Cocodona Week Kicks Off with Finn Melanson (Singletrack)

Jake and Mick sit down with Finn Melanson for a loose, wide-ranging conversation ahead of the Cocodona 250.

We break down our full top 10 picks for the men's and women's fields.

Finn shares the story behind "The Finisher," his Jasmin Paris Barkley film, nd what's next for trail documentaries.

The realities of race directing through bad weather

And a "Keep Five, Cut Five" game pitting Jake against the Cocodona field.

Plus tangents on the NBA playoffs, Utah Mammoth hockey, and why local community matters more than chasing national reach.

Partners: Re-Lyte — clean, effective electrolytes powering Cocodona week and beyond

Use code NextAidStation for 15% off (https://redmond.life/)

Rockstar Energy — fueling the pod, one can at a time (https://rockstarenergy.com/)

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🎙️ Hosted by Jake Kilgore & Mick Garrison 👤 Guest: Finn Melanson (@singletrack)

#Cocodona250 #TrailRunning #ultrarunning

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We're back with a big sponsor announcement (live unboxing inside), full picks for Canyons 100k and Madeira, and a debate on whether Boston should count as a record-eligible marathon after Korir's 2:01:52.Plus: the Nike drama, backyard ultras, and why certain agents don't want their runners on this podcast.Use code NEXTAIDSTATION for 15% off our new sponsor.

He drank from a lake, ran down podium spots at 4am, and now has one of the craziest ultra race calendars of the year.

What happens when a rookie ultra runner shows up to the biggest races… and starts beating pros?

In this episode of Next Aid Station, we sit down in St. George with Coleman Cragun, one of the fastest rising names in trail running and ultrarunning. In his first year as an ultra runner, Coleman finished top 10 at major races like Canyons 50K, Broken Arrow, Speedgoat, Kodiak, and Chiang Mai… all while working a full-time job and training 20–30 hours a week.

We break down his insane rookie season, what it’s like racing against the best in the world, and why he still doesn’t have a sponsor.

In this episode:

• How Coleman Cragun went from SUU walk-on to elite trail runner
• Training with Hayden Hawks in Utah
• Losing all his gels at the start of a race… and still finishing top 5
• His first 100K experience at Black Canyon
• Why most ultra runners still have full-time jobs
• The truth about sponsorships in trail running
• Strategy shifts from surviving races to competing for podiums

If you’re into trail running, ultramarathons, UTMB, 50K and 100K racing, or want to understand what it takes to compete at the highest level, this episode delivers.

We found/fixed/recovered somewhat the Kilian Korth episode that we recorded about a month ago.

This is one of our favorites recently because Kilian is the best hang. We kicked it with him for hours just talking everything sports, ultrarunning, olympics, you name it. Don't miss this episode!!!!

Every runner knows that the rules of the race are what keep it fair. But what happens when the officials change the course markers mid-run just to ensure you DNF?Today, we’re stepping off the trail to sit down with Jake Kilgore’s defense attorney for a shocking look inside a federal investigation that prioritized a "win" over the truth.In this episode, we uncover:The "Conspiracy" Pivot: How the FBI moved the goalposts to "Conspiracy to Commit Medicare Fraud" after they couldn't prove actual fraud.The Forced Plea: The underhanded and illegal tactics used to corner Jake into a plea deal he didn't want to take.The Political Win: Why the Utah government needed a "big win" and why Jake was the chosen target.The Human Cost: What it looks like when the power of the federal government is used to break an individual for the sake of optics.This isn’t about ultrarunning, but it is about the grit required to face an uphill battle where the summit is rigged.

When it comes to the 200-mile distance, Mike McKnight is the undisputed GOAT, and frankly, as long as he loves the trail, he’s going to keep dominating it. While most runners would say, "quit playing games with my heart" after the first 50 miles, Mike leans into the pain because he wants it that way. His endurance is larger than life, proving that even when your legs feel like they’re screaming "bye bye bye" (wait, wrong boy band), Mike knows exactly how to show you the meaning of being lonely out there in the high desert at 3:00 AM. Everybody (yeahhhh), Mike McKnight's back, alright!

What happens when a simple trail run turns into a federal case? This week on The Next Aid Station, we sit down with Michelino Sunseri to discuss one of the most bizarre sagas in ultrarunning history.Michelino wasn’t just hit with a fine or a slap on the wrist. Instead, he found himself at the center of a high-profile National Park Service crackdown—becoming the "poster boy" for a violation that normally ends with a simple citation. From being charged by the NPS to receiving an official pardon from President Donald Trump, Michelino’s story is a wild look at what happens when bureaucracy decides to make an example out of you.

We finally got Jazmine Lowther in the studio for the Next Aid Station. No rigid interview questions here—just a long-form hangout about the sport, the community, and what's going on in her life.

We have some "good news, bad news" for the community today.

First, the bad news: Technology 1, Podcast 0. We unfortunately lost the raw files for our interview with Kilian Korth. It’s a gut punch for us, and we know you were looking forward to it, but we’re working on getting him back on the schedule soon.

Now, the big news: The long-awaited DC Peaks 100 Miler is officially a go for this Fall.

We’re stepping up from the 50 to the full century mark. In this short episode, we’re breaking down:

• The Fall Timeline: When you can expect to toe the line.

• The Route: What 100 miles of DC Peaks actually looks like.

• Registration: How to get in before the spots vanish.

The Kilian episode might be gone, but the 100 miler is here to stay. Let’s get to work.