Welcome to Freetrail's coverage of the 2025 Tarawera by UTMB! Set against the beautiful backdrop of Rotorua, NZ, an outdoor and trail sport mecca known for its rolling hills, thermal pools, and beautiful lakes, Tarawera plays host to four different race distances — 100m, 102k, 50k, & 21k. We'll be covering as much as we can from all races, with a particular focus on the 102k where four Golden Tickets to Western States are on the line. 

Clare Gallagher is a professional runner for Patagonia, living in Boulder, CO. She is among the most decorated athletes of the last decade, winning many of the sport's most iconic events including Western States, CCC, Black Canyon, & Leadville. Outside of her athletic talent, Clare is also just a very interesting person. A third year PhD student, poet, and environmental advocate, Clare has always approached her career differently from other pro athletes. Clare is a close friend who I really respect. It was great to catch up again in today's episode. 

Topics discussed:

• Balancing her pro racing career and PhD work at CU
• Clare's current relationship with running, racing, and the expectations of pro athletes
• Her relationship with the digital world
• Clare's emerging interest in poetry and writing
• Her participation in the Snowman Race in Bhutan last fall
• What Clare is inspired about as an athlete in 2025
• A lot more!

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• Grab a trail running pack from Osprey
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Dylan and Corrine sit down to discuss current events in trail running:

— HOKA athlete signings, including Corrine — Joyce Njeru to NNormal — Brooks signs young talent — Cody Lind to TERREX — Craft x trailfest. and the inaugural Mammoth 200 — New races, Mingus Traverse 82 & Alpenglow 100

BLACK CANYON FANTASY - https://fantasy.freetrail.com/events

• Use code freetrail10 for 10% off Speedland Footwear
• Grab a trail running pack from Osprey
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Dakota Jones is a longtime professional trail runner for NNormal, living in Salt Lake City, UT. He is also the Founder and Executive Director of Footprints, an environmental non-profit that endeavors to nurture a new generation of leaders in tackling climate action projects in their local communities. On February 15th, Dakota will be chasing the 100-mile American Record at Jackpot Ultras in Las Vegas, NV, currently held by Zach Bitter in 11:19:13.

As part of this record attempt, Dakota is raising money for Footprints, hoping to secure $30k to support the 2025 campers. Freetrail is proud to contribute and support the fundraiser. 

Topics discussed:

• Reflecting on 17 years in the sport
• Evolving with the times and continuing to improve
• Training for the record attempt
• How Footprints provides purpose for Dakota
• The idea of pursuing our life's work
• Collective action & heart work
• Footprints fundraising goals
• Dakota's goals for the rest of the 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

Mario Fraioli is a running thought leader, media creator, and coach based in Marin County, CA. He is the author of The Morning Shakeout newsletter and the host of The Morning Shakeout podcast. Every year, we get together to riff on various topics, especially focusing on our respective lives, running journeys, and media careers. It's become a very fun annual tradition. This year, we also discuss Mario's relationship with Vincent Bouillard and the running prowess of BYU alumni.

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

Corrine Malcolm returns to talk through some news in the trail running world.

• Learnings from the Stian Angermund episode
• Athlete free agency announcements
• Arc of Attrition and Hong Kong 100 results
• Way too early Gorge Waterfalls 100k preview
• Upcoming coverage of Black Canyon 100k and Tarawera

• 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

Stian Angermund is a two-time World Champion trail runner from Norway. One of the best performing athletes in the sport for the past decade, Stian has been noticeably absent from the racing circuit since OCC by UTMB 2023 – the 50k World Final – where Stian won for the 2nd time.

After OCC, it came to light that Stian had tested positive for a diuretic called Chlorthalidone – a substance that is banned in and out-of-competition for masking other banned substances or facilitating rapid weight loss. Stian has spent the last year and a half defending himself against these allegations and has vehemently maintained his innocence.

To my knowledge, this is Stian’s first time speaking about the subject in a long-form interview and, to his credit, he left nothing out-of-bounds, supplying me with all relevant documentation from the case. Of course, doping is serious, it does happen, and when it does, it’s a terrible violation of everything that makes sport great. At the same time, there are banned athletes who are innocent or who test positive under questionable circumstances. Recognizing that this is a touchy subject that deserves scrutiny and seriousness, I encourage you to listen with an open mind and allow Stian to tell his side of the story.

We walk through the entire timeline of events, the emotional cost in losing his career, the financial cost of defending himself, the public support he’s received, lessons learned, advice for other pro athletes, his goals for returning to sport, and a lot more.

READ THE TIMELINE OF EVENTS

• 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
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Michelino Sunseri is a professional runner living in Driggs, ID. In September 2024, Michelino broke the existing FKT on the Grand Teton, held for 12 years by Andy Anderson - one of the longest standing and most iconic up/down speed records in mountain running. During the attempt, Michelino made the strategic decision to take the "Old Climber's Trail," deviating from the official route for a period during the descent.

Michelino managed to lower the existing FKT by a little over 2mins, finishing in 2:50:50. A few days after the run, controversy emerged as it related to Michelino's decision to use the Old Climber's Trail, creating a debate about FKT ethics and whether Michelino deserved to retain the record even though he used a slightly different route from the previous record holder.  

A week later, on September 9th, Fastest Known Time officially rejected the record based on objections from the National Park Service based again on Michelino's decision to use the Old Climber's Trail instead of staying on the officially recognized route. 

On September 25, 2024, the NPS charged Michelino under 36 CFR 2.1(b) with an initial court appearance, a statute that carries a maximum penalty of $5,000 and/or six months in jail.

In this podcast, we discuss the history of FKTs on the Grand Teton, including Michelino's personal history projecting the route. We talk through the ethics of FKTs and the grey area that exists and that this event revealed. We discuss the rejection of his FKT and the subsequent legal squabble that has ensued.

Michelino's Strava file from the attempt

Grand Teton FKT page

Written recap of the timeline

Petition to drop the charges against Michelino

Anton & Kilian video from 2012

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

Corrine Malcolm joins the show again to break down the news in trail running. 

Topics discussed:

• Trail Runner of the Year results & analysis
• Trail Performance of the Year results & analysis
• Athlete specialization and the disciplines represented in the results
• American bias and whether it was present in the 2024 results
• Feedback received from trail fans
• Honorable mentions: 11-20th TROY & 6-10 TPOY
• Pro athlete free agency 
• Courtney Dauwalter's contract extension with Salomon
• Big name athletes on the move
• David Roche intentionally remaining independent
• Stian Angermund's post about the resolution of his suspension and return to racing

Sponsors:

• Use code freetrail10 for 10% off Speedland Footwear
• Grab a trail running pack from Osprey
• Use code FREETRAIL25 for 25% off of your first order of Never Second 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

Gina Lucrezi is a longtime trail runner and the founder of Trail Sisters, a global organization providing education, resources, and community to female trail runners around the world. Recently Gina ran for Commissioner of Chaffee County where she lives in Buena Vista, CO. Her campaign was captured in a film made by Auteur Sportif which documents how Gina has led a life of service and how she plans to continue that work as a public servant. This is her first appearance on the podcast.

Topics discussed:

• Gina's background and how the seeds of her career were planted
• The founding story of Trail Sisters
• Growing and nurturing the community over time
• The introduction of Trail Sisters Approved standards
• The future of Trail Sisters as Gina prepares to take office
• Chaffee County, where it is and what makes it special
• The importance of local politics and why it "gets in your blood"
• The realities of campaigning, including fundraising and communication with constituents
• Her goals for her term
• 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 Never Second 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