‘Media Pass’ is back on Trail Talk with Aaron Shimmons (Youtube/Audio):

Fresh off TrailCon in Olympic Valley, Aaron sits down with Mathias Eichler and Krissi Polentz, both on the ground for the week, to unpack what it actually revealed about the business and media of trail running. Does the sport have any real journalism left, or just hype men waiting on the next shoe drop? Why are the biggest brands behaving like teenagers fighting over a valley? Is the live stream gold rush ever going to pay off, or are we quietly repeating the mistakes that hollowed out the bike industry? And now that TrailCon has won its June date, does it actually know what it’s for?

It’s a good one.

Extra credit: if you’re looking for links to some of the talking points, check out the ECC archive from the last few days.

Matt Trappe created the unofficial evening programming I had bemoaned was missing at TrailCon this year.

I manifested a mashup of Auteur Sportif and MoB into a brand house. Adam Copeland called it the Trappe House but I was calling it MoB Garage. It was low-key by design but also a big leap of faith. I booked a huge house on a hunch and went for it. The goal was a more intimate gathering of people (as opposed to logos) in an offline and personal setting, devoid of panels, crowds, booths and social media.

I was invited to the Sunday session but hadn’t been in town yet, so I missed it. Reading now the recap it seemed like these gatherings were a hit and I hope I can make it to one next year.

Matt also shares the sentiment about TrailCon as a whole that I had been expressing:

I love this event so much but I think it can be even better. Despite the public being welcomed it is still an echo chamber of brands and industry. We need more “regular” runners. I’d like to see breakout sessions that create smaller conversations vs public Q&A sessions. More intimate back-and-forth dialogue encourages all the questions and connections vs. just a couple isolated Q’s by the brave few willing to raise their hand. We can also continue to strive to bring more diverse voices to the conversation. One goal this year was not to repeat people on panels and I do think that was done well but going forward I want to involve more voices not only from a diversity angle but also geographically and socioeconomically. A friend who is newer to trail views it solely as an affluent sport and, while current data does back that up, I came up in this world when it was anything but affluent and I think it’s important to keep that irreverent dirtbag spirit alive.

I especially appreciate Matt also struggling with how to label the “regular” runners as he calls them.

An interesting tidbit Matt has in his “notes” section at the bottom of that long post – its worth scrolling down, I promise:

Something is up at Näak. Talk on the floor at TrailCon was that their US operations are no more. Another nutrition brand even seemed to call into question whether they might be able to fulfill their UTMB commitments. Huge yikes and opportunities abound for Precision, Never Second, Skratch, GU, etc.

Aside from the fact that there are very few runners I know who actually like Näak this could be the first big explosion in our sport. Some folks are already asking and worrying about that dreaded bike industry comparison. And those “some folks” in this instance were Ian MacGregor, CEO of SkratchLabs, so maybe he knows something we don’t – yet.

Full of doubt, and surrounded by doubters Francesco Puppi runs Western States and finishes second in his Western States debut and 100 mile race debut. His write up is a fun read:

My experience at the 2026 Western States 100 served as a reminder that things don’t need to be perfect, they just need to be good enough. As athletes, we spend way too much time questioning the quality of our training, wondering whether what we’re doing is actually enough to meet the expectations we have for our performances. It’s hard to define exactly what “good enough” means, because it inevitably changes depending on the person and the situation.
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We are our best data points, but at the same time we use our best days as the reference for how we expect to perform all the time, under every circumstance. Which is just the wrong expectation.

Some good wisdom right there, not just for training and racing but for life in general.

‘I Won (Again)’ is a fantastic video (In German Bavarian – good luck Youtube auto dubbing) of Hannes Namberger claiming his 4th title and new course record at Lavaredo Ultra Trail this past weekend. Philip Reiter was the man behind the camera pulling off such a quick turnaround and incredible short film.

Until we get a proper livestream at Lavaredo this will have to do.

