By Mathias Eichler
This was Beast of Big Creek 2026!
Watch the recap video of the return of skyrunning to the USA and North America's only stop on the Skyrunner World Series.
Groan*.
I’m way behind in posting my observations on various UTMB related news announcements and articles that were recently released. And, instead of trying to catch up chronologically I am going to comment in reverse order.
Matt Walsh blogged on TrailMix today, largely commenting on Doug Meyer’s article in Trailrunner Magazine about the state of UTMB. On Instagram UTMB’s Fabrice Perrin commented in turn on Doug’s article, which in it of itself is worth taking into account. Doug’s article is by now a somewhat annual piece ahead of UTMB week commenting on the state of the sport and recaps some of the latest changes UTMB rolled out over the course of the summer. These changes were shared and bundled together at a press conference last week, where UTMB not only listed their efforts, but implored the media to actually pick them up and share them in turn.
So back to Matt. The piece is titled ‘The Value of Being Different‘ and just that word ‘different’ had a light bulb go off in my head. In the past when we’ve talked about the evolution in our sport we’ve often only looked at it from a point of “grassroots vs. new”. Grassroots being local and therefore good. And new being capitalistic, corporate, global and therefore bad. Matt introduces the very simple word ‘different’, and why that might seem mundane, I feel like he’s on to something.
In trail running, becoming too mainstream can actually undermine some of your appeal. If every race looks the same, every athlete dresses the same and every brand speaks the same language, the things that made the sport distinctive begin to disappear. Difference itself has become part of the product.
…
This is where trail runnings tendency towards uniqueness becomes a counterweight to commerciality. Trail runners actively seek out difference (thats why they’re running off-road in the first place). They want the obscure race, the unusual route, the independent brand and the event with a personality. In that sense, the culture itself has a quasi-defence against homogenisation. The more successful trail running becomes, the more valuable those alternatives might become.
I will add to this that runners recognize this – consciously or subconsciously. And as long as trail races are feasible to fund their operations via just the bib sale this model works. Once demand on race directors grow – aka to add costly livestreams – brands need to help fund these growing demands – otherwise entry fees grow to exorbitant costs and runners will flee.
But most brands are risk averse, some might even say uncreative and unimaginative, especially when it comes to their marketing spend. Everyone looks for ROI through the same tried and true formulas and very few are willing to paint outside the lines.
So, if we trust that race directors will continue to push the creative envelope with their race format and event setups, and if they get validated in these efforts via runners actually signing up then what we need is brands willing to make some bets and come along for the ride. There’s brand value creation possible beyond the spreadsheet ROI, I promise.
Skyrunner World Series has updated their annual ranking with last week’s race results from Beast of Big Creek.
Here’s how these rankings work (taken from the organizer PDF I received):
To appear in the overall ranking, athletes must complete FOUR races plus the SkyMasters – FIVE races in total. The top four results—along with the SkyMasters – will count toward the final standings. Qualification for the SkyMasters requires athletes to finish at least four races and secure a top -20 placing in one of them.
A total of seven races have been designated as RED races, each awarding 1.5x points. All other races will be known as the WHITE races. RED races will play a strategic role in the overall ranking, with the following combinations eligible:
- 2 RED + 2 WHITE + SkyMasters
- 1 RED + 3 WHITE + SkyMasters
Beast was a “RED” race and therefore runners were awarded 1.5 points. The point system works as follows:
This is all a bit confusing, but when you sit for it a bit it makes sense. There are ranking and qualification systems and in our sport, and most are much more straightforward: run a qualification race = qualify for the Finals. UTMB works like that – by and large, WSER with their Golden Ticket races, and even Hardrock in some sense. You just have to finish the qualifying race and you’re in… the lottery. World Trail Majors is trying a point system, but with their 100M distances it’s just too hard to get runners to commit to more than two races on their calendar thus making rankings largely uneventful. Golden Trail World Series has a similar ranking system and leaderboard but only has 7 races + the Finals.
The SWS rankings serve two purposes:
For fans and spectators this could really be fun – and maybe even the missing piece to the whole fandom* thing we’ve been talking about now for awhile. I’ll have Etienne Rodriguez on Singletrack later this month to talk about all this and more.
*In any other sport the strategic conversations where fans debate the what ifs and what could be as teams meet week after week is half the fun. This is currently missing in trail running – mostly. A working leaderboard with real stakes attached it them could be a game changer.
Is this a jumping of the shark moment, or rather an uncloaking of what the shirt really is? Urban run club influencers can’t be pleased with this hotly demanded garment now being available to the masses. Oh, and whil I am asking cryptic questions: what does it say that currently only the men’s doily version is available at the very un-radical outdoor retailer?
Much talked about – eventually – effort by Sophie Grant on one of Europe’s most beloved long distance routes. (I chuckled when our dear friends on Freetrail’s Rest Day described the Via Alpina as a route that people are now discovering… oh sweet summer child… this route isn’t new. Big Alps crossings, and especially this one have been celebrated, attempted, and talked about for many many many years… just in the wrong continent, apparently.) But back to Sophie:
On Saturday, August 1, New Zealander Sophie Woods (née Grant) finished her traverse of the entire length of the Alps, on the Via Alpina route, setting a new overall supported fastest known time of 28 days, 17 hours, and 59 minutes. This beats both the prior men’s record of 35 days, 21 hours, and 4 minutes, set by the U.K.’s Jake Catterall in 2024, and the previous women’s record of 38 days, 2 hours, and 54 minutes, set by Tessa Caspers (The Netherlands) in 2025.
