The podcast dives deep into the Golden Trail World Series, shedding light on its significance in the trail running scene.

Hosts Josh Rosenthal and Brian Peterson discuss how this series offers a thrilling competitive atmosphere, showcasing elite athletes in shorter, intense races that emphasize speed and vertical ascent.

They reflect on a particularly controversial finish at the recent Mammoth Trail Fest, highlighting the fierce desire to win that defines this sport. The conversation also explores the production quality of the Golden Trail events, noting how it elevates the viewing experience compared to traditional trail running broadcasts.

Ultimately, the episode encourages listeners to embrace this growing series and consider its potential to reshape the competitive landscape of trail running.

----

Run the Salt Lake Foothills Trail Races • May 31, 2025 • 10k | Half Merry | 50k

---

Borderlands

Instagram

YouTube

Threads

LinkedIn

We've got an app in beta called Wylder by Borderlands. Check it out on iOS or Android.

----

Takeaways:

• The Golden Trail World Series has emerged as a competitive platform for trail runners globally, showcasing talent beyond just the American names.
• Understanding the unique point system of the Golden Trail World Series reveals the strategic nature of this championship.
• The recent controversial finish at Mammoth highlighted the intense competition and desire to win in trail running.
• Salomon's sponsorship has significantly impacted the Golden Trail World Series, driving athlete participation and event production quality.
• The series offers a variety of distances, emphasizing shorter races that still challenge athletes with significant vertical gain.
• The high production value of the Golden Trail Series events sets a new standard for trail running media coverage.

Nico lives in Hamburg, Germany. A few weeks ago he ran his first ultramarathon at the age of 52 proving that this sport is gift that keeps on giving.

In this episode you can expect to learn:

• The uniqueness of German Ultrarunning Culture

• 3 must-run ultras in Germany

• Nico’s take on running races on the former Easten Germany land

Now is the best time to run your first ultra no matter how old.

Adventslauf

North Sea Ultra

----

PATH Projects - My favorite running shorts, Borderlands10 for 10% off.

---

Borderlands

Instagram

YouTube

Threads

LinkedIn

We've got an app in beta called Wylder by Borderlands. Check it out on iOS or Android.

VKTRY Insoles - I wear these every run, 20% off.

Trail running shoes have changed dramatically over the past two decades, but some brands are still judged by what they were doing in the early 2000s. In this episode, Josh is joined by Taylor Bodin—Lead Trail Reviewer at Believe in the Run—to dig into the history of The North Face in trail running and why its current footwear lineup is pushing the category forward.

From the origins of shoe drop to the evolution of modern trail design, the conversation wanders through the stories, decisions, and experiments that shape the gear runners rely on today—plus plenty of deep gear nerd territory along the way.

For trail runners who love understanding the gear behind the miles.

Please give us a follow, rate the podcast, and give a review.

1. Resources / Links
2. Anatomy of a Shoe
3. Altamesa 500 Review
4. Vective Pro 2 Review
5. Altamesa 300 Review
6. Vectiv Performance Review
7. TNF x IKB Collection
8. TNF Endurance Challenge

Presented by Kiprun.

----

Find us at Borderlands.cc and sign up for the newsletter.

Want to run in the Salt Lake area? Check out the Salt Lake Foothills Trail Races happening May 30, 2026.

And if you haven't checked out Wylder yet, it's worth a look. iOS or Android

Marley Dickinson wrote the Camille Herron articles for Candian Running.

This one about what happened and this one about the fallout.

In this episode we talk about how the article came together and the fallout from it.

We both hope to see Camille restored to her rightful place in ultrarunning but the path back might be filled with obstacles.

Marley Dickinson is a writer for Canadian Running and a coach. I admire the work he is doing at Canadian Running and hope to have him on in the future to talk Diamond League running.

----

Sponsors:

VKTRY Insoles - I wear these every run, 20% off.

PATH Projects - My favorite running shorts, Borderlands10 for 10% off.

---

Borderlands

Instagram

YouTube

Threads

LinkedIn

We've got an app in beta called Wylder by Borderlands. Check it out on iOS or Android.

Ben Whitehead joins the Borderlands podcast to give a first hand account of the Leadville 100.

