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For the last episode of 2023 I sat down with friend of the show Alex Bond to chat about this year in trail running. We covering the latest outdoor industry report and chat about the distinguishing aspects of what makes trail running so unique compared to other sports. We consider the economic impact of trail races in host towns and wonder about the value of live streaming and who might actually benefit from this investment in infrastructure and gear. Of course we touch on UTMB’s much talked about expansion and enduring, or not attraction and wonder if these races are still the status quo. And finally we highlighted the biggest achievements at this year’s biggest races and in the world of FKTs. LINKS Alex Bond on Instagram Connect with Singletrack on: Singletrack.fm Instagram Brought to you by Electric Cable Car - your trail and mountain news!  

East Coast runner Kuwanna Dyer-Pietras joins Singletrack to chat about running for Tailwind, dreaming of Western States, and getting the call from Hoka to be one of their designated runners for the 2024 Western States. We chat about prepping for her first 100 mile race on gnarly East Coast trails and baking cookies with the family for the holidays. LINKS Kuwanna Dyer-Pietras on Instagram Kuwanna Dyer-Pietras on Trail Sisters Kuwanna Dyer-Pietras on Trails Collective Cover pic by Ron Heerkens, Jr. And a huge ‘thank you’ to all our partners who made Saturnalia 2024 happen: Heritage Bank, Tailwind Nutrition, Kevin Hayward State Farm, Club Oly Road Running, REI Olympia and Nathan Sports. Connect with Singletrack on: Singletrack.fm Instagram Brought to you by Electric Cable Car - your trail and mountain news!  

Daniela Oemus, German trail runner for Salomon, ER Doctor and parent of two joins Singletrack to talk about her breakout year of racing, including a win at Zegama and Wildstrubel and a 6th place finish in the trail short discipline at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Innsbruck. We chat about her favorite racing distance, her love for the Golden Trail Series, and her challenges of navigating her career, her athlete life and her family. LINKS Daniela Oemus on Instagram Daniela Oemus at Salomon Rennsteiglauf Rennsteiglauf documentary (In German) Cover Photo by Tobias Oemus Connect with Singletrack on: Singletrack.fm Instagram Electric Cable Car your trail and mountain news!

Jack Rosenfeld from Seattle joins the show. He’s a podcast co-host of the Beer on the Run podcast, race director with the Seattle Running Club and 200 mile finisher. Jack shares his story of failing 100 milers and then walking to success at the Cowboy 200 in Nebraska. Later we dive into a deep conversation about the challenges and joys of being race director and how our trail culture is changing in the light of big businesses and new voices challenging our status quo. LINKS Jack Rosenfeld on Instagram Beer on the Run podcast Seattle Running Club Cowboy 200 Connect with Singletrack on: Singletrack.fm Instagram Electric Cable Car your trail and mountain news!

Abigail West runs the trails in the South East of the United States and creates art that is inspired by the unique and beautiful landscape of her home in Athens, Georgia, the nearby Great Smoky Mountains and the Appalachian Trail. She recently claimed the FKT on the famous S.C.A.R. route and we talk about her upcoming project designing the poster for the Trail Running Film Festival Global Tour 2024. LINKS Abigail’s website Abigail on Instagram S.C.A.R. on Fastest Known Time Connect with Singletrack on: Singletrack.fm Instagram Electric Cable Car your trail and mountain news!

Wes Plate runs long, and I mean really long distances. In many ways I can’t even wrap my head around days of running on end, but I do understand and marvel at the motivation and the story telling through creative route creation. His latest project of running 200 miles around the Puget Sound in Western Washington is both equally mind-blowing and inspiring. Wes also shares some news on his race directing debut at the Copper Kings 100 in Montana, slated of the summer of 2024. LINKS Wes Plate’s website Wes Plate on Instagram Wes Plate on YouTube Copper Kings 100 Puget Sound 200 Puget Sound 200 on Strava Connect with Singletrack on: Singletrack.fm Instagram Electric Cable Car your trail and mountain news!

Maria Dalzot, La Sportiva athlete and registered dietitian, returns to Singletrack to chat about her action-filled summer in the Alps, crushing her race at Lavaredo 80K and later DNF-ing just as hard at CCC around Mont-Blanc. We talked about downtime family visits, interrupted hiking tours and spontaneous air travel bookings. Maria also shares her highlight of watching Courtney Courtney at Col de la Forclaz on her historic win at UTMB this year. LINKS Maria Dalzot Maria Dalzot on Singletrack Maria Dalzot on Instagram Connect with Singletrack on: Singletrack.fm Instagram Electric Cable Car your trail and mountain news!

Katharina Hartmuth is the incredible 2nd place finisher of the 2023 UTMB women’s race and runs for Hoka. She’s joining me on Singletrack from beautiful Zürich, Switzerland where the German is studying earth sciences with emphasis on atmospheric and climate science at ETH Zürich. We talk about the importance of balancing the pro athlete life with the real world and her approach to training as a self-coached athlete. She sees joy as the key to her success and hopes that our trail running community will always stay as welcoming and accessible as it is today. LINKS Katharina Hartmuth on Instagram Katharina Hartmuth on Strava Katharina Hartmuth on UTMB Connect with Singletrack on: Singletrack.fm Instagram Electric Cable Car your trail and mountain news!

Samuel Hartman lives and trains in his very flat Ohio but fulfilled his dream to finally race TDS this past week. As a race director himself he shares his observations on being part of the world’s largest trail race spectacle. We talk about vacationing in Europe and conquering the ‘more difficult’ UTMB race. After having followed UTMB from afar all last week his report directly from the ground is exactly what was need to keep the fire burning. LINKS Samuel Hartman on Instagram TINAR Race Series on Instagram TINAR Race Series The Rise of the Ultra Runners: A Journey to the Edge of Human Endurance by Adharanand Finn Connect with Singletrack on: Singletrack.fm Instagram Daily trail and mountain news: Electric Cable Car.

