The Steep Stuff Podcast
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The Steep Stuff Podcast
Broken Arrow Ascent Race Companion
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Broken Arrow isn’t just another race weekend anymore, it’s the point in the season where trail running feels like it snaps into full focus. Steve Taylor joins me to talk through why this stop has exploded into a true international destination in North America, how the venue and spectator access change the vibe, and why the growing prize purse keeps pulling the fastest names into one start list. If you’re tracking the road from Broken Arrow to Western States, Hardrock, and UTMB, this is the moment where storylines start to lock in.
We zoom in on the Broken Arrow Ascent and get specific about what makes this course weirdly brutal: the full-gas ski hill start, the fast road and singletrack sections that reward speed strength, and the reality that a “vertical” can still punish you for racing like it’s a 3-minute effort. We talk pacing, tactics, and why this format can favor athletes with big VO2 engines, while still demanding legit climbing legs once the lactic hits and the finish gets close.
Then we get into the fun debate: is this the race of the roadies, or do mountain specialists still own the day? We dig into the crossover trend, what it does for the sport’s visibility, and why trail running remains a skill even on runnable terrain. From the stacked women’s matchup to the men’s field depth and our podium picks, you’ll walk away with clear names to watch and a sharper sense of how the Ascent is likely to unfold. If you like the breakdown, subscribe, share the episode with a trail buddy, and leave a quick review.
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Sponsor Message And Foot Care
SPEAKER_01Interrupting this episode to talk to you guys about Cetus Insoles, official partner of the Steep Stuff podcast. How many of you athletes out there wear insoles? I do. Not only do I get a little performance boost, a whole lot of foot comfort, but I also get about a quarter inch to a half inch of height boost, which is a win-win-win, if you ask me. Doesn't matter. Run, ski, outdoor, multi-sport, and daily life. Cetus insoles have something for everyone. I alternate between the three feet protect and the three feet low to give me optimal comfort on uneven and technical terrain. Check them out online at Cedus.us. Cetus is the official football care partner of Western States and UTMB. Cetus, your foot company. Steve
Broken Arrow Hype And Big Picture
SPEAKER_01Taylor, welcome back to the Steep Stuff Podcast. How's it going, my friend?
SPEAKER_00I'm doing well. Thanks for keep bringing me on. I know you're getting so much hate mail about me, and you just keep bringing me on week after week.
SPEAKER_01I know, dude.
SPEAKER_00The hate mail is just falling in.
SPEAKER_01Something about mansplaining, all these different things. I don't know. Um, hey, we are all we are live. We're talking about broken arrow. Uh biggest week of the sport, at least in the North America's kicking off right now. So exciting. Uh how do you feel, man? Uh what's your excitement level as a as a spectator, as a fan? What do you think right now?
SPEAKER_00This is the start of my favorite time of the year. You go from broken arrow, western states, hard rock, UTMB. Obviously, I'm I used to focus a little bit more on the ultra side of things. So those those events traditionally, year after year, get me really excited. But now we're also starting to include in it like then leads into Mammoth Trail Fest, the run. We're into, I mean, the race season has been going, but this is the thick of it right now. We are in my favorite time of the year.
SPEAKER_01It's crazy, man. I can't believe it's already broken arrow. I feel like I've been putting off all the work that I've need to be doing for the last like two months in preparation for this up until the last two days. And here, and here we are.
SPEAKER_00Uh no amount of preparation could get you ready for every single race. I mean, you can do your homework. I uh you can listen to every lead up podcast, and every single time a week after the vote, I didn't even think about this athlete or I didn't even think about this component of the race. So I don't think you need to beat yourself up not knowing every single thing or getting your homework done a little late. It's crazy, man.
SPEAKER_01Broken arrow, it's wild to see the evolution of this race. I I first went to this race in 2023 to compete, and since then it has just been wild to see how much it's really grown in the last three years and kind of taken on a name for itself and really just become a true, um, I'd say a true international race, uh, like an international destination in North America. Um, something that's gonna be, you know, on the lines of like getting enough attention or getting similar attention to your Zagamas, your series and alls, things like that. Um, so it's just a I I find it really amazing to see the progression of the race in sport and to kind of see where the short trail scene has kind of come on in North America. I mean, there was a big question years ago, or last this past year, you know, when the Golden Trail series and Broken Arrow kind of split split ways, you know, will the race still be as big? Will the 23K still be will the whole thing still be as big as it had been in prior iterations? And it's even bigger. I mean, this is like truly one of the greatest expressions in our sport of uh some of the coolest things. So yeah, I'm just so excited. June 18th through the 21st. Uh, so this upcoming week, kicking things off. Uh the I feel like the um uh the uh expo will start on Thursday and then racing starts on Friday. So with uh kick it off with the ascent at 8 o'clock in the morning.
SPEAKER_00So yeah, no, and I mean it's no short order because of all a lot of different factors. Obviously, uh when it uh first started off, it got led into becoming a Golden Trail World Series event. So that obviously gave it some notoriety, but also it's being hosted in a fantastic location. I mean, you could not ask for a better spot that's gonna have all the uh all the accessories and utilities needed to host the amount of people that are gonna be coming through there. There's gonna be thousands of people coming through, filtering in for every single day for these races and just to view it, let alone race it. Um but on top of that, they've got some top-of-the-line facilities and trails for uh for our athletes to be able to go out and race on. So I think they've done a phenomenal job with that. But they I think one of the biggest things that even though it is not um one of the Golden Trail World Series events anymore, they've continued to grow that prize purse to the point where it's almost a must-go if you're one of these athletes. And I think we're gonna see some people who are going out and they're prepping for bigger events in the summer, especially the ascent athletes. We're seeing we we saw Jim Walmsley a few years ago and do that as his prep race going into Western states, even just a week out, and you know, ended up pulling out a big W there that year. So I think this is especially if you're going there and doing the Ascent or even doing something as ambition, as ambitious as the Triple Crown. You have people who are prepping for a race really close by or getting their big base building in with uh in a race environment for later in the summer events as well.
