Matt Urbanski is back on Singletrack and he’s calling in from freakin’ Chamonix. Jealous! Matt just ran the Hardrock 100 and is here to share what it means to toe this extraordinary start line for the first time and run alongside the legends of our sport. We chat about what makes a race so remarkable that people want to sign up for it year after year. And of course I had to ask Matt a bit about the atmosphere in Chamonix in these last few weeks before the biggest event in trail and mountain runnings.

• Team Run Run
• Matt Urbanski – running coach
• Team Run Run on Instagram
• Cover photo by Teddy Bross

Connect with Singletrack on:

• Instagram
• Twitter
• Website

In this episode we take a new look at the difference between trail races in Europe and North America. German trail runner Steve Auch joins us and share his experience running the Zugspitz Trail, Lavardo, and Squamish and The Rut. His dream race, is and will be Western States, until the lottery gods finally grant him his wish.

• Steve Auch’s website
• Steve Auch on Instagram
• Steve Auch on Strava
• Cover photo by Brian McCurdy

Connect with Singletrack on:

• Instagram
• Twitter
• Website

Fresh off a fantastic race Brent Miller joins me to talk all about the Beast of Big Creek. It was an incredible day of racing and I loved hearing Brent stories from the trails, that I, as the race director didn’t experience just sitting in camp waiting for runners to cross the finish line and hoping everything would go smoothly. Thanks to all the runners, volunteers, helpers and sponsors who made this incredible event happen. We’re already excited for 2023.

• Brent Miller on Instagram
• Brent Miller on Strava
• Beast of Big Creek photo gallery

Connect with Singletrack on:

• Instagram
• Twitter
• Website

This week we're traveling back to the Alps with Lauren Head. To be precise, we're heading to the magical, wonderful Dolomites. Lauren shares her story as she runs Lavaredo Ultra Trail around Cortina d'Ampezzo and rewards herself with all the gelato and pizza.

• Lauren Head on Instagram
• Lavaredo Ultra Trail
• Cinque Torri
• Beast of Big Creek on UltraSignup

Connect with Singletrack on:

• Instagram
• Twitter
• Website

It is almost time to race. Beast of Big Creek is just around the corner and I couldn’t be more excited. To share a bit of the history of the race and what makes it such so a special event, I have fellow podcaster, trail runner, and Olympia local Ben Mead with me this week.

Thank you Kevin Hayward State Farm, Tailwind Nutrition, and Wildernest Outdoor Store for sponsoring the 2022 Beast of Big Creek. And thanks to Olyfed and Club Oly Road Running for the year-round support.

• Ben Mead’s Chasing Cutoff
• Rock Candy Running‘s Beast of Big Creek
• Beast of Big Creek on UltraSignup

Connect with Singletrack on: Instagram | Twitter | Website

Just nine days before the race Melissa Tucker got the call off the wait list and got to fulfill her dream to run Western States. This week on Singletrack she shares how she dealt with being undertrained, how she was not being able to eat due to the heat and how she still made it to Auburn in one piece.

Melissa is also the new race director for Secret Beach in Gold Beach, Oregon and we chat about the challenge and beauty of putting on a race right on the beach.

• WS Twitter announcement of Melissa getting picked off the wait list
• Melissa Tucker on Instagram
• All Terrain Adventures, Melissa’s racing company
• Secret Beach on Instagram
• Secret Beach on UltraSignup

Connect with Singletrack on: Instagram | Twitter | Website

In this episode of Singletrack I am chatting with Tomasz Drybala from Poland. He’s a long, long, long distance runner, motivational speaker and book author. Searching for a new direction, Tomasz discovered running, and through it a new perspective on life, while covering huge distances in Asia, the UK, and Poland.

• Tomasz Dryballa’s website
• Flow Up – the book
• The US Tour
• Electric Cable Car

Connect with Singletrack on: Instagram | Twitter | Website

Historian, Bavarian, author and ultra runner Andrea Löw joins Singletrack to talk about running as balance to lots of work and a full life. She shares adventure stories from multi-day races in Mozambique and Australia, the festival feeling at UTMB - CCC and the joy of spontaneously signing up for a local overnight 50 Miler.

• Andrea Löw’s blog
• Andrea Löw on Instagram
• Andrea Löw on Twitter
• Andrea Löw on Asics Frontrunner Team
• Cover photo credit: Canal Adventure
• Rock Candy Running's Summer Races

Just a handful of runners finished this year’s Mount Baker Ultra race and Jeremy Anderson was one of them. He joins Singletrack to talk about one of the nuttiest racing days the Pacific Northwest has seen in awhile. Jeremy shares his motivation to find that flow state while running long in the mountains. And we talk about the practical preparation and planning required to keep one safe.

• Jeremy Anderson on Strava
• Jeremy Anderson on Instagram
• Mount Baker Ultra
• Mount Baker Ultra race director Daniel Probst on Singletrack

Connect with Singletrack on: Instagram | Twitter | Website

Adam Lee, “Substacker” and fellow trail podcaster joins me this week on the show. In between interval training sessions he talks about discovering trails in Vancouver, BC and launching a newsletter for the trail running community, and a podcast, where I was guest on a couple of weeks ago.

• Adam Lee on Substack
• Adam Lee on Instagram
• Ultrapostie, with yours truly
• La Sportiva – Vento
• Joshua Tree Skincare – CBD recovery salve
• Electric Cable Car – a commentary on the evolution of the mountain sport trail running

Connect with Singletrack on: Instagram | Twitter | Website