The female self-supported Mount Rainier Infinity Loop FKT has just been reset and my mind is blown. I had to sit down with Abby and Kiira who completed this route and learn about their incredible adventure and about the motivation behind it all. Abby and Kiira didn’t just run this for themselves. In honor of their friend Luke who passed away in a climbing accident last year they wanted to use this effort to raise awareness (and funds through a GoFundMe campaign) for the important work the American Alpine Club does with their Climbing Grief Fund. LINKS Mt. Rainier Infinity Loop FKT Abigail Westling on Instagram Kiira Antenucci on Instagram GoFundMe for the Climbing Grief Fund American Alpine Club: The Climbing Grief Fund Connect with Singletrack on: Singletrack.fm Instagram

Brittany has had a busy year and it’s not over yet. So many races, so many great results and an incredible finish at Beast of Big Creek is setting her up for her first 100 miler, the Oregon Cascades 100 later this month. We talk about all this, and why you should tell your kids to run cross country in high school. LINKS Brittany Kealy on Instagram Beast of Big Creek

The Beast of Big Creek races just happened this past weekend and I am still sitting on boxes on top of boxes in my office. But! I had to take the chance and chat with Eddy Allen from Lacey WA who crushed the Skyrace course in 3hrs 14min. Thank you to everyone who came out and raced with us this past weekend. We had an incredible weekend. Busy, but so so wonderful. You all did so great out there. LINKS Eddy Allen on Instagram Beast of Big Creek Cushman Six Connect with Singletrack on: Singletrack.fm Instagram

UTMB is the growing, omnipresent entity in our sport of trail and ultra running, and naturally I have questions. So, I went to the source, and got answers. In this week's episode of Singletrack I have the incredible honor to chat with Frédéric Lénart, CEO of the UTMB Group to discuss their partnership with Ironman, the expansion in the US, it's relationship with the race directors on the ground, and ultimately, UTMB's motivation behind it all. On Electric Cable Car I published an article, not a transcript, with some of the highlights we discussed on this episode; answers to questions that I hadn't seen written down anywhere else. LINKS UTMB World Series The Race that Changed Running: The Inside Story of UTMB Addendum to my Conversation with Frédéric Lénart on Singletrack

Hannes is back on Singletrack and we got a lot to talk about since we connected over a year ago. In this chat cover Hannes’ personal changes (all exciting and great) to his professional developments, including his nutritions sponsors challenges and of course his recent races at the World Championships in Innsbruck and of course his win at the Eiger Ultra Trail 101. Now we’re five weeks to UTMB and Hannes is calm, excited, and completely dialed for another run around the magical Mont Blanc. LINKS Hannes Namberger on Instagram Hannes on Singletrack Episode 229 Cover pic by The Adventure Bakery

The World Championships in Innsbruck, Austria are already a few weeks back now, but shortly after I sat down with Marcel Höche who ran for Team Germany to chat about his experience of wearing the National Team jersey. We talk about the difference between a race of this caliber and makeup vs. UTMB and of course, his exciting racing plans for the remainder of the year. LINKS Marcel Höche on Instagram Connect with Singletrack on: Singletrack.fm Instagram

Calling in from Innsbruck, Austria is Doug Mayer, founder of Run the Alps, wonderful supporter of the Trail Running Film Festival and author of the incredible new book: “The Race That Changed Running – the inside story of UTMB”. In this episode we chat about his new book – which you should buy immediately, the difference between Euro and US trail running, the challenges our sport is facing as it’s growing into the future, and of course the role that UTMB plays in all of this. LINKS Get the book: The Race that Changed Everything – The Inside Story of UTMB by Doug Mayer Run the Alps Run the Alps on Instagram Connect with Singletrack on: Singletrack.fm Instagram

Steve Auch is back on Singletrack and barely recovered from a massive weekend race directing the popular City und Trail event in Bad Reichenhall in the Bavarian Alps in Germany. We talk about the beauty and the challenges of directing races, the inspiration and the difference between races in the US and Europe and how to transition from behind the megaphone to putting the bib back on yourself. LINKS Steve Auch on Instagram City und Trail City und Trail on Instagram Zugspitz Ultra Rennsteiglauf Connect with Singletrack on: Singletrack.fm Instagram

This week on Singletrack I am chatting with Nicole Amyx, filmmaker, ultra runner and colleague of mine at the Trail Running Film Festival. Nicole shares how she blends her passions of filmmaking and running, passed down from her parents, into an inspiring life just outside San Francisco. We chat about about the importance of finding a great story when making a documentary film and how running can give us balance and peace for everyday life. LINKS Nicole Amyx Films Finding her Stride by Nicole Amyx Nicole on Instagram

Lou D’Onofrio is back on Singletrack. After yet another stellar finish at the famous C&O Canal 100 just a couple of weeks ago it was high time to check back in with Lou on all his races and adventures across the East Coast. LINKS Lou on Facebook Hammer Nutrition UltrAspire Connect with Singletrack on: Singletrack.fm Instagram

One of the biggest trail running events in North America just went down in Auburn, California: The Canyons Endurance Runs by UTMB. I have Jeff Urbanski with me to talk about his incredible 12th place finish in the 100 Mile race and I share a bit about my 50K effort, that yes, was not a DNF, how about that. LINKS Jeff on Instagram Team Run Run Canyons Endurance Runs by UTMB Connect with Singletrack on: Singletrack.fm Instagram