Bryon Powell, a 2000 graduate of Haverford College, ditched his legal career to start iRunFar.com, one of the world’s most popular websites for ultra and trail running, writes Mara Miller for Haverford College.

Powell was an enthusiastic cross-country and track athlete during his years at Haverford. After completing his major in history, he found post-graduation work at a Washington law firm. However, he soon realized that the law might not be for him.

“I didn’t get much personal satisfaction out of my legal work,” Powell said in an interview at his alma mater.

He explained that growing stress made him long for the outdoors. That gave him the idea to transform his existing blog about trail running into a more comprehensive website. It was also around this time that he met his girlfriend, Meghan Hicks, who lives in California.

“We did a race called the Marathon des Sables together in Morocco,” he said. “On the plane back, I asked her, ‘Do you mind if I quit my job and come live with you in California?’”

The fact that the website did not require a big investment also helped Powell with his decision.

“We fund the website now through advertisements and marketing partnerships,” he said.

Read the entire interview with Haverford College by clicking here.