Trail Running Year in Review 2025 | Athletes, Performances, FKTs, Rookies, Storylines, 2026 Predictions & More

For the fourth year in a row, Corrine Malcom returns for our end-of-season retrospective podcast to summarize the year in trail running. It was another incredible season with so many amazing athletes and performances - we do our best to encapsulate everything in this episode.    The Docket: 00:00 Celebrating Trail Running Traditions 12:21 Trail Runner of the Year: Women's Picks 20:40 Trail Runner of the Year: Men's Picks 33:00 Trail Performances of the Year 39:06 Rookies of the Year 45:18 Key Storylines of 2025 50:58 The Bill Dooper Spirit Award: Celebrating Contributions Beyond Performance 56:29 Predictions for 2026: The Future of Trail Running 01:05:11 Personal Highlights of 2025 and 2026 Goals     REGISTER FOR THE BIG ALTA   REGISTER FOR GORGE WATERFALLS   Sponsors: Grab a trail running pack from Osprey Use code FREETRAIL25 for 25% off your first order of NEVERSECOND nutrition at never2.com Go to ketone.com/freetrail30 for 30% off a subscription of Ketone IQ Freetrail Links: Website | Freetrail Pro | Patreon | Instagram | YouTube | Freetrail Experts   Dylan Links: Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | Strava

Asker Jeukendrup is a sport scientist whose work has been massively influential, especially in the world of endurance nutrition. His resume is incredible, working with many of the top athletes, teams, brands, and research institutions during his remarkable career. In addition to his academic, consulting, and speaking work, Asker is a co-founder of Neversecond -- a leading supplier of feuling and recovery products in endurance sport and an important partner of Freetrail. This is Asker's first appearance on the podcast.    Timestamps:   04:15 What Makes You You? 09:28 Founding NeverSecond: A Science-First Approach 12:37 The Carbohydrate Revolution in Endurance Sports 15:09 Understanding Carbohydrate Absorption and Ratios 17:44 Nutrition Strategies for Varied Trail Running Distances 22:29 Gut Training: Assessing and Improving Carb Tolerance 27:49 Fasted Runs and Fat Metabolism 36:04 The Role of Carbohydrates in Performance 40:43 Understanding Nutrition for Racing Performance 45:15 Cooling and Its Impact on Nutrition Absorption 48:55 The Sodium and Electrolyte Debate 51:49 Caffeine: Benefits and Cautions 52:15 The Future of Health Monitoring in Athletes 59:47 Personal Stories and Lessons from Elite Athletes 1:00:15 Looking Ahead: The Future of Nutrition in Sports   Asker's consultancy   REGISTER FOR THE BIG ALTA   REGISTER FOR GORGE WATERFALLS   Sponsors: Grab a trail running pack from Osprey Use code FREETRAIL25 for 25% off your first order of NEVERSECOND nutrition at never2.com Go to ketone.com/freetrail30 for 30% off a subscription of Ketone IQ Freetrail Links: Website | Freetrail Pro | Patreon | Instagram | YouTube | Freetrail Experts   Dylan Links: Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | Strava

This is a recording from a live panel conducted at The Running Event - the running industry's largest trade show. One of the big trends in running is the growth of trail running as a sub-category, something that is felt palpably at TRE. To contextualize this growth, I'm joined by two fantastic guests:   David Callahan, Co-CEO of UltraSignup      Stephen Holmberg, Founder of Insight Accelerator   We talk about the following topics:   Growth trends in the sport Trail Culture as a growth driving phenomenon Cultural impact vs. commercial impact - the realities of the size of the market How people are discovering and experiencing the sport The impact of star athletes on the business of trail Marketplace dynamics (tariffs, inflation, competition, etc.) Q&A!   LEARN MORE ABOUT TRAILCON   REGISTER FOR THE BIG ALTA   REGISTER FOR GORGE WATERFALLS   Sponsors: Grab a trail running pack from Osprey Use code FREETRAIL25 for 25% off your first order of NEVERSECOND nutrition at never2.com Go to ketone.com/freetrail30 for 30% off a subscription of Ketone IQ Freetrail Links: Website | Freetrail Pro | Patreon | Instagram | YouTube | Freetrail Experts   Dylan Links: Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | Strava