SPEAKER_01It's very true. There's something truly for everyone at this race, which makes it so exciting. And to your point as well, it's been really exciting to see a lot of the the longer trail, or you could call them ultra athletes, like Leah Yingling, we're gonna get to see this year. Um Jasmine Louther as well. Athletes that maybe more dabble in some of the longer stuff will be doing the triple crown. So it's their ultra version. And I think the triple crown, in my opinion, is as competitive as uh competitive as it's ever been. So yeah, I think that there's so many things to be excited for. I, from one, am already tired out. I cannot believe how I'm gonna feel by the time Sunday rolls around. Um, yeah, it's funny, man. We rolled off of uh Sunapee, and I did so much work for Sunape that I was like, am I gonna do pre-race interviews for Broken Arrow? I was like, no, I'm gonna do the bare minimum because there's so much work that has to be done at Broken
On-Site Plans And Booth Hangout
SPEAKER_01Arrow. So, and on that topic, uh, shout out to our uh presenting sponsor, Cetus. Cetis is the official insole partner of uh Broken Arrow this year and the official foot care partner of Western States. Uh, I am gonna be posted up at the Cetus booth from Thursday through Sunday. Come see us, come say hey. We're gonna be doing some uh some media work there as well. We're gonna be doing uh these little chair chats uh where we'll be asking a series of like stupid and funny questions along with some serious ones, get some hot takes maybe uh for a mini-series that we're gonna be distributing on social media. So super excited for that. Come say hey. I'll be handing out some free broken arrow merch, or sorry, not broken arrow, some free steep stuff merch, and uh I think we might be giving out some some CETA stuff as well. Uh so come say hey and hang out at the booth. Uh, get to meet me in person, and uh I'm sure that'll be the highlight of your week. And uh yeah.
SPEAKER_00I was gonna say I would get ready to be underwhelmed.
SPEAKER_01Shaking hands and kissing babies. So it should be it should be a good time. Um yeah,
Ascent Stakes And Prize Purse
SPEAKER_01all right. So let's talk about the ascent. That's the first race we're gonna preview. Kicking off this Friday at eight o'clock in the morning, $28,200 prize purse, so pretty stout prize purse, which I'm super excited about. Um, $14,100 per gender. Both winners get $6,000 large. Uh that's USD, which is pretty exciting. Um yeah, I don't know. I I think I think there's a lot to be said. Last year we had a shorter iteration of the ascent. Uh it was a quite uh quite underwhelming because it had to be cut down due to wind, so it changed the race entirely. So I think there's gonna be a lot more interesting storylines uh because I think a lot of the athletes that we would have seen maybe win the race closer to the end, uh, maybe didn't get a chance to turn on, turn things on until like later on. Whereas some of your more fast twitch athletes uh to the accord of um uh like a Christian Allen were able to kind of turn it on. Uh yeah. So last year we hit a shortened course. What do you what are your thoughts on the longer course for this year and and if that changes anything?
SPEAKER_00I don't think it's uh you know, the course last year it ended up being about two uh 2.3 miles, is that correct?
SPEAKER_01Yes. Yeah, no, I about 1,800 feet of vertical.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and so and this it comes out to be just shy of 3,000 or right around 3,000 feet. Um I think we're gonna we're gonna be able to see a more fully fledged race. Obviously, that goes without saying. But uh last year we really had the opportunity to see, because of that shorter distance, if people were gonna be really explosive off the line, they were gonna be able to capitalize really quickly. And I mean, again, especially on the women's side, we had some um, we had some really fast time still. Uh, but that being said, you know, there were some shakeups uh that I don't think a lot of people were anticipating seeing. And I we're gonna be we're gonna be expecting something where if people are getting off the line and they're hitting that initial speed slope as hard as possible, they're they're gonna have to pay for it by going obviously a little bit further. Then there's the little downhill where people are gonna have the opportunity to catch back up and then have that final push. So it is more of a test of endurance, but this is still an event that is going to favor people that have the capability and the speed strength of like really strong 10K um capabilities on tracks. I you can even see from the starting lineup uh of both the uh men's and women's fields that there are a lot of road to trail converts, or at least uh first timers we'll see, that have huge pedigrees, um, both professionally and collegiately, that yeah, their VO2 max is going to be enormous. And, you know, that may be able to get them uh fighting in the top 10 or even the top five through the first half of the race, it's then do they have that the strength and their climbing legs to keep going for another half of the race once they hit that downhill and then the lactic is just building up at that point.
SPEAKER_01This is such an interesting course for me. So I I I've always been, I think from I think if you're a vertical athlete or athlete that likes VKs or even something more of the mountain classic and Cirque series races, like this actually is a pretty, I don't want to say easy course, but it of the vertical races in the United States, I'd say this is one of the easier, faster ones. Um I would agree. I don't feel like that's a that's not a very hot take. I just feel like if you can survive the opening 0.2 to about quarter mile. So for those of you who don't who have never been to the course, it's actually quite interesting. So the the course itself starts on this quarter mile ski hill, right? It's a ski run. And there's like plants, and it's like not a trail, it's not
Course Breakdown And Race Strategy
SPEAKER_01a road, it's just a ski run. And there's like I said, it's it's kind of like sparsely loaded with like some alpine plants and stuff, and just it is basically full-on full gas for a quarter mile, and I think it gains almost 400 feet, about 400 feet in that quarter mile. And then you basically come off of that and onto the road, and you kind of filter out onto the road, and then the rest of the course for the most part is a mixture of road and single track. Um, it's very fast. There is even a transition from mile two to mile 2.4, which is downhill, uh, which is weird for a vertical race or a vertical kilometer, if you will, which that's why kind of they named it the ascent, just because it's not quite a VK, it's 2,840 feet. Um I think I think the ascent is actually easier than some of the Cirque series races, in my opinion, in the in the ascent function, where a lot of those are three miles and 2,600 feet, where this is pretty this is a little bit longer, 3.6 with 2840. So you're gonna see some very fast times. I believe Christian split last year, or Christian's time, some of his um times in the past have been like nine to ten minute miles somewhere in that stream. So you're looking at high four to low five minute grade adjusted pace in that range. So very, very fast. Um, and especially with that road component, um, you know, you're gonna see some some guys laying down some serious watts on that road, and same with the women as well. So yeah, I think this the story of this race, especially for the roadies, uh, like Rory Link letter, I think he could do it very well at a race like this. Uh, I know that we'll get into storylines. We'll talk, talk about him, and but what is good? I'd say 10 to 15, maybe top 10. Uh, just because I I don't think this is a particularly difficult race in any way. I mean, the most technical section is probably the ski hill for the first quarter mile and then red dog ridge, uh, which you're on a ladder. So as long as he doesn't fall off the ladder, I think you'll be okay.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and once you hit red dog ridge, you're you're essentially at the finish line. So if you've made it to that point, yeah, you and it's a new and improved ladder. It's gonna be way more forgiving than the previous one, which I don't think anyone was really getting past on that, anyways. But you at least have the opportunity to feel a little bit safer going up that um if that if heights aren't really your jam, anyways.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and I think there's a lot of strategy to racing a race like this. Like I've had some good, really good conversations with Mika uh Budin Rosso, who will be uh racing the ascent this year. And I've had some good conversations with him with him in the past about uh just not blowing up in the first on that first ski hill. A lot of people have a tendency to go out all gas, no breaks. And if you're going out on something that is a 35% grade, I mean, there's a good chance you could blow yourself up going too hard because it's very difficult to measure an effort in that way. So by the time you hit the road, you want to still have some serious legs to be able to uh kind of transition off of that. So, you know, guys like him have started way back, like in 20th, 30th place, and just move their way up the field. I mean, and Mika's finished as high, I believe, in 2024. I think it was in third or fourth place. Uh, I think it was third, just behind uh just in front of Christian and just behind Jim Walmsley. So yeah, that strategy can work.
