I train. I have never used a coach or a structured training plan, nor do I think about things so concretely. I am pretty whimsical and spontaneous with my workouts. I try to always just have fun! This is true with my art as well. Joy is"

Lizzie Jones is an artist, runner, base jumper, and student whose work appears across Moab, Utah, including murals and desert-themed scenes such as those on the Moab Free Health Clinic. She has painted since early childhood, influenced by a professional painter great-grandmother and a father who drew with her. She began ultrarunning at 23 after meeting her partner, Zach Johnson, who was training for a 100-mile event. Her first ultrarunning race was the 2022 Scout Mountain 100 Mile, and running became a focus that supported her sobriety and helped her stay cigarette-free. Her training and art both reflect a whimsical, spontaneous approach centered on fun and joy.

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