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.
“The Outdoor Wall” posts on his/hers/their newsletter the following call:
A note for us, Europeans, on how we comment and support trail running in our continent. How did the US become so influent in trail running? Why do we look up to the American scene so much?
A good challenge and something I had been discussing on Singletrack with Francesco Puppi earlier in the year. And it’s one of the reason why Aaron Shimmons, Troy Meadows, and I started the monthly show ‘Media Pass‘.
They finish off their article with this paragraph:
There needs to be a new generation of actors in the sport that comes with a fresher approach to the sport willing to do things differently. As new media rise in the US and even acquire older ones, we are yet to experience the same dynamic in Europe. Like younger runners enter the field and win races every week, new European media and storytellers will emerge and reach the critical mass to build the story, influence and show off European trail running for how good it is.
I’ve got a simple answer to their question here: Don’t be incognito when presenting yourself as media. Who is “The Outdoor Wall”? Their website doesn’t say. I couldn’t find a name or byline in any of the articles they posted so far.
As the article begins with some obvious and somewhat lazy tropes about American culture I will end with one: One thing that American trail media does well is their willingness to “go for it” and “just do it”. They put themselves out there, with guts, and with hustle. The American WayTM. Does that create a superior media product? Does it reflect or speak to the trail running culture in a better way? I don’t really know. But it does fills the airwaves with “content” and people on both sides of “the pond of America” are clearly responding to it, tuning in regularly and are letting themselves be influenced by this.
It’s called “OFF Magazine”, which is kind of a brilliant title:
The print magazine dedicated to stories exploring movement, nature, design, sustainability and the human psyche. Only available in English. Disclaimer: As an editorial publication, OFF takes in a range of viewpoints from journalists and authors around the globe. These viewpoints do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of On.
I’m quite leery of these brand magazines. Yes, they all want that last sentence to be true:
These viewpoints do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of On.
But in some ways folks just perceive them as big product catalogues for the brands, right?
Back in the days, when Starbucks was still cool, they tried their hands on publishing a magazine: ‘Joe’. I believe they printed just a couple of issue before they canned the idea.
REI released Uncommon Path, now just a blog, as a printed magazine and I don’t think there we more than just a couple of issues either.
Satisfy is another running brand with a magazine that has seen quite a bit of hype. But that probably has more to do with the general hype about the brand and not the actual magazine.
Anyone subscribe to these?
Energlee is a new product line of endurance fuel that is now available on the Spring Energy webshop. A bit of sleuthing uncovered that ‘Energlee’ seems to be a brand created just last year, ostensibly as a hedge if the Spring fallout would’ve been too much and the brand would’ve not survived. There’s also the Energlee website hastily created on Shopify with very little backstory. The products seem to be hydration drink powders. Something that Spring has had in their lineup, or had been teasing, but under their Spring brand, if memory serves me well. Well then… onwards… maybe?
Just noticed this new addition when I was browsing the Western States website: TrailCon is now listed as official sponsor of the Western States Endurance Run.
I had been thinking about exactly this when TrailCon was first announced: Dylan Bowman sits on the board of the WSER, a nonprofit, and is building TrailCon, a for profit venture, clearly being able to take advantage of the close proximity of these two events. And no matter what Doug Emslie might say, Olympic Valley would be pretty dead in June if it wouldn’t be for Broken Arrow and Western States. I’m not suggesting this is a huge conflict of interest per se, but by TrailCon officially sponsoring Western States they are preempting possible concerns – smart.
Episode 329 with Michael Eaton:
Michael Eaton, Brooks Trailhead store manager and host of the Trail Running Film Festival in Seattle joins Singletrack to share his person running journey from running cross country in his youth back in Kentucky to this year’s training block for OCC in Chamonix. We chat about the challenges of life, the highs and lows that come with that, and the peace that can be found in the dedication to a daily training regiment.
Michael also brings us some exciting details on the Seattle show of the Trail Running Film Festival. Get your tickets!
When the WSER Golden Ticket races were announced last year back in June there was much to be said about what races were included, and why. Folks “had their opinions”, especially about the omission of any race on the East Coast (in previous years Grindstone was a qualifier). And increasingly it became clear that sponsor Hoka wanted events that were Hoka sponsored races – which makes sense.