What an incredible achievement. And yes, Stephanie is right when she says on Instagram:
When men attempt records like this, there are film crews and live trackers and headlines. Sophie has her loyal friends, @zoe_salt_photography taking amazing photos, and of course her partner George, who is ALWAYS behind her. But honestly, she should have the world watching her because what she is doing is beyond comprehension and human capability.
What does it take for the media to pick up stories like hers and celebrate her – and not just after we’ve gotten yelled at? Who was part of her media team on the ground sending updates along the way?
PS: Sophie’s story can be watched online as part of the Trail Running Film Festival’s ‘Online Long Films‘.
UTMB announced this name change a couple of weeks ago:
Ultra-Trail Snowdonia becomes Eryri by UTMB in 2027.
…
In 2022, Snowdonia National Park reverted to the historic Welsh name of Eryri. UTMB is proud to be following in this tradition by renaming the iconic Ultra-Trail Snowdonia.
This name change was largely met with positivity. Often, especially with locals who’ve carried the history of an event over the year any changes are considered bad corporate policy and “just another sign of how all good things die”. But not in this case. UTMB deserves some credit here.
Hiroshima Ultra-Trail joins the World Series:
This is a city that chose to rebuild as a place of peace, and the run carries that spirit, returning along the Peace Line, the axis that joins the Cenotaph to the A-bomb Dome.
What a place for an international sporting event. And what an incredible statement to the notion that “time does indeed heals wounds”.
The event will be on 9-11 April and registration opens later this month/ Three races will be available in the following categories: 100K, 50K, 20K.
My UTMB World Series Calendar on Electric Cable Car is currently woefully outdated but I will get all the new announcements and changes uploaded before the end of the month – promise!
How is this a real thing?
Inspired by the concept behind Starbucks® Coffee & Protein, which combines coffee and protein in one convenient bottle to simplify busy mornings, the vest pairs function and fashion in a single piece to make morning routines easier so you can move from your morning walk straight into whatever comes next.
And sold out, of course.
Late stage capitalism, man.
Who wore what, and which shoes created champions at this year’s Beast of Big Creek? Coincidently iRunFar just posted their analysis of the entire Westerns States field, and which shoes runners choose when the race in question is a 100 mile race on California Carpet(TM). But, what’ if it’s a short, steep, technical mountain race in the Pacific Northwest? Which shoes do runners select?
Here’s your full list, broken down by gender, athlete, and ranking:
In a delightful surprise (to me personally) the La Sportiva Prodigio Pro was the most worn shoe. Three athletes, all men – wore that shoe on Saturday + plus, me the race director who marked the course in it – that should count for something too, right?
Merrrell’s athletes split their selection with two runners wearing the MTL Agility Sky (which will be announced in the Spring of ’27) and the MTL Long Sky 2.
Two women wore the NNormal Kjerag Brut, and two more folks ran in the Norda 005.
Brands completely missing here are: Nike/ACG, Mount 2 Coast, On, The North Face.
There’s probably more smart analysis that can be pulled from this data, but for now, if you’re looking for a shoe good for skyrunning, let this be an inspiration.
(*The Skyrunner World Series is sponsored by Merrell and they had their full NA athlete team present.)
Episode 352 with Robin Vieira Brower:
Robin fought herself through a challenging race into 7th place at this year’s Beast of Big Creek. On this episode we chat about her race day, her plans for the coming months, and what it means for her and other athletes competing on short, steep trails, that the Skyrunner World Series is back in the US.
José Gómez writing a nice recap of ‘Beast’ on the blog for Marató Dels Dements:
With a genuine North American atmosphere, from the athlete presentation and the lakeside forest campground setting to the traditional Jäger shot at the summit of Mount Ellinor and the vibrant pre- and post-race activities, the event extended throughout the weekend with two races…
It really was, it really was… oh my, what a weekend we had.
But, what I wanted to point toward is José’s summary of Skyrunner World Series standings:
It is important to remember that the standings of already qualified athletes are still relative, as they depend on participation in the remaining six races and on whether results can still be improved.
This is sort of the – much overlooked – heart of the Skyrunner World Series. A standings table where points are accumulated based on each race and participation in a certain number of events ensures access to the Finals.
José also keeps an updated table of the overall standings (see the bottom of the blog post).
Kind of surreal seeing our little mountain race receiving international television coverage. Peruvian runner José Manuel Quispe came in second this weekend and secured his spot in the SkyMaster Finals later this year at Marató Dels Dements in Spain.
Episode 351 with Morgan Elliot:
Morgan Elliot took full advantage of racing on home soil and secured his first win at a major race at last weekend’s Beast of Big Creek on Mount Ellinor – the twelfth stage on the Merrell Skyrunner World Series. After meeting Morgan in person, and cheering him into the finish, I invited him on Singletrack to chat about his approach to racing, to life and what’s next for him on the circuit.
