Jackson Cole, Pre Beast of Big Creek Interview

A mountain race where the “trail” turns into a real cliff scramble, a town that treats race weekend like a holiday, and a new skyrace in Washington that might finally feel like Europe without the altitude excuse. We sit down with Jackson Cole fresh off Mount Marathon to unpack why Seward, Alaska draws thousands of fans, how the hype somehow matches reality, and what it feels like to go full gas to the summit in a truly competitive field. 

We also get specific about what makes Mount Marathon technical, including the cliff section where route choice and local knowledge matter, and where a mistake could mean more than a lost minute. From there we pivot to Beast of Big Creek and the Olympic Peninsula, digging into why steep, rooty Washington trails are such a strong skyrunning venue, and why starting closer to sea level can make the racing fairer for international athletes. If you care about mountain running, trail racing, and skyrunning course design, there’s a lot here to sharpen how you think about terrain and competition. 

Finally, we talk about the unglamorous side of a stacked season: travel fatigue, quick turnarounds, and the mindset it takes to recover well and keep racing with joy. Jackson shares why he chooses races that genuinely light the fire, how he avoids burnout, and what he has lined up next with a training block and upcoming starts like Whistler 50k and The Rut. If you like the show, subscribe, share it with a running friend, and leave a rating and review so we can keep telling these stories.

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Transcript

Welcome And Quick Subscribe Ask

SPEAKER_01 0:05

This is the Steam Stuff Podcast. What's up, guys? Hey, before we get started, if you haven't already, whatever platform you're listening to this on, please hit that subscribe or follow button, whether that's Apple, Spotify, or YouTube. Those subscriptions go a super long way in being able to keep the podcast going and allowing me to continue to tell the stories of these amazing athletes and also do some of the race coverage and all the good stuff that we've been doing over the last few years. And also, if you haven't already, please give us a rating and a review if you haven't. Yeah, let us know what you guys think about the podcast and hope you enjoy this episode. Thanks so much for tuning in.

Bucket List Racing In The North

SPEAKER_01 0:49

All right, Jackson Cole. Welcome back to the Steep Stuff Podcast. How's it going, man? Great. How are you doing, James? Just living the dream, dude. Just uh cool. Trying to stack some fitness before the next bout of races. And dude, you've been racing a lot, man. You've been all over the all over the world. It's kind of crazy.

SPEAKER_00 1:05

How are you feeling? Yeah, feeling good and psyched to keep the bull rolling. Um yeah, all the races I've done so far have been bucket list races and just super fun. So it's uh been exciting. I think uh yeah, it's always good to be like in Canada, in Alaska, racing, and now I'm stoked to be in Washington for Beast of Big Creek. That's uh I've never been to the Olympic Peninsula, but uh that area looks awesome. I've been to the North Cascades and yeah, I'm excited to run on those trails.

SPEAKER_01 1:35

Yeah, I'm excited to see more about it. It is interesting. Like I've heard amazing things about the Olympic Peninsula and the like just the national park in general. In fact, like I've even heard athletes say as much as like, well, if we ever hosted worlds in the North in North America, like that's one of the best or like most interesting venues to probably try and do it. So yeah, I'm excited to see what it's all about, dude.

SPEAKER_00 1:56

Yeah, me too. I think um yeah, the course looks steep and cool and uh technical enough. So yeah, I feel like there is a lot of other places you could race in the Olympic Peninsula and in Washington in general. So yeah, if worlds ever came to to Washington, I think that'd be the place. It's definitely the most similar to like the Alps that we have in the lower 48.

unknown 2:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 2:21

Uh in North America.

SPEAKER_01 2:22

I've been stoked on that area in general, just because I was looking at first I got on the the kick of like, oh, I'll do Cirque Series Crystal this year, and then I started looking at like the surrounding area, and I was like, dude, a lot of those peaks like top out at like 7,000 feet. They're not very high, considering like, you know, in Colorado, Colorado's so high. So when you start looking at like the altitude profiles and stuff like that, I'm like, oh, this is this is just different. It's very interesting. Um a lot of those areas, the North Cascades, the Olympics, like just very different and very unique. Seems like a fun playground.