Addendum: The video shows and talks about how Hannes runs over 105K with fellow racers Andreas Reiterer and Tobias Geiser, then takes the lead on the final downhill and few kilometers arriving in town almost 10 min faster than the two who chose to share second place holding hands. 10min, in just over 10K… that’s nuts. Congrats Hannes.

Quick summary of what actually happened from Tom DeVries on LinkedIn:

Meta auto-enrolled REI into an AI ad program, altered a real vendor photo, and ran it for nearly a week without REI knowing.
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The program is called Advantage+ Creative. Opting out requires navigating three separate settings panels. And there are reports of it re-enabling after you turn it off.
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 It seems like Meta no longer values having the trust of their customers. This is exactly the kind of action that destroys it. It’s quite sad.

I don’t jump up here to defend REI, big companies are responsible for the programs they are participating. Of course they got duped by META, but in the end someone somewhere in the organization didn’t care.

Also, and somewhat related, here’s John Gruber running a post titled: ‘Why is Meta Destroying its Engineering Organization?’. This AI shit is really doing a number on these people, Jebus.

I’m so glad so many of our businesses are relying on tools like WhatsApp and Instagram to market, communicate and promote their products… what a fun time to be alive.

Logistically TrailCon is the logical bridge between two great American trail events: Broken Arrow and Western States. Placed in the days between, and in the same resort village TrailCon tries to bring the American trail community together – both brands and normal runners (I need a better word for this, I hate to call them just “consumers”). With a mix of fun activations and business-focused panels TrailCon tries to meet both stakeholders and keep them entertained, engaged, and happy.

It’s a good concept. A great and obvious idea that needed to happen. There’s no better place and time on the calendar for the American trail running community to come together.

This year I went for the first time wearing my film festival hat, and bringing my journalist’s notebook. Did I have fun? Yes. I met tons of people, made connections, and achieved my goals. Will I come back – most likely also yes. It’s THE place to be and maybe even a better place for trail-related conversations and meetings than TRE. You don’t have to wade through road runners to find your people and I mean, it’s definitely in a more beautiful location.

My setup was light, I didn’t have a booth, and so evaluating the success of my trip based on ROI I can say it was worth it.

On a more objective level did I find places that were lacking and things to improve on, yes. But I’m hopeful, as ‘Raccoon Media Group’ – the entity behind TrailCon which has the conference experience, and has lots if it also has deep pockets. TrailCon is a long game, I would wager.

Where TrailCon struggled this year (and I am told last year as well) is a clear definition – and communication – for who it’s for. Is it for professionals working in the trail running space or is for the public, just regular trail runners? Were there enough offerings to entice either group to come back?

• There were no evening activities.
• A few workshops and hands on experiences would help the overall attraction.
• No products were announced. Which made sense looking at the product release calendar, but the media there struggled trying to find a narrative to “write home about”.

Maybe there should be two clearly defined tracks one can jump in between and choose events, workshops, and activities from. TrailCon clearly could use more public participation, and it would benefit from conversations with real meat on them, not just surface level “podcast panels” in the blazing sun. Things are trending in the right direction and I don’t get the feeling that the folks who steer the ship are standing in their way to make this what it can become. I’m encouraged and inspired to think more about this platform and how it can be used in the future to expand and build upon.

Many people had wondered about this when Ourea Events closed up shop earlier this year that UTMB might step in and take over one of their events. Today we’re getting the confirmation from the newly renamed ‘Skyline Scotland by UTMB’ Instagram account:

Commenting on the announcement, Skyline Scotland founder Shane Ohly said:
“This is the start of a new chapter for Skyline Scotland, and a big step forward for trail running in Scotland. We had been in conversation with UTMB World Series since 2021. Over that time, we’ve built a really strong relationship with a shared ambition to create genuinely world-class trail-running experiences.

The official UTMB website doesn’t seem to be ready yet, but the reel suggests a next iteration making a comeback in September 2027. I will update the ECC events calendar once I have all the info.

