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.
01/11/23 • 94 min
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Brett Hornig, Leah Yingling, and Mike McMonagle join the podcast to talk about the livestream experience, ideas for future races, and analysis of how everything played out in the men’s and women’s fields at Bandera this past weekend.
Discounts:
- Rabbit - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.runinrabbit.com/) to get 20% off your next order
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Timestamps:
- (4:13) - live coverage experience, reflections
- (41:22) - ideas for future livestreams, ultrarunning media
- (61:36) - Bandera 100K race recap, men's and women's fields
Links:
- Follow Brett on Instagram and Strava
- Follow Leah on Instagram and Strava
- Follow Mike on Instagram and Strava
- Follow Finn on Instagram and Strava
Additional Episodes You May Enjoy:
- #168 - Long Run Archives #8 | Ties In Ultrarunning, Pacers At Western States, Best Free Agent Runners of 2022, ITRA National League Confusion
- #140 - Long Run Archives #7 | Olympic Ultra Running, UTMB World Series, Race Coverage Ideas, Agents
- #104 - Long Run Archives #6 | Future of Trail Running Content, USATF Debates, Unusual Athlete Sponsorships, Joe Gray Versus Kilian Jornet
- #94 - Long Run Archives #5 | Western States Reactions, Zach Miller Return, Arizona Trail Duel
- #72 - Long Run Archives #4 | Cocodona 250, Mammoth Trail Fest, Super Shoe Influences, Strava Finds
- #62 - Long Run Archives #3 | Betting In Ultrarunning, Next Great Trail Running Towns, Golden Ticket Series Ideas
- #53 - Long Run Archives #2 | Ultrarunning Analytics, Elite DNF Debate, 3:47 Downhill Mile, Magda What If
- #43 - Long Run Archives #1 | Jim Walmsley What Ifs, Black Canyon 100K Preview, Full-Time Ultrarunning
08/08/22 • 49 min
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Lindsay Webster is a professional endurance athlete based in Sutton, Quebec. Widely regarded as one of - if not the greatest - obstacle course racers of all-time, Lindsay made waves earlier this year following her decision to retire from the sport she has dominated for many years in order to focus on skyrunning.
In this conversation we talk about how her background contributed to her excellence in endurance sports, her decision to become a full-time professional athlete in her mid-20s, her reasons for leaving OCR and getting into skyrunning, what the future looks like for her in the trail and ultrarunning world, and more.
Discounts:
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Links:
Timestamps:
- (4:23) - background, influence growing up with an Olympian
- (9:45 - becoming a full-time professional athlete in her mid-20s
- (12:44) - motivation and goal-setting after hitting all your biggest targets
- (17:29) - whether she will ever return to OCR
- (24:59) - choosing between skyrunning, golden trail, and other event series
- (27:06) - lessons so far from skyrunning
- (31:25) - lifestyle while traveling on the skyrunning circuit
- (35:48) - explaining OCR organizations
- (39:05) - similarities and differences in professionalism between OCR and trail running
- (42:29) - opportunities and challenges for OCR over the next few years
- (45:10) - OCR media
- (46:27) - miscellaneous questions
Additional Episodes You May Enjoy:
- #97 - Sophia Laukli | Beijing OIympics Experience, Broken Arrow Skyrace, Trail Racing Future
- #70 - Jazmine Lowther | 2022 Canyons 100K Course Record, Western States Golden Ticket, UTMB Aspirations
- #31 - Dani Moreno | Sub Ultra Trail Racing, Golden Trail Series, Overcoming Burnout, Female Participation
07/14/22 • 91 min
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Robert Muecke is the Global Sports Marketing Director for Adidas Terrex and, until recently, also served as the their Trail Running Team Manager.
In this conversation we talk about why Terrex decided to invest so substantially in the trail running space over the last 5-6 years, the trail running team model they are building, how they define value in the athlete-sponsor relationship, what it's like to be a Terrex athlete and more.
Deals:
- For Kodiak Cakes, use code Singletrack15 at checkout to get 15% off your next order.
- For Insidetracker, go to insidetracker.com/singletrack to get 31% off your next order before 7/17/22 or 20% off after that date.
- For Athletic Greens, go to athleticgreens.com/singletrack for free Vitamin D for 1 year and 5 free travel packs with a subscription purchase.