SPEAKER_00 2:50

Yeah, it's all like everything is a lot steeper as well compared to the Rockies. It kind of just juts straight out of the ground and you grow gain like 4,000 feet in a couple miles. So it's a great skyrunning venue. Super

Mount Marathon Atmosphere And Hype

SPEAKER_00 3:04

fun.

SPEAKER_01 3:04

Well, dude, I'd be remiss if I didn't ask you about some of the races that you did, most particularly Mount Marathon, where it just looked like you guys had so much fun. Um, you don't need to go like super in depth, but just talk to me about your experience, like give me a like a little gloss over of like your experience at Mount Marathon and just what it was like at the venue, how much fun you had, the race itself, and all that good stuff.

SPEAKER_00 3:26

Yeah, it uh you know, I have heard of Mount Marathon and had been thinking about it for a long time, and the race certainly lived up to all the hype that I'd created in my mind. It was such a cool course. It's it's everything that I love about mountain running. Um the race day itself was so exciting. You just have thousands of people um lining the course, especially towards the end of the race, and um it was really cool as well just to uh have such a competitive field of people, and um you know, I was like full gas to the summit, and I think I was only like seventh place, and um yeah, it it was just awesome. The Alaskan mountain running community is so cool. The whole uh like four days leading up to the race, I was just camping in Seward, and I was camping next to a bunch of bunch of Alaskans from all around the the state, and they were just so jazzed about the race. They had kids racing or they were racing themselves, and sounds like they come here every yeah. Um so yeah, it was just really cool and kind of unique in that Seward is like a tough place to get to, and it's really hard to find accommodation, but somehow you just get like five to six thousand people coming out for this race. Um which kind of shows that no matter what, if the course is cool enough, people will come. And yeah, I think it was uh it was an interesting interesting to see how many people showed up for that race, considering the logistics behind getting to Seward and and everything else. Oh, of course, like if you're from Alaska, it's not crazy hard, but yeah, a lot of people coming from out of state to do that race. And like on my flight back from Anchorage, I was flying back to Denver. Like there were at least like three or four people who had Mount Marathon shirts that had, you know. Well, like one guy I met it was his 30th year coming out from Mount Marathon. Um and that's just really cool to see that it it means a lot to a lot of people. Um and you you get that vibe in Seward on on race weekends. Just the the race means a lot to a lot of people. Um and now it means a lot to me as well, and I'm excited to go back next year and the year after and the year after that, and hopefully run 30 Mount Marathons myself. So yeah, it was just so cool. I'm really like still sort of riding the high of Mount Marathon. So epic, man.

SPEAKER_01 5:58

Epic. I uh dude, I love to see it. I I hope I get in next year. I'd I'd be so pumped. Um I want to ask you about like the venue in the sense of like the fan base. I find this really interesting because, like you say, like there's like thousands of people that show up to go cheer this race on. Is it the Alaskan mountain running community? Do you think it is the course? Do you like what is it that makes it so special? And then how would you compare it to like because you've raced at worlds, you've raced all over the world. How would you compare it to like the Euro scene where there's a serious fan base there as well?

