Mi Casa Es Su Casa

Miguel Moreno Created The Ultrahouse, A Permanent Aid Station Open To All

- Jacqueline Thompson

Whether attending one of the many group runs he helps organize or watching him perform his rap parody about trail running (“That’s So Trail”), you cannot help but be drawn to Miguel Moreno, 39, of Phoenix, Arizona. Perhaps it is his laugh, his stoke or maybe it is his genuine interest in integrating people into his life—Moreno is a leader and a go-to homie when you need a place to crash for the night.

Which is why Moreno started “The UltraHouse.” Seeing the need for housing for runners who travel to Arizona for races, he envisioned a place for them to rest and focus on the next adventure, free from monetary restrictions.

Elite and novice trail runners alike now reach out to Moreno when they anticipate traveling through the Southwest to trail run. Moreno opens his modest home to runners such as 2017 Skyrace champion Morgan Elliot and Tarahumara racers Manuel Luna and Arnulfo Quimare, made famous by the bestselling book Born to Run.

Sometimes there are a dozen people staying there at one time, vying for limited floor space let alone actual beds; other times, it is just you and him.

“Miguel does a good job of treating you like you and he go way back,” says Anthony Kunkel, a sponsored ultrarunner, dirtbag and coach, who has started a second UltraHouse in Durango, Colorado. “I have been lost and alone in cities all over North America, and it can be stressful. With UltraHouse Phoenix, runners can truly have a home away from home.”

Sit As If You Were Family

Moreno was born in the United States, but his parents immigrated from Mexico.