Singletrack

We discuss Sean Haworth's critique of ACG's Gorge Waterfalls activation, the four athlete development programs shaping the next generation of pro trail running, Scott Fauble's issue with supershoes in the marathon, and Climatic Health's new lung health product being marketed to endurance athletes.

Partners:
Precision Fuel and Hydration - use code SINGLETRACK at checkout for 15% off your next order
Norda - check out the 005: the lightest, fastest, most stable trail racing shoe ever made
Raide - Making equipment for efficient human-powered movement in the mountains 
Janji - premium trail running apparel
Kodiak Cakes - my favorite oatmeal and pancakes 
Support the show

Max Jolliffe joins the podcast for his third appearance, two weeks out from his return to Cocodona 250. After dropping at mile 238 in 2025 with cellulitis, Max is back for redemption, and this time he's doing it as a full-time professional athlete after leaving Hurley in November following nearly 15 years at the company.
We get into his training block, gear and nutrition strategies, and an upcoming week of course recon out of Mike Versteeg's place in Prescott. Max also walks through his experience at the BPN Backyard Ultra in the Texas hill country and makes the case for why the backyard format deserves more attention from the sport's top names.
Other topics:
How 15 years in graphic design and apparel at Hurley shapes the value he brings to brand partners beyond race results
Why race merch across the sport is a missed opportunity and what needs to change
His new travel show concept, Weekend Training Camp, and the Salt Lake City pilot he's editing now
When he stopped idolizing effortless talent and started respecting visible work, and how that shift rewired what he looks for in athletes
Why he doesn't actually love racing and what draws him to multi-day events and backyard ultras instead
Time goal for Cocodona, day-one pacing philosophy, and why he's staying off the front early
Prize money at 200s and why the math might need to change

Partners:
Precision Fuel and Hydration - use code SINGLETRACK at checkout for 15% off your next order
Norda - check out the 005: the lightest, fastest, most stable trail racing shoe ever made
Raide - Making equipment for efficient human-powered movement in the mountains 
Janji - premium trail running apparel
Kodiak Cakes - my favorite oatmeal and pancakes 
Support the show

Alyssa Clark joins Finn to roll through a packed news week in ultra-trail. Headlines include Ashley Paulson's 12:47:10 treadmill world record set in front of a packed Boston Marathon Expo (a 90-minute improvement on the previous mark), Mathieu Blanchard leaving Salomon to sign with Kiprun as the French brand pushes into the North American market, and a stacked Madeira Ultra Trail start list featuring Jasmine Lowther, Helen Mino Faukner, Katharina Hartmuth, Ethan Peters, and a deep American contingent. 

Also on tap: weekend results from Penyagolosa, Puerto Vallarta, and Whiskey Basin, Mount Fuji hype, Ryan Becker's move to Kailas, Mammoth Trail Fest's new $6,000 para athlete prize purse, Sarah Hall's trail running plans, the death of UK runner David Parrish on the Cape Wrath Trail and the mountain competency conversation it sparks, plus Salomon's bet on gravel racing.

Partners:
Precision Fuel and Hydration - use code SINGLETRACK at checkout for 15% off your next order
Norda - check out the 005: the lightest, fastest, most stable trail racing shoe ever made
Raide - Making equipment for efficient human-powered movement in the mountains 
Janji - premium trail running apparel
Support the show

Finn Melanson, Brett Hornig, and Leah Yingling provide in-depth analysis, commentary, and predictions for the competition at the 2026 Canyons 100K.

Partners:
Precision Fuel and Hydration - use code SINGLETRACK at checkout for 15% off your next order
Norda - check out the 005: the lightest, fastest, most stable trail racing shoe ever made
Raide - Making equipment for efficient human-powered movement in the mountains 
Janji - premium trail running apparel
Momentous - use code SINGLETRACK for up to 35% off your first order 
Kodiak Cakes - my favorite oatmeal and pancakes 
Support the show

Courtney Dauwalter returns to the Singletrack Podcast ahead of her second attempt at Cocodona 250, the race she started last year and didn't finish, to talk through everything that has happened in between.

We open with the Tenerife cancellation and the scramble to pivot to Chianti, including the late surge that won the race and why she credits road marathon training for giving her a new gear she didn't know she had.

From there we get into her first real reset in her ultra career, what went wrong at mile 108 at last year's Cocodona, and the one problem she's most excited to solve across day two, night two, and day three of this year's race.

We close on her five year Salomon contract extension, what a post-racing chapter actually looks like to her, and what's on the bucket list beyond the three classics (Western States, Hardrock, and UTMB) she's built her career around.

Partners:
Precision Fuel and Hydration - use code SINGLETRACK at checkout for 15% off your next order
Norda - check out the 005: the lightest, fastest, most stable trail racing shoe ever made
Raide - Making equipment for efficient human-powered movement in the mountains 
Janji - premium trail running apparel
Momentous - use code SINGLETRACK for up to 35% off your first order 
Kodiak Cakes - my favorite oatmeal and pancakes 
Support the show