SPEAKER_00And if you got any doubts about his climbing ability, I uh challenge everyone to find. I think the video on YouTube only has like 200 views, but it's his Mount Tam first attempt where he ended up getting the third fastest time on it at the time. Um and but it just shows that he is willing to dig himself into a grave on a hard uphill. So I I'm really excited to get it, get him out there and see him race. It was kind of a bummer when he wasn't able to uh make it out to Sonopee Scramble. Um he was a scratch that I was really excited to see race. And now that he's uh he's coming out here for the ascent, I think that he he much like Christian, he's just gonna make it exciting within that within that field.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, Mika's an interesting one. And we'll talk about him when we get to the field, but I will just caveat one little stat uh because we are we're doing some work right now for the La Sportiva Green Mountain and Granger Mountain Challenge that I'm gonna do some some interviews for. Mika dropped a 2834 on Green, beating Mason's besting Mason's time. That's fast. He's pretty fast. So yeah, I would expect to see. I think Mika's in pretty good shape going into a race like this. I think uh Green is a bit more, quite a bit more technical. Quite I think that's a it's it depends on what your style is, but it's quite a bit more of a hard course, uh, in my opinion. Granted, he's not being chased, no one's chasing him, so it's a little bit different once in a race setting.
SPEAKER_00But there's a there's a real chance that he's yeah, there's a very real chance that he's fighting with um having to pass around people on the uphill as well. So unless he's getting a clear path, people are you know making sure that no one's in his way. There's still the chance that there's pedestrians that he had to deal with. And I completely agree with you. Having lived in Boulder for a few years and done that run more than a few times, it is quite a bit more technical. Um, I I will say, you know, there's a lot of precedent on that mountain and uh a lot of really tried and tested routes. But obviously, there's only one way up this mountain on race day. Um, so I think that's a that's as about as good a parallel training ground as you can get for an event like this. Now you just need to throw in a few hundred more athletes.
SPEAKER_01It's interesting. I feel like the only way you can get really, I mean, if you wanted to get like into the weeds specific for a race like this, you'd have to live at a ski resort. I think that's the only way because there's so much like seven, like 12 to 18 percent like cat track road, and um, you know, the just the way like the ski run is, it's very hard to mimic that like in a mountain town, other than if you had a ski resort at your at your disposal, right? So yeah, you'll see like your Ryan Beckers of the World, who I don't believe is competing in this race this week. Um, I've heard like whispers on and off that he'll be there, but he's not signed up. I did not text him to find out. Um, but lives and tell your ride.
SPEAKER_00I did a I did a nice control F on there, and I didn't I didn't see his name, but who knows? I'm uh I'm tech savvy, but I I'm also a human, so I could I you know I'm fallible.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, we gotta we gotta bring more humor into this one, dude. I felt like we uh I gotta I we gotta get the jokes rolling. Let's talk
The Roadie Crossover Debate
SPEAKER_01about the storylines. The road this is uh is this gonna be the here's my question is this the race of the roadies? Like I I always feel like every year, whether it's an ultra race or like a short trail race, like anytime like the roadies kind of come over, media makes such a big deal about it. And that always drives me nuts because I I while they do deserve like 100% love, I feel like there's so many trail athletes that deserve love too that like you know are could compete and do just as well, if not better. Um, but there is some interesting storylines on the roadies this year that we can't ignore. Like Rory Linkletter, uh, second fastest Canadian marathon in history. I think he might be the Canadian half marathon record holder as well. Dude lives in Flagstaff, lives at altitude, very fit gentleman. Um, has been doing some trail running. Like I've been peeping at Estrava, he's got some things in there that give me an inclination that he could do quite well here. Uh Rajpal Panu, who's a little bit more of a dark horse, he's been on the start, or he's sorry, he's been signed up a couple years, uh, has never towed the line, though. Uh you know, traditionally a hundred mile to 100k athlete, uh, competes at like some of those world record types of road races. Um, and then Stephanie Bruce was on the list as well. And I know um Subhub covered this in their um in in their preview episode, so I won't go too deep into it, but uh Stephanie Bruce is another one. Like we don't know anything, like we don't know if she's racing, nobody knows if she's still in the line, but she is on the start list, and that could be super interesting. Where would she even fit this?
SPEAKER_00So yeah, and I mean there's also a few other there's a few other athletes. This was mentioned by a few people that have already put out a few uh media companions for the race day, but Jesse Diggins is in the I I believe uh she she's doing the ascent, but she may be doing the triple crown.
SPEAKER_01She's doing the triple crown.
SPEAKER_00Yep, okay. That's what I thought. Um, I don't think she's gonna go out there and try and be uh competitive. I mean, I'm talking about one of the great American uh winter Olympians of all time. I I shouldn't be putting shame upon her name, but um she uh don't talk shit.
SPEAKER_01I have to I have to interview her in a couple days.
SPEAKER_00No, no, no. She is an incredible athlete, and I she can beat me up. I know that much. I've seen what my upper body looks like. Umes in America currently. Um and I think if she were to focus on any one event, I think she could throw down a really big time. But knowing that she's going in and doing the triple crown and this is probably being used for base fitness going throughout the rest of her season, I still think that'll be a fun one to watch regardless. And she's gonna be getting that attention that we're talking about where roadies or other big name cross athletes are gonna be coming in here. And I, you know, they're likely doing it for bass training or dipping their toe in the trail. They're they're trail curious, they're trying to figure out whether this is something that they want to do maybe in their offseason, maybe as a new focus. I mean, we obviously saw that with Molly Seidel now uh getting ready to race at uh Western States. Um, but I I do think that some of these people, despite the fact that um, you know, they may be one-offs, they may not perform the way that everyone's hoping for, they're bringing attention to uh to an event that I think is one of the most easily viewable. Um, it's really spectator friendly. And this is how you get people in the door with the sport. So I am never going to, I'm never gonna bash anyone for dipping their toe in this pool and trying. And even if they're getting an elite entrance and it's their first race, I'd rather see the sport being grown in this avenue by getting big names that are crossing over from other sports so that we uh our humble little sport can finally start getting the spotlight on it.