Rod Farvard is a pro trail runner for HOKA living in Mammoth Lakes, CA. Among other things, Rod is a past champion of the Canyons 100k and a runner up of the Western States 100. We recorded this in person at Freetrail HQ in Marinwood, CA, 24hrs removed from a long run together on my home trails.    Topics discuss:   Feelings approaching the end of the year Finding and embracing "Your Path" in life Sacrifice as being a necessary element of being On The Path Focusing on UTMB after years committed to Western States Evaluating his 9th place performance in 2025 and where there's room for improvement Supported FKT attempt on the John Muir Trail Switching coaches Goals for 2026 A lot more!   Read Rod's Blog   Vote for Trail Runner of the Year   Vote for Trail Performance of the Year   REGISTER FOR THE BIG ALTA   REGISTER FOR GORGE WATERFALLS   Sponsors:   Grab a trail running pack from Osprey Use code FREETRAIL25 for 25% off your first order of NEVERSECOND nutrition at never2.com Go to ketone.com/freetrail30 for 30% off a subscription of Ketone IQ   Freetrail Links: Website | Freetrail Pro | Patreon | Instagram | YouTube | Freetrail Experts   Dylan Links: Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | Strava

Welcome to Rest Day, Freetrail's occasional news pod covering the latest happenings in trail running. This week, we're joined by Corrine Malcolm to talk through the following topics:   Western States & Hardrock Lotteries Courtney Daulwalter & Christian Allen rip CIM Thoughts from The Running Event Broken Arrow x ACG partnership Rachel Entrekin signs with Norda Debut of Trail Team of the Year   Vote for Trail Runner of the Year   Vote for Trail Performance of the Year   REGISTER FOR THE BIG ALTA   REGISTER FOR GORGE WATERFALLS   Sponsors: Grab a trail running pack from Osprey Use code FREETRAIL25 for 25% off your first order of NEVERSECOND nutrition at never2.com Go to ketone.com/freetrail30 for 30% off a subscription of Ketone IQ Freetrail Links: Website | Freetrail Pro | Patreon | Instagram | YouTube | Freetrail Experts   Dylan Links: Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | Strava

Zach Miller is a legendary trail runner, splitting time between Oregon and Colorado. He is one of the most beloved and most decorated athletes of the last decade, not only because of his results but in how he approaches the sport.    This is a companion podcast for a new film that Freetrail released this week, documenting Zach's race at the 2025 Hardrock 100. The film is entitled A Lap For Bill - a moving tribute to his late friend Bill Dooper.    Chapters: 00:00 Introduction and Current Life Updates 02:54 The Intersection of Construction and Athletics 06:10 The Art vs. Science Debate in Sports 08:56 Reminiscing About Early Racing Days 12:03 The Impact of Bill Dooper 15:06 Reflections on Hardrock and Future Goals 32:48 The Toughness of Zach Miller 34:34 The Essence of Competition 40:11 Reflections on the World Championships 50:32 Inspiration and Future Goals   Salomon's Film About Bill Dooper    REGISTER FOR THE BIG ALTA   REGISTER FOR GORGE WATERFALLS   Sponsors: Grab a trail running pack from Osprey Use code FREETRAIL25 for 25% off your first order of NEVERSECOND nutrition at never2.com Go to ketone.com/freetrail30 for 30% off a subscription of Ketone IQ Freetrail Links: Website | Freetrail Pro | Patreon | Instagram | YouTube | Freetrail Experts   Dylan Links: Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | Strava

