Paul Knight - 2026 Trail Team Selection

You can feel the moment a runner starts to outgrow the track and get pulled back toward the mountains. That’s where we meet Paul Knight, newly selected for the 2026 Trail Team Elite and fresh off D2 Indoor Nationals, where a strength-focused block for the 10K unexpectedly sharpened his 3K and 5K speed too. We dig into what that kind of fitness means when you’re eyeing trail racing and skyrunning, where the pace changes constantly and the terrain demands more than clean splits.

Paul grew up in Durango, Colorado, with the San Juan Mountains as his backyard and Hardrock 100 as part of the local summer rhythm. He explains how early trail days, big climbs, and fast descents built both confidence and an aerobic base, and why one of his most “committed” seasons on paper felt flat when he stopped trail running. The through line is motivation: when training is enjoyable, consistency follows, and consistency is the real superpower for endurance athletes.

We also get practical about the muddy middle between NCAA running and the pro trail scene. Paul shares why Trail Team Elite felt like the right bridge, how mentorship and community shape opportunities, and how he’s thinking about race choices like Broken Arrow now while keeping an eye on bigger dreams like Hardrock and UTMB. On top of it all, he’s pursuing a master’s in bioengineering at Colorado School of Mines and trying to picture a life that blends biotech work with racing.

If you’re into trail running, mountain running, skyracing, or the transition from collegiate running to trails, you’ll leave with a clearer map and a bigger sense of what’s possible. Subscribe, share this with a running friend, and leave a review with your bucket list race.

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Transcript

elcome And Guest Introduction

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome back to this Deep Stuff Podcast. I'm your host, James Loriello, and today I am joined by 2026 Trail Team Elite Selection, Mr. Paul Knight. Hope you guys enjoy this one. All right, Paul Knight. Welcome to the Steep Stuff Podcast. How's it going, my dude? Oh, it's going great. Thanks for having me. Yeah, man. Stoked to chat about you. I was telling you offline, I was like, ah, I've known about you for a while now. Like I remember 2022, you ran Kendall and had a great race there. You were kind of just behind Noah. It was either Noah or Cam. And I remember you beating Ace. Yeah, Noah. Yeah, I guess it was Noah. And I remember you beating Ace. And I was like, wow, this kid's I've never heard of this kid, but this kid's talented. So uh excited to finally, finally chat with you, man. How's uh how's the week going so far?

SPEAKER_00 1:46

Oh it's it's been good just getting back from indoor nationals, uh uh D2 Indoor Nationals, but it was a lot of fun, but trying to readjust now back home in golden. So pretty tired from that weekend.

SPEAKER_01 2:01

Oh, I bet, man. Talk about it. Talk about how uh how it went for you, talk about some results. How did it how'd it go?

SPEAKER_00 2:07

Yeah, it was it was a really great experience. Um I've never never loved indoor. Um it's kind of you know, just that in-between between cross country and and outdoor track, but um training was just we were able to put in a huge training block after cross-country and just really focus on on building the strength and really trying to carry it in 10k and outdoor. Um But the side effect of that is I actually ended up getting in a lot better shape for uh 5k and 3k than I was expecting, and so uh ended up qualifying in in both those events and um got to race uh uh nationals for them and it was just yeah, it was a great experience, especially the 5k. It was it was so much fun. Um very very physical race, but um you know started at the Yeah, go ahead.

urango Upbringing And Trail Beginnings

SPEAKER_01 3:03

No, no, I was just gonna say, I mean, dude, you're being modest. You've had you had some great races. I'm just I was so impressed by your dude. I like you I think you have I think Andy put like a banner about you on Instagram a little bit ago, just before we got on this. And it was like, I think you have like one of the fastest 3Ks on a ma on Colorado soil, or like I forget what it was, but like you're you're immensely talented, so that's it's uh exciting to you. Exciting too about this. So uh yeah, dude. I mean, maybe we can uh let's talk about your past. Like, where did where did you grow up and uh how'd you find running?