Clare Gallagher sharing a first-hand account for Trailrunner:

For the top finishers selected for post-race drug testing, the rules are simple: Pee in a cup (at least 90 mL, at a sufficient concentration) and you’re free to go. However, that’s easier said than done after you’ve finished top ten at Western States.

Alright, alright, I give Outside a lot of grieve, but this article was fantastic. What an incredible look “behind the curtain”.

We’re a month out for the official return of the Skyrunner World Series to the United States. Beast of Big Creek is 1 August and we still have some bibs to give away. In the lead up to the event Skyrunner World Series sponsor Merrell is hosting a Strava Vert Challenge and you should join.

Take on the Merrell x Strava Vertical Challenge, marking the return of elite skyrunning to the U.S. and inspired by the relentless ascent of the Beast of Big Creek—North America’s only stop on the 2026 Skyrunner® World Series.

Let’s go!

Martin Biela still working on trying to reverse-engineer the UTMB Index and fully get the details on how it actually works:

Beginning of last week a Calculation details view appeared on every runner’s profile — no announcement, no blog post. Click the big blue UTMB Index card, or any category card, and a panel folds out showing exactly how that number was built, row by row.
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Here’s what the rule turns out to be: your UTMB Index is governed by two mechanics that the panel shows but never explains. A clock that ages every result on a fixed schedule, and a floor that stops your weaker races from dragging you down. Once you can see both, the index stops being a verdict handed down from above and becomes something you can actually read — and plan around.

The mechanics behind it all are a bit over my head, but it’s good to get a better understanding of how this all works. Especially if you’re a pro runner and that Index is important for your livelihood, having a better understanding can help you make better decisions. Although, you should probably refrain from running and optimizing for a number – cause that’s certainly NOT what trail running is supposed to be all about.

From their FAQ for the new product:

Team Subscriptions let groups or organizations purchase multiple Strava annual subscriptions and share them with their teammates. You’ll receive unique codes that recipients can redeem to unlock the full Strava experience for a year.

No tech company has ever not offered an “enterprise” model = selling a version of their product to businesses and hoping that the corporate expense departments will forget about the annual subscriptions renewing.

Here’s Raziq’s TrailCon recap:

There were repeated comparisons to skateboarding, and I reject them wholeheartedly based on the simple fact that skateboarders are cool. Skating is an anti-establishment subculture. Skaters challenge societal norms simply by using the built environment (parking lots, stairs, railings) for a secondary, often-destructive recreational activity.

I loved my few days at TrailCon, but I also admit that I am not cool – my kids keep reminding me. I loved being outdoors in the mountains – and not stuck in a nondescript trade show hall. I love the conversations and interactions I had with folks all week. But yes, I agree with Raziq’s point, the sport of trail running has room to grow. And TrailCon has room to move beyond the feeling of being an expanded podcast panel turned into a trade show into something that feels like it more organically reflects the full diversity of our sport. Give it time, and invite the right partners to help you nurture it.

What started out as just a newsletter for the French outlet was recently expanded to include a full website where their articles can be accessed (and linked to!). Naturally still in French, so use the translation tool of your browser. This is a very welcome addition to our trail media landscape.

After this massive week Jonathan Levitt posts his follow up thoughts on his blog. One thing he points out which I sort of forgot about:

I did not hear a single real panel conversation about how AI is changing the way runners find the products they buy.
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That felt like a miss.

He’s right, there wasn’t much talk. Maybe because trail running doesn’t happen in the echo chamber of tech investing and tech reporting but is closer to the real world. And there AI is largely hated and rarely useful.

In fact, spending a week not hearing about AI felt refreshing.

Sure, at the ‘Second Nature’ mixer on Wednesday morning folks shared their vibe-built industry disrupters, but none of these project felt like they had any real impact on our sport yet.

Josh watched the livestream. I usually do as well, but this year I had the opportunity to be onsite and follow the race live. It’s a complete different experience. And yet, I agree with several of Josh’s takes here:

Technology has largely solved the “where” problem. Storytelling still has to solve the “who” problem. Commentators had issues knowing who was on screen and sometimes they had issues knowing why those on screen mattered.

