Dual pursuit: Nick CliffOrr chases ultramarathon dream while studying anesthesia at Gonzaga

Husband. Father. Student. And now, ultramarathon runner.

At 30 years old, Nick CliffOrr has accomplished one of his most ambitious goals – qualifying for the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB), the most prestigious trail-running race in the world. At 100 miles, the course traverses the French, Swiss and Italian Alps and can take up to 48 hours to complete.

CliffOrr didn’t start his ultramarathon career until 2018 when a friend approached him with their next big adventure – a 100-mile race in McCall, Idaho. Though CliffOrr was an avid climber and a multisport athlete in high school, he suggested starting with a 50-mile race. When they began training, the pursuit didn’t resonate with his friend – but CliffOrr had found his new obsession.

“I really enjoyed it,” CliffOrr said. “I liked a lot of the mental health benefits of running and having a goal you’re working for regularly.”

Over the past few years, CliffOrr has competed in a variety of races ranging from 15 to 100 miles, but his most remarkable accomplishment is placing third in The Canyons Endurance Runs, a qualifying 100-mile race for the UTMB. So begins his greatest adventure.

CliffOrr has commenced intense training for one of his bucket list races, but it isn’t the sole focus of his life.

Just a few weeks after his first 100-mile race, CliffOrr married his high school sweetheart, whom he met in their hometown of Boise. They both graduated from the nursing program at Boise State University and went on to work in the emergency room before pursuing travel nursing. When kids entered the picture in 2020 and 2022, his wife became a stay-at-home mom while earning a master’s degree in nursing education online. She is set to start teaching at Washington State University’s nursing program in the spring.

CliffOrr is also a full-time student in Gonzaga University’s Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice (DNAP) program. Yet he still finds time to train. His routine involves waking up around 4:30 a.m. for a run, attending classes and clinicals throughout the day, spending time with his family in the evening, completing homework after tucking the kids into bed and finally getting to sleep around 11 p.m.

“I think that if I didn’t prioritize sleep at some level, running would be the first thing to fall off,” CliffOrr said.

Though it seems impossible, CliffOrr has been successful at managing his time and balancing the various aspects of his life. As opposed to other hobbies, like climbing, he found that running became more of a focus when the kids arrived because it was easy to take them along in a stroller. In fact, his son has accompanied him for nearly 1,000 miles of training.

“Balancing the school and family part has been more manageable than I expected,” CliffOrr said.

In addition to morning runs, his training involves a base-building block focused on low-intensity cross-training, a speed block with shorter, high-intensity races and a specificity block that replicates race conditions, such as the course terrain and his target heart rate.

Despite his growing experience, waking up on the morning of an ultramarathon always feels surreal for CliffOrr, knowing he is about to take part in something extraordinary.

Upon reaching the starting line, he experiences feelings of giddiness and anxiety, but the nerves subside within the first few miles. The next 30-mile stretch is enjoyable as long as he manages his effort appropriately. But about halfway through the course, the pain rises and the doubts pour in.

“The nice thing about races that long is that even if you do go through a huge mental low – which you almost inevitably do – if you just keep moving, you’ll start feeling better eventually,” CliffOrr said.

To combat those mental struggles, CliffOrr always goes into races with his “why” in mind. It constantly changes. Sometimes it’s about inspiring his kids. Sometimes it’s about surpassing his limits.

And sometimes it’s about something deeper.

When he first started, his motivation involved a close friend who had died but partook in many adventures with him in the past.

“The first ‘hundred’ I did I ran with a picture of him in my backpack just to remember life’s short and, you know, it can all be over pretty quickly,” CliffOrr said. “Using one life to do something special is important.”