Foot Care Sponsor Break

SPEAKER_01 6:29

Guys, how's your feet? Like, seriously, uh how's uh how are your feet doing? Um I'm sure if you're listening to this, you're a runner or an athlete of some kind, uh, in one way or another. And as most athletes do, everybody struggles with injury one way or another. And foot care is like one of the most important things when it comes to injury mitigation or just dealing with injuries in general. Um, everything from plantar fasciitis, peroneal issues, uh, a lot of people deal with blisters in the sport. Uh kind of the list goes on. It's a great opportunity for me to talk about our partner, Cetus US. Um, I've been partnering with them for a couple years now, and man, the products have just gone such a long way for me as an athlete personally. Um couple months back, I'd been dealing with some peroneal issues and some planter issues on my left foot, and uh got hooked up with some of the Cetus insoles. Um, it was the trail three feet, and man, it went such a long way in helping me rehab that foot and just helped a ton. Um, on top of that, big fan of the socks and big believer in the socks as well. I use them all the time because they're amazing. Uh, but in all seriousness, I'm sure you've seen like Jim Walmsley, Hidden Hawks, and then you know, some of the best women in the sport, like Robin Lesh, um, or even on the ski side, uh Jesse Diggins rocking uh the Cetus feet. And um, for me personally, it's the run anatomic comfort. I absolutely love those socks. Um, it's got reinforced protection, it's got a great grip strip to keep the sock from kind of moving within uh the shoe. It's breathable and it's got great protection, especially for technical trails for your heels and your toes. And uh above all else, it's breathable, so it's not gonna stink too bad. Uh, my wife definitely gives uh thumbs up when it comes to that. So I don't have two stinky feet or stinky socks. So if you haven't already, go online, check out CDUS.us, and if you find something you like, use code SteepStuff. It's good for one use only. It's gonna get you 20% off your car and uh giving you guys the hookup. So hope you enjoy it. Check it out, CDUS.us insoles and socks, they've got the best in the game.

Why Seward Shows Up Big

SPEAKER_00 8:33

Yeah, it actually felt really similar to racing in Spain in the way that it seemed like the community really comes out for it. Uh I I know a lot of people just come to Mount Marathon just to be part of the weekend. They're not racing necessarily, they're just there to experience it. Um of course, a lot of people that came to Seward were just coming to party for the 4th of July, and then they just happen to be in town and they are just as excited to, you know, be out there cheering the people finishing the race. Um and it's funny the amount of people that I meet who are like just run into randomly who aren't runners, but they've been to Seward on a cruise ship and they've heard about Mount Marathon. People that weren't even there for the race weekend. Uh and so it kind of seems like no matter what, I mean, when you're in Seward, you're like looking straight up at Mount Marathon, you see the course, and so it sort of sparks curiosity right away. Um, and I think people are just in town, they're always talking about it. Um, and then especially around race weekend, it's just uh the buzz around town is exciting, and um yeah, everyone is just excited and everyone's talking about it. Uh it's a cool cool experience, yeah. Um yeah.

The Cliffs And Real Risk

SPEAKER_01 9:47

Was there anything about the course that surprised you? Like, was it technically harder than you thought in any sections? Was it easier than you thought? Like, or did it just live up to pretty much what you figured expectation-wise?

SPEAKER_00 9:58

It was the the cliff section was more technical than I had expected. And uh I was actually a little nervous about the descent coming off of the cliffs because like I know people that have run the race before have a pretty good like they have a specific route that they'll take down the cliffs. Um and I felt like I didn't really have enough time to figure that out. And so I ended up being kind of slow through that section. Um uh yeah, I mean it's like legit like scrambling. It's not it's not just like a trail going through cliffs, it's it's like a real cliff section that if you fell it would be really bad, like you would get really hurt. Um so yeah, it was kind of surprising actually, just because there were, I think, around a thousand people that ended up running that race. And uh I mean it's kind of insane that the race even happens. I mean, you think about all the races in the lower 48 and kind of the rest of the world, and you just sort of like the Mount Marathon kind of gets away with it just because it's such an old historic race, but it's truly technical. It is it is like as technical in at least that section as like uh Matterhorn Ultrax or Trophy Okima. It's um it's proper, yeah. Wow. Which was it kind of surprising to me, but yeah. Yeah, probably not surprising to any Alaskans.

SPEAKER_01 11:23

Yeah, they're different, dude. They're it's a different person, it's a different type of person up there. They're they're interested.

SPEAKER_00 11:28

Yeah,

Beast Of Big Creek Takes Focus

SPEAKER_00 11:29

definitely.