Almost as clockwork and as often as UTMB announces a new events to their World Series Aravaipa Running announces another race series acquisition:
Aravaipa Running is proud to announce that seven events formerly a part of Calico Racing officially join its calendar for their 2027 editions, marking a major commitment to fostering the Nevada running community. Aravaipa currently operates one event in Nevada, Jackpot Ultras, and this addition expands its statewide offering to eight annual races.
So not a completely new state “conquered”, but still, the relentless expansion/assimilation continues. Are race directors who are selling their events just “tired of the grind” and are looking to offload their properties?
Chhabi R Pokhrel for Everest Today:
Nirmal “Nimsdai” Purja, the Nepal-born mountaineer who compressed the pursuit of the world’s fourteen eight-thousanders from years into months, died in an avalanche on Broad Peak in Pakistan on 30 July 2026. He was 43.
9 other climbers were swept off the mountain and perished in this avalanche. Mountaineering is inherently dangerous and this tragic event will have follow stories over the next few month digging into the decisions that went into this particular expedition. And while the mountaineering world needs to process the accident, it’s also worth remembering, and processing along with it, the allegations that surfaced a few years ago around the person that was Nimsdai.
Michael Kobold calls Nimsdai “the Harvey Weinstein of mountaineering”:
Only a small handful of Nepalis, however, are aware of a dark secret the world-famous mountaineer jealously guards by any means, including intimidation and overt threats of violence. Despite these coercive measures, the fact that Nirmal Purja is also a serial sexual predator, who across a timespan lasting more than twenty-five years has victimized countless women and even young boys, will soon be the subject of intense international media scrutiny, with Western journalists working feverishly to be the first accredited members of the press to break the story by filing articles with some of the world’s biggest news outlets. It is now certain that within a few days, the mainstream media will report on Nirmal Purja’s predatory behavior.
The NYT picked up this story a few years ago, shortly after he rose to fame through his Netflix documentary and the follow up book. This very much cooled his rise to fame in the Western world, not sure what came from him in the region he’s considered one of the most well-known people on earth.
Nimsdai broke records and reset what people thought was possible in mountaineering. But “separating the art from the artist” might work for the record books it won’t for the victims he leaves behind.
I’ve been chatting with Josh off and on the air for a while now about this and what better place to try something than ‘Beast of Big Creek’. Since I got nothing else to do… luckily I don’t have to do much here. Borderlands is gathering data points for their new LoC system:
We’re trying to answer a much more fundamental question: How do humans naturally describe what’s happening during a race and we need help from real people in the field.
We’ll invite volunteers [runners, crew members, spectators, photographers, volunteers, anyone already at the event] to send short qualitative observations throughout the day whenever they want using what every language they want.
This won’t immediately result in any outward facing display of coverage of the event, but hopefully will create some datapoints and is a good information gathering opportunity to see how this can be rolled out for real. Stay tuned for update on all this.
Also, if you’re in the area, want to stop by during race day and help us cover the event, do sign up to be part of our field team and join the “experiment”.
Like the Wind announces in-person gathering in London:
We are hoping that Run Culture: Live (aka RCL) will be the first in a series of annual gatherings around storytelling, art and community. So if you are in or near London or you can swing a trip to the city (it’s really worth visiting, I promise!) then we’d love to see you there.
Run Culture:Live is happening right the week after UTMB hoping to keep international folks a bit longer in the (wider) Europe.
The Steep Stuff Podcast is covering the Beast Skyrace all week long (I removed the emojis from the quote):
My chat with James is out already – give it a listen while you travel to town. I cannot wait to welcome you to the Olympic Peninsula.
In lieu of actual doping controls we get folks writing long Substack posts. Not sure this is the answer, but certainly adds to the overall conversation. The key piece that sticks out to me in Kilian’s post is this one:
During Cocodona of this year, I took prednisone before heading up Mt. Mingus to help prophylactically ward off the allergy-related breathing problems I had faced in years past and sucked down some puffs from my inhaler with regularity. Before the race I contacted Aravaipa to inquire about the potential need for a therapeutic use exemption (TUE) for these medications and was told that I didn’t need one. Did I do something wrong during the race? I don’t think so, and I did my due diligence. But it was the same category of drug for which Chepngeno lost her career. Even seemingly clear cut cases can involve shades of gray.
Woof. Joe McConaughy mentioned Kilian’s inhaler usage on the latest episode of Singletrack. Now we know the details around it.
If you’re a race director what do you do with this information?
Announced on Instagram:
Need a Red Light For Your Ultra? Petzl’s Got You Covered!
New 2026 rules? No problem. We’ve developed a 5g red filter clip for your headlamp. We’re giving it to you for free.
What an incredible service Petzl’s providing here. Kudos to their generosity and ingenuity.
Incredible promo reel for the UTMB Finals in less than a month.
What? Nothing, just me over here trying to get something out of my eyes.
Sign up and never miss a story.
Electric Cable Car is a owned by Einmaleins and part of trail. run. film. Productions. ©2026. All Rights Reserved.
