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The Gorge Waterfalls 30K brings a rare mix of speed and strength: runnable trail, road sections where pace changes can stick, and late climbs that punish anyone who goes out too hot. We’re in Hood River with Alexa Aragon for a pre-race conversation about stepping up to 18 miles, testing her limits against a deep women’s field, and using one early-season start line to guide an entire summer of trail running goals.

We talk training through an unusually warm winter, when less snow means more time on the trails and fewer ski days. Alexa explains why she treats this race as a learning opportunity, how she thinks about course prep without fully scouting, and what terrain fits her best right now. With a road and track background as a former Notre Dame steeplechaser, she also breaks down where speed can matter on a course like this and why steep grades are still a key focus in training.

Then we get into what’s new off the course: Alexa shares that this will be her first sponsored race, representing Mammut and La Sportiva (footwear), and why it matters that a brand supports her student adventure club, not just her racing. We wrap with a look ahead to Broken Arrow, Minotaur, Sierra Zinal, and the Cirque Series, plus the mindset she’ll bring to the start when the pace gets spicy early.

If you’re into trail running race strategy, pacing for a 30K, and the real decisions athletes make before a big day, hit play. Subscribe for more conversations like this, share it with a running friend, and leave a review with the one question you want us to ask Alexa post-race.

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