SPEAKER_01Well, I think there's a lot of really good points made there. And I think this is like while maybe I'm a little intense on the road on the road runner scene, like with it with them coming over, because you know, I want good coverage for the trail athletes that are up and coming as well. One thing I do have to say is, and I think this is what makes the Cirque series so interesting to me. And so such a great aspect of our sport is now you're starting to see with Broken Arrow this beautiful intersection of sport where you're getting road athletes. Obviously, it's endemic to trail athletes, but now you're seeing your Jesse Diggins of the world and Malle Noise and other ski athletes kind of come over. Dude, Mallee Noise is a two-time podium finisher on the uh Speedcoat 50K. Obviously, didn't have the race at Broken Arrow she wanted last year, but she's signed back up again, ready to compete. So we're getting a lot of high, just high-level athletes from different disciplines of aerobic sports that are kind of coming in. And they also bring their culture from their sports with them. And I think that that intersection is one of the things that always made the Cirque series so great. And I think if you can kind of roll that into this event, I think that that also just you know continues to create and and build upon uh what Brandon already has, which is exciting.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Trail running's always been a melting pot. And I even from its early days, but we used to be the uh if you look back in the 80s, nineties, even early 2000s, we were the rejects from other sports. We were the ones that um, you know, maybe we weren't fast enough for our cross country team, and but we could run a really long time. Maybe we were uh You know, we were rejects from another sport. I know a lot of soccer players, you you being one of them that have transitioned into this sport. But I think it's really cool to see the upper, the upper end of other sports dipping their toe into this because it's just another factor for us to have to consider and another another set of opinions, another another set of training ideas. We're, I mean, there's so much influence coming from, especially the cycling and triathlon world right now around training. And I think that there's still more to be said about what cross-country skiers and schemo athletes, even though historically a lot of people have kind of talked about the training that they do, but maybe not the high-end VO2 max threshold work that they've been doing. I think there's still so much to learn from them. And then they're also bringing a culture of professionality or professionalism within this sport that is still getting its footing around what do we want to be going into the next five to 10 years? We're we're trying to figure out how serious do we want to take this and how far are we going to go with it. And these athletes are going to be bringing in their level of professionalism, and I think that only makes it more fun and more exciting to watch as a viewer.
SPEAKER_01100%. That's super
Women’s Field Favorites And Upsets
SPEAKER_01well said, too. All right, let's let's transition and get into let's talk about the women in the race. Because, dude, I mean, I could sit here and name 30 people that could perform really well at this race. And I I will caveat one thing. It's insane. It is nuts. And this is between the 23K, the VK or cent, if you will, and the 46K. Uh looking at these start lists, I mean, this is all a matter of who shows up and and if we're able to get people that are healthy. But the 23K to me, and I haven't done the math on it, and I will crunch the numbers by the end of the week, but I'm pretty curious and pretty sure uh that I think it will be the most the most um competitive race ever assembled on American soil when you're comparing it to like the Pikes 2023 Pikes Peak Ascent, which I think mathematically is still the most competitive race ever assembled on American soil because it was that golden trailer.
SPEAKER_00And I would agree with that as well. Um the the I know we're talking about the Ascent right now. Um I believe the Ascent still has the least amount of entrance in it out of all three races. I could be incorrect with that one. Yeah. Um yeah, so it's obviously this is a very specific type of race. It's gonna favor a certain type of athlete, especially one that, like we were saying earlier, has a really big VO2 engine. Um, someone who can just be explosive and hold that for, you know, a 10K uh on track uh is gonna have really good success on this as well as they as long as they have good uphill legs. But I think I was scrolling down on all of the entrants the other day, and I think it was uh probably a hundred lines down before I even broke into the um even broke into the 80s on the ultra signup score, which doesn't mean a whole lot if we're like let's take a look at it, let's take a look at Atra. Yeah. Um I those are gonna have a little bit more bearing, but nevertheless, that is that that depth alone was pretty insane.
SPEAKER_01It is, it is. So some names that kind of stick out. I'm gonna start with last year's champion, uh last year's female winner, Anna Gibson, none other than 2026 Schemo Winter Olympian. All the engine, the motor. I think they call her the motor. Oh, the motor, okay. The motor. Third at worlds last year, so a medalist, um, one of the few, you know, like one of the few great American runners there is. Like she's just insane. Like her pedigree is crazy. Ana Gibson, obviously, first year in 2025. She was second in 2024, just behind Joyce Naru, and uh third in the 23K last year in 2025. Uh, another name that stands out, Joyce Njiro. You could pronounce her last name. I don't know. I I was asking Google this. Uh I've heard like Subhub, for instance, says Njiroo. Naru also couldn't work. Yeah. I gotta get my pronunciations better, but maybe I'll just ask her.
SPEAKER_00Keep me in Spanish, keep me in English, I'll I'll be able to help you out. Um but yeah, Joyce is I think Joyce was unfortunately the victim of an exceptionally short course last year. I'm really excited to see the battle between her and Anna because obviously Joyce has some uh has a huge pedigree, and I think she's also got a little bit more of the marathon fitness mixed with some uh really s really strong mountain legs right now. So with the you know added mile on this mile and a half with extra an extra thousand feet of climbing, I think that this is gonna be a much more interesting race between those two.
SPEAKER_01And this is the rubber match, uh, much like we were talking about last week with uh kind of Mason and Dan. This is the rubber match between Anna and Joyce. Um Anna obviously won in 2025, Joyce won in 2024. Um, and they were both very close in the 23k as well. We'll see who gets the win on this one. It either way, it's gonna be super exciting. Anna is interesting to me because this is she will truly open up her trail season this upcoming week. Whereas last year she did have Zagama under her legs and was it was uh, I don't know, maybe three. She was what, two weeks removed or a week and a half removed from Sunna P. So she had Sunna P and Zagama under her legs last year. So she had raced twice. This will be very interesting uh to see kind of where that confidence level is and where she's at.
SPEAKER_00To be perfectly fair to her, she did legitimately come off of the biggest uh athletic stage in the world earlier this year. So she did have a at least two or three races at the Olympics uh under her belt. So I I don't think she's coming in completely unprimed, but it has been a little bit of time, and also this is her first trail break-in for the year.
SPEAKER_01Well, let me ask you this, and this is just out of pure curiosity because I always love like exploring the uh emotional and like psychological components. Do you think, and I've not asked Anna this, I have not asked Cam this either, and it's just out of pure curiosity. I will ask Cam this this week because I'm very curious. Do you do you think you get another layer of confidence having competed on the biggest stage in the world against the best athletes in the world and that particular discipline? Like, do you think anything you touch after that, like you you automatically just it's it's just a little bit easier because nothing's as hard as trying to like compete at that level?