But what this year is showing (especially with what seemed like the curious addition of the Chianti race) is that these Golden Tickets seems to really be big draw for top runners. Maybe it’s a funny correlations, but when the Chianti event was added to the UTMB calendar it felt like one of those “filler events”. Now, only in its second year running as official UMTB event, and first year as Golden Ticket race, the line up seems to be stacked. For weeks now folks have been talking about a possible showdown between Jim Walmsley, Kilian Jornet and Vincent Bouillard. All three are signed up, and are certainly not the only top runners registered. Kilian specifically has said that he’s interested in trying to get a Golden Ticket for Western States. The interest by elites to run Canyons seems to be of similar nature, especially after Canyons lost its UTMB Major status, but kept the Golden Ticket designation.
I think Western States still has an incredible draw, especially for elites runners. It’s a fantastic showdown And the Golden Ticket qualification system is a really brilliant idea to engage with elites, especially those who are a bit more spontaneous. It’s also a great media play, as it’s very transparent, limited, and a simple process to follow for everyone. Whoever thought up this idea had a great one.
Stephen Casimiro, founder of Adventure Journal in an Op-Ed:
Now, with Donald Trump as president, it appears the government is, at minimum, open to selling public lands to private owners. I say “appears” because nobody in the administration has yet suggested dumping land explicitly, but they sure are hinting at it, and the many public lands activists I’ve contacted are terrified Trump will carve away parts of the commons at a pittance.
The simple answer is: “yes”. Of course that’s what they are after. With Trump always think of the worst, that’s what he’s after. Don’t get distracted with the immediate word salads or actions. This isn’t about some fire fighter being laid off, or some trails not getting the maintenance they need. Their goal is to rape the country at every turn, extract dollars for themselves, then leave it die in a corner.
Volume, the British publishing bespoke platform is at it again. After their failed UTMB book “kickstarter” last year they are currently crowdfunding for a coffee table book all about FKTs:
Curated by veteran ultra-runner Buzz Burrell, this highly visual book is an aspirational and complete guide to FKT, bursting with stunning photography and details from specially commissioned mapping and infographics through to training tips from the athletes who’ve conquered the routes.
I just love everything about this, just like I did with the UTMB book. But I worry this campaign too will not reach its funding goal. Some simple napkin math shows that in the first 5 days they got 55 people to pledge (~11/day). Looking at what the average person pledged they need another 700+ people in the next 22 days (almost 3 times as many people per day as have signed up so far).
I do really love the idea of these coffee table books and think there’s a place in our sport to celebrate running stories in this way. I also don’t think the price for the book (from $55 – $125 depending on what version) is outrageous or misguided. Lots of high end coffee table books are in that price range. But maybe it’s the number of people needed to pledge before printing that’s the hindrance… or maybe the marketing around it fails to reach the right people. Either way, I love this, and said so now three times. Let’s get this published people!
Cody Townsend on Threads:
Has anyone seen any outdoor brands, besides Patagonia, making statements, action or voicing opinions against public land agency cuts and/or the potential privatization of public lands? Generally curious as I haven’t been combing social media much these days.
Aside from typical corporate cowardice, the overall silence might be attributed to the fact that most outdoor companies are owned by giant parent companies, multi-national mega corps all sitting on their asses and hedging their bets. Wikipedia keeps a good list showing just how few companies are actually independent and in a place to make a statement.
But beyond the call for courage and support what’s puzzling to me is that these outdoor companies really need our public lands to exist. If folks can’t go to these places anymore to recreate because they are sold to mining companies or turned into golf courses who’s going to buy all their gear? Or is the idea that REI is just going to start selling Carhartt gear to miners instead of hipster?
Hal Korner on Instagram:
It’s the end of era. There are no words to capture the majesty of this place, The Pine to Palm 100 Mile Endurance Run. Let the drum beat sound one last time as your senses blend and bend over 100 miles of point to point trail, dirt road and rock carnage. There’s so much to reminisce about the last 15 years but it’s the voices of those who have run the race that will continue to sing its praises as we sunset the first hundred mile race to be organized in Oregon. Our running community is here to help you fill buckets, check your heartbeat and build the coda.
