Fresh off a standout performance at the 2025 Canyons 100k, Ryan Montgomery secured a Golden Ticket and is headed back to Western States for the third time. With a previous 8th-place finish under his belt, Ryan returns with sharper strategy, bigger goals and deeper intention.

But his story goes far beyond his success. As one of the few openly gay elite ultrarunners, Ryan is a powerful advocate for inclusion, authenticity and representation in the trail and ultra community.

In this episode, we dive into his race-day mindset at Canyons, his approach to training for Western States and what it truly means to show up—fully and fearlessly—in a sport still finding its footing in diversity.

Watch this episode on Youtube

Subscribe to UltraRunning Magazine

Thanks to our episode sponsor Drymax