Timestamps:
(4:00) - introductions
(7:23) - background in trail running and at Adidas Terrex
(9:40) - changes in the athlete sponsorship landscape over the last 5-6 years
(13:47) - thoughts on team environment in trail running
(16:33) - recruiting athletes to the Adidas Terrex trail running team
(19:44) - emphasizing obligation to the athletes and long-term relationships
(26:57) - expectations of Adidas Terrex athletes
(31:01) - talking about increase in full-time trail runners
(36:27) - whether most professional trail runners will be full-time by the end of the decade
(41:39) - evolution, increasing sophistication of running teams in the last decade
(44:29) - intentionally investing in the dispersed team model instead of the co-located model
(50:35) - key objectives for when the team does hold training camps
(57:27) - how to define value in the relationship between athlete and brand
(63:02) - whether athletes shortchange themselves in the negotiation process
(67:27) - closing the gender pay gap among sponsored trail runners
(70:07) - why Adidas Terrex put such a strategic focus on trail running over the last few years
(72:41) - whether the trend of brand take over of event series will lead to less inter-brand competition between athletes in the future
(80:40) - whether there will be a world in the future where race winnings are substantial at a majority of the major trail running events
(83:00) - helping athletes transition out of their athletic careers to other roles in the brand
(87:04) - in-house, branded content for trail runners
(90:21) - closing thoughts
Links:
Additional Episodes You May Enjoy:
- #98 - Steff Gardner | How Salomon Builds Their North American Trail Running Team
01/03/22 • 48 min
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This is the first episode in a monthly series we are calling the “Coaching Call”.
For context - In April, I will be lining up for the Canyons 100k. Ryan Ghelfi, the Head Coach at Trails and Tarmac, is going to help me prepare. We decided to take it a step further by working in total transparency. Our calls will be recorded and the training log will be viewable 24/7 for you to analyze.
Here is how these episodes will work.
At the beginning of each month, we will hop on a call to recap and analyze the training from the previous 4 weeks. It will be like any normal check in call of ours, except it will be recorded. Nothing will be held back. You will get total insight into my goals, how the workouts are going, what’s working, what isn’t working, what I'm concerned about, and questions I have. There will be 6 total episodes including a pre-race and post-race call through the end of April.
Hopefully you can see yourself in these conversations and apply some of the topics that we cover to your own training.
In future episodes we will be entertaining audience questions, so reach out on social with topics you’d like us to cover. I will also link in the show notes to Ryan's social channels as well as the Trails and Tarmac website in case you want to get in touch.
In this first episode we kick off our coaching relationship that officially starts on January 3rd. We look into how I’m feeling, how training will be structured, strategies to stay focused, how to think about goal setting and more. Enjoy!
Timestamps
- (3:05) - why we are publicizing these coaching calls
- (4:16) - a rundown of Finn's running history, the coaching relationship
- (8:09) - the performance benefits of public accountability
- (11:10) - why Finn chose the Canyons 100K
- (13:25) - the challenges to producing a consistent training block over multiple months
- (28:07) - training learnings to date
- (38:18) - what listeners can expect in future episodes
Links
- Get coached by Trails and Tarmac
- Email Ryan ([email protected])
- Follow Ryan Ghelfi on Instagram
- Follow Singletrack on Instagram
- Follow Finn on Strava
- See the Canyons 100K training log here
Additional Episodes You May Enjoy:
- #41 - Coaching Call #2 | Canyons 100K Progress, Training Partners, Coaching A Trail Team
- #17 - Ryan Ghelfi | Post Sponsorship Athlete Life, Trail Running Teams, UTMB, FKT Scene
Katie Schide | Grand Raid Win, Western States 100 Return, European Ultra Trail Year In Review
Singletrack
11/15/23 • 79 min
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Eurotrack is back! Katie recaps her Grand Raid win and her decision to return to the Western States 100 next year, and then we do a retrospective on the 2023 European ultra trail scene offering our opinions on top performances, favorite moments, rookies of the year, emerging trends and from all of that, some of our predictions for 2024.
Timestamps:
- (1:50) - Grand Raid Recap
- (31:40) - Western States 100 return
- (42:20) - European Ultra Trail Scene Year In Review
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:
Additional Episodes You May Enjoy:
- #238 - Eurotrack #2 - Katie Schide | Western States 100, Lavaredo 120K, Hardrock10
- #212 - Eurotrack #1 - Katie Schide | Eurotrack Introduction, Transvulcania Preview
06/21/23 • 13 min
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Emily Hawgood returns to the Singletrack Podcast to discuss her preparation 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.
08/02/22 • 63 min
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Michael McKnight is a professional trail runner for Salomon based in Logan, UT.
You may recognize Michael as one of the top athletes on the 200 mile racing scene and we do talk a bit about that towards the end of the episode, but this conversation delves a fair bit into the philosophical as well as Michael reflects on being outspoken on social media on a whole array of issues, managing a coaching business through turbulent economic times, and the takeaways from working on the corporate side of the sport in many capacities.
We also talk about and build up some hype for Michael’s next project - and what I believe is one of the most unique events our sport has seen in a while - a head to head battle for the Arizona Trail FKT taking place in October.