He hints at some continuation but not the same route/event. That time of the year (late summer/early fall) in southern Oregon has been plagued with wildfire smoke in recent years, so it’s no surprise that changes had to happen. Is this the first iconic race that’s the victim of climate change?
The Mountain Outpost team shares some fun numbers for their livestream for the Black Canyon Races on Instagram:
At the peak 4,556 people concurrently watch the stream for the 100K. And combined between the two events the team broadcasted live for over 27hrs.
I really like this snapshot they posted. It also gives the commentators and field reporters credit, which is very cool.
A thought I had a couple of days ago: Is there any alternative to Starlink products for these type of remote high bandwidth broadcasts? My guess is no. Especially not in the realm of easily deployable and scalable products. So then, what are Western States and other races which increasingly define themselves by offering a livestream going to do when Musk continues to destroy the country? Just keep using his products?
Many people have considered Spring Energy a company dead in the water after last year’s Awesome Sauce debacle. Well, today I walked into my local REI and guess what I found stocked on the shelves next to the Cliff bars and Tailwind? Springs Energy. Awesome Sauce, Canaberry, Hill Aid, and Speednut, all available for last minute pickup, not just on the REI website, but directly in the stores. Fascinating.
This little nuggets, posted in the Mile and Stone newsletter summarizing and explaining the nosier than usual winter athlete/brand contract window:
On the teams’ side, the winter was marked by a fundamental trend, due in large part to the internationalisation of the discipline and the multiplication of different circuits around the world, namely that the major equipment manufacturers are favouring the development of an international team, rather than maintaining teams by country.
Again, we were sort of made to believe that market forces, possible trade wars, and business challenges were the result of many athletes not getting their contracts renewed, but it turns out it might have been just brands realigning their priorities and beginning to focus on international teams rather than regional or national ones. Fascinating development nonetheless.
Man I don’t care about space travel, especially not the kind sponsored by Bond Villainesque Jeff Bezos, but the accompanying photo of Katy Perry Forbes uses in the article linked here is showing Perry at one of her concerts wearing… get this: a trail running vest and arm sleeves. I have questions, so many questions. But first and foremost: who’s her stylist?
This is amazing on so many levels.
Today the team behind TrailCon, Dylan Bowman, Brendan Madigan, and Douglas Emslie announced their title sponsor for this year’s TrailCon, their industry trail running conference sandwiched between Broken Arrow and Western States. On Running will be using TrailCon as platform to launch a few new products and to get some face time with the American trail running world between Salomon’s Broken Arrow and Hoka’s Western States.
On the Freetrail podcast Dylan announces the partnership with On and few more tidbits about the upcoming event. Here are some quotes (grabbed via the transcription tool in the Apple Podcast app):
David Kilgore from ON:
We are absolutely like so jazzed first and foremost to be partnering with TrailCon and with you guys. Dude, I was there last year and just freaking blown away the whole time. Just the engagement, the type of people it curated, the engagement with athletes brands all across the board.
Doug Emslie, co-founder of TrailCon and entrepreneur in the exhibition industry having sold his prior company for a cool $1 Billion:
You know, for 10 days in Northern California to bring together the trail running community, you know, starting with Broken Arrow, then with TrailCon, and then finishing off with Western States. This will be the premier 10 days in trail running in the world and will be way ahead of what’s going on in Chamonix in August. This is going to be the place to be.
Brandon Madigan, owner of Alpenglow Sports and co-founder of Broken Arrow:
…we’ve made a plea to all of the industry to either come as an exhibitor at a very exciting vendor village that’s public facing, but also to get behind us because we are coming from a place of altruism and the desire to really support the sport that we all, you know, love and make a living in.
Dylan Bowman:
When people are there, we can take advantage of that proximity, bring the community and the industry together to forge positive some outcomes for the sport and in some way collaboratively build the future of this amazing sport together.
