By Mathias Eichler
Sponsor:
The Trail Running Film Festival presented by Brooks -
Back on Tour for 2025.
The Trail Running Film Festival presented by Brooks -
Back on Tour for 2025.
Outside started as a magazine and is now trying, desperately, to pivot to being a tech company. UltraSignup is essential a tech company but increasingly embraces news, and is promoting and funding its creators via the revenue generated from their tech platform.
Folks who used to be associated and/or worked for Outside and are now on UltraSignup’s News platform in some capacity:
I don’t mind that. If it means giving outdoor creators a voice and a paycheck, I like where this is going.
Ethan Newberry announcing the partnership on Instagram:
In late 2021 I approached my friends at @runinrabbit with an idea I’d been dreaming up to create an innovative adventure running kit focused on every runner that pushes themselves just a little bit farther. A sustainable, future-thinking kit that didn’t care if you finished first or took your time partying to the finish – everybody deserves next level adventure gear that just works.
rabbit is one of the sponsors of the Ginger Runner’s Tiger Claw race in Issaquah and they’ll be unveiling this new kit just before that event.
Doing merch is one thing but doing these collabs with real, usable performance products is an exciting next level. Freetrail too had been doing logo merch for a while now but recently leveled up by offering a “factory kit” (and damn, if I can find a link to a webpage mention of it, it seems to already be sold out).
Scottish project aimed to make a more sustainable sports watch:
UNA Watch is the world’s first fully modular & repairable GPS sports watch built to last.
The watch can be pre-ordered on Kickstarter for under $300 – get yours before the tariffs hit.
The modular watch will allow you to customize various hardware elements and more so promises to let you replace old and outdated pieces like the battery to extend the life of your product. And yes, it will offer an app and allow syncing to Strava – the most important feature.
As modular tech by a start up goes, I don’t hate the look of this product. Their website misses some key pieces of information on the product, but their Kickstarter page lists some of them.
They aim to ship the product in August of 2025 and their Kickstarter has raised almost $280,000 already, off a goal of $13,000.
I wonder how a project like this will be affected by Trump’s stupid and needless trade wars. I remember Panic launching the Playdate during COVID and it turned into a logistical and financial nightmare.
The other thing I am curious about is their claim for offering a more sustainable product. I don’t want to slam on their effort, I like and encourage when new ideas and new companies are entering the market, but in order for this product to truly be more sustainable what should the expectation be on the longevity of its parts? All my Suunto watches I, and my family members have owned have lasted for many years are still working. In fact the Suunto 9 Baro I received USED in 2018 is still in used today in my family. That’s a seven year old tech product. So for this modular watch to be more sustainable it would have to last and function and be supported for… much longer than that, doesn’t it?
Tested for a long time, teased a while ago, now available to everyone.
High Carb Fuel is a power-packed drink mix is specially designed for high-intensity efforts, offering a higher carbohydrate content to maximize your energy per sip.
Both flavors are great, but my favorite is the ‘Ginger Lime‘. Delicious!
After Karel Sabbe’s massive FKT earlier this year we now see the Women’s FKT being reset. Eszter Horanyi reporting for iRunFar:
It took Paulina Zäck 54 days, 9 hours, and 48 minutes to travel the Te Araroa (TA) trail, New Zealand’s premier long trail, a time that set both a new women’s self-supported and women’s overall fastest known time (FKT).
New Zeland’s Te Araoa is busy this time of the year.
And a second new event for 2025.
UTMB continues its global expansion by adding another event in South America: Patagonia Bariloche.
Patagonia Bariloche by UTMB invites you to experience an unforgettable adventure in the heart of Argentina’s most spectacular region. Run through mountains, forests, and dreamlike lakes, and experience the essence of adventure and challenge in a unique natural setting. Get ready to conquer Patagonia!
Matt Walsh is right with this UTMB tourism angle. I never had South America on my must-do travel list, and now that I am seeing these events down there pop up I am all of a sudden interested.
The event is set for November 18-22, 2025 and is offering races in all the UTMB index categories.
You can find all the relevant information on the Electric Cable Car UTMB World Series Calendar.