There were several moments when the livestream commentators responded to nothing but the ticker refreshing, which I also have on my phone. Is there no better way to give these folks insight information? And if there is not, why’s no one else starting their own live commentary? Just for diversity’s sake.

John Sugden shares some quick recap charts for this year’s Western States race:

Imagine telling someone that three men would go under 14 hours, four under the course record, and none of them would have been named Jim, Kilian, Hans, Hayden, Zach, or Adam?

There will be plenty of debates on how the masterminds (nerds) of our sport so completely misread the men’s field in their predictions ahead of the race, but this is for another time. John charts highlight the way both the men’s and women’s races unfolded. What a fascinating year it was to be on the ground as supposed to glued to the livestream.

I previously mentioned the app Western States released a few month ago in the lead up to the race. Now with just a few hours before race start it’s worth reminding folks to download the app to follow along. For folks who aren’t wanting to install an app on their phone, or want to view the data in their browser there’s a web view as well. in Some of the data and the way it is displaying it will be quite fascinating to explore during the actual race. This might be a good alternative for folks who don’t want to watch the livestream.

Nutrition brands were a-plenty at TrailCon but I got get the impression that things felt a bit dialed down from the past two years at TrailCon when the onslaught of new hydration brands promoting all kinds of magical numbers and gains felt almost nauseating. Good, let’s be more reasonable, and healthier.

Eoin Comerford, via LinkedIn post:

As a reaction to a packed June calendar, the folks at Switchback Event just announced that next year’s show is moving earlier in the season, running May 22-24.

I had been wondering about this when it was first announced that TRE was spinning out their Switchback event and moving it to June, now it seems TrailCon has won. They keep their date in June – which for them is clearly the only time of the year a conference can work in Olympic Valley.

A panel I had missed at TrailCon was titled ‘How Trail Running’s Top Leaders Think About Growth, Culture, And What’s Next’. It was moderated by Ian MacGregor, CEO of SkratchLabs with panelist Renee Augustine, General Manager Arc’Teryx, Monica DeVreese, CEO at rabbit, and Mark Garonzik, General Manager at ACG.

All the panels were in the blazing heat, so I chose to skip it. But I mainly did because I couldn’t get over the title of the panel “trail running’s top leaders”. ACG has been in the sport for 5 minutes. Arc’Teryx clearly is an outdoor brand, but also barely had a hand in shaping the sport over the last few years. Several of the folks on the panel don’t have any results on UltraSignup themselves. But sure, let’s call the “top leaders of trail running” to discuss our sport.

I was reminded of this panel when scanning LinkedIn this morning – yeah, I can’t help myself. There Ian MacGregor continued the conversation with the following prompt:

We’ve watched a lack of critical thinking decimate the bike industry over the last few years. A lot of great people and brands have been hurt.

Trail running is on an extraordinary run right now. Participation is up. Investment is flowing in. Brands are scaling fast.
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What is the trail running industry celebrating right now that we might look back on in a few years and realize was actually a warning sign?

So okay, that is indeed a good question worth pondering. A few of the answers in the comments mention the importance of maintaining the trails. In a previous post I mention the need to expand the offerings at TrailCon to entice regular folks to actually show up. Let’s add a “trail work day” to TrailCon, brought to you by ACG. Others speak to the dangers of the recent price increases by brands flirting with the “triathlon consumer” who surely can afford the $300 running shoe. Not sure if brands like ACG and Arc’Teryx are gonna listen. Two comments I’d add:

• The brand’s teenager problem needs to stop – for the good of the sport.
• I am wondering if we’re investing too many of our sports’ dollars into livestreams and broadcasts and that the ROI will just never materialize for the brands and they eventually pull back leaving the new fans behind. We might end up sitting on hundreds of old Starlinks if this gamble doesn’t work out. And then we’ll ask ourselves if our community was really served by this.