Jon Albon is back on Trail Talk. Fresh off a tough but educational UTMB debut, Jon is building toward 2026 with Montblanc 90 and another crack at Chamonix on the horizon.

UTMB 2025:
Lessons from his first time round and what changes in year two
How horrendous weather and three documentary crews made it a true baptism of fire

Training:
The shift from low to medium mileage athlete
Progressive overload as the number one principle
Downhill conditioning without mountains, dirty threshold and stair-specific prep

Fuelling:
The electrolyte, fluid and carb triangle
Racing on pink Himalayan salt and granulated sugar
Why fuelling is still his biggest weakness as an athlete

The App:
Albin App is rebranding to Ascend
Origin story, impact, cardio and speed metrics explained
The chatbot that runs on human intelligence, not AI

Support the show and find all links at linktr.ee/irunovermountains

This week on Trail Talk, Aaron and Ricki Wynne debrief the Hut 2 Hut race — your questions answered, the full breakdown, and what we took from it. We also get into training updates from the last two weeks, Ricki's Everest prep run on Croagh Patrick, the start of the Swiss Canyon Trail training block, and a chat about CurraNZ.

/ - /- / - / - / - / - / - / - / - /- / - / - / - / - / - /

Merch
https://store.irunovermountains.com/

XMiles 10%
https://xmiles.avln.me/c/FlZlRfhosOqx

Tantrums 15%
https://tantrums.avln.me/c/SrLvDYbqkDna
Code: TrailTalk15

Community
https://linktr.ee/irunovermountains

This week on Trail Talk, Aaron Shimmons and Ricki Wynne break down the Barkley Marathons carnage and a massive weekend of ultra racing:

The Barkley Marathons:
- 2026 edition: Who finished, who suffered, and the brutal conditions
- Why this legendary sufferfest continues to captivate the ultra world

Race Coverage:
- Tarawera by UTMB: Results and highlights from New Zealand
- Black Canyon 100k: Standout performances and conditions

Big News:
- Race Purse system: The new crowdsourcing model for prize money in ultra running
- What this means for the sport and athletes

New episodes drop every week in audio and video formats!

📸 Photo: Jacob Zocherman / Barkley Marathons

/ - /- / - / - / - / - / - / - / - /- / - / - / - / - / - /

Merch
https://store.irunovermountains.com/

XMiles 10%
https://xmiles.avln.me/c/FlZlRfhosOqx

Tantrums 15%
https://tantrums.avln.me/c/SrLvDYbqkDna
Code: TrailTalk15

Community
https://linktr.ee/irunovermountains

This week on Trail Talk, Aaron Shimmons and Ricki Wynne break down major changes to the Golden Trail World Series for 2026:

MAJOR News:
- Golden Trail World Series 2026 shakeup
- What's changing and what it means for the sport

Race Previews:
- Black Canyon 100k preview: Course, contenders, and conditions
- Tarawera by UTMB preview: What to expect this weekend

Plus: Ricki's race debrief and our weekly training breakdown

New episodes drop every week in audio and video formats - now in podcast-friendly YouTube format!

📸 Photo: Mathis Decroux / Zegama

/ - /- / - / - / - / - / - / - / - /- / - / - / - / - / - /

Merch
https://store.irunovermountains.com/

XMiles 10%
https://xmiles.avln.me/c/FlZlRfhosOqx

Tantrums 15%
https://tantrums.avln.me/c/SrLvDYbqkDna
Code: TrailTalk15

Community
https://linktr.ee/irunovermountains

This week on Trail Talk, Aaron Shimmons and Ricki Wynne discuss Jim Walmsley's controversial stance on pacers at elite ultramarathon races:

Hot Take:
- Jim Walmsley calls for pacer bans at Western States and Black Canyon 100k
- Should elite runners have pacers at golden ticket races?
- The pacer debate in professional ultra running

Mourne Mountains Meetup:
- Trail Talk community meetup recap from the Mourne Mountains

New episodes drop every week in audio and video formats.

/ - /- / - / - / - / - / - / - / - /- / - / - / - / - / - /

Merch
https://store.irunovermountains.com/

XMiles 10%
https://xmiles.avln.me/c/FlZlRfhosOqx

Tantrums 15%
https://tantrums.avln.me/c/SrLvDYbqkDna
Code: TrailTalk15

Community
https://linktr.ee/irunovermountains

This week on Trail Talk, Aaron Shimmons and Ricki Wynne recap the opening weekend of both the UTMB World Series and World Trail Majors:

Race Coverage:
- Arc of Attrition by UTMB recap: Brutal UK winter conditions and standout performances
- Hong Kong 100 recap: UTMB World Series and World Trail Majors season opener

Listener Q&A:
We answer your question: "I'm stepping up from 50k to 100k this year. How long should my long runs be?"

Plus: Our weekly training update and exciting news about Trail Talk community meetups at Swiss Canyon Trail and our Winter Meet in the Mourne Mountains!

