Jennifer Lichter is a pro trail runner for The North Face, living in Missoula, MT. In 2023, Jenn was 4th at the Short Trail World Championships, landing her on the international radar in a big way early in her career. This season, Jenn has taken her game to a new level, winning and setting course records at both Broken Arrow 46k and Speedgoat 50k. In this episode, Jenn shares her personal story for the first time - a remarkable journey of living on the streets of Bogota, Colombia, to being adopted by an American family, and later blossoming into a global trail running superstar. 

 

Follow Jenn on Strava     Sponsors:  

• Use code freetrail10 for 10% off Speedland Footwear
• Grab a trail running pack from Osprey
• Use code FREETRAIL25 for 25% off your first order of NEVERSECOND nutrition at never2.com
• Go to ketone.com/freetrail30 for 30% off a subscription of Ketone IQ
•  

Freetrail Links: Website | Freetrail Pro | Patreon | Instagram | YouTube | Freetrail Experts     Dylan Links: Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | Strava

Ben Gibbard is a professional musician and trail runner from Seattle, WS. He is the frontman for Death Cab for Cutie, an American indie rock band that's on tour now. In June, Ben finished the Western States 100 in 27:15. This is his second appearance on the podcast:   Topics discussed:

• Life on the road as a professional musician
• Revisiting old material and reconnecting with the work
• The realities of the music business and how it's changed during Ben's career
• Ben's relationship with coach Gary Robbins
• His experience running Western States
• Collaborating with Speedland on the GS:TMT
• A lot more!

ZUT100 -- Race we discuss in Germany   Sponsors:

• Use code freetrail10 for 10% off Speedland Footwear
• Grab a trail running pack from Osprey
• Use code FREETRAIL25 for 25% off your first order of NEVERSECOND nutrition at never2.com
• Go to ketone.com/freetrail30 for 30% off a subscription of Ketone IQ

Freetrail Links: Website | Freetrail Pro | Patreon | Instagram | YouTube | Freetrail Experts   Dylan Links: Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | Strava

Welcome to Rest Day, Freetrail's occasional news pod covering the latest happenings in trail running. This week we're joined by Dani Moreno & EmKay Sullivan.

 

The docket:

 

• Kilian's "States of Elevation" Project
• Jenn Lichter's incredible season
• Speedgoat 50k results recap
• Milimani Runners: Kenya's First Pro Trail Running Team
• Pitz Alpine results recap
• Sierre-Zinal preview

 

PLAY SIERRE-ZINAL FANTASY

  JOIN FREETRAIL PRO   LISTEN TO THE SUB HUB  

Sponsors:

 

• Use code freetrail10 for 10% off Speedland Footwear
• Grab a trail running pack from Osprey
• Use code FREETRAIL25 for 25% off your first order of NEVERSECOND nutrition at never2.com
• Go to ketone.com/freetrail30 for 30% off a subscription of Ketone IQ

 

Freetrail Links: Website | Freetrail Pro | Patreon | Instagram | YouTube | Freetrail Experts

  Dylan Links: Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | Strava

Ben Dhiman is an American pro runner for Asics, living in France. He has been one of the strongest long-course athletes in the sport in recent years, this season winning Ventoux by UTMB 89k, and Lavaredo by UTMB 120k - the latter in course record fashion. Later this summer, Ben will be among the favorites at UTMB.

 

Topics discussed:

 

• How Ben is feeling mid-season a month removed from UTMB
• The couple disappointing DNFs Ben as succumbed to at UTMB
• Dealing with the loss of his father in 2024
• Ben's winter campaign to run sub-30min in the 10k
• Documenting his training and racing on Substack
• His win at Ventoux by UTMB 89k
• Breaking the course record at Lavaredo
• Look ahead to UTMB
• A lot more!

 

SUBSCRIBE TO BEN'S SUBSTACK

 

Sponsors:

 

• Use code freetrail10 for 10% off Speedland Footwear
• Grab a trail running pack from Osprey
• Use code FREETRAIL25 for 25% off your first order of NEVERSECOND nutrition at never2.com
• Go to ketone.com/freetrail30 for 30% off a subscription of Ketone IQ

 

Freetrail Links: Website | Freetrail Pro | Patreon | Instagram | YouTube | Freetrail Experts

 

Dylan Links: Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | Strava

This is a mid-season AMA where Dylan and Harmony sit down to answer questions from the Freetrail community. 

