Yet another Mountain Outpost/Aravaipa/Jamil project, and the second vibe-coded platform aimed at entertaining spectators/fans of the sport that’s dropped this week. This one has a bit of an ‘impressum‘ at least:

Race Purse – by Mountain Outpost

Turn live hype into real support. 100% of contributions go to athletes. This is crowdfunding, not gambling.

The second project needing to explain itself that it’s definitely not gambling. But what it is, is Aravaipa’s acknowledgement that prize money at one of America’s biggest (the biggest?) and one of the highest grossing trail races, managed by the world’s second largest trail running events organizations (after UTMB) might be high time. Folks have been asking for prize purses for Aravaipa events, but especially at Black Canyon years now.

What does Race Purse do?

Race Purse lets fans contribute in real time to increase the athlete fund for select endurance events.

So, the prize money (mostly) comes from the fans.

It’s easy to armchair quarterback (look at me being inspired by the Super Bowl and adding a second football reference in as many posts) and spend Jamil’s money, but to me this is beyond the question of how money should be spend, but rather a matter of: ‘Just because you can “vibe-code” this, doesn’t mean you should’.

When people say ‘AI will influence and inspire every segment of our lives’ maybe this is what they are talking about. None of these platforms would exist without AI-supported coding and development. These tools are early stage startup project – playgrounds if you will. They don’t give us any indication as to ‘what the future will bring’ so it’s too early to claim that ‘this will change everything’. But something does seem afoot and that seems to have jumped the shark. You’re welcome for all the idioms today.

From the founder/vibe coder Simeon Griggs:

Trail Market’s a trail-specific fantasy prediction market and an experiment as something with a lower barrier to entry than trying to pick a podium or top 10. No homework.

There’s no ambition to turn it into an actual gambling platform—just some fun to add to the discussion.

After being inundated with dozens of gamblings ads during the Super Bowl this past weekend project like these sort of sits on a questionable trajectory. Looking at ‘Trail.Market‘ solely from a “fun” angle and not wanting to immediately slip down that proverbial slippery slope, efforts like these are also a sign that the ‘spectator side’ of our participatory sport is growing. And clearly, a new generation of fans engage with the sport they love and follow in a different way. So, maybe this is (part of) the future?

I don’t want to spend too much ink on rehashing the conversation around the question of pacers for elite runners at Western States and the accompanying Golden Ticket races, but, I wanted to post a quick recap and some observations:

• Kilian Jornet kicked this convo off after last year’s WSER when he posted on his blog wondering how much support a racer should be getting and how to level the playing field.
• Jim Walmsley mentioned in interviews and in comments to the PTRA that he thinks that WSER should be run without pacers (again, that’s for the elites competing for the win.)
• On more general terms it’s reasonable to consider a larger conversation on how to unify rules and regulations for a sport that continues to grow toward more professionalization.
• UTMB’s focus and arguments around limits for crew for runners have been rooted in environmental concerns and transportation access challenges.
• These concerns aren’t something that WSER had to address – yet, but if we’ve seen how crew sizes have ballooned over the last few years I wonder when this trend will force WSER’s hand.
• WSER also doesn’t have prize money – yet. So, one could make the argument that the push to professionalize this race via a conversation around pacers seems to be pushing on the wrong lever.
• Of course, it’s absolutely valid to point out and stay committed to the history of the event, the reason on why pacers where initially required/considered/allowed and how this is part of the tradition of this event, and ultra distance races in the US in general.

So, clearly to some this is a hot button issue. In the end not something that can be enforced by public opinion but certainly worth an open and civil debate.

My take

• To make the argument that if you want to call yourself elite and compete for the win at WSER you should be forgoing pacers I find the wrong approach to this conversation. Athletes have proven time and time again that to gain an edge they will resort of every available tool to them. I also don’t think this is a tenable argument that WSER could make. It would split the field between elites and amateurs (even more than it already is) and that is sort go against the spirit of the sport.

The PTRA has raised environmental concerns in regards to UTMB before. Why not use the same approach with WSER? Lobby for a limited and reasonable crew size for each runner. That keeps the playing field the same for every runner.

If a leveling up and professionalization across the biggest races around the world is the goal, why not raise the issue of prize money – and the lack thereof as the main issue for elite runners participating at the biggest American races?

• Of course, any organization imposing limits to how much help a runner can get on course needs to be committed to provide a certain amount of support themselves. A pacer keeps a runner safe, a big crew with ice buckets requires WSER to provide less ice themselves. But, can the monkey be put back in the bag and kiddie pools filled with ice and a team of 20 for each runner be considered over the limit? Will WSER want to take that stand?