SPEAKER_01 11:29

Alright, let's uh shift gears and talk a little bit about Beast. Um obviously we talked a little bit about the course and your and your thoughts on it. What do you think, man? Like, is it exciting to you that we finally because you you live and train out of Montana, um, obviously you reside in the States. Is it exciting to you to have a proper sky race in the United States, finally?

SPEAKER_00 11:50

Yeah, yeah, it's uh it's really exciting. Um I think that uh the the venue itself is exciting because you know you could have had a sky race. I think typically, and I know the Rut in the past was part of the Skyrunning World series, but it's kind of um I'm glad that it was at a at a location that was more or less starting at sea level, um, so you weren't having to deal with the altitude factor. You know, you could have a sky race in Utah or Colorado, um, Wyoming, um, but that's sort of like a logistic challenge for a lot of people from Europe. Um, because they like generally don't want to race at altitude, especially when you get like if you live in Colorado or Utah, you just have this advantage over people um that I was always unaware of until I moved to Montana and and now living essentially at sea level or like 3,000 feet, so there's no real altitude uh, you know, adaptations that I'm getting there. And so having a race, a sky race in Washington makes a lot of sense to me. And I'm glad that they chose that venue. Um and I think that Washington trails are burly, they're steep and roody and technical. Um and so yeah, I'm excited to to see the course um and race on it. I think it's gonna be it's gonna be rowdy. There's some really good uh uh you know, Peruvians, uh Mexicans, Spaniards, and uh Italians coming out for it. So uh and of course, like all the Americans that are coming out, so it's gonna be uh yeah, exciting, exciting race. I'm stoked.

SPEAKER_01 13:32

It is a good field, man. I I was very impressed. Like I talked to Daniel Antellini, he'll be out. Um I think Boffelli is coming as well. So it's gotta be exciting for you to be able to race on American soil, just like a full international crowd of folks that uh you wouldn't normally race in the United States, because you know, they generally, unless it was something like a I don't know, like a Canyons or a Western states, people generally wouldn't be over here racing that stuff. Totally.

SPEAKER_00 13:56

Yeah, it's cool too, because well, I remember last year when uh Meet the Minotaur was still in the Skyrunning World Series and Daniel had come out uh for that race, and I was so stoked to race him. Because I've only ever raced him in uh in Italy, I think, and or maybe in like Switzerland as well, but there you kind of feel like they have the hometown advantage, but having them come over here, you're kind of like, okay, the you know, I get a little bit of an advantage over you guys finally. And same with uh uh the Peruvians and the Mexicans, like I've gone down and raced in Peru and Mexico and just kind of got my ass kicked, and so it's exciting that I'll get to. I mean, I'm sure maybe they'll kick my ass again. That could totally happen, but it would be cool at least to get to race, you know. Uh Seattle, like that area is like relatively close to where I live and train, so I do feel like I get a little bit of a hometown advantage traveling over there. Like I'm gonna drive and I'll have my car. It feels a little more normal to be in a place where everyone speaks English and I know the customs. So yeah, I think those things play a lot into racing, and uh it's always nice when you don't have to think of the logistics behind behind everything else. So I get to just show up and do my thing, so it's cool.

Travel Fatigue And Rapid Turnarounds

SPEAKER_01 15:19

Let me ask you this just because you've been traveling and racing so much this year, right now we're talking, you're in Alaska, getting ready to race Circle Series Alaska tomorrow. And uh, how do you reconcile it in your brain? Like, is it is it a business trip for you in a sense, where and and how do you move on from one thing to go to the next? So like tomorrow you'll race, you'll probably have a great race. How do you just stack that in your head and then up onto the next level, like onto the next race? How do you kind of reconcile that?

