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Money is moving up the mountain, and the Northeast is ready for it. We sit down with Tom Hooper of 603 Endurance to unpack how a new partnership with Marathon Sports unlocks bigger prize purses, stronger production, and a smarter sponsor model that gives each race its own brand identity. Sunapee Scramble returns as the U.S. Mountain Running Championship with a $30,000 purse from Brooks and Team USA selection on the line. Loon Mountain leans into its legendary Upper Walking Boss with $20,000 backed by Darn Tough and likely more on the way. Ragged brings a three-day stage race and a $30,000 purse from Altra, while Cranmore gets fresh momentum tied to a new trail-forward retail hub in North Conway.

We go inside the business: why retail distribution changes the ROI for brands, how prize money can reshape athlete contracts, and whether this surge signals a sustainable path or a temporary splash. We talk logistics and legacy—permitting realities in New England, course character across Sunapee, Loon, Cranmore, Kismet, and Ragged—and the growing pipeline from NCAA track and cross-country to the mountains. If you care about the sport’s future, you’ll want the full take on appearance fees, what elites owe in promotion, and the rising urgency of credible anti-doping as purses climb.

This is a candid, ground-level look at how trail running grows up without losing its edge: steep grades, slick roots, and real money on the line. Hit play, share it with a friend who loves mountain running, and leave a quick review so more people can find the show. Your feedback keeps these conversations going and helps the sport take its next step.

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Trail running deserves sharper storytelling than recycled podium posts. We open the books on Steep Stuff: what we botched in 2025, what finally clicked, and how we’re going big on short trail in 2026. James and guest host Francesco get specific about the pivot from clunky Zoom reels to clean Riverside workflows, a fresh brand identity, and a quality-first mindset that actually scales. The result is a clear plan: show up at Broken Arrow, The Rut, Cirque Series stops, and championships with interviews, previews, and expert analysis that make racing feel immediate and worth following.

We talk about the gaps in trail running media and how to close them—more curiosity, fewer safe takes, and real coverage of prize money, anti-doping, and the business forces shaping athletes’ careers. The goal isn’t just reporting results. It’s star building. If more fans know why Christian Allen, Ana Gibson, or Lauren Gregory matter, the sport grows and athletes land better contracts. That means tighter formats, smarter co-hosts who’ve raced at the top, and video storytelling that highlights training, tactics, and personalities long before a breakout podium.

You’ll also hear what’s next for the platform: a new show under the Steep Stuff umbrella, on-site commentary and interviews, and a revamped approach to awards that gives short trail its own spotlight. We get personal about balancing training with production, why breathwork and calmer stimulus make workouts cleaner, and how structure beats hustle when you’re building something real. The promise we keep coming back to: this is the worst the product will be. From here, coverage, quality, and community presence only rise.

If you care about where short trail is heading—and how media can help it get there—press play, share it with a friend who loves mountain running, and leave a quick rating or review so we can keep building this together.

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A late start, a canceled senior season, and a move to Bozeman turned Lucy Kolpa from a soccer defender into one of trail running’s most compelling rising names. We dive into how she traded splits for summits, built a durable engine without a coach, and learned to treat races as a celebration of big mountain days rather than a verdict on her identity.

Lucy opens up about the moments that shaped her: walking on to DIII cross country with no high school PRs, discovering how sleep, hydration, and structure turbocharge confidence, and finding freedom in objective‑based long runs. She explains why winters aren’t an off‑season—downhill days, backcountry tours, and finally cracking skate skiing add massive aerobic volume with minimal impact, sharpening technique and resilience for steep, technical courses.

We break down her 2025 near‑podiums at Broken Arrow and The Rut, the surprise of holding her own at Sierre‑Zinal, and a 2026 plan centered on the Broken Arrow 23K, Beast of Big Creek in the Skyrunner World Series, and a return to The Rut 50K. Lucy shares her simple weekly framework: two quality sessions, one big mountain long run, and lots of truly easy miles, plus yoga and light strength to keep IT bands happy. We also get real about ambition and authenticity—how to chase sponsorship and bigger stages without losing the underdog mindset that makes training fun and sustainable.

If you love mountain running, Bozeman culture, or stories of steady, joyful progress, Lucy’s journey will light a fire. Listen, share with a friend who needs a nudge to get outside, and leave a quick review to help more trail fans find the show.

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The spark wasn’t love at first stride. Tayler Tuttle Peavey once hated running, chose softball, and struggled through PE miles—then found a coach who spoke the language of physiology and a path that led from Georgia to Colorado and, ultimately, to USATF national titles on the trails. We sit down to unpack how a hip labrum surgery, a health-first rebuild, and a sustainable coaching approach turned doubt into momentum and a breakout 2025.

Tayler takes us inside the pivotal transfer from Georgia to CU Boulder, the up-and-down college years, and the moment she realized roads weren’t the only way forward. She traces her first steps into trail racing—second at the Moab Trail Half after two years without a start—then the return to win Moab, a Twisted Fork statement, and a USATF 50K crown on runnable terrain that matched her strengths. We dig into Broken Arrow’s shortened VK, the chaos of mass starts, and the strategic lessons she can’t wait to apply when she lines up for the 23K.

Training with David and Megan Roche, Taylor’s blueprint centers on durability: weekly rest days, individualized intensity, and a mix of track, road, and trail sessions to keep speed sharp while building technical skill. She shares how she uses heart rate as a guide rather than a governor, why cross-training tools like Zwift, the elliptical, and stairs are staples, and how she keeps winter work efficient without unnecessary risk. Looking ahead, she’s targeting the two-to-three-hour sweet spot—30K mountain races, Broken Arrow 23K, and a potential Golden Trail schedule—while staying selective with travel and open to the right sponsorship fit as she moves full time into the sport.

We also talk bigger picture: how short trail can grow by inviting mass participation at accessible distances, why community and media coverage matter, and how the rising wave of D1 talent is raising the competitive bar. If you care about the future of mountain, trail, and sub-ultra racing—and the mindset it takes to thrive—this conversation delivers both inspiration and a practical playbook.

Enjoyed the conversation? Subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a quick review so more listeners can discover the show.

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