SPEAKER_00 3:35

Yeah, so I grew up in Durango um and down in southwest Colorado, and I think running is just a big part of the community down there. You know, everyone grows up just like it's a it's a huge um biking town, actually. And so everyone grows up biking there, but the plus side of that is there's incredible trails, and you know, I've kind of found over time that cycling wasn't really my passion, it was more for running and joined the joined the cross-country team there. Um but it it's always kind of been trail running from the start for me, and then like the way to be on a team and to compete was through through track and cross country. And so I I really love the community of those, and so that's kind of how I ended up in in that sphere. But to be honest, cross country for us, especially at the beginning of high school, was going into the trail systems and you know, finding the biggest hill to walk dog up and bomb down it. Um and yeah, it just really built my love for it. Just starting running there. It's such a great group of guys that you know took me onto the team there, and it was just a lot of fun.

SPEAKER_01 4:53

Well, a lot of great athletes have come out of Durango. I mean, Dakota Jones grew up there. Were you aware of like Dakota or like Jason Schlarp or any of those guys when you were coming up?

SPEAKER_00 5:01

I was, yeah. I remember from pretty young hearing about, especially hearing about Dakota. Like he was you know a few years older than me, but went to the same high school, and then hearing about you know him running hard rock and stuff was really cool because we volunteered at aid stations there as a cross-country team every summer. And so, you know, you're at this race, and then people are talking about it's like, oh, this is you know, this is the hometown guy that's racing, and you know, he was the I think the youngest guy to to ever finish hard rock. And so it's like hearing about that all the time and just seeing seeing people like that is really neat. Um to to follow, follow on the trails behind them.

unknown 5:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:44

Would did you uh I mean, does like a hundred miles like interest you or because I know you're you're kind of a you're a short trail guy, as with most fast people coming out of college. Does that like wrong stuff, even like remotely like suffering for 24 to 35 hours like even interest you at all? Or is it more so let's uh let's open it up on the one hour to two hour objectives?

SPEAKER_00 6:05

Oh open it up with the one to two hour objectives for sure, but yeah, I'd be I'd be lying if I'd said that I didn't want to to get into that longer stuff, you know, down the road.

hy Trails Make Training Work

SPEAKER_01 6:16

Interesting. So what is it, what is summer like for you in the San Juans? Does the coach like let you like go play in the mountains? Are they like cool with you going to do a bunch of like link ups? Like is that is that what you normally do? Like what is your training? It seems like you're kind of a mountain guy. So like what does your training look like during the summer?

SPEAKER_00 6:34

It's it's honestly been like a a lot of a learning process for me, figuring it out because I had a couple years where you know I'd go home to Durango and just exactly what you said, playing in the sand lawns all summer and you know, still doing uh you know normal like workouts, you know, on flat workouts on the track or on the road, but then spending my weekends or easy runs just hitting the trails. And then I think it was before my junior year. I told myself I was like, no, I gotta fully commit to this cross-country season and like I'm gonna, you know, come back to golden early. I'm not gonna trail run really. And honestly, it ended up being one of the most kind of mediocre seasons that I've had. And I've that really taught me how important, you know, going back to the trails and just like making sure I was enjoying everything I was doing made me realize how important that was. And once I started doing that again, I honestly started having a lot more success.

SPEAKER_01 7:41

Wow. No, I love that. And I think it, I mean, dude, it plays into how much the mental aspect of the game really, you know. Plus, I mean, playing in the San Juans and doing, I don't know, eight to ten hours a day out there, that builds a ginormous aerobic base, and you could just have so much fun. So as opposed to just hammering yourself on a track, you know, for an hour or two. Like, yeah, I mean, like both of them have their place, but I think for someone like you, as young as you are, you know, for that development, it I I'm sure it helps immensely for that aerobic base. So that's cool to see how much you've grown and like developed like in the sport like that. Dude, 2022 is when I I said this earlier in the pod, was when I first came uh across you. What are we three, four years on since then? You had to have been like 19 or 20 when you raced Kendall then the first time. Something like that, right?

