Singletrack
Finn Melanson
Singletrack is a podcast covering the professional trail and ultrarunning scene.
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Top 10 Singletrack Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Singletrack episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Singletrack for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Singletrack episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
02/24/22 • 64 min
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In this episode, we meet with Reid Coolsaet, a Professional Trail Runner for Salomon based in Hamilton, Ontario.
Reid burst onto the mountain ultra trail running scene in 2021 with a win at the Quebec Mega Trail 110K, competed at the Black Canyon 100K earlier this month, and will be lining up for the Canyons 100K in April and the Western States 100 in June.
Prior to his venture onto the trails, Reid had an extremely successful career in road marathoning. He holds a 2:10:28 marathon PR and represented Canada in the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games.
It’s been talked about recently to no end, but indeed our sport is only getting more competitive and professionalized and Reid’s entrance is just the latest proof point.
One thing that struck me about Reid was his openness and willingness to talk about any issue in the sport whether it was related to compensation as a professional athlete, training methodology, drug testing, or anything else. It made for an interesting and engaging conversation and I hope that shines through here.
Timestamps
- (2:58) - Reid's running background
- (10:59) - The lifestyle of a full-time professional marathoner
- (17:21) - How Reid became interested in mountain ultra trail running
- (31:10) - The perceptions of trail and ultra running among runners in other disciplines
- (36:54) - What it will take to recruit more elite road running athletes to our sport
- (40:40) - Reid's experience in the mountain ultra trail running world so far
- (54:09) - Drug testing conversation
- (57:02) - How Reid will prepare for the Western States 100 in June
Links
Additional Episodes You May Enjoy:
- #26 - Sam Parsons | How To Build A Trail Running Team
- #22 - Nick Coury | Negative Splitting Ultramarathons, 24 Hour American Record, Aravaipa Running
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01/26/24 • 40 min
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🗣️ “The more I’m exposed to better athletes and better people and their unique things, the more obsessed they are. The more it drives their day-to-day, it drives their minute-to-minute, and nothing else kinda matters.”
Widely recognized as one of America’s best middle-distance runners in the 2010s, Ben Blankenship joins the Singletrack Podcast to talk about his move into ultra-trail running, racing the Rabid Raccoon 100 miler in March, the nature of obsession and the willingness to push limits at the top of the sport, the allure of the dirtbag runner lifestyle, and his experience at the 2015 UTMB watching the likes of David Laney, Tim Tollefson and Zach Miller throw down.
Timestamps:
- (1:21) - witnessing the 2015 UTMB with Nike Trail
- (5:17) - running background, the opportunities he seized to build a career
- (9:46) - the psychological builds of elite runners, bougie versus dirtbag distinctions
- (17:02) - how to watch running
- (21:10) - grappling with a running career at a crossroads
- (24:03) - being coached by Ryan Hall, trail running training
- (30:04) - Rabid Raccoon 100, testing the ultra scene, Grayson Murphy's influence
- (36:47) - Endless Mileage Project
Sponsors:
- Naak - use code SINGLETRACK20 at checkout on their website (https://www.naak.com/) to get 20% off your purchase.
- Rabbit - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.runinrabbit.com/) to get 20% off your next order.
- Brooks Running - check out their High Point clothing collection and new and improved Cascadia 17 shoe at this link (https://www.brooksrunning.com/singletrack).
Links:
06/21/23 • 26 min
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Jeff Colt returns to the Singletrack Podcast to discuss his preparation and outlook for the 2023 Western States 100.
Links:
Sponsors:
- Rabbit - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.runinrabbit.com/discount/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next order
- Feetures - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://feetures.com/) to get 20% off your next order)
- Hoka - check out the new Tecton X2 and Zinal 2 (https://www.hoka.com/en/us/)
- Maurten - head over to their website (https://www.maurten.com/) and shop for gels, bars, and drink mixes.
11/08/23 • 117 min
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In this episode, Kristian Morgan goes into detail about what it takes to pursue and set the fastest known time on the Appalachian Trail. If you're interested in this scene either as a fan of long trail attempts or as an athlete curious about making a similar attempt one day, you won't want to miss this conversation. Kristian is equal parts informative, passionate, and entertaining about this project.
Timestamps:
- (4:45) - influence of living and training in Ethiopia and Thailand
- (15:12) - Karl Meltzer, Warren Doyle, Jenn Pharr Davis, Heather Anderson Appalachian Trail influence
- (41:13) - mental training component for Appalachian Trail
- (58:53) - physical training component for Appalachian Trail
- (77:23) - logistical and financial preparation for Appalachian Trail
- (107:21) - future of Appalachian Trail FKT
Sponsors:
- Naak - use code SINGLETRACK15 at checkout on their website (https://www.naak.com/) to get 15% off your purchase.
- Rabbit - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.runinrabbit.com/) to get 20% off your next order.