SPEAKER_00 15:46

I know it might be a weird question, but no, um, I I well I think getting to race in Alaska, I feel is like just a privilege. So I don't feel like it's much of a business trip or anything like that. I just get to be out here and I feel really lucky that uh I get to get to do these things. Um the the trick is always the travel, and it can be a little tiring to drive and take flights everywhere. Like no matter how you do it, it always seems to leave you a little fatigued at the end of a trip. Um so I don't know, I think part of it is that I've just been doing it for so long and I've uh you know been training so hard for so many years that I can handle the the turnaround from race to race. Um that being said, like I tried to race Snowbird after uh the Minotaur Mount Marathon double and just was not feeling it. So it doesn't always work out. I think um it's something that you just kinda have to listen to your body, and if it's not happening, it's just not happening. It is a lot to ask of yourself to race all the time. Um but yeah, it's generally, I mean, between races, I just kinda I don't really think about training at all. I'm just kinda recovering as much as I can between races. Um so you kinda accept that and you don't really think of the numbers at all. You just kinda accept that you might have to take an extra day off or whatever it might be. Eat a few more pints of ice cream, drink another beer or two, just relax and recover, and then next thing you know, it's race day, and you just go for it. So yeah, I don't know. It's it's fun. I I like racing a lot. I always get a lot of FOMO not being at races. Uh like I was maybe gonna be at Speedgoat and I chose to be in Alaska, but you know, I'm getting FOMO not lining up in Snowbird. So yeah, it's it's uh it's tough. And there are so many races to do that it I find myself getting caught up and wanting to do everything. But um yeah, I just pick and choose and choose the races that are inspiring to me, and then it's just exciting

Racing What Lights The Fire

SPEAKER_00 17:56

and fun.

SPEAKER_01 17:56

So dude, I really I think that's my one of my things that I admire about you the most is that you race the races that genuinely get you excited. Like, like for instance, a few years ago you did Canyon's 100k and you were like, ah, I could take or leave this, and you're throwing down at these epic mountain races and and like really genuinely having fun, and it's very obvious, um, as opposed to like chasing something that might not, you know, might not be as true to you or as exciting to you, you know.

SPEAKER_00 18:22

Yeah. Yeah, I find it hard to stay motivated if I'm doing races that are more so what like the sponsors or what the general public wants me to do. Um like I think I've tried to run Broken Hero a handful of times and just cannot get excited about that race. I think just the course is you know, not for me. And every year that I try to train for it, I seem to just get injured or broken or something. And but I find that like if I'm doing something like training for a race like Mount Marathon, I can just get up into the mountains and do my thing. And I think for having longevity in the sport, that's just so important. Um I I could see myself burning out really quickly if I was trying to do races that people expected me to all the time. So yeah, I think yeah, hopefully other people follow suit because yeah, you just gotta do the things that light that fire, or else it's gonna be a slow burn.

Next Races And Summer Plans

SPEAKER_01 19:19

So what's uh what's what what are you doing after Beast? Are you gonna take a little bit of time to recover and put in a block of training or are you going right back into uh racing?

SPEAKER_00 19:28

Yeah, that's the plan. Um after Beast of Big Creek, I don't have anything on the schedule until I think I'll do the uh Whistler 50k um August 22nd. Um will be my next next race um and then the rut after that. So yeah, I uh take a f like three weeks to just get a good training block in and um uh yeah. I I yeah, I don't I don't plan on doing anything else in August and I'm not going over to Europe or anything this year, so I just get to hang around Montana, maybe go to the Tetons or go somewhere and just yeah, enjoy the summer, not think about traveling overseas. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:11

Well, dude, if you're out in the Tetons, hit me up. I want to do T1A. I've been I've been given a serious thought. Oh yeah. Let me know.

SPEAKER_00 20:17

Yeah, I I love T1. That is such a great mountain. It just straight up, straight up, straight down. It's so good. Yeah, it's a fun scramble.

SPEAKER_01 20:27

For sure,

Wrap Up And Good Luck

SPEAKER_01 20:28

for sure. Well, Jackson, I don't want to take too much of your time. Dude, thank you so much for the quick chat. Um, good luck tomorrow. Good luck at Beast of Big Creek. Uh, obviously, we'll be in touch. I'll see you probably before the end of the summer, probably at the Rut or maybe in in uh Montana or Jackson. So we'll be in touch. Cool, sweet.

SPEAKER_00 20:45

Thanks, man. Bye.