Matt Walsh on Trailmix asked that question and got the official answer:
Antoine Aubour, Director of Communications, Marketing and Media, UTMB Group, explained to me last week that the events that get livestream coverage is determined by whether the local authorities can cover the cost of production. “Most of the times, funding comes from local authority, governments or destinations, basically, that are keen to pay and to find the budget to allow such a live productions” Antoine explained. Effectively UTMB reached out to all relevant local parties around their 50+ events to help pay for production, but they were only able to fund 12 in total. For my US readers, the lack of funding was cited as the reason for not broadcasting from Canyons this year.
This touches on an interesting point that hasn’t been talked about much: Big ultras events are tourism attractions. Thousands of runners are attracted to travel around to world to participate in a multi-day sporting event, spending money on lodging, food, and recovery activities while there. The title sponsor for the World Trail Majors is the tourism office of Gran Canaria. Several events in the UTMB circuit seem to be very strategically placed and are partnered with tourism destinations in these areas. What is a bummer though is that Auburn, California the self-proclaimed “endurance capital of the world” wasn’t able to pull the trigger and get that livestream cost covered for Canyons.
Tenerife, one of the Spanish islands part of the Canary Islands off the coast of Africa played host to one of UTMB’s early season events. The Vertical Night Challenge got canceled due to weather but all other events went off as advertised. Several other races, not listed on the UTMB website were happening focused on folks with disabilities and shorter more family focused events. I love that UTMB is able to partner with these local events and allow the specific flavors and traditions to continue to exist. Here’s how UTMB’s press release talks about this:
Inclusion is one of the fundamental values of Tenerife Bluetrail by UTMB, which is why this 2025 has offered two types of races so that everyone can take part in the experience. The Joëlettes is a race designed for athletes who require technical assistance, and the Challenge, in which around thirty athletes took part, divided into three circuits of 8, 5 and 1 kilometres. In addition, the 5-kilometre Family Race and the Peque Race were held, with twenty participants respectively.
Find more UTMB coverage on my dedicated UTMB page here. For full results visit the UTMB website, below the top runners by race:
Women:
Men:
Women:
Men:
Women:
Men:
Women:
Men:
Tenerife Bluetrail by UTMB saw a total 2,472 starters and 2,176 finishers, not counting the relay racers, the various local events I mentioned above, or the cancelled Night Challenge race. 472 (22%) women and 1,704 (78%) men reached the finish line and earned themselves their respective stones and an UTMB index (or directly punched their ticket to the Finals in Chamonix for 2025).
Next up is another doubleheader with Istria 100 in Croatia on 10-13 April, 2025 and the Desert RATS Trail Running Festival kicking off the UTMB racing in the USA on the 11-13 April 2025.
This week has been all about Trump’s insane, erratic, and nonsensical tariffs, but I wanted to circle back to the issue of DOGE firing, or threatening to fire, or firing and then rehiring public lands staff. Zoë Rom wrote an article for iRunFar a couple of weeks ago highlighting the realities:
…emergent changes to how these public lands are administered may threaten the future of trail running and racing, making advocacy and volunteer efforts increasingly critical to maintaining access for the global trail running community.
The article focuses in large part on trail work – something that’s within our power and something we can do and contribute and help. And while this is all good and even vital in some places, the reality is that without event permits there won’t be any need to clear the trails for races, as none will be happening.
In this conversation folks often have knee-jerk reactions suggesting that maybe having these lands in private hands may be a better solution in the long run (this is the common response in America where government can’t be trusted). And I just laugh in response as golf course owners and mining companies aren’t known to welcome recreation events to their properties – and if they do it would come at exorbitant costs making trail races unaffordable.
I had submitted the permit for our Beast of Big Creek races in the Olympic National Forest back in November of 2024. Initially I was told to have a response by December. That took longer, which pushed the decision past the inauguration, and then with Trump in office everything was put on hold. Back in March, after the DOGE layoff announcements I messaged my contacts – who had been temporarily laid off – hoping to get some good news, or rather any update at all. I was told (by the incredibly apologetic and friendly staff!) that permits will be issued in May, leaving me still unsure if my permits would be granted. But I have since gotten word that I will get my recreation permit granted for the upcoming event. So, an event that’s happening in August will not have a signed permit until late May. I will, of course, open registration and announce the event, but this is all on a verbal/email agreement, and does not include an actual permit in hand, which puts the entire operation in potential jeopardy. Not sharing this to slam the NFS staff, as I mentioned above they have responded exemplary, super supportive, and friendly throughout all this. But this is me sharing the realities race directors are facing in trying to navigate these choppy waters of unnecessary knee-jerk decisions by actual jerks-in-charge thinking they have even the slightest clue of what they are doing. “Oh Trump and Musk are business geniuses and know exactly what they are doing…” Fuck, what a joke.