But, if WSER chooses to stay conservative in its handling of the inevitable demands that come with the continued growth in our sport what I see is going to happen – and what has already happened in some ways – is that brands with the deepest pockets will distort the competitive landscape and create a spectacle on top of the actual historic event WSER is putting on. And I’d be worried that that I’d loose control of the narrative.

So, my suggestion is, rather than going after the runners and disallow them a pacer, or split the field in elites and amateurs, I would take the route of limiting crew access, number of vehicles deployed per runner, and crew per person per aid station. Maybe that’s not a novel idea, it’s just what UTMB had to do and chose to do in the narrow valleys around Mont Blanc, but maybe taking exactly the same approach here and speaking to it from the same angle – one of environmental concern is the right take to align our global sport and pull into the same direction without rocking the boat too much.

Announced today, registration is open on UltraSignup:

The Broken Arrow Skyrace today announced two new youth distances for 2026. Presented in partnership with ACG (All Conditions Gear), a Nike brand designed for athletes who seek the challenge, adventure, and connection of thriving in the wild, the 2026 edition of the Broken Arrow Skyrace will now feature two youth races on the high-alpine trails of Palisades Tahoe: the U-20, the Eagle, and a U-14 race called the Kestrel. 

Trail Futures NTN (Nike Trail Nationals) are youth national championship-caliber events, scheduled for Friday, June 19th, 2026. Designed to encourage the development of the next generation of up-and-coming trail runners, Trail Futures NTN is the ultimate youth mountain running experience.

ACG, the gift that keeps on giving.

Jessy Carveth for Marathon Handbook:

Now it’s returning in a scaled-down format, but with a clear purpose: connect the U.S. trail scene back into the global skyrunning pipeline.
…
The Washington race, Beast of Big Creek, will be pulling double duty. It’s part of the U.S. national series, but it will also serve as the only U.S. stop on the Merrell Skyrunner World Series global calendar.

Let’s go!

Eszter Horanyi for iRunFar:

After a seven-year hiatus, the Skyrunner USA Series returns in 2026 with a four-race series stretching from Alaska to New York. While the Skyrunner World Series — which in 2026 comprises 19 races around the world, including the SkyMasters series final — has been a long-standing fixture on the global circuit, this is the first time since 2019 that the U.S. has hosted a national series.

And the first time since 2018 that the Skyrunner World Series will have a stop in the US.

How can it be anything but:

@austinjklapman logged his Super Bowl halftime show performance with Bad Bunny. 

Perfection.

Austin recorded the activity with an Apple Watch Ultra according to his Strava file.

Matt Walsh takes on the sticky subject of “sponsorships, gifting and investments” as it pertains to trail media:

Running media and influencers have professionalised. Brands fund shows, athletes overlap with product development, outlets take on consulting work, and creators build real businesses hawking gels and AI training plans. None of that is surprising, and none of it is inherently negative. The interesting bit is how the presence of money subtly shapes the edges of the conversation.

It’s worth reading the entire article and Matt is way too kind to the various personalities he clearly speaks of but never directly calls out.

Running media doesn’t lose credibility because money is involved, it loses it when the presence of money quietly shrinks or loudly amplifies what gets talked about. Small signals of context can do a surprising amount to reopen that space.

He also addresses the reality that, well actually, mentioning sponsors and financial ties is already required by law.

These laws set the floor for transparency, not the ceiling for editorial range. An industry can be compliant (although I’d argue we’re not the best at it) and still develop predictable blind spots simply because relationships, access, and formats influence what feels worth saying.

We, in the trail media, gotta be more transparent and honest if we want to keep our credibility.

Outside Interactive the company formerly known as Outside Magazine shares some positive financial news:

Following a five year transformation, the platform brought in $125 million in 2025, over 60% of which came from recurring lines of revenue.

I’ve give Outside a lot of flack over the years, but this surprised me, I gotta admit.

… the company has more than 1 million paying subscribers, although that figure has remained largely flat in recent years and includes people paying for the bundle, as well as those paying for individual services. In total, Outside brings in 35% of its total revenue from the line item.

The law of large numbers. I can’t fathom that there are still a million people subscribing to this “product”.

According to The Colorado Sun, every employee at Outside Magazine who was there before the acquisition has been shed. 

So this really was a complete hostile takeover and private equity play. Grab the brand – which clearly is still worth enough to keep a million people paying for a subscription – and throw the entire team that’s been shepherding and building the business over the years to the bloody curb. If you were responsible for this, how can you sleep at night?

Brooks shares Financials:

Brooks Running closed 2025 with record-breaking global revenue, achieving a 16% increase year over year and extending its track record to nine consecutive years of growth.

Albeit not mentioned in their press release I am claiming a small part in their success due to their partnership with the Trail Running Film Festival.