SPEAKER_00 8:26

Yeah, I think I was I think I was 20 when I raced that.

icking Races That Actually Motivate

SPEAKER_01 8:29

Oh, that's amazing. So that and you had like, I mean, right on the podium of a super competitive race, mixing it up with some of the fastest dudes, and at least in the state. Like I'd put Ace up there as probably one of the best downhillers, arguably on planet Earth, which is crazy how good he is. Um of course Noah's immensely talented as well. Obviously, he won. Um, but like what interests you? Like, what do you what do you want to get into this summer? Like, what kind of what do you want to run?

SPEAKER_00 8:54

Yeah, I mean, like in in 22 when I did when I did Kendall, like I I did it because those are my favorite mountains on earth, and like it's it's just it's a whole it's a playground out there, and so I've I want to keep doing that and you know just finding finding races and racing in places that I really love and just just having a lot of fun with it. And so um I also do I really like competing, um, and so that's kind of why I've started looking at races like Broken Arrow. Um because just it's like being up there in the mountains in beautiful places, but also getting to to compete and test myself is something that's really exciting for me, and you know, doing that on trails is just it's a blast because instead of you know going around a 200-meter indoor track, you're you're in, you know, one of the most beautiful places on earth. I I think that's so much fun.

SPEAKER_01 9:56

Yeah. Yeah, dude, you interest me in the sense that like I think you can come onto the trails and actually have like immediate success. I mean, you kind of already showed it. Like last year, what did you get fifth at the GoPro 20K? I mean, and there was uh yeah, yeah, a stacked list of guys um that were right in the mix that compete at the time. I mean, Grant Coolgan obviously is always in the mix. Um, Andy's usually in the oh, usually there's a good group of competitors in the front of that race. Um, so yeah, like so broken arrow. Um, I would imagine 23k is probably where you'll be this year. Is that it's like not final yet or kind of final? Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 10:28

Um hopefully we'll we'll see. Waiting on um waiting to hear back, but hopefully, hopefully I'll be there. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:35

No, good, good, good. What else? Anything like gold, dude, because you could like go mix it up at Golden Trail and some of those races. Like what uh do you like follow any of that stuff? Any of the any of the sport?

SPEAKER_00 10:44

I do, yeah. Honestly, I've I've followed the sport really closely for years and years now, and I think that's part of the reason I've known that I wanna, you know, I want to go to trails after college. I've known that for for many years now, um, just because that's where it all started for me. And so I'd say one of the hardest things for me with like choosing races is knowing where I should be going. And like um I I think just finding what's motivating to me is kind of how I'll start picking stuff. And um this summer will be interesting because you know I'll be coming off uh coming off outdoor track season and I'm fully fully committed, fully, fully into that, um, until I'm done with that and kind of trying to not plan out too much with the trails until after focus that just give that all the mental energy that I can. And then um the rest of the summer, you know, if I get into broken arrow, then the rest of the summer is kind of a blank slate, which I've never had that before, which is exciting. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:58

Yeah, you'll get invited to stuff as things pop up. I mean, dude, Cirque series, I'd love to see you there. I think you're I know, right?

SPEAKER_00 12:03

I'd I'd love to do some of those races.

pplying To Trail Team Elite

SPEAKER_01 12:05

Um there's plenty of races I think you would do great at. But no, I think, and spoken like a true professional, man, like in the sense where you know you want to obviously have your commitments at finishing out, you know, outdoor season in the right way. I think that's a that's super important to obviously put that at the top of the list and and make sure you do it the right way. So uh it's exciting. Why why the trail team? I gotta ask you this. Like what uh what inspired you to to apply? Obviously, you're you're a great fit. You're like a poster child for the trail team in a lot of ways, but what what inspired you to apply?