- Oladance - use code ST at this link (https://oladance.com/ST) to get $30 off the Oladance OWS2 headphones.
- Brooks Running - check out their High Point clothing collection and new and improved Cascadia 17 shoe at this link (https://www.brooksrunning.com/singletrack).
- Kodiak Cakes - use code Singletrack15 at checkout on their website (https://kodiakcakes.com/singletrackpodcast) to get 15% off your next order.
Links:
05/20/24 • 68 min
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Caley Fretz is the Co-Founder and Editor-In-Chief of Escape Collective, a member-funded independent cycling media company. As Caley says in his LinkedIn bio, he's “used everything learned over a decade in journalism to build a more sustainable media company”. And that’s what we discuss in this episode - whether his experiences in the cycling space translate over to what current operations and the future of media look like in the trail running world.
If you’re interested in the business of sports and have enjoyed our conversations on these topics in the past, you’ll enjoy this one too.
Timestamps:
- (0:58) - Escape Collective backstory, Caley's sports journalism background
- (10:05) - explaining how we got to the current state of endurance sports media
- (23:38) - pros and cons of owned versus rented media channels
- (33:03) - pros and cons of alignment with fans versus versus partners, advertisers
- (39:11) - what happens next for the middle of the media market
- (43:03) - replicating parts of the Athletic business model
- (53:38) - future of endurance sports media, possible business models
Sponsors:
- Naak - use code SINGLETRACK20 at checkout on their website (https://www.naak.com/) to get 20% off your purchase.
- Rabbit - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.runinrabbit.com/) to get 20% off your next order.
- deltaG Ketones - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.deltagketones.com/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next order.
Links:
- Follow Caley on LinkedIn
- Email Caley ([email protected])
- Escape Collective
- Escape Collective Transparency Report
- Ketone Study
- Follow Singletrack on Instagram, Strava, Youtube
08/16/23 • 91 min
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On August 4th, 2023 I set an unsupported fastest known time on the 100 mile wilderness section of Maine's Appalachian Trail.
In an effort to pay it forward to anyone interested in testing their limits on this route in the future, I recorded this trip report with Xander Keiter, who is a fellow HMW enthusiast and owner of the fastest known supported and overall time on the route.
Xander and I discuss the history of the route, what makes it special and intriguing, where it fits in the broader context of the New England trail running scene, how I prepared for the run, what went well, what went poorly, and what might be next.
Sponsors:
- Rabbit - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.runinrabbit.com/discount/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next order
- Kodiak Cakes - use code Singletrack15 at checkout on their website (https://kodiakcakes.com/singletrackpodcast) to get 15% off your next order.
- HVMN - use this link (https://hvmn.com/SINGLETRACK20) to get 30% off your first subscription to their Ketone IQ product.
- Feetures - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://feetures.com/) to get 20% off your next order.
Timestamps:
- (3:29) - what makes the 100 Mile Wilderness so intriguing, what draws trail runners to the route
- (22:52) - how I prepared for the 100 Mile Wilderness
- (30:17) - how I fared on each section, what execution looked like
- (67:58) - post-run reflections, contextualizing the 100 Mile Wilderness, future plans
Sample Gear Used:
- Speedland GS:Tam
- Kogalla RA Adventure Light
- Maurten Gel 100
- Salomon Adv Skin 12L Pack
- Leki Ultra Trail FX One Poles
Links:
- Xander Keiter on From The Backcountry Podcast
- 100 Mile Wilderness Fastest Known Time Page
- Follow Finn on Instagram, Strava, Twitter, Youtube, and Patreon
01/02/23 • 46 min
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Andy Wacker is a professional trail runner for Salomon based in Boulder, CO. The focus of our conversation is on Andy’s new organization called the “Trail Team”, which is launching in 2023 to support and develop rising American athletes into the best professional trail runners in the world.
Sponsors:
- Rabbit - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.runinrabbit.com/) to get 20% off your next order
- Gnarly Nutrition - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://gognarly.com/) to get 20% off your next order
- Kodiak Cakes - use code Singletrack15 at checkout on their website (https://kodiakcakes.com/) to get 15% off your next order
Timestamps:
- (1:04) - Andy's background in trail running, what it was like trying to make it as a pro in the sport in the late 2000s and early 2010s
- (7:21) - reflecting on the drop-off in talent pipeline for post-collegiate athletes in the trail scene
- (11:21) - where our sport is at now for emerging/aspiring professional athletes
- (15:31) - assessing the talent gap or opportunity gap for American athletes compared to European and other international trail runners
- (17:49) - explaining the concept of Andy's "Trail Team" and the services offered (mentorship, skill development, media exposure)
- (27:30) - business model for the team, interest from potential partners
- (32:14) - where brands and existing institutions fall short and why Trail Team is well-positioned to solve these problems
- (36:19) - athlete recruitment to the Trail Team, what they're looking for, goals for 2023
- (42:55) - whether it's easier to make it professionally as an ultra or sub-ultra trail runner in 2023
Guest Links:
12/16/22 • 78 min
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What if there was a dedicated event series where brands like Hoka, Salomon, North Face, and Adidas Terrex had the opportunity to showcase the strengths of their teams and exclusively compete against each other across the primary mountain ultra trail running distances?