Discounts:
- 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:
- (3:06) - experience and takeaways working for Altra in customer service, events, and athlete management
- (18:32) - motivations for the move from Altra to Salomon, getting into coaching
- (28:19) - living and training in Logan, UT
- (34:53) - social media, being outspoken about certain hot topics in our sport
- (41:31) - specializing, building a career around 200 mile races
- (47:00) - whether a playbook is forming for how to run 200 milers
- (52:51) - Arizona Trail FKT showdown
Links:
Additional Episodes You May Enjoy:
- #73 - Joe McConaughy | Cocodona 250 Win, Long Trail FKTs, Coaching Ultra Runners
12/22/24 • 125 min
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Jack Kuenzle and Will Peterson join the show to reflect on an exciting year in the world of 'fastest known times' on the trail running scene. Fair warning: this episode contains some profanity, so listener discretion is advised!
Timestamps:
- (2:00) - Top FKT-related storylines of 2024
- (30:15) - Best New FKT Developments / Themes of 2024
- (43:05) - Advances In Gear, Nutrition, Etc for FKTs
- (53:33) - Male FKT Of The Year
- (67:31) - Female FKT Of The Year
- (93:35) - Routes That Should Get More Attention In 2025 And Beyond
- (100:58) - 2025 FKT Predictions
- (108:09) - Personal Goals For 2025
Partners:
- Naak - use code SINGLETRACK20 at checkout on their website (https://www.naak.com/) to get 20% off your purchase.
- Rabbit - use code Singletrack10 at checkout on their website (https://www.runinrabbit.com/) to get 10% off your next order.
- Pillar Performance - use code SINGLETRACK at checkout on their website (https://pillarperformance.us/) to get 15% off your next order.
- deltaG Ketones - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.deltagketones.com/SINGLET...) to get 20% off your next order.
Links:
12/11/24 • 64 min
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In this episode, we’re joined by returning guests Abby Levene of Outside Magazine and Kelly Newlon of RAD Boulder. Together, we dive into the big news of Tara Dower’s groundbreaking sponsorship deal with Altra, which positions her as one of the higher-paid athletes in the ultra-trail running world.
Timestamps:
- 00:30 Introduction to Tara Dower's Contract with Altra
- 06:22 Gender Pay Inequality in Sports
- 09:26 The Role of Non-Disclosure Agreements in Athlete Contracts
- 13:42 Market Dynamics and Athlete Compensation
- 16:37 The Impact of Tara's Contract on the Trail Running Community
- 19:28 The Future of Sponsorships in Trail Running
- 22:21 Tara Dower's Unique Position in the Sport
- 25:36 Measuring Success for Brands and Athletes
- 28:30 The Evolution of Altra's Brand Strategy
- 35:28 The Evolution of Athlete Representation
- 39:01 The Role of Agents in Ultra Trail Running
- 50:48 The Future of Sports Reporting
- 54:39 The Concept of a Signing Day in Trail Running
- 56:48 Safeguarding Athlete Obligations
- 01:01:55 Final Thoughts on Tara's Impact
Partners:
- Naak - use code SINGLETRACK20 at checkout on their website (https://www.naak.com/) to get 20% off your purchase.
- Rabbit - use code Singletrack10 at checkout on their website (https://www.runinrabbit.com/) to get 10% off your next order.
- Pillar Performance - use code SINGLETRACK at checkout on their website (https://pillarperformance.us/) to get 15% off your next order.
- deltaG Ketones - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.deltagketones.com/SINGLET...) to get 20% off your next order.
Additional Links:
- Abby Levene - Outside Mag Article
- Kelly Newlon - RadBoulder
- Follow Finn on Instagram, Strava, Twitter,
12/10/24 • 60 min
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Chris Chavez returns to the Singletrack Podcast to discuss the latest developments at Citius Mag, the influence of Netflix's Sprint series on Track and Field, shifts in the sports media landscape, his key content and event strategies for 2025, and his perspective on Michael Johnson's "Grand Slam Track" league.
Timestamps:
- 2:00 The Evolution of Citius Mag and Track and Field Media
- 9:49 Retaining Talent in a Competitive Media Environment
- 20:50 The Impact of Media on Track and Field
- 26:59 The Future of Track and Field Media
- 32:19 "Sprint" And The Evolution of Sports Documentaries
- 39:51 Challenges in Media Access In Track and Field
- 45:04 Grand Slam Track
- 50:04 The Role of Influential Figures (Michael Johnson) in Sports
- 55:27 Business Strategies for Sports Media Success
Partners:
- Naak - use code SINGLETRACK20 at checkout on their website (https://www.naak.com/) to get 20% off your purchase.
- Rabbit - use code Singletrack10 at checkout on their website (https://www.runinrabbit.com/) to get 10% off your next order.
- Pillar Performance - use code SINGLETRACK at checkout on their website (https://pillarperformance.us/) to get 15% off your next order.
- deltaG Ketones - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.deltagketones.com/SINGLET...) to get 20% off your next order.
Additional Links:
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FAQ
How many episodes does Singletrack have?
Singletrack currently has 360 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 59 minutes.
How often are episodes of Singletrack released?
Episodes of Singletrack are typically released every 2 days, 2 hours.
When was the first episode of Singletrack?
The first episode of Singletrack was released on Jun 15, 2021.
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