SPEAKER_00 12:36

So I think I started following the trail team um like their inaugural year. Uh, and I just I kept seeing like these incredible NCAA athletes um following following that path, like they'd you know, be on the trail team, and then it just seemed to be such a important, such a beneficial stepping stone for them to go from uh from the NCAA to trails, which that's always kind of seemed like you know, muddy waters to me, seeing how to make that that jump. Like I don't know, I've always had so many questions for people just asking whoever I can like you know, how do you make that step? And honestly, I think the people I've asked who've been on the trail team or have connections to it have said, you know, that's that's the way to do it. And um I don't know, and Andy and everyone else um with the trail team just seem to have haven't figured out so well like how how to make that that step from those between those two.

SPEAKER_01 13:43

Yeah. Yeah, I mean it's the best place for someone like you. I mean, you look at some of the athletes that the trail team has produced. I mean, Ana Gibson came through there, Christian Allen, exactly. Kate, I Mika. I mean, there's just like name on name on name, so many incredible athletes. So I think it it's great developmentally for someone like you to kind of bridge that gap. And also, I think it's not just it's not just knowing where to go. It's it's also like Andy has so many connections and the people to talk to, right? For you to potentially make a career out of this who has all the talent in the world, there's plenty of opportunities to be able to make connections with brands, and that's how sponsors come about and all that good stuff. So yeah, it's it's definitely a win-win for someone like you. And yeah, uh it's exciting.

SPEAKER_00 14:25

Yeah, I'm I'm really excited about it. The other thing that um that made me think of too is like, I don't know, potentially the biggest reason I wanted to join the team is like, like I said, from the beginning for me with uh tracking cross country, it's been about the community with it, and you know, that's been really important to me. And I love training with people. I'm not really a lone wolf in that aspect. Um, I know some people like that, but just not my gig. And like going post-collegiately, I think that's especially hard to find. And something like the trail team, you know, that's what it is. Like you have that group of people, you have you know those connections, and I think that's really meaningful for me to be able to be part of something like that.

ole Models And Longer Race Curiosity

SPEAKER_01 15:10

Yeah. Yeah, the men, I mean, I think it's just as a team that's amazing, and the mentorship, man. I mean, I think that's gonna be super helpful for someone like you. The uh Andy always picks a great group of mentors. Sometimes he's at Grayson Murphy, Adam Peterman, plenty of of big names, and people that have just, you know, have all gone through the same thing you have and and they've had to figure it out. And now that there's kind of a structure in place to help you guys, I think it it you know it helps produce kind of the next the next chapter or next group of um you know young killers on the trails, which is pretty exciting. So yeah, I'm I'm super pumped for it. I can ask you this. So you know the sport pretty well. Who who inspires you? Like who who do you look to in the sport uh for just to get you stoked about it right now? Like who's doing stuff that uh that you're interested in?

SPEAKER_00 15:56

Oh man, that's such a hard question to answer. So many. Um but I mean, for years now I've been following um following along with like Killian's journey like pretty closely. It's honestly one of the most impressive things to me about him is his range. Like how how you can how he can compete at races like, you know, uh Sears and all and stuff, and then you know, do his month-long like epic adventures, something like that. It's just absolutely crazy and it's really impressive to me. But um yeah, it's just been really cool to follow, follow his journey, and then there's a lot of other people too, you know. I've been following Black Canyon really closely for the last couple years now, and just watching all the all the athletes there, every single one. Um I've really liked watching that, and you know, that format of race is really cool to me too. Uh I like those the you know, kind of deserty, like a little bit faster races are pretty sweet. And so watching watching people rip up, tear up those trails is uh pretty inspiring. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:14

I mean, dude, that 50k race, it's only a three-hour race for you. So I know, right? It's not that's not too hard to do. I mean, what do you think? In 2020, well, what do we? I guess we end the next year, it's 2027. You think you'd be maybe uh hopping in there? I could I could see it. That'd be cool.

SPEAKER_00 17:29

I'd I'd have to I'll have to consider it. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:31

I mean, especially if you're still having the wheels that you would have, yeah, it would be yeah, definitely.

