The Steep Stuff Podcast

Send us Fan Mail Big changes hit short trail running, and we’re here for all of it. We kick off The Substack with Rachel Tomajczyk to unpack the new Golden Trail World Series calendar, the late surge into Asia, and why a four-race-plus-final format forces athletes to rethink everything from training blocks to travel budgets. With no US stop on the GTWS schedule and Quebec Mega Trail standing alone...

Send us Fan Mail Introducing The Sub Stack, The News Show for all Things Short Trail  Use code SteepStuff for 20% your cart on Sidas.us Follow James on IG - @jameslauriello Follow the Steep Stuff Podcast on IG - @steepstuff_pod Follow Sidas USA on IG - @sidas_usa

Send us Fan Mail You press play for stoke, but stay for substance. We sit down with legendary endurance athlete and coach Travis Macy to unpack ski mountaineering’s Olympic debut, the rise of Skimo Gold as “SportsCenter for Skimo,” and how smart storytelling can turn niche talents into household names. From the first shotgun blast at Leadville to adventure racing across continents, Travis connects...

Send us Fan Mail The mountain weekend Flagstaff has been waiting for just showed up with big legs and bigger lungs. We sit down with race director Aaron Barber to unpack how Flagstaff Sky Peaks evolved from a “nice race in the pines” into a full three-day festival at Arizona Snowbowl, built around steep ski runs, high-altitude ridgelines, and a finish-line scene right by the lodge. From a Friday u...

Send us Fan Mail The voice you hear at the steepest start lines has a story—and a system. We sit down with Goldy, the announcer behind the Cirque Series and the force behind the Beehive Bandwagon, to unpack how a kid who DJed camp dances became the guy who turns finish lines into goosebumps. From a fateful Red Bull gig to years across X Games, Dew Tour, and trail races, he shares how preparation,...

Send us Fan Mail Want to know how an elite mountain runner designs the very supplements he trusts on race day? We sit down with Momentous VP of Innovation, Matt Chorney, to connect the dots between steep trail performance, clean ingredient sourcing, and the certifications that actually protect athletes. Matt’s story stretches from New Hampshire’s rugged roots to Jackson’s endless access, and he br...

Send us Fan Mail A high-stakes relay, a new Olympic sport, and two athletes who refused to blink. We sit down with Cam Smith to unpack how he and Anna Gibson qualified Team USA for the ski mountaineering mixed relay—beating Canada when it mattered most—and how an underdog mindset became their superpower. Cam’s story delivers a rare inside look at Olympic prep when your sport is making its debut: r...

Send us Fan Mail What does it take to race on the edge, fix your flaws, and build a season that holds up under pressure? We dive deep with Mason Copi, fresh off a blistering run at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships and a domestic campaign that turned him from underrated to undeniable. Mason opens up about starting fast when the course rewards it, working the early road section, an...

Send us Fan Mail A world champion who won’t let algorithms define her worth—Grayson Murphy joins us for a candid, sharp, and hopeful conversation about racing, health, and the future of trail running. From life in Bozeman to the first time grizzlies changed a solo run, we open with place and presence, then dive straight into how she built Wild Strides Paper Co, why multiple identities make better...

Send us Fan Mail A young ultra runner with a mountain kid heart and a pro’s mindset—Coleman Cragun brings the heat. We dig into how he went from SUU walk-on to stacking top finishes at Canyons, Broken Arrow, Speedgoat, and Mammoth in his first year of ultras, and how mentorship from trail legend Hayden Hawks is shaping every decision. The honesty of their training partnership, from blunt fitness a...

Send us Fan Mail Money is moving up the mountain, and the Northeast is ready for it. We sit down with Tom Hooper of 603 Endurance to unpack how a new partnership with Marathon Sports unlocks bigger prize purses, stronger production, and a smarter sponsor model that gives each race its own brand identity. Sunapee Scramble returns as the U.S. Mountain Running Championship with a $30,000 purse from B...

Send us Fan Mail Trail running deserves sharper storytelling than recycled podium posts. We open the books on Steep Stuff: what we botched in 2025, what finally clicked, and how we’re going big on short trail in 2026. James and guest host Francesco get specific about the pivot from clunky Zoom reels to clean Riverside workflows, a fresh brand identity, and a quality-first mindset that actually sca...