Here’s what I wrote when TrailCon was launched last year, which still very much feels spot on:
This couldn’t be placed at a better time and location. When Broken Arrow first launched it was clear that their ambitions were to connect their event, held just a week prior to Western States at the starting location of the race, Olympic Valley. Now, a few years later and Broken Arrow having grown into the US’s foremost, and probably largest trail race event (that’s not a 100miler!) it’s time to take this to the next level. Olympic Valley is no Chamonix, but that’s the trajectory here, clearly. Or as Doug Emslie, the co-founder who brings the conference organization experience to the table, said in the launch video on Freetrail: “the conference is meant to be the Davos for trail running”. Not sure if that is tone deaf or overly ambitious, but I don’t think Davos, aside from being a gathering in a mountain town, conjures up images of being representative of the larger community, or open to community ideas, or accessible to the community at all. Davos is anything but, it’s full of elitist billionaires planning the destruction of the planet. But, I give them that this was a reference to a gathering of importance in a mountain town.
Alright, so we’ve moved on from the comparison of Davos to Chamonix. A bit more relevant, fewer billionaires and politicians and more trail runners and mountain people, I guess. But what still puzzles me is the attempt to build community while competing and one-upping one another. I’m genuinely curious if the Polettis were ever on French media pumping their fist in the air proclaiming that they will outdo Auburn, or Silverton, or Leadville, or Olympic Valley for that matter.
From the Belgian DH News (auto-translated):
Karel Sabbe will be at the start of the UTMB Mont-Blanc at the end of August: “I want to experience this atypical atmosphere”
Has there been another athlete with the abilities to set ultra-long FKTs, succeed at Barkely and also take on an hyper-competitive event like UTMB?
The Trail Running Film Festival’s Official 2025 Selection was just announced a couple of weeks ago. Here are the six incredible films we’ll be touring the globe with:
Check out this year’s trailer, get hyped, and get your tickets for a show near you. We cannot wait to celebrate trail running with y’all.
NOT! anything that I would normally care to post here, but it’s worth pointing out that this announcement comes almost exactly one year after the much heralded Lululemon Further campaign that rocked ultra running for a few days last year in early March. Then the Camille fallout happened and at the end of the year it became clear that Lululemon was shifting strategy letting several sponsorship contracts for trail runners lapse. During that time the story we heard was “shifting priorities and tightening of belts”… the usual stuff. Now we get Vegas Spheres dressed in Lululemon colors and an ambassador contract with one of the biggest stars, and a Formula One driver who has the largest endorsement deals in the business.
I tend to give Outside a lot of grief, but this article about Reel Rock’s film editing controversy in Climbing (by Outside) by Steven Potter is just terrific journalism and writing. It details how a popular high budget climbing film was edited/altered to tell a better story and worth reading in it’s entirety:
… when Lempe and Smith’s footage appears in the climactic summit scene in Jirishanca, a climbing documentary directed and produced by longtime climbing-film legends Josh Lowell and Peter Mortimer that premiered in Reel Rock 18 and is now available on Patagonia’s YouTube channel, Berg is nowhere to be seen.
Neither is his rope. Neither are his footprints.
The coincidence had been edited out of the story.
Potter continues diving into the history of climbing documentaries and wonders where the lines are drawn between capturing the story of the climb vs. telling a story that’s engaging for the audience. Climbing films are in many ways several decades ahead of the times compared to trail running ones. Especially after the commercial success of ‘Free Solo’ they have become a different entire breed with many of the top players looking to find the next blockbuster. He calls out several (most) high profile climbers and climbing filmmakers for taking lots of liberty in their story telling and shot selection, flirting with the line between documentary and fiction. His conclusion:
The story just wasn’t about that. Storytelling, both written and documentary, is a process of omission. Essentially, you’re following a thread, but you’re also trying to cast aside unnecessary details. If people want the comprehensive history, they should read the American Alpine Journal.
But who asks for that? Are we really wanting to “just be enchanted and entertained” with these type of films? Or would a real and honest story be just as engaging. And maybe the realness could actually be what the sport needs and society wants?
Posted by Dr. Lucky Tran on Threads:
Yosemite National Park workers hung an upside-down American flag — traditionally a symbol of distress or a national threat — thousands of feet off the ground on the side of El Capitan.
An absolute incredible photo for the ages.
Related from the LA Times: ‘Trump administration backtracks on eliminating thousands of national parks employees‘. We’re back at this again, just like last time. They do stupid shit, get called out, reverse course, hurt a tons of people in the process and still claim some sort of win on Fox News. It’s just all so tiresome.
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