I leave you with the short film ‘Run With Respect‘, commissioned by Brooks and shot on Snoqualmie land:
When we no longer look at the land as something to conquer but instead as something to respect, protect, and learn from, we show respect to Indigenous people and help protect their land for generations to come. Listen to different runners reflect on their learnings from the Snoqualmie Tribe Ancestral Lands Movement and how they connect with the land they run on.
This is the way.
The folks behind the Borderland podcast finally launched their much talked about app:
Wylder is a mobile app that helps runners find their community through shared miles and meaningful connections.
The app allows one to organize group runs and gather their local community. Wylder is focusing on one small slice of what Strava is offering, but has seemingly neglected in recent years.
One side note: there’s another outdoor focused app by the name ‘Wylder‘ in the (Apple and Google) app stores (although only in the UK one). What is it with these Utah guys not knowing how to do a proper online search when picking a name for their projects?
Rickey Gates and friends found a publisher for their Fifty Classic Trails project I previously mentioned on ECC:
We are thrilled to announce that Rizzoli has acquired 50 Classic Trails of America.
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This large format, image driven book will explore the beautiful and diverse ecology that the United States has to offer through 2,000 miles of trail across 26 states. We have curated our list of single-day adventures for both inspiration and aspiration and hope that, along the way, readers can learn more about the natural and human histories of these amazing landscapes.
You know of my love for coffee table looks and this one will be a great one, and one that definitely, hopefully will make it into print. Let’s hope that by the time this book is published the lands featured aren’t turned into golf courses, logging sites, and mining pits.
Lots of feature films are being released and new projects are announced, here’s a list of the ones I saw fly through my mentions over the last couple of weeks:
Trail running and film making have a long history. I spoke with Scott Jurek about this at our Seattle show as he marveled at “how far” trail running films have come with those sweeping drone shots and general increase in quality. And I agreed, the films of TRFFF’25 looked extremely spectacular on that Cinerama screen of the recently renamed SIFF Downtown. But more so than the quality what has made trail running films special is the focus on the story. Trail running films aren’t just about shredding down a mountains by the burliest dudes. It’s about adventure, and humans exposing themselves to the possibility of failure, willing to struggle in order to feel alive, and individuals vulnerably and personally sharing a piece of themselves. In a time when many races have opted to adopt instantaneous livestreams and breathless recording of the action as it happens these stories are a great reminder of what trail running is all about, and I am glad they are not getting kicked to the curb in favor of ESPN-style live reporting.
Teased on Instagram the full team is unveiled on stage at Salomon’s headquarters in Annecy, France. Replay available on Youtube:
Join us as Salomon, the leading mountain sports brand, revolutionizes trail running with the launch of their cutting-edge Athlete Performance Program. Led by renowned sports scientist Aitor Viribay, this program is designed to elevate athlete performance through science-based training, custom gear, and a dedicated team of specialists. Meet the 30 exceptional athletes from around the globe who will be part of this groundbreaking initiative. From seasoned legends to rising stars, these athletes are set to redefine the limits of trail running.
Over the winter with several athletes leaving the Salomon team, there had been some talk about their shifting focus, possibly away from trail running, but this announcement looks very serious and purposeful.
Innovative women’s running brand, Oiselle, proudly announced today that they are now a woman-owned company. This milestone comes after the brand welcomed new leadership in late 2023 and has since experienced impressive growth and momentum, culminating in a majority investment from long-time proponent and runner, Margo Cramer.
This is a terrific step. What’s unclear from the announcement though is how this affects their partnership with Janji, if at all.
Adrain Koch, German trail runner and college student got picked in the WSER lottery with just a single lottery ticket. Now he’s trying to get to the starting line and needs your help. A GoFundMe is setup to help him pay his way to California. He’s almost there, let’s support him and get this campaign over the finish line and Adrian to California this June.