SPEAKER_00Maybe not necessarily. I think that there is something to be said for um, yes, you are getting all eyes on you. I mean, you're getting global coverage of your sport. You know, albeit it was as much as I was really excited for schemo, it was uh particularly hard in the US to get some good eyes on it at the Olympics. But that being said, you are going up against some of the best athletes in the world, um, or the best athletes in the world, not some of them. They are the best athletes in the world from their countries, all competing against each other in the at the highest stakes possible. Um, I will say both of them have experience going against global competition, whether it be Golden Trail World Series, Cam over at Pike's Peak, um, marathon, and uh as well as doing schemo regularly. Um they they have experience on the international stage. But I I do think that if there's a way that you can focus, and obviously they ended up in fourth, they ended up doing phenomenally. They're so close to a medal. They're so close, incredibly close. They they dialed in and they were obviously able to turn on their competitive mindset. I think that just shows that they have a cool calmness about them that the stage obviously didn't scare them. And I don't think it was necessarily that stage that primes them for everything else. I think it was the lead up and everything that they did in the years, getting prepared for that that prepares them for that. I mean, I you there are athletes. There's a in tennis, there was a French Open back in the early 2000s where the finals turned into two people who uh essentially fell apart and it was one of the it turned into moonballing. So sometimes a stage can break people, sometimes even both athletes that are in it. But these two people, they showed that they are capable of just handling the stage and moving forward as if it were nothing. But I think that comes from years of practice and being in competitive arenas regularly, not so much the Olympics themselves.
SPEAKER_01Interesting. Yeah, I just feel like maybe these athletes find find another level. Like it could be very true that there's just because I and I've said this for years, like I I think Anna, we don't really know how good Anna is yet because she's just so talented and so good. And you know, she's obviously last year's 2025 mountain running champ, then goes to the Olympics and wins broken arrow and podium, you know, medals at worlds, and she's so young that I just feel like, man, there's just so much more to, you know, that she'll probably be able to accomplish and achieve. So there is probably another level there, which is gonna be interesting to follow. Maybe we get it this weekend.
SPEAKER_00So yeah. I I'm excited to follow her career. As long as she's doing short stuff, I'm still always gonna put her, I'm pretty much always going to put her in metal contention in my mind because I think she is just that good. But like you're saying, I think because of the sparseness of her calendar, oftentimes we aren't given a full glimpse into what her capabilities are.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Super interesting. All right, let's let's talk about some more of the women. Uh next on my list is Alicia Morin. Alicia just won the Sun of Peace Scramble. Uh, so she sandbagged so bad, dude. I had her on that pre-race interview. She's like, oh, I'm coming off an injury. I don't really know how hard I'm gonna race, and yada yada yada. I'm like, you know, but but you look at a resume and you're like, oh my god, you have 100% the ability to go win this race. And what do you think she does? She goes and wins the race and has a fantastic performance. Uh I will say it was not a blowout. It was not a blowout. It was a very close race. And so you could definitely tell maybe that adds another layer of confidence, and maybe that continues because she was originally set to go race the Gama and uh was still working through injury. Last year, she was ninth at worlds, uh, top 10 as well at OCC. So she has an insane pedigree, an insane engine. Um, and she could do both. She can handle it uh both on the mountain classic side as well as the vertical side. Uh at D Fe Decalore, um, she's you know, she's won both multiple times uh in the ascent and the uh up down. It is gonna be, I mean, I and this is what I was kind of getting at when I was talking about our previous interview that we did for Sunopee. She she said it seemed a little hesitant and a little worried about altitude. So we'll see how maybe she reacts to that, living in Quebec. Um, I don't think it's gonna really affect her. There's a lot of athletes here coming that, you know, coming from not altitude positions, but we'll see. Uh so that's gonna be a fun one to follow.
SPEAKER_00I I'm a firm believer that if she were in the 23 or 46k, that might be more of a consideration. I think the ascent is a short enough distance that that it it will they'll feel it, but I don't think it's gonna affect their performance as much as they're anticipating.
SPEAKER_01That's very true. Uh Natalie Clement is the next one. Uh she was third at EuroChamps and uh was eighth at worlds in the uphill and the classic. Um, another one to keep a look at. Dude, there's the depth of women in this race, it's crazy. Madeline Kepler as well. Uh TGC, so Transgrand Canaria, vertical champ. Um Valentina Rudio, Arudo, fifth in the vertical at worlds. Uh, fan favorite, one of our favorites, you know, Courtney Koppinger. Uh she was just four fourth at Sunapee. Probably didn't have the race that she wanted. Um, but let me tell you something, dude. Courtney is so talented. Uh Steepler from uh University of Kansas, just recently was third in the Beijing vertical uh race at the WRMRA race, right behind Maud Mathies, who's probably one of the most decorated, if not one of the best uphillers, uh female uphillers ever.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. I mean, I I still think about uh Maud's uh Pikes Peak Marathon, and that that performance is one of the greatest performances of all time on the women's side. And if you're coming in second place to her, that I I don't think uh you can be undervalued as an athlete.
SPEAKER_01100%. Uh next on the list is Marie Nivette, uh 11th in the Mountain Classic at Worlds. She was sixth last year in the 23K and seventh at ETC. Um, also can't count out Sydney Peterson, dude. Sydney Peterson training out of Crestdebu, Colorado, uh, fourth in 2020, or fourth American in 2025, made the world team, and uh just a really good uphill runner. Another year of training under her belt, another year of preparation. I think she's gonna do greater. Probably didn't have the race that she wanted at Zagama, but still has that great experience racing internationally. Um, I think this is definitely her jam, and I would expect her to perform very well here.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and she doesn't have too bad of a training partner either.
SPEAKER_01We'll get to him. Uh we'll talk about him. Uh, one more or a couple more. I did I did leave off. Uh Rena Schwartz. Uh Rena was just on the podium this year at Sunpee. Dude, Rena's interesting, man. She's another one who was like, oh, I'm just coming off an injury. I'm not really sure how I'll do. And you know, Rena, to me, I always thought as of last year, uh watching her race that she was a better climber. And then she goes and rolls everybody up on descent descent at Sunnepe and uh has just really evolved her game in the last year. So, you know, you're talking about someone that's a Mount Washington Road race champion last year, uh, as well as top five at Sunnepe and the collegiate champion, and then rolls into this year, third at Sunape, so just on the podium, made team the USA, and uh has just really evolved her downhill game. Um, so I'm probably more looking forward to see her in something like the 23k, but I think she could do extremely well in the ascent.
SPEAKER_00Gotcha. Yeah, I am there's a lot of uh Sunope alumni coming out here for this race that um I I'm really excited to see. But Rena Schwartz was we both had her on our uh US team picks. Um I I was really impressed with her. I I after re-listening to your your uh interview with her and then watching her race and then going back and reviewing the race from last year, I was just really impressed with her growth year over year. And I think she has nothing but um nothing but talent to build on, as well as she's I mean, being a skier, um, she's built up a huge engine already. And uh as we know, historically speaking, skiers do have really great uphill legs, like you said, Mount Washington winner. Um, I'm I I I could see her pretty pretty handily making a top five appearance in this race.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. I mean, dude, it it it anything could happen. This is the beauty of the sport. Upsets can happen just because we think someone's gonna be where they should be, it might not happen. I mean, dude, like I have to be honest with you, I was really pretty keen on the front two women at Sunnepe, and I was very surprised for for how it unfolded. Um, and same for the men. I mean, I really thought Christian, I would I would have not been surprised if Christian won that race at Sunope. I also wouldn't have been surprised to see Mason win or Dan. That was a very pick'em kind of thing because it could go any way. Um, but I thought because of just how goddamn good Christian is, um, you know, if something's not your course, or if you have a bad night's sleep, or that all anything could happen. That's the beauty of the sport. That's the beauty of sport in general.
