Let's Talk Trail Running

The 2025 World Mountain Trail Running Championship is here at long last and the lineups are STACKED. The biggest names in trail running are finally targeting worlds as a meaningful objective and getting their sponsors to incentivize racing it. The lineup for this years long trail race is showing that. Right now both France and USA women’s and men’s long trail teams look to be the heavy hitters, bu...

Articles Mentioned in Podcast: IRunFar 2024 OCC recap https://www.irunfar.com/2024-occ-results-hemming-and-yao-win-utmb-50k-world-series-final Mile and Stone Newsletter Talking about French National Trail Team members: https://mailchi.mp/mileandstone/n53?e=99a87b331d Get full access to Robrunsround’s Substack at robrunsround.substack.com/subscribe

Another Skyrunning World Series Race is here, this time with the epic background that is the iconic Matterhorn. Starting and ending in Zermatt, the race goes up to Rothornhutte at 3,200m (10,500) and tops out at almost 3,400m (11,000 feet) while accumulating 3,066m (10,000) over only 26km (16ish miles) of racing. The race has tons of technical sections, epic views, and makes for some dreamy skyrun...

The 52nd edition of the Sierre Zinal trail race in Switzerland is set to take place this weekend. Prrevious race champions on both the men’s and women’s side will be showing up to throw down at what is OBJECTIVELY the most densely competitive trail race in the world. Sierre Zinal always draws a frothy mix of elite trail runners and blazing fasrt road running speedsters/track stars meeting to throw...

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A men’s race that feels wide open with only one top 10 runner returning from last year, whereas the women’s race has four of the top ten returning including last year’s winner and Course Record Holder, Judith Wyder. Go make your picks at Fantasy Freetrail Get full access to Robrunsround’s Substack at robrunsround.substack.com/subscribe

If you’re anything like me then there is no such thing as too much coverage for Western States. Here’s a comprehensive breakdown of both the women’s and men’s fields this year along with some (way too early and will definitely get changed 40 times in the next week) top 10 picks for Fantasy Freetrail. Enjoy! Get full access to Robrunsround’s Substack at robrunsround.substack.com/subscribe

Multiple GOATs in attendance (Kilian is in the house!!!!), two US selections races (vertical and short trail), and One Golden Trail World Series race. Wow, that was a mouthful and this race is sure to be a lot to handle as well. Come along for the ride and join me as I make previews and predictions for the top 5s for all three races. Author’s Note: Sorry it took so long to get this out but it has...

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Major themes: No Joe Gray, many compromised favorites on the women’s side, and a men’s race that feels wide open and has lots of fit bois toeing the start line. Tune in to see who’s getting this years US spots in my mind! Note: There’s jets taking off in the background around 27 minutes into the recording, just skip ahead 30 seconds and I resume talking again. Apologies! Get full access to Robruns...

Zegama is Zegama! Or at least that’s what they say. The legendary Zegama is a marathon distance trail race that takes place the end of May each year in the Basque region of Spain. The course is bombarded with thousands of screaming and passionate trail running fans and the weather can be legendarily terrible to go along with a very technical course that includes plenty of mud and rocks. The course...

Return of the past two season Champs-Remi and Elhousine are back racing baby! The first European race of the 2025 GTWS is kicking off and we’re starting to see the density of competition that we’re used to in Golden Trail races. More Kenyan athletes are running even than last race in China, which is sure to make the race exciting to watch. Will we see a repeat of last GTWS race with the Kenyans co...

Transvulcania Ultramarathon is a 74km (44.7 miles) race across the Canary Island of La Palma that has about 4,350M (14,000 feet) of elevation gain as runners cross the beautiful island’s varied terrain. It has heat, steep climbs, and endless descents. This year’s race features GOATs like Ruth Croft and Blandine L’hirondel on the womens side and Dakota Jones and Dmitry Mityaev on the men’s side. Jo...

Zach Miller, Francesco Puppi, AND Rod Farvard?!?! Oh my this race is going to be exciting. Join me as I discuss the dynamics of the last Golden Ticket Race before Western States this year and dive into some of the backgrounds of each of the runners. I include my picks for top 5 for both races and also include some other racers who have a strong chance of making it top 5 as well. Feel free to comme...

There are four opportunities to get Fantasy Freetrail Points at four different races this weekend. Four races means I’m doubling up episodes, the first preview of which will be a double whammy of Madeira Islanda Ultra Trail (MIUT) 115k and the GTWS Great Wall Race in Chengde, China. We’ve got the return of one of the GOATs to the racing scene in Katie Schide at MIUT 115k and the chance for some ne...

Can Remi take back the crown? Will Patrick be able to finally win the overall title? Can Sophia Laukli return to the top of the running world? The first Golden Trail World Series race of the year is here and I couldn't be more freaking stoked! Here's a preview of the athletes racing the most competitive sub ultra trail event in the world. Get full access to Robrunsround’s Substack at robrunsround....

Another trail race is here and this time it’s a US Trail Long Team qualifier for the Gorge 100k. The top 2 (I’m pretty sure) spots will automatically qualify for the long trail team for the US and will go on to race at the Trail World Championships in Spain later this year in September. I also included some short discussion on my picks for the Calamorro Skyrace which I wasn’t able to get a podcast...

Join me for a combined episode as I break down the Chianti 102k & Acantilados Del Notre race predictions, preview, and picks. We've got two of the all time GOATs of trailrunning (hopefully) lining up-Jim and Kilian. They will be joined by last year’s UTMB champion Vincent Bouillard and a host of other accomplished Ultrarunners for what should be an epic showdown. I also try to shine a light on the...

It's that time of year again- Freetrail's very own Big Alta trail races in Marinwood, CA! Join me as I discuss the athletes racing both disances and make picks for Fantasy Freetrail. Get full access to Robrunsround’s Substack at robrunsround.substack.com/subscribe

Join me today as I break down the runners toeing the line at the 2025 Chuckanut 50k in Bellingham, Washington. I discuss runners, make picks, and point out a few storylines coming into the race. Get full access to Robrunsround’s Substack at robrunsround.substack.com/subscribe

Part Two of my Transgrancanaria Preview which focuses mostly on the marathon distance athletes running and my picks for top 5. I also discuss upcoming races on the Fantasy Freetrail calendar to look forward to. Enjoy! Get full access to Robrunsround’s Substack at robrunsround.substack.com/subscribe

Join me for another episode of Let's Talk Trail Running to discuss the upcoming Transgrancanaria Classic and Marathon races. This episode has been split into two due to my technological shortcomings and accidental ending of the first recording when my girlfriend opened my studio (aka our closet) door to get clothes for her run. Part 1 discusses the TGC classic distance race while episode two focus...

Welcome to all the new listeners courtesy of Ken Seals publication The Ultra Minute and other listeners who were just looking for Black Canyon preview material. Join me on another episode of Let's Talk Trail Running for a post mortem on my Black Canyon 100k/50k picks as well as a discussion about the athletes racing Tarawera 100k in New Zealand this weekend and some storylines around them. Enjoy!...

A podcast talking about runners to watch for the 2025 Black Canyon 100k and storylines around athletes one week out from the race. Use this podcast to help make your Fantasy Freetrail picks! Get full access to Robrunsround’s Substack at robrunsround.substack.com/subscribe

Get full access to Robrunsround’s Substack at robrunsround.substack.com/subscribe