Send us Fan Mail A late start, a canceled senior season, and a move to Bozeman turned Lucy Kolpa from a soccer defender into one of trail running’s most compelling rising names. We dive into how she traded splits for summits, built a durable engine without a coach, and learned to treat races as a celebration of big mountain days rather than a verdict on her identity. Lucy opens up about the moment...

Send us Fan Mail The spark wasn’t love at first stride. Tayler Tuttle Peavey once hated running, chose softball, and struggled through PE miles—then found a coach who spoke the language of physiology and a path that led from Georgia to Colorado and, ultimately, to USATF national titles on the trails. We sit down to unpack how a hip labrum surgery, a health-first rebuild, and a sustainable coaching...

Send us Fan Mail Best of 2025 - Ryan Becker Fan Favorite Episode  Use code SteepStuff for 20% your cart on Sidas.us Follow James on IG - @jameslauriello Follow the Steep Stuff Podcast on IG - @steepstuff_pod Follow Sidas USA on IG - @sidas_usa

Send us Fan Mail Best of 2025 - Emma Cook Clarke Fan Favorite Episode  Use code SteepStuff for 20% your cart on Sidas.us Follow James on IG - @jameslauriello Follow the Steep Stuff Podcast on IG - @steepstuff_pod Follow Sidas USA on IG - @sidas_usa

Send us Fan Mail Best of 2025 - Jane Maus Fan Favorite Episode  Use code SteepStuff for 20% your cart on Sidas.us Follow James on IG - @jameslauriello Follow the Steep Stuff Podcast on IG - @steepstuff_pod Follow Sidas USA on IG - @sidas_usa

Send us Fan Mail Best of 2025 - Kyle Richardson Fan Favorite Episode  Use code SteepStuff for 20% your cart on Sidas.us Follow James on IG - @jameslauriello Follow the Steep Stuff Podcast on IG - @steepstuff_pod Follow Sidas USA on IG - @sidas_usa

Send us Fan Mail Best of 2025 - Bailey Kowalczyk Fan Favorite Episode  Use code SteepStuff for 20% your cart on Sidas.us Follow James on IG - @jameslauriello Follow the Steep Stuff Podcast on IG - @steepstuff_pod Follow Sidas USA on IG - @sidas_usa

Send us Fan Mail Use code SteepStuff for 20% your cart on Sidas.us Follow James on IG - @jameslauriello Follow the Steep Stuff Podcast on IG - @steepstuff_pod Follow Sidas USA on IG - @sidas_usa

Send us Fan Mail A world-level skyrace is returning to U.S. soil, and the path runs straight up a rugged Olympic Mountains summit. We sit down with race director and media voice Mathias Eichler to unpack how Beast of Big Creek became the only U.S. stop on the Skyrunner World Series, what ISF course certification really requires, and how you scale a steep, technical route without breaking the wilde...

Send us Fan Mail The ache that won’t sit still, the quad-dominant stride, the back that tightens after miles on trail—none of it is random. We invited Dr. Sean Rimmer, PT, DPT of Run Potential PT, to unpack how the pelvis truly drives running: three-plane motion, rotational loading, and the elastic recoil that makes a stride feel effortless. When the pelvis stops moving, hips overwork, nerves get...

Send us Fan Mail The sport keeps growing, the livestreams keep improving, and the fields get deeper every year—so why do so many iconic ultras still offer zero prize money? We sit down with Eric, the builder behind Run Fund, to unpack a direct, no-drama solution: let the community and sponsors crowdfund purses that pay athletes fairly and transparently. No betting, no gimmicks, just clean rails th...

Send us Fan Mail What does it take to choose the mountains when a different calling has your heart? We sit with Arc’teryx athlete Emma Cook-Clarke for a candid, high-altitude conversation about identity, risk, and the rare joy of sustainable excellence. Emma reflects on a season loaded with contrasts—top 10 in the world at the uphill and a historic team bronze for Canada, a Speedgoat podium in a r...

Send us Fan Mail Breaking news rarely hits mountain running like this. The World Skyrunner Series is officially returning to the United States, and the Beast of Big Creek on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula is the stage. We dive straight into what makes this 23K course so compelling: sustained grades exceeding 20 percent, a clean up-and-down profile that rewards efficient climbers and fearless desce...