The UTMB World Series today announces the first new race to their calendar: Puglia by UTMB is the fourth event in Italy and joins Lavaredo, Chianti, and Monterosa Walser Waeg. Puglia will be held in November and is already on the schedule for this year, 2025. From the technical Director Pierdavide Losavio in the press email:
“Our trail through the Regional Natural Park of the Gravine is much more than just a race: it is an immersion into the heart of a wild and unspoiled territory. Under the gentle November sun, between centuries-old olive trees and the hidden treasures of the Gravine, every step is an invitation to savour the untamed beauty of Puglia. Here, effort goes hand in hand with wonder, in a golden light that embraces the landscape. It is an authentic adventure where good weather, nature, and passion come together to create unforgettable memories.”
Exact race distances will be announced shortly with registrations opening in mid-April.
With their full calendar unveiling a few weeks ago I wasn’t sure if they were slowing down in adding new events, as this calendar felt pretty final – for this year at least. Clearly I was wrong.
The ECC UTMB World Series Calendar is updated.
I posted about this effort a few weeks ago when it had first launched and made myself a note in the calendar to check in how the progress of the campaign just before its conclusion.
As it stands right now with less than a day to go there are 98 backers with $9,446 raised, but way shy of the goal of $66,019 to get the project to print. Just 14% was reached.
I’m not here to gloat, but find it fascinating that the Barkley Marathos book a few years ago had no problem getting funding but both the UTMB book last year and the FKT book now – all done using the same crowdfunding mechanism and published by the same publisher – failed to reach its goal. More so, one would think that UTMB and FKTs have a much larger appeal than the seemingly obscure Barkley Marathons book. But, before I draw some possible conclusions I wanted to share some numbers to compare:
The pledge goals were higher for the two failed campaign, but not significantly in a way that it would’ve made a difference and gotten the project funded.
The pledges or pre-order amounts for each book were about the same:
715 people backed the Barkley book, while only 243 the UTMB one, and less than a 100 for the FKT book.
Why was the Barkley one that much more popular? Is it the mystic around the event? The allure of the thing outside our reach? The fabled storylines of the few people who actually finished the event? Does a book lend itself better to celebrate such an “old school” event without livestream? And one that in and of itself uses books as a fundamental element during the race? Was this campaign marketed better? Hit the market at a different time? So many questions and I have no answers. But I truly wish I could own all three of them.
Also via LinkedIn (and auto-translated):
On March 29th, I will set off with my brother-in-law Stéphane Causse — violinist at the Paris Opera and ultra-trailer — for a “slow travel” through Europe, Asia and Oceania. Starting from France, to reach Sydney by crossing Turkey, Central Asia, China and Southeast Asia. No planes (or almost), but trains and buses. We will take the time to let the world pass slowly through the window, to feel the distances, to meet those who live where we pass.
This journey is inspired by the reflection carried out by UTMB Group on the place of travel in our sport, at a time of ecological emergency. Travelling is an invaluable asset, but it’s time to question our habits.
They setup a fun webpage using Polarsteps where you can follow along on their journey: UTMB Slow Path.
Via their LinkedIn profile:
Lately, we had an exciting AI video session with our creative agency stilbezirk testing how AI can help us in creating video content.
The videos of Hannes Namberger running looked awful. My reply to them:
It’s like getting running shoes from TEMU.
I mean look at this stuff… it looks amateurish, cheap and really not great.
Chianti was the first of two UTMB World Series events this past weekend, Valhöll Fin del Mundo in Argentina the other. The Chianti Castles 120K race, a Western States Golden Ticket event had folks talking for weeks. Several elite men found themselves in Italy’s wine country of Tuscany to chase their hope of getting to race Western States this year. Among them Jim (who didn’t need the ticket as previous year’s winner) Walmsley, Kilian (just became a father for the 3rd time) Jornet and Vincent (now we know who he is) Bouillard. They finished in this order and that big exciting race didn’t really happen, but everyone who wanted it got their Golden Tickets. For everyone else, there were a lot of rolling hills, vineyards, and lots and lots of muddy pre-season trails.
Women:
Men:
Women:
Men:
Women:
Men:
Women:
Men:
All in all Chianti Ultra Trail by UTMB saw a total 3,742 starters and 3,454 finishers. 834 (24%) women and 2,620 (76%) men reached the finish line and earned themselves their respective stones and an UTMB index (or directly punched their ticket to the Finals in Chamonix for 2025).
Next up is Tenerife Bluetrail in Spain on March 27-29, 2025.
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