On a more objective note, this release is kind of funny as it is full of percentage numbers yet has no dollar figures at all.

Marathon Sport, a chain of running stores shared this via press release:

Marathon Sports announced the acquisition of six03 Trail Races and the Cranmore Mountain Race, expanding the company’s long-term investment in trail running in New England. The company also announced more than $100,000 in total prize money across its New England trail race portfolio for 2026.

This puts a renewed focus on trail races from the East Coast and is a big position statement coming from this side of the country. Exciting times for trail races that are not a 100 or 200 miler in Colorado, Arizona or California.

It’s Monday, and we have now numerous news shows dedicated to trail running all airing/dropping on the same day. Some aim to capture the happenings in the world of trail running by actually going live and talking about ‘breaking’ developments.

• Finn dropped his show early Monday morning
• Trail Talk was live on Instagram around 12pm
• Freetrail will be live on YouTube this afternoon 5pm

Gone are the days when the only trail media we had were videos of race recaps posted months after the event, and podcasts interviews full of long form story telling. Tickers, short form hot takes and rapid response “emergency recordings”. That’s where we’re at. And Electric Cable Car is entering the 4th year of doing just that, without the video component – for now. And we’re just getting started.

Something something about ‘blue ocean strategy’…

What absolute impeccable timing with this announcement:

Announcing the welcome return of skyrunning in the USA with a four-race Merrell Skyrunner® USA Series alongside a US stage on the Merrell Skyrunner® World Series – already announced in December.

On the same day as GTWS announces their calendar of events leaving the US entirely, skyrunning swoops in and announces its US National Series.

And no, I am not just patting myself on my own shoulder here, I had nothing to do with the timing of all this. But also:

The Beast of Big Creek will play a double role hosting the only US stop of the Merrell Skyrunner® World Series and the Merrell Skyrunner® USA Series.

All there’s left to do is book your trip to the Olympic Peninsula and come race with us this summer. Let’s go!

Finally, the new season of Salomon’s Golden Trail World Series is unveiled:

• ZEGAMA-AIZKORRI 17 MAY
• LEDRO SKY TRENTINO 24 MAY
• QUEBEC MEGA TRAIL 5 JUL
• PITZ ALPINE GLACIER TRAIL 1 AUG
• SIERRE-ZINAL 8 AUG
• MYOKO TRAIL 20 SEP
• JINSHANLING GREAT WALL 27 SEP
• MUJU TRAIL GRAND FINALE 24-25 OCT

Everyone has been scratching their collective heads on what the larger strategy here is for Salomon and the team putting on this series. It feels like it’s decreasing in value and importance year after year. But all snark aside, here are a few things they are actually improving on and helping push the sport forward:

Beyond the calendar itself, the 2026 GTWS season introduces a series of major developments designed to further strengthen the championship as a modern, global competition fully optimised for broadcast and aligned with the highest standards of elite trail running.

So we are getting our answer already. All these changes are there to “optimize for broadcast”.

Prize money will see a significant increase across all levels of competition in 2026, rising by 45% compared to 2025 and bringing the total prize purse to €435,000. Of this total, €30,000 will be awarded to the winners of the men’s and women’s overall rankings.

Good. I don’t know how this compares to other sports, but good to see them continue to push the envelope here. I wonder how UTMB will follow this up. Who will be the first series to claim the €1 million in prize money?

The stakes are being raised not only financially, but also on the sporting side. The championship will introduce a new strategic performance layer through uphill, downhill and sprint segments, each awarding bonus points towards the overall classification. This innovation is designed to intensify in-race competition, encourage tactical racing, and further enhance the live and broadcast viewing experience.

I’m curious how this will play out, both from a spectator point of view, and from a racer point of view – do runners love this sort of thing?

In another landmark development, and for the first time in its history, the GTWS will introduce a team ranking. This classification will be calculated based on the points scored by the top two men and top two women from the same team at each race, adding a new dimension of collective strategy and competition to the series.

Also something new – and something we’ve first seen at WMTRC. But it will be interesting to see how they implement this. Clearly this is something many of the top media people have been talking about. (And no, I won’t bring up Formula One here.)

At the same time, and with the objective of safeguarding sporting integrity, the GTWS will significantly expand its anti-doping program in 2026. This will include an increased number of controls at each event, as well as enhanced out-of-competition testing throughout the season.

Also good. And a first for trail running: ‘out-of-competition’ testing. Probably a requirement now after last year’s epic doping scandal that rocked Sierre-Zinal.

So clearly the GTWS ain’t dead yet. 2026 is here. But without any race in North America.

Tim shared the news on Instagram:

I’m excited to share something I’ve been involved in creating and that I’m proud of:
It’s called MILES.