SPEAKER_00 17:36

Yeah, hopefully, hopefully I don't spend too much time, you know, on big trips in the mountains this summer. Gotta gotta keep a little bit of speed. Yeah. But yeah, especially with you know, just seeing like how well Cade did, you know, trail team alum at that race. It's like, I mean, it's it's pretty sweet seeing that, and like definitely, definitely goes to show that could be a cool, cool race to look at in the next couple of years at least. Yeah.

ioengineering Goals And Staying In Golden

SPEAKER_01 18:02

Yeah, big fan of Cade's band. To see him have that break, like finally, because he's been knocking on the door for a long time. I mean, he's yeah, so talented, and then finally, you know, like cracks one. That was pretty cool. So yeah. It's gonna be uh yeah, and dude, the future's bright. It's gonna be a lot of you guys on those podiums in the next few years. Um shift gears and ask you about minds. Because like, I don't know, I had Grace on as well, your your teammate. Um I think she's like also she's like a materials engineer. What are you studying? What kind of science and engineering are you are you uh did you study?

SPEAKER_00 18:36

Uh I'm studying bioengineering. Okay. So yeah, I did that for my undergrad and doing it for my master's now.

SPEAKER_01 18:45

Nice. Talk about that. Like what do you what do you uh like what do you do you think you want to like obviously trail running is a noble profession as well, but obviously you have this amazing you would have this amazing degree, or do you want to work in that industry or in an industry with that degree when you're done?

SPEAKER_00 19:00

I'm super passionate about it. I really enjoy it. Um so at Mines I actually started as a chemical engineer. Cool. And then uh it was halfway through my junior year, I ended up changing majors, which was you know super late time to to switch make a such a big switch like that. But I did it because I wanted to get into something that I really cared about. And I think yeah, I'm I'm still super passionate about what what I've been learning now. And so I would totally work in that industry, um, you know, working in in biotech or something like that. But especially, you know, here Boulder's such a big hub for it, and everywhere, everywhere on the front range. So yeah, I'm I'm looking at that. It'd be kind of kind of cool. Don't know how how exactly to do it, but splitting, trail running, and something like that would kind of be, you know, the dream. Yeah. Is to be able to do both.

SPEAKER_01 20:03

But can be done. Can be done.

SPEAKER_00 20:04

Time will tell.

SPEAKER_01 20:05

Do you think when you graduate, are you gonna stick around? You think Boulder's a better spot for you, or you think you'll go back to Durango?

SPEAKER_00 20:11

Uh I think I'll be sticking around in Golden for you know at least the next year or two, and then seeing where where life takes me after that. But um, yeah, I I plan on sticking in in Golden for at least a little bit. I've got such a such a good crew of people around here.

SPEAKER_01 20:30

It's a fun town, dude. There's a lot to do. Trails are great. You know, there's it's uh it's on it's like yeah, obviously, you're not in the city, so you're kind of like removed from from Denver proper, if you will. So it's yeah. Are you guys starting? Is this starting to get crazy touristy there too? Because it's like spring. Like I'm down in Colorado Springs right now. That's where I live. Oh, gotcha. Like, dude, it's starting to get so touristy. Like this past weekend, everybody was on the incline. I was like, I need to go find the trails. Get me out of here.

SPEAKER_00 20:55

I mean, I've I've definitely noticed sometimes. I'll drive up to over the weekend, drive up to the trails in Boulder. I've definitely noticed it a lot more there. Um one over, I think, Valentine's Day weekend, and um right up there. It's just a madhouse. But here things are still staying a little more low-key still, which is nice.

ucket List Dreams Broken Arrow To UTMB

SPEAKER_01 21:16

Cool, cool. All right, last question. Bucket list race, dude. I know you follow the sport, so there's gotta be one that's like something you really want to get to. Like, I mean, could like series and all, Zagama, anything like that that like kind of interests you.

