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A Harvard biologist who loved salamanders, a Wisconsin grad-year racer chasing deeper fields, and a Montana transplant who found her stride on steep, technical trails—Maya Rayle's story is a study in smart risk and joyful grit. We sit down to chart her rapid rise from track speed to mountain savvy, including a breakout podium at The Rut 28K and a fresh selection to the Trail Team.

Maya unpacks what it’s really like to be recruited to an Ivy through likely letters, how she balanced organismal and evolutionary biology with Division I training, and why choosing the right coach changed everything. Then we head west: landing in Missoula, discovering a community of world-class mentors, and learning to respect vertical gain, dial in fueling, and keep curiosity front and center. Hear the practical shifts that mattered most—steep sessions on Sentinel, long mountain days, and replacing mind-numbing cross-training with backcountry ski tours, XC skiing, and gravel rides that build aerobic depth without draining stoke.

We also preview what’s next: a spring rust-buster, the rugged challenge of Mount Sunapee, and the stacked field at Broken Arrow 23K. Maya shares how she’s treating 2026 as an exploration year—testing distances, seeking steep profiles, and staying open to a Europe start line. Along the way we spotlight the Missoula crew—Jen Lichter, Adam Peterman, Erin Clark, Jackson Cole—and how training alongside people who care raises your ceiling. If you’re eyeing technical trail races or trying to protect joy while building fitness, this conversation delivers hard-won lessons on community, nutrition, and the art of loving vert.

If this story fires you up, follow Maya at maya_rail on Instagram, hit subscribe, and leave a quick review so more trail runners can find the show. Which mountain range should Maya explore next? Share your pick and join the conversation.

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