MILES is a movement built around staying healthy, moving daily, and building a positive community — while investing and growing together in a way that actually feels aligned.

Website is full of AI slop and is essentially a meme coin play:

Miles Coin is the heartbeat of outdoor runners, blending fitness, community, and crypto in every step.

Also worth checking out the linked Twitter/X account that’s full of angry political rhetoric. Fun stuff, par for the course. Good company to be around.

Episode 341 with Joe ‘Stringbean’ McConaughy:

Joe McConaughy has achieved a lot in his life already, but this year he’s going to embark on two new and daunting adventures : fatherhood and race directing. I don’t know which one’s harder, but we chat about both and a lot more on this episode of Singletrack.

Links

• Joe Coaching website
• Joe on Instagram
• Youth Trail Project
• Vert Running Series

OR with the announcement today:

This August, Outdoor Retailer, the national gathering for the U.S. outdoor industry, will debut the Wild Reach Initiative, a program embedding 150 outdoor-focused creators directly into the event. Designed for a moment when audiences are increasingly tuning out automated content, the initiative brings creators and brands together on the show floor to capture real experiences, real reactions, and real stories as they unfold.

At a time when audiences are craving authenticity, this platform transforms the trade show floor into a dynamic stage where creators and brands collaborate to capture raw, unscripted moments. From real-time reactions to compelling stories, influencers bring energy, engagement, and a human touch that resonates deeply with audiences, making every interaction meaningful.

Aside from me wanting to make a snarky comment on the idea of putting the words ‘influencers’ and ‘authenticity’ into the same sentence I actually think this is a really fun and smart idea. Trade show are strugglingly for attendance and brands are pulling out their investments. If now the “new media crowd” is invited, and courted, and welcome to visit these booths and share the new products with their audiences this could create a very interesting amplification that might be enticing for brands to continue to invest into these events and ensure their survival. Smart idea.

Courtney Dauwalter made a splash this week by being featured in a Näak promo video. Rumors floated around the internets and today Näak announced her as their newly sponsored athlete. This, after Courtney’s longterm sponsorship with Tailwind Nutrition spun the rumor mill out of control, but here’s the full scoop.

From Näak’s Instagram:

Ultra isn’t just a distance, it’s a mindset.
@courtneydauwalter ‘s is about curiosity, courage, and joy.
Welcome, Courtney.

Mountain Outpost with the details:

• Partnership includes all solid nutrition options cultra and boost energy gels, wattles, purees and bars)
• Courtney will continue working with her current hydration partner
• Expect to see a signature flavor that will be extremely on brand for Courtney

Tailwind, probably having been inundated with calls today responded:

Breaking News: Courtney’s 2026 is looking bright. @courtneydauwalter
Working hard, and playing hard. 
Still here fueling her 2026 goals as Team Tailwind. 

Phew, got that one sorted.

As a side note: Has Näak’s Instagram always be “@naakbars. I have never seen them as a maker of primarily “bars”. Interesting choice of branding. And on a second side note (extra bonus side note, so to speak): Has anyone memorized ¨ are over the first or the second ‘A’? Yeah, I mess this up all the time too.

Announced just today:

The UTMB® World Series circuit is thrilled to announce the addition of Snowbasin by UTMB®, a brand-new event set in the heart of Utah’s Wasatch Mountains.

The inaugural event is scheduled to take place on September 10-12, 2026, for one year only and will shift to September 16-18 beginning in 2027.

For 2026 this will mean there will be five UTMB World Series events on the same weekend. And for 2027 the event moves to the same weekend as Grindstone. It’ll be interesting to see if they will make date adjustments to that event in response.

This also will be UTMB’s second newly created event in the US – after Pacific Trails California. So rather than trying to buy existing events UTMB seems to be aiming to create new ones. And ones with short distances only – to start: Just like for Pacific Trails only a 50K and a 20K category race is offered.

The ECC UTMB Calendar is updated.

Announcement dropped today! Another incredible line-up I am honored to share on behalf of the Trail Running Film Festival:

• Becky Bates, Not a Running Story – Scot Proudfoot
• We Belong Milo – Zanecchia
• Fellsman – Billy Barraclough
• Dipsea Generations – Paddy O’Leary
• Dick’s-A-Thon – Dylan Young
• Project Tombstone – Max Haimowitz
• Songs and Flowers – Julen Elorza
• Off Course – Carrie Highman, Tim Highman
• The Romsdal Method – Hans Kristian Smedsrød
• Unmuted – Running for the Glaciers – Luca Jaenichen

Learn more about these wonderful stories here. And get your tickets to a local screening and support these incredible filmmakers.