New episodes drop every week in audio and video formats.

/ - /- / - / - / - / - / - / - / - /- / - / - / - / - / - /

Merch
https://store.irunovermountains.com/

XMiles 10%
https://xmiles.avln.me/c/FlZlRfhosOqx

Tantrums 15%
https://tantrums.avln.me/c/SrLvDYbqkDna
Code: TrailTalk15

Community
https://linktr.ee/irunovermountains

This week on Trail Talk, Aaron and HOKA Pro Runner Ricki Wynne break down the latest in ultra-trail running:

Race Coverage:
- Winter Spine Race highlights and standout performances
- Terra de Gigantes recap from the Canary Islands
- Arc of Attrition preview: What to expect from this brutal UK winter ultra
- Hong Kong 100 preview: Course insights and contenders to watch
- Breaking news: Max King joins Kailas FUGA team

Listener Q&A:
We tackle your questions on bouncing back from DNFs, the Suunto vs Coros debate, representation in ultra-running media, and our hosting origin story.

Plus: Our weekly training segment with practical tips for your running.

New episodes drop every week in audio and video formats.

/ - /- / - / - / - / - / - / - / - /- / - / - / - / - / - /

Merch
https://store.irunovermountains.com/

XMiles 10%
https://xmiles.avln.me/c/FlZlRfhosOqx

Tantrums 15%
https://tantrums.avln.me/c/SrLvDYbqkDna
Code: TrailTalk15

Community
https://linktr.ee/irunovermountains

In this episode, we cover the Winter Spine Race, including the course, conditions, athletes racing, and our thoughts on how the event is shaping up. We also discuss the situation involving Sarah Porter following reported death threats and her withdrawal from the race.

If you’d like to support Sarah, a charity donation page has been set up here:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/sarah-porter-spine-race-2026

We also cover:

• The MAD Burrito League — what it is and what we’ve set up
• Hans Troyer signing with HOKA
• Joe Gray leaving HOKA and what could come next
• A major Suunto firmware update, including NGP / GAP now available as a data field
• Molly Seidel racing on trail for the first time at Bandera, winning and setting a course record
• Updates on the Swiss Canyon Trail and Mourne Winter meet-ups

We also briefly discuss how training has gone over the past week, including bike power intervals and uphill treadmill running.

Merch
https://store.irunovermountains.com/

XMiles 10%
https://xmiles.avln.me/c/FlZlRfhosOqx

Tantrums 15%
https://tantrums.avln.me/c/SrLvDYbqkDna
Code: TrailTalk15

Community
https://linktr.ee/irunovermountains

In this episode, we kick off the new year with a reset and a general catch-up.

We discuss the new UTMB mobility policy and how it could create confusion for athletes attending the World Finals in Chamonix.

We cover recent pro contract moves, including Jenn Lichter and Hans Troyer.

We discuss heart rate–based training, referencing Francesco Puppi’s heart rate data and comparing different training approaches.

We also cover:

• New year goals and training intentions
• Upcoming community meet-ups, including a winter meet-up in the Mournes and Swiss Canyon Trail in May
• A planned training adventure around the Mourne 600s in February

This episode serves as a reset for the year and a check-in on training, racing, and current topics in trail running.

Merch
https://store.irunovermountains.com/

XMiles 10%
https://xmiles.avln.me/c/FlZlRfhosOqx

Tantrums 15%
https://tantrums.avln.me/c/SrLvDYbqkDna
Code: TrailTalk15

Community
https://linktr.ee/irunovermountains

A reflective wrap on the highs and lows of the 2025 trail running season, both personally and across the wider sport.

With Trail Talk regulars Ricki Wynne and Krissi Polentz, we look back on the moments that defined the year — standout performances, difficult controversies, and experiences that shaped our own season.

We cover:

• Ruth Croft’s historic achievement as the first woman to win OCC, CCC and UTMB
• The success of the World Championships, from TV coverage to competitive racing
• Lows including Camille Herron’s public response around neurodiversity and the Joyline Chepngeno doping case
• A Western States trip and the US trail running community
• Covering TOR330 and fastpacking sections of the route
• Coming back from injury after UTA to run strongly at GPT100
• An early-season high following the Winter Spine Race

An honest conversation about performance, accountability, resilience, and what the season revealed about the sport.

📌 Weekly ultra-trail podcasts covering races, athletes, and the bigger picture.

Merch
https://store.irunovermountains.com/

XMiles 10%
https://xmiles.avln.me/c/FlZlRfhosOqx

Tantrums 15%
https://tantrums.avln.me/c/SrLvDYbqkDna
Code: TrailTalk15

GOREWEAR 30%
https://www.gorewear.com
Discount Code: irunovermountains30

Community
https://linktr.ee/irunovermountains

#UltraTrail #TrailRunningPodcast #TrailTalkPod #UTMB #TOR330