SPEAKER_00 21:31

Uh man, I feel like I feel like I've got different answers for different timelines. Okay. Like in in the next year, honestly, I think number one would be broken arrow. Okay. Like I I went to uh Olympic Valley last summer to spectate Western States. And just being in that atmosphere, you know, watch that race too, and just being there is Awesome. I I love how how much of a like just how much hype there was around the race. It's such a such a sweet environment. But far off in the future, it's tough. You know, I'd I'd love to make a loop around the San Juan's one day doing hard rock. Um has has such a special place in my heart there. And then um, way off in the future too, but I've gotta put UTMB on the list. Yeah. Uh or at least one of the one of the UTMB weekend races. It's yeah. Some coming down that finishing chute, you know, they've got the music playing, there's you know thousands of people just being being part of that. Oh my gosh. It's yeah, it's sounds like a dream. Special. Special.

SPEAKER_01 22:53

It's the biggest stage, dude.

SPEAKER_00 22:54

It's the uh I know exactly. It's the Super Bowl.

hould Trail Running Join Olympics

SPEAKER_01 22:56

It is the Super Bowl. It is. It's crazy because like, I don't know, worlds is big now, but like, man, UTMB is like a serious deal right now. It's uh Yeah. Yeah. Do you think do you want us to go to the Olympics? You think the trail running will be an Olympic sport?

SPEAKER_00 23:10

Oh man, I keep I hear so both sides of it back and forth, and um I I can definitely see, you know, I know if it's in the Olympics, it's probably gonna be such a dumbed-down version of the sport that um you know it might it might not be true to the you know true to the roots, but I I'd still love to see it there if I'm being totally honest, you know. You'd hope that the people on the team to to get it into the Olympics would make sure that it's still you know got the core values there. And man, just see it seeing trail runners going to the Olympics. I don't know. Something about that's pretty awesome. It would be cool.

SPEAKER_01 23:48

Do you did you follow schemo at all this year for uh the Olympics? Following Cam and Anna?

SPEAKER_00 23:52

I did, yeah. Yeah, it's it's so fun to watch that. Yeah. Yeah, it's crazy, man. Crushing it.

SPEAKER_01 23:59

We'll see how far we are. I don't know. It's uh we've got a lot of stuff to figure out in the sport. We're like, I think we're like the NBA in the 50s or 60s, right? I think 60s. Right. NBA in the 60s right now. Like pre-Bill Russell still. Like we're starting to get those characters. I don't know. Our sport needs more characters, like more like outgoing, interesting people. Because like everybody's so humble, humble and quiet. Like I want to see more, like we need we need trail running beef. Yeah, well, not even that.

SPEAKER_00 24:24

Not actually, but just personalities.

SPEAKER_01 24:27

We need more or if we are personalities, like we want to see more people show them a little bit. But yeah, we've got a ways to go in the sport, but it's uh it's shaping up to be interesting, it's cool. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:38

Yeah. I'm I I feel like it's you know, it's really just it's growing so fast right now. There's so much going on. It's really exciting to see that. So the fact that I'm getting in getting back into the sport right now is just oh, I'm so excited. Oh, I bet, dude. I bet.

inal Thoughts And Farewell

SPEAKER_01 24:57

You've got a so much ahead of you. It's good, it's gonna be very fun to follow along. And yeah, you better get into broken arrow. I gotta if you don't, I mean, I feel like Andy, if anybody's gonna pull the strings, it's gonna be Andy. But if you if you don't want to get Andy, let me know. We'll we'll get this to Brandon. So awesome. Well, Paul, dude, thanks so much for coming on the show. I hope this is one of many conversations down the line. I'm wish wishing you the best of luck. And uh, I can't wait to see what you do, dude. I think this is this is a great opportunity for you, and uh, I feel like we're catching you just before everybody knows your name. So it's gonna be fun to follow.

SPEAKER_00 25:31

That's very nice of you. Thanks for having me on.

SPEAKER_01 25:34

Yeah, dude, of course. Have a great rest of your day.