This is an emergency episode recorded in San Antonio, TX at The Running Event. We're here to breakdown the recently announced new multi-year partnership between the Broken Arrow Skyrace and All Conditions Gear (ACG) and the exciting details contained in the rollout.    Our guests today provide perspectives from three distinct angles:   Brendan Madigan: Broken Arrow Race Director Todd Simpson: ACG Global Marketplace & Strategy  Bailey Kowalczyk: All Conditions Racing Department Athlete   Topics discussed:   High level details of the partnership Why ACG is excited about trail running The $150k prize purse What this means for current and future generations of pro trail runners Other areas of investment: Adaptive athletes, inclusivity, women/mothers, spectators, etc The importance of TRE The state of specialty retail The 2026 TrailCon A lot more!   REGISTER FOR THE BIG ALTA   REGISTER FOR GORGE WATERFALLS   Sponsors:   Grab a trail running pack from Osprey Use code FREETRAIL25 for 25% off your first order of NEVERSECOND nutrition at never2.com Go to ketone.com/freetrail30 for 30% off a subscription of Ketone IQ   Freetrail Links: Website | Freetrail Pro | Patreon | Instagram | YouTube | Freetrail Experts   Dylan Links: Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | Strava

Today's panel is entitled The Lives of Modern Professional Trail Runners, recorded live at the 2025 edition of TrailCon -- a two-day trail running festival, conference, and trade show hosted in Palisades Tahoe, CA in the days between Broken Arrow and Western States.   Our panelists today: Sally McRae (Moderator) Jim Walmsley (HOKA) Hayden Hawks (HOKA) Hillary Allen (Brooks) Tabor Hemming (Adidas TERREX)     LEARN MORE ABOUT TRAILCON     REGISTER FOR THE BIG ALTA   REGISTER FOR GORGE WATERFALLS     Sponsors:   Grab a trail running pack from Osprey Use code FREETRAIL25 for 25% off your first order of NEVERSECOND nutrition at never2.com Go to ketone.com/freetrail30 for 30% off a subscription of Ketone IQ   Freetrail Links: Website | Freetrail Pro | Patreon | Instagram | YouTube | Freetrail Experts   Dylan Links: Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | Strava

Welcome to Rest Day, Freetrail's occasional news pod covering the latest happenings in trail running. This week, we're joined by Adam Merry to talk through the following topics:   Pacific Trails by UTMB Cancellation Gorge Waterfalls new multi-year partnership with All Conditions Gear David Kilgore's departure from the Team Manager role at On JFK & Ultra Trail Cape Town previews   Fabrice Perrin's LinkedIn Post   REGISTER FOR THE BIG ALTA   REGISTER FOR GORGE WATERFALLS   Sponsors: Grab a trail running pack from Osprey Use code FREETRAIL25 for 25% off your first order of NEVERSECOND nutrition at never2.com Go to ketone.com/freetrail30 for 30% off a subscription of Ketone IQ Freetrail Links: Website | Freetrail Pro | Patreon | Instagram | YouTube | Freetrail Experts   Dylan Links: Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | Strava

Welcome to Rest Day, Freetrail's occasional news pod covering the latest happenings in trail running. This week we're joined by Tim Tollefson to talk through the following topics:   UTMB's Purchase of Zugspitz Ultra Trail The global event landscape and where independent events fit Caleb Olson wins GPT100 Kilian Jornet registers for Western States 2026 Molly Seidel and Des Linden moving from roads to trails Eliud Kipchoge wears Radical Air Flow at NYC Marathon New 50 Mile and 100 Mile World Records Personal running and life updates A lot more!   CHECK OUT MAMMOTH TRAILFEST   REGISTER FOR THE BIG ALTA   REGISTER FOR GORGE WATERFALLS   Sponsors: Grab a trail running pack from Osprey Use code FREETRAIL25 for 25% off your first order of NEVERSECOND nutrition at never2.com Go to ketone.com/freetrail30 for 30% off a subscription of Ketone IQ Freetrail Links: Website | Freetrail Pro | Patreon | Instagram | YouTube | Freetrail Experts   Dylan Links: Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | Strava