Eric LiPuma returns to the show to debrief his 7th place finish 80K world trail championships in Innsbruck, Austria this past week and discuss the next moves for his racing season.

Discounts:

• Rabbit - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.runinrabbit.com/discount/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next order
• HVMN - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://hvmn.com/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next order
• Feetures - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://feetures.com/) to get 20% off your next order)
• Maurten - head over to their website (https://www.maurten.com/) and shop for gels, bars, and drink mixes.

Additional Links:

• Trail Runner Magazine Feature
• Follow Eric on Instagram, Strava, Website, Coaching
• Follow Finn on Instagram, Strava, Twitter, Youtube, and Patreon

Additional Episodes You May Enjoy:

• #207 - Eric LiPuma | Canyons 100K Outlook, World Championships Influence, East vs West Coast Trail Scenes
• #156 - USA Men's 80K Team | 2022 World Trail Running Championships Gold Medal Recap

Support the show

Allison Baca is an ultra-trail runner based in Golden, CO who took 6th overall and top American at the 80K world trail championships in Innsbruck Austria this past week. She joins the show to debrief the race and discuss her background in trail running.

Discounts:

• Rabbit - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.runinrabbit.com/discount/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next order
• HVMN - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://hvmn.com/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next order
• Feetures - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://feetures.com/) to get 20% off your next order)
• Maurten - head over to their website (https://www.maurten.com/) and shop for gels, bars, and drink mixes.

Links:

• Follow Allison on Instagram
• Follow Allison on Strava
• Read Allison's blog

Additional Episodes You May Enjoy:

• #218 - 2023 80K Trail Championships Preview | Analysis, Storylines, Predictions

Support the show

Brett Hornig and Leah Yingling return to the podcast to preview the 80K Trail Running Championships happening this Friday in Innsbruck, Austria.

We analyze the course, talk about what it's going to take to be successful, note some of the interesting storylines around the event, and make our predictions for the female and male podium finishers this year.

Discounts:

• Rabbit - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.runinrabbit.com/discount/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next order
• HVMN - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://hvmn.com/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next order
• Feetures - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://feetures.com/) to get 20% off your next order)
• Maurten - head over to their website (https://www.maurten.com/) and shop for gels, bars, and drink mixes.

 Links:

• WMTRC Livestream
• Follow Brett on Instagram and Strava
• Follow Leah on Instagram and Strava
• Follow Finn on Instagram and Strava
• Follow AS Fireball on Twitter

Support the show

JT Service is the Founder of Soul Focus Sports and Run Local Events.

In this conversation JT shares some stories from representing Dean Karnazes in the mid 2000s, his philosophy around event management and experiential marketing in the running world, and all sorts of thoughts around media, fandom and growing the trail running community.

Timestamps:

• (3:35) - representing Dean Karnazes
• (15:45) - the long tail of professional running
• (23:08) - managing innovation versus tradition in events
• (36:12) - more event management, growth discussion
• (48:06) - whether trail running is ready for Netflix
• (55:26) - assuming more leadership, responsibility in the community
• (60:26) - miscellaneous questions

Discounts:

• Rabbit - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.runinrabbit.com/discount/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next order
• HVMN - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://hvmn.com/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next order

Links:

• Soul Focus Sports
• Connect with JT on LinkedIn or email ([email protected])
• White Mountains Endurance Races
• 2023 Aravaipa (NE Region) Racing Team Application

Additional Episodes You May Enjoy:

• #215 - Abby Levene | Trail Running Media Reflections
• #214 - Doug Mayer | The Inside Story of UTMB
• #213 - Matt Feldhake | Cocodona 250 Reflections, Aravaipa Running, Livestreaming Trail Races
• #204 - Brian Metzler | Trail Running Journalism, Sports Marketing Changes, UTMB Evolution
• #184 - Fred Abramowitz - Run Rabbit Run | Casual Ultrarunning Fans, Prize Money, Sponsorship Blueprint

Support the show

Leah Yingling returns to the podcast to discuss her new partnership with Lululemon, the FURTHER initiative, as well as her training and expectations heading into the Western States 100.

Timestamps:

• (0:51) - Lululemon partnership announcement and details
• (2:38) - backstory on how the opportunity came about 
• (6:07) - Lululemon's "whole human" approach to athlete sponsorship
• (9:51) - rollout week in Vancouver
• (13:40) - research for women's ultrarunning
• (19:33) - FURTHER initiative, world record attempts
• (26:14) - Western States 100 training, race strategy
• (34:08) - thoughts on a possible Western States-UTMB double

Discounts:

• Rabbit - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.runinrabbit.com/discount/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next order
• HVMN - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://hvmn.com/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next order

Links:

• Lululemon Trail Athletes
• Lululemon FURTHER Initiative
• Lululemon Strava Challenge
• Follow Leah on Instagram and Strava
• Follow Finn on Instagram and Strava

Support the show

Abby Levene returns to the show to discuss all things trail running media. 