SPEAKER_00So, you know, if you've just got a little bit too much drag in the mullet, like who knows? If the course is too long, you're getting friction there, buddy.
SPEAKER_01Do you think uh so this is a really good question? This goes back to our commercial that we need to do for ACG. Do you do you think maybe there is too much humidity in the mullet producing too much water there and too much drag you know, produced a lot more?
SPEAKER_00I think the only way we can really test is get him in a wind tunnel, get him with his regular mullet, and then get him a perm, and we can really get to the bottom of this.
SPEAKER_01He does run better in dry altitude uh environments, dude. So this is this is a theory.
SPEAKER_00This is more I mean, this is more his feed. Uh the frizz ball's not gonna happen out here.
SPEAKER_01No, no, not at all. All right, give us uh give us your picks.
Women’s Podium Picks And Wildcards
SPEAKER_01Give me your let's do uh one through three women's podium.
SPEAKER_00Okay, that sounds good. I'm gonna go uh it's it's tough to vote against Anna, but I'm gonna go Joyce uh in Jiro going one. Um I'm gonna go Anna taking two. And I've been sort of fighting about this one in my mind because there are a lot of really good uh names in here. Um let's you know what? She's had such a good uh last few or last few races. I'm gonna go Alicia Marin or Alisa Marin.
unknownOkay.
SPEAKER_01That's a that's a good one. That's actually almost exactly what I have, and I'm I'm gonna change my mind now because I I don't I don't want to have the same thing.
SPEAKER_00I'm picking I'm picking names in the top six on Ultra Sign Up.
SPEAKER_01Fair, fair. I'm gonna go Anna Gibson. I think Anna, I don't know, just to me, kind of what I was speaking to before. I think Anna just uh just it continues to evolve, and that's what we've seen, and I think she's already won this race. Obviously, it was a shortened version, so my guess would be she wants to win the full thing. So yeah, uh, and that would matter a lot to her. So I'm gonna go Anna Gibson. I'll go Joyston too. I think Joy, I think Anna wins the rubber match when it comes to the vertical races between the two. And in third, I might go Nelly. I don't know if I want to do Nellie Clement. I'm so confused on it because I think Nellie Clement has a good opportunity to do really well here. Madeline Kepler as well has a great opportunity. I'm sorry, Valentin Rudo, who was fifth at roads in the vertical. The thing is, dude, I would favor who's got the better. Well, who's got a bit the best road legs in this race? Because you've got to remember, too, like this is not like a single track technical vertical race with stairs, like some stuff that you would normally see in Europe. This is a road, like basically an uphill road race uh in a lot of sections. So who has the best road legs? You know, Elisa won the race at Sunapee. I would say more on the downhills than the than the ascents. Like I feel like um, yeah, I I don't know. I just feel like she was she was more vulnerable to athletes catching her. Uh Maya caught her. I believe it was on no, sorry, Maya was beating her on the climb. Uh so it went back and forth.
SPEAKER_00So make me regret my picks.
SPEAKER_01This is it's just a hard one. I mean, I'm just gonna, it's a pick'em. It could be any any of those women. Dude, it could be Jade Bellsberg, for all we know. I mean, Jade Bellsberg is podium twice at this race.
SPEAKER_00And I was gonna say a few names that we didn't, or at least uh one big name that we didn't mention, Tabor Hemming. Um she can she can show up on any given day as well. So keep your eyes on that. I could I could see her being on the vertical. Um it still has her. Yeah, it still has her listed on ultra sign up at the moment uh on the vertical. If she did scratch, uh, I'd you know take her off and you know, we'll we'll put her in major consideration for the 23K. But another name that's sort of a blast from the past that I don't know if they're uh if they're gonna make it all the way um into the top 10, even, but Alicia Vargo, great name from the history of the sport. Um, her and her husband, Chris Vargo, two of the most beautiful running strides you'll ever see in the entire sport. And Alicia was once super dominant in um you know marathon, uh, marathon and under distances. So I would love to see her have a great day, but I I'm not sure what her fitness is like, but that's just a fun name to throw in there.
SPEAKER_01Dude, 100%. And she's competed really well races like Mammoth. Um, I have her more down for the 23k, but you never sleep on never sleep on athletes for the for the vertical races. Uh
Men’s Field Deep Dive And Key Names
SPEAKER_01let's move on, let's move on to the men just for the sake of time. Um, I'm I the the men's race is crazy too. I mean, we bring back uh former champion, former two-time uphill world champion, four-time series and all podium finisher, uh Mr. Patrick Kippanyago. He's in this race. Uh Michael Sayoli as well, third at series and all last year and won the Beijing WRMA uphill race. Uh Rory Linkletter, who's a big question mark, second fastest Canadian marathoner of 206-04. Christian Allen, who's third at Sunapee, also the 2025 Uphill Champ, fourth at Worlds in the Vertical. One thing I didn't say in the beginning of this uh episode that I do want to make clear this is the 2026 World Up, or sorry, 2026 U USATF Uphill Championship, which I don't think anybody's talked about or said. So I don't want that to be overshadowed as well. The winner, the American first American men and women in this race will be the 2026 Uphill Champion. So um moving on, Philemon as well as in this race, Philemon Kiriago. Uh, who's just been on a heater lately, dude? Two-time series. Up and up down world champ. I was so impressed to see him like become the up-down world champ because just because like I've been at races and watched him get beat. Like I watched David Norris beat him at Cirque Series Brighton, and like he's been vulnerable in American altitude races, and then he goes and wins the series and all. So I'm like, maybe he's just very strategic in the races that he gives a lot of effort in. I'm not really sure. Um, but man, never bet advanced Philemon now.
SPEAKER_00The dude is like I know, and and I I I mean, historically speaking, he only has uh one finish at the ascent last year, took seventh. Um, but he's he's been a multiple-time runner of the 26-23k because it shifted between that distance. Um and obviously he's one of the best in the Golden Trail World Series. He's a he's a huge name. He you have to keep an eye on him. There like if you're if you're underselling him, then you are not the gambling man that I want to be around.