In this episode, I am joined by Dani Moreno, as well as frequent co-hosts Brett Hornig and Leah Yingling, to reflect on Dani's idea for a regular "Battle of the Brands" in our sport. We discuss how teams would be organized, the race distances that would be included, how scoring would work, which teams appear to be the strongest right now, whether athletes, fans, and brands would be interested in this idea, and what we learned about our sport through the research process for this idea.
Timestamps:
- (1:09) - explaining the idea of "Battle of the Brands - the number of runners, events, and brands, how you win, etc
- (5:52) - what makes this idea exciting
- (9:30) - brand teams that have the best chance of winning in 2022
- (18:51) - discussion of proposed Salomon, Hoka, North Face, and Adidas Terrex teams
- (48:34) - whether athletes would be interested in racing this event
- (62:48) - whether fans would be interested in following this event
- (69:09) - what we learned about the sport in the research process for this hypothetical event
Sponsors:
- Rabbit - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.runinrabbit.com/discount/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next order
- HVMN - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://hvmn.com/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next order
Links:
10/14/22 • 64 min
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Cat Bradley is a professional trail runner for Brooks based in Boulder, CO.
In this conversation, we reflect back on her experience winning the 2017 Western States 100, navigating the professional trail running world after that event, her thoughts on social media and decision to start a podcast, her decision to change sponsors last year, and the balance between passion and professionalism when setting goals in the sport.
Sponsors:
- Rabbit - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.runinrabbit.com/discount/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next order
- HVMN - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://hvmn.com/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next order
Timestamps:
- (2:33) - what’s exciting her most these days
- (5:26) - UTMB Puerto Vallarta
- (9:27) - how life changed after the 2017 Western States 100
- (13:18) - the negative aspects post-2017 Western States
- (18:29) - the sponsorship experience post-Western States
- (22:13) - gender pay disparity issues
- (23:38) - the benefits of processing the Western States experience
- (29:55) - starting a podcast, the importance of self-expression
- (34:44) - social media obligations for pro runners
- (39:16) - the conversations Cat’s interested in having on her podcast
- (44:10) - creating opportunities in the running world separate from her athletic performances
- (47:13) - the process of changing sponsors, how to know when its time to make a change
- (52:29) - advice for fellow athletes when it comes to navigating the sponsorship side of trail running
- (55:02) - the benefits of having an agent
- (59:37) - balancing passion and professionalism, goals for 2023
- (63:14) - final thoughts
Links:
Additional Episodes You May Enjoy:
- #129 - Des Linden | Sports Psychology, Running Commentary, Trail and Ultrarunning Interests
- #96 - Clare Gallagher | Leadville 100 Focus, Social Media Perspective, Next Career Steps
01/20/24 • 51 min
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Sam Parsons returns to provide an update on Tinman Elite, a professional running team based out of Boulder, CO. We get into the challenges of building, maintaining, and growing the team, influencing the greater professional culture in running, and reflections on Sam’s athletic mortality and what the future might hold for him.
Note - Earlier this month we reposted a conversation with Sam from November 2021 that queues this one up nicely. Go check it out, if you haven't already.
Timestamps:
- (0:48) - there's still no co-located ultra-trail running team
- (3:24) - the wins and losses for Tinman Elite over the last 2 years
- (9:06) - why it's still worth it
- (11:54) - the dark side of discipline
- (19:26) - the requirements to keep at it in yours 30s
- (29:20) - changing the culture of pro running
- (34:38) - rivalries in running, recruiting runners with fire
- (44:34) - stock up or stock down, the next road runner to go to trail, next steps
Sponsors:
- Naak - use code SINGLETRACK20 at checkout on their website (https://www.naak.com/) to get 20% off your purchase.
- Rabbit - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.runinrabbit.com/) to get 20% off your next order.
- Brooks Running - check out their High Point clothing collection and new and improved Cascadia 17 shoe at this link (https://www.brooksrunning.com/singletrack).
Links:
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FAQ
How many episodes does Singletrack have?
Singletrack currently has 368 episodes available.
What topics does Singletrack cover?
The podcast is about News, Ultra Running, Running, Podcasts, Sports and Sports News.
What is the most popular episode on Singletrack?
The episode title '2023 Javelina Jundred Pre-Race Interviews | Preston Cates, Tara Dower, Riley Brady' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Singletrack?
The average episode length on Singletrack is 60 minutes.
How often are episodes of Singletrack released?
Episodes of Singletrack are typically released every 2 days, 3 hours.
When was the first episode of Singletrack?
The first episode of Singletrack was released on Jun 15, 2021.
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