Timestamps:

• (2:35) - perspective from pro athlete background and working in outdoor media
• (7:48) - reflecting on the norms and the line for outspokeness among pro athletes
• (16:50) - athlete rivalries in endurance sports
• (20:32) - outsourcing athlete social media
• (34:21) - analyzing trail running films and storytelling, being critical of content creators
• (52:50) - athlete experiments in going social media dark 
• (57:28) - whether the state of outdoor media is bleak
• (69:01) - running media tradeoffs

Discounts:

• Rabbit - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.runinrabbit.com/discount/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next order
• HVMN - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://hvmn.com/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next order

Links:

• Freetrail Memorial Day Fundraiser
• Tempo // Movement In The Mountains - Kyle Richardson
• Follow Abby on Instagram, Strava

Support the show

Doug Mayer is an author, journalist and founder of the trail running tour company, Run the Alps and past producer of the NPR show Car Talk. Doug lives in Chamonix, France, has run the UTMB race twice, and recently wrote a book titled “The Race The Changed Running: The Inside Story of UTMB".

In this conversation, we discuss the nature of soul sports, the founding story of the UTMB, the background and ambitions of the Polettis, common criticisms about the race, the power it has over athletes, operators, and other organizations in our world, and whether there is such a thing as a “trail running industrial complex”.

Timestamps:

• (1:08) - trail running is a soul sport
• (9:05) - man in the arena quote, UTMB origin story
• (19:04) - background of the Polettis
• (33:01) - Mike Ambrose story, influence of content
• (43:21) - the jump of UTMB and the Polettis to international influence
• (52:35) - financial misunderstandings about UTMB and the Polettis
• (59:30) - Ironman partnership
• (66:59) - concerns about monopolization, etc
• (82:11) - the real or imagined power of UTMB over pro athletes
• (94:29) - feasibility of being a global and local event

Discounts:

• Rabbit - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.runinrabbit.com/discount/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next order
• HVMN - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://hvmn.com/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next order

Links:

• The Race That Changed Trail Running: The Inside Story of UTMB
• Run The Alps
• Doug Mayer's Trail Runner Magazine Archive
• Man In The Arena Quote
• Follow Doug on Instagram

Additional Episodes You May Enjoy:

• #210 - Catherine and Michel Poletti | UTMB World Series, Ironman Partnership, Future of Trail Running
• #183 - Caleb Efta - High Lonesome 100 | UTMB Policy, Trail Running Values, Grassroots Races

Support the show

Matt Feldhake is the Marketing Director for Aravaipa Running. Matt joins the podcast to discuss visions for Cocodona 250, the progress made around live-streaming events in our sport, and pitching trail running to different audiences.

Discounts:

• Aravaipa Running - use code Singletrack10 at checkout on Ultrasignup for 10% off registration to one of their Flagstaff Sky Peaks races on 10/7.
• Rabbit - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.runinrabbit.com/discount/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next order
• HVMN - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://hvmn.com/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next order

Timestamps:

• (1:37) - vision for the Cocodona 250
• (7:44) - fan interest in 200+ mile race
• (15:44) - early lessons from the Cocodona 250 livestream
• (21:32) - Flagstaff livestreaming scene
• (30:31) - the rewards, complexity of Cocodona 250 livestream
• (34:28) - why Aravaipa is excied about and invested in livestreaming events
• (44:29) - guessing at the future of trail running livestreams
• (48:53) - trail running media inspiration
• (53:01) - UTMB discussion, trail running events landscape
• (60:50) - marketing the sport of trail running

Links:

• Connect with Matt on LinkedIn
• The Long Way Home ft Eric Senseman
• Flagstaff Sky Peaks race series

Additional Episodes You May Enjoy:

• #184 - Fred Abramowitz - Run Rabbit Run | Casual Ultrarunning Fans, Prize Money, Sponsorship Blueprint
• #60 - Chris Chavez | Citius Mag, Building A Running Media Company, Creating Running Fans
• #26 - Sam Parsons | How To Build A Trail Running Team

Support the show

This is the first episode in a series called Eurotrack where I’m joined by Katie Schide and Brett Hornig to analyze key races on the European ultra-trail running circuit.

In this inaugural episode, we talk about the athletes that American fans might overlook, the key training hubs in the region, the races that matter most on the continent, and differences in training, racing, and sports media over there before previewing Transvulcania at the end of the conversation.

Timestamps:

• (2:29) - European trail running training hubs
• (11:30) - European trail athletes that fly under the radar
• (37:08) - Key races on the European ultra trail running circuit
• (51:03) - Transvulcania preview

Discounts:

• Rabbit - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.runinrabbit.com/discount/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next order
• HVMN - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://hvmn.com/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next order

Additional Links:

• Follow Katie on Instagram, Strava, Website
• Follow Finn on Instagram, Strava, Twitter, Youtube, and Patreon
• Follow Brett on Instagram, Strava, Youtube, and The Feed

Additional Episodes You May Enjoy:

• #128 - Katie Schide | 2022 UTMB Champion

Support the show

Cole Watson and Brett Hornig join the podcast to recap Cole's win at the Canyons 100K this past weekend.

Discounts:

• Rabbit - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.runinrabbit.com/discount/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next order
• HVMN - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://hvmn.com/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next order
• Trails and Tarmac - get $120 off your first 3 months of coaching (https://trailsandtarmac.com/get-in-touch/)

Additional Links:

• Follow Cole on Instagram, Strava, Personal Website
• Follow Finn on Instagram, Strava, Twitter, Youtube, and Patreon
• Follow Brett on Instagram, Strava, Youtube, and The Feed

Additional Episodes You May Enjoy:

• #192 - Cole Watson | 2023 Black Canyon 100K Pre-Race Interview
• #77 - Cole Watson | 2022 Western States Pre-Race Interview

Support the show