SPEAKER_01Tyler McGenless is also in this race. Tyler had a lot of success last year uh making it onto the USA American team, um, or team USA, I'm sorry, to go compete at Worlds in the uphill. He was also seventh at the China uh WRMA race and sixth in the TGC vertical. Um I want to talk about is Aries Redding, dude. That kid back at him really impressed me, man. And you know what? I think this course serves him significantly better than the Sunnepe course does. Um I I could see him doing very well here. And because, you know, obviously high collegiate pedigree. He's very fast. He's very fit. I think he could have a fantastic race here in something like the VK or the 23K, more so compared to what he already did at Sonopi.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. And after listening to your post-race interview with him, I was just really impressed with his mentality coming out of it. He just seemed very humble and very excited to take next steps into his races. So I think someone coming approaching the sport with just an excitement, but that cool, calm, collected attitude going into the biggest races in the world at the moment. And I'm also just really excited to see how his uh future traject trajectory goes. But I think this, you know, with Sonopee, that could have just been um a springboard for him going into Broken Air this weekend and showing people, hey, uh I'm here now, and I'm a man you have to look out for when you're signing out.
SPEAKER_01I mean, he beat a lot of really good dudes and was just on the tail of a lot of really good dudes. So it's gonna be very interesting to see how he, you know, I would hope he's very confident coming out of that and that he kind of rolls that confidence into this weekend, really truly seeing some of the best in the world at this race and how he stacks up against them. And, you know, whether he does great or does bad, I hope I hope that either way he brings a degree of confidence into it. Because I do genuinely feel like he will be probably one of the top short hill or short trail uh athletes, American men-wise, in the next few years for sure. I think he's got a lot of people. I couldn't agree more. Um, another one, Cam Smith, dude.
SPEAKER_00Oh, so excited.
SPEAKER_01Yes, Cam Smith, one of the best vertical specialists in the field, probably the best vertical specialist in the field besides Patrick. Um 2025, he was third in this race. He was ninth in 2024 when he was coming off his knee injury. He won the race in 2022. Dude, I'll never forget for the I think like one of the most exciting aspects of Broken Arrow, I'll never forget this, was this epic battle with Cam Smith and Eli Hemming. It was Eli's first year, I think it might have been the 2022. It was either 2021 or 2022 race on the live stream. And Cam and Eli are just making moves and covering and battling all the way up the vertical. And uh it was on the live stream and it was just super exciting to watch. And I think that was like one of the most key and defining moments uh in Broken Arrow lure because that was before anybody knew who Eli was. I think Eli was racing in like a it wasn't even a singlet, it was like a button-down shirt with like an American Eagle on it or something. It was like really funny.
SPEAKER_00Um, so no, I I remember that race as well. That was one of the first times I actually uh had fully tuned into Broken Arrow, and I just go, this is this is one of the most electric environments I've ever seen. So crazy.
SPEAKER_01So yeah, don't be surprised to see Cam podium in this race. I mean, I have him picked him somewhere in my podium. I think he has all the ability in the world to win at a race like this. Um moving on, David Sinclair is back. David Sinclair, a couple years uh a little bit removed from the vertical. Actually, that's not true. He was fifth in 2025. I don't know why I thought that. He was injured a while back in maybe 2023, and that's why he took a break. Anyway, in fifth place in 2025, 12th in 2022, and second in 2021. I always thought David had won this race before in the vertical, but I guess he didn't. I I don't know. David's is always so good at mostly everything he does. Um electric.
SPEAKER_00He's won the uh the 40. I I apologize for cutting you off there. Um he's won the 46th K, so I that may be where the confusion's coming from. But I typically I I always think of him as potentially being one of the most fit athletes on any starting list, no matter what distance you're throwing him in. The guy is just if we're calling if we're calling Anna the the motor, he uh, you know, I think he can be the engine in that case. He but I he has really focused in the last few years on that longer distance. Um, I'd love to see him perform really well here, and I think he still has those legs, but I know that Western States is looming in his mind and um not not saying that he won't try, but I think he's just in a different type of fitness right now. But nevertheless, I'm I'm excited to see him at this race because again, he he shows up and he's going to be incredibly fit. I think he's gonna be top five. Uh I think personally that's where I have to. Yeah, I I feel very strongly about that. Do I think he's gonna be on the podium? That's a different question.
SPEAKER_01Oh man. All right, lots of other names. I'm gonna just rip through them all so we can get to our podium picks. Henry Amond, who was 16th in 2025 and third in 2023, Mika Boden Russo, who was third in 2024, Caleb Olsen. Uh, I'm not sure if he's actually gonna be racing. I'm sure he'll obviously be there for ACG. He's on the start list. Uh obviously Western. He's injured recently, correct? Yeah, but he just raced at uh Twisted Fork. So it was a little bit shorter of a race. Um we'll see. Uh Liam Myro. Obviously, Liam's a perennial contender anywhere he goes. Um John Aziz, dude. I'm excited, so excited. I gotta text John to uh I know so I can tell you John is fit because I have been talking to Joseph Gray a lot, and Joseph Gray has been doing a lot of his workouts with John. So and I've heard good things. So four times Pike Peak, yeah, four times Pike Peak Marathon champion. Didn't even get brought up in a lot of other race preview episodes. Do not sleep on John as is, dude. Um has had some great results. He was third behind Tyler and Joe at Loon in 2024 at the U.S. verticals. Um a little bit less of a deep field, so I'd be interested to see where he steps up here. John is a way better climber than he is, and he's still he's such a balanced athlete, but I'd say a better climber than he is a descender. Should be interesting. I don't think anybody should count him out. Definitely a top 10 contender. Uh Noah Williams as well. He was 11th in this race last year and then had had an even better result in the 20 or 46k, which we'll talk about. Alexander Ricard didn't have quite the Sentip that I think he thought he was gonna have, uh, but also just coming off an injury as well. So Alex is another one who's one of the best uphillers uh when he's healthy uh to be able to perform really well. Cesare Mestri as well, second at ETC in 2025. Griffin Briley. Um Griffin Briley was 17th in the ascent in 25. For those of you who don't know that name, he was the schema Olympic alternate for Cam Smith last year. Um and he just got second or third at Cirque Series Canon. He's he's nasty, dude. I think he was who won? It was Remy then. Who the hell it must have been it must have been Griffin behind him then in second. Yeah, yeah, I believe so. Yeah, Griffin's yeah, super, super talented kid.
SPEAKER_00So shout out to Remy for pulling out the W again at uh at Canon. That's right, dude. Remy Remy's the man, bro.
SPEAKER_01Um and then can't sleep on Kyrian Nay as well. Kyrian's always been a top 15 to top 10 contender uh at the Ascents, literally going back to like 2020 and 2021. I would expect Kyrian to do very well here. Also had a great two great races, one in the Mountain Classic in Beijing, um, and then another great race and the vertical as well. So oh man, that was a lot to say. Uh let's get into selections.