This episode is perfect for anyone who wants to get to run Leadville. Or for someone who knows they never will but wants to hear all about the iconic course and experience.

Ben Whitehead ran Leadville 100 as his first 100 miler. Is he crazy? Yes. Is that bad? Absolutely not. Ben's crazy was very calculated giving him a solid finish at a very hard race.

----

Sponsors:

VKTRY Insoles - I wear these every run, 20% off.

PATH Projects - My favorite running shorts, Borderlands10 for 10% off.

---

Borderlands

Instagram

YouTube

Threads

LinkedIn

We've got an app in beta called Wylder by Borderlands. Check it out on iOS or Android.

If burning man were an ultra, it would be Javelina Jundred by Aravailpa.

This episode is for anyone who has ran or will run this race and enjoys ultras and/or ultra culture. This means its basically for everyone.

@wolffrunner joins me. He's run multiple distances of JJ and brings his usual insight to the show.

----

Sponsors:

VKTRY Insoles - I wear these every run, 20% off.

PATH Projects - My favorite running shorts, Borderlands10 for 10% off.

---

Borderlands

Instagram

YouTube

Threads

LinkedIn

We've got an app in beta called Wylder by Borderlands. Check it out on iOS or Android.

Jacob found his way to ultrarunning as a place to quiet his mind. And we're all beneficiaries of his work. He's a war photographer who brought his skills to the ultrarunning space and took the most popular photo in the history of ultrarunning probably (here).

When his Kickstarter goes live we will share it.

Jacob's Instagram

Jacob's website

----

Sponsors:

VKTRY Insoles - I wear these every run, 20% off.

PATH Projects - My favorite running shorts, Borderlands10 for 10% off.

---

Borderlands

Instagram

YouTube

Threads

LinkedIn

We've got an app in beta called Wylder by Borderlands. Check it out on iOS or Android.

Brian joins me again to offer some Bad Runners' Takes to the world.

I got beat up for even suggesting that Katie Schide might be headed towards GOAT status over Courtney Dauwalter. So Brian and I asked why we can't even ask the question.

We deviate to talk about the rock stars of old like Anton and Hal. Where did all the rock stars go in trail running? Will we have an era like that again?

----

Sponsors:

VKTRY Insoles - I wear these every run, 20% off.

PATH Projects - My favorite running shorts, Borderlands10 for 10% off.

---

Borderlands

Instagram

YouTube

Threads

LinkedIn

We've got an app in beta called Wylder by Borderlands. Check it out on iOS or Android.

Trail running shoes have evolved dramatically over the past two decades, and few brands have shaped that evolution like Salomon. In this episode, Taylor Bodin—Lead Trail Reviewer at Believe in the Run—joins Josh to explore how Salomon helped define modern mountain racing and why its influence still shows up on trails around the world.

From the early days of technical mountain footwear to the current wave of innovation in trail running shoes, the conversation traces how Salomon has balanced progression with staying true to its roots—and what that tension means for the future of trail running.

For trail runners curious about the brands, gear, and history shaping the sport today.

Believe in the Run reviews + articles:

1. Salomon Genesis Review
2. S/Lab Pulsar 3 Review
3. S/Lab Ultra Glide First Thoughts
4. Salomon x Ciele collab

Please give us a follow, rate the podcast, and give a review.

Presented by Kiprun.

----

Find us at Borderlands.cc and sign up for the newsletter.

Want to run in the Salt Lake area? Check out the Salt Lake Foothills Trail Races happening May 30, 2026.

And if you haven't checked out Wylder yet, it's worth a look. iOS or Android

What are the criteria we should use to crown the capital of North American Trail Running?

Here are some of my thoughts.

Number of elite ultras

Number of non elite ultras

Number of elite runners

Varied trail terrain

Number of dirtbags

Number of bandit races

Trailhead proximity to great restaurants 

Which of these do you like? What would you add?

Why am I doing this?

1. Fun

2. Funner 

----

Sponsors:

VKTRY Insoles - I wear these every run, 20% off.

PATH Projects - My favorite running shorts, Borderlands10 for 10% off.

---

Borderlands

Instagram

YouTube

Threads

LinkedIn

We've got an app in beta called Wylder by Borderlands. Check it out on iOS or Android.