Questions we answer:

• Is it livestream or bust for 100s now? What’s the criteria for events that should stream?

• At what point does Rachel Entrekin’s run of success vault her closer to Courtney & Katie?

• Is Jim running Hardrock next summer or was pacing Ludo him being a good French compatriot?

• In five years what would you like Freetrail to be doing? What’s the wild dream?

• Not in a mean spirited way, I’d love your thoughts on David Roche’s very public DNF?

• In your opinion, what’s the best race of the year so far?

• Would love to get an update about the Freetrail business (as much as you can share): is it growing as expected, how are the economics, what’s the ambition for the different activities in the years to come (media, race organisation, etc.)?Also, as a cofounder after a few years in, how do you do to maintain the motivation high (despite the demands / constraints that such a venture puts on your family life and your running career)?

• What is the biggest thing you’ve learned over the past 5 years of Pyllars/Freetrail? What advice would you give an entrepreneur entering the trail/ultra space?

• Any new merch gonna drop in the future? Any collabs planned?

• How do you not lose your voice with the BA/WS gauntlet?

• Psychology or personality traits of tip top elite runners?

• Highlight of the year so far, racing and non-racing?

 

Rachel Entrekin is a rising star trail runner living in Conifer, CO. She burst onto the trail scene last year with a win at the Cocodona 250. She returned this year to win again, set a new course record, improve her own winning time by 10hrs, and finish 4th overall. This is her first appearance on the podcast

 

Topics discussed:

 

• How Rachel is grappling with her recent success and rising profil
• Rachel's background growing up and discovering the sport in Alabama
• Racing timed events and the skills that apply to the trails
• Her life changing experience at the 2024 Cocodona 250
• The transformative performance at the 2025 Cocodona 250 
• High Lonesome
• Rachel's unsponsored status and the economic realities of racing professionally
• Look ahead to the rest of her season
• A lot more!

 

Sponsors:

 

• Use code freetrail10 for 10% off Speedland Footwear
• Grab a trail running pack from Osprey
• Use code FREETRAIL25 for 25% off your first order of NEVERSECOND nutrition at never2.com
• Go to ketone.com/freetrail30 for 30% off a subscription of Ketone IQ

 

Freetrail Links: Website | Freetrail Pro | Patreon | Instagram | YouTube | Freetrail Experts

 

Dylan Links: Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | Strava

This bonus episode is a recording of Topher Gaylord's keynote presentation from the 2025 TrailCon, a multi-day trail running conference and festival located in Palisades Tahoe. 

 

Topher is a longtime leader in the trail running industry, holding executive level roles at important brands including The North Face, Mountain Hardwear, and Under Armour. Among other things, he now serves as the President of the Board of the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run.

 

This presentation was delivered live in front of hundreds of onlookers and focuses on the spirit of Western States - past, present, and future. 

 

We were honored to host Topher at TrailCon and to be in partnership with the Western States organization. 

 

Sponsors:

 

• Use code freetrail10 for 10% off Speedland Footwear
• Grab a trail running pack from Osprey
• Use code FREETRAIL25 for 25% off your first order of NEVERSECOND nutrition at never2.com
• Go to ketone.com/freetrail30 for 30% off a subscription of Ketone IQ

 

Freetrail Links: Website | Freetrail Pro | Patreon | Instagram | YouTube | Freetrail Experts

 

Dylan Links: Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | Stravap>

Office Hours is BACK! A great round table to hear about community experiences from Western States, Hardrock, and other summer races. 

Congrats to everyone whose been out racing and thanks to the community for your continued support of Freetrail!

Welcome to Rest Day, Freetrail's occasional news pod covering the latest happenings in trail running. This week we're joined by Corrine Malcolm.

 

 

The docket:

 

• Western States Recap
• Lavaredo Results
• Francios D'Haene Breaks Nolan's 14 FKT
• Hardrock Recap
• Mammoth 200

 

Rod Farvard's WS Report

 

Caleb Olson's WS Report

 

Kilian's WS Report

  Sponsors:

 

• Use code freetrail10 for 10% off Speedland Footwear
• Grab a trail running pack from Osprey
• Use code FREETRAIL25 for 25% off your first order of NEVERSECOND nutrition at never2.com
• Go to ketone.com/freetrail30 for 30% off a subscription of Ketone IQ

 

Freetrail Links: Website | Freetrail Pro | Patreon | Instagram | YouTube | Freetrail Experts

 

Dylan Links: Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | Strava