SPEAKER_00Don't worry. Let's have we're here for you. We got uh I'll stop off at a gas station, get you an oxygen tank.
Men’s Podium Picks And Rory Question
SPEAKER_01What is uh what's your podium?
SPEAKER_00So my podium, it's probably gonna be a little unsurprising overall, but I'm gonna go uh Patrick Kippen Kipping Gino. Um then I'm going to go the one, the only Cam Smith in second, and I'm gonna go Christian Allen third.
SPEAKER_01Just out of pure curiosity, why why do you have Christian in third? What's your thought thought on that?
SPEAKER_00I'm going off of moods and vibes today, boy. Um, I the ballot deterred you. No, no. I I Christian is one of the best uphillers in the sport. I really do think that it's going to be a battle to the very end on this one. Um, I think we're gonna see uh all three of them together going into the downhill, and it's gonna be uh decided on the final push. So I'm really just I I'm I was kidding, but I'm being a little serious when I say it is sort of just that's where my heart is telling me to go with that. But I think any one of those three people could could show up and be, you know, take the gold on this one. Um, they all are phenomenal uphillers and are particularly are gonna be particularly skilled for this type of course. I I would perhaps argue that Cam uh would be better if it was a slightly more technical uphill. Um but I I think that this is a really runnable uphill, so it's gonna level the playing field a little more.
SPEAKER_01All right. I'm gonna go Christian Allen won. I'm gonna go Michael Saoli in second. And he was the um won the Beijing WMRA race, third at series and all last year. I'm just throwing it out there. Let's let's see what happens. Yeah, and third, I'm gonna go Mika, dude. Gonna go Mika. Mika. I think it I think it's Mika and Cam like cross-holding hands, maybe. Yeah. Are you are you here to hold hands? That's uh why not, dude? No, why not? So me, I I do, I think Mika, I don't know, it's hard to say because I want Cam to do really well too. I want everybody to do well, but like I it's it's gonna be so close. I think I don't know. I have not paid I I should have before this episode, and forgive me. I did not peep Cam Strava. Um, but I just know Mika with the elliptico just fucking thrashes people, dude. He's so so good.
SPEAKER_00And like he is out to steal your KOMs and your mom. That's it.
SPEAKER_01He uh uh uh he um that green mountain got me on that one. The green mountain time really um really impressed me. Like I have to say, yeah, you don't you don't like he I think he beat Mason's time by like 12 seconds, maybe a little bit more.
SPEAKER_00It was very, very close. Yeah. I I have Mika going four in my mind, and then um I not that we're going six deep, but I I could go. I I think I I have Philemon going five, and then um number uh and then number six is Sinclair.
SPEAKER_01Knowing the way Philemon races, though, just like after looking at last year's race, I just have a feeling like Philemon's just not gonna go that hard because he knows like, okay, where can he win? Philemon can win the 23k, right? Yeah, that's that's 30 G's, baby. So I you have a if you have a higher probability of winning, of being fresher and winning the ther winning the 23k and winning all that money, wouldn't you do it? So I wonder and I I think a lot of other people have said this too. I I do have a feeling that Philemon picks and chooses his battles, and I think that's a smart way to do it. I think he's still, even if he goes easy, he's still top 15, top 20 contender. Um without a doubt. Well, easy, but like I just don't I don't think he's gonna go that hard. We'll see. Um, whereas like Chris, I do think like my my podium, I do think Christian could win this race. You gotta remember too, last year Christian did not have the best race at Sunapee, and he was coming off a stress fracture. This year, I think by his accord, still did not have the race he's capable of, especially being the 2024 U.S. mountain running champion. Um, but we all know Christian's a better vertical athlete. So yeah, uh I think the the reduced humidity and with no drag on the mullet, I think he he he pulls it out.
SPEAKER_00I will say one person to keep an eye on that uh did you mention uh Tyler Scholl?
SPEAKER_01Oh, uh Tabor's brother. No, I didn't know.
SPEAKER_00Tabor's brother. Former junior national junior national team member, but also uh ran for CU for the last few years. So the dude's got an engine and trail legs on him already. Um he could be one that could sneak in, um, and I wouldn't be too surprised by it.
SPEAKER_01He could be very good. Yeah, I'm um it's funny. I had that, so I've got my honorable mentions, and he was on there. Uh so my honorable mentions as well for top 10, uh, Cam Smith, Rory Linkletter. Let's see what happens. Obviously, Patrick, Aries, uh Griffin Briley, and Kieran Nay. Uh don't sleep on any of those. But yeah, I'm very curious to see what happens with Rory. I I don't I I top 15 maybe, top 10, top 20.
SPEAKER_00I don't know. I have him in that 10 to 15 range in my head. I don't know exactly where he's falling in there, but I think it could be a really good day to just show off some fitness. Um, I I don't think he's gonna have the uphill legs to really compete with the top end of it.
SPEAKER_01I you know, so I was talking to my good buddy about this because he said I didn't even know Rory was in the race until like last week. I'm not gonna lie. I've been I've been slacking. And so my buddy DMs it to me and he thinks he's gonna do really well. Now my buddy is a physical therapist and is one, I think he's the best physical therapist in the game because he knows running so well. That said, like he seems very convinced Rory can win the race, and like he got it in my head a lot. And I'm really yeah, and I he he you gotta remember this type of course like favors him, but I'm also I was a little not like I was a little cagey back because like my thought is, and I'd like to believe this, that trial running is a skill, and that if that was the case, then any top marathoner would come over and destroy, and we just have not seen that yet. So I think there's a lot of question marks here. I I think the most approachable distance would be a rare if it was supposed to the rut VK, I'd say like this guy doesn't have a prayer. Um but he could be going Sizzler here, so we'll see.
SPEAKER_00I I you know I I'm I'm excited that he's in there. I just think that we have so much talent, especially in VKs right now, um, or let let's say a sense for this race, uh, that it's gonna be really tough to break. That he's really specialized, very fit. Um, I'm excited, but I I'm he'll have to prove me wrong.
SPEAKER_01The only the only exception I will make is that um McKenna, when I was talking about the roadies coming over, the person who has surprised me the most, and I should say not surprised, has impressed me the most, is McKenna Morley. And I think McKenna Morley, you are gonna like I would not at all be surprised to see her win the twin. She hasn't lost a race yet, dude. Like, and she's set the course record at the Canyons 50k. Uh she beat everybody, almost won the Rhett VK last year. Like, so talented. Uh yeah. So that's that's somebody that uh that gives me if there was like help hope for roadies, that would be the hope, is McKenna Morley.
SPEAKER_00So I I completely agree with that, and especially with her performance earlier this year over at Canyons. I we can't deny the ability that she has at the moment. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01All right, let's
Pivot Toward The 46K Preview
SPEAKER_01move on to the 46k.
