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Text us your thoughts about this episode or ideas for future episodes!The Long Run Archives are back! It's been too long.  In this edition, Brett Hornig and I are joined by Luke Webster, photographer and overall awesome creator for some of the most prominent brands in our sport. We talk about getting mountain ultra trail running in the olympics, the confusion around the UTMB World Series, race coverage ideas, and whether pro trail runners should have agents. Sponsors:Rabbit - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.runinrabbit.com/discount/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next orderHVMN - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://hvmn.com/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next orderTimestamps:(4:00) - getting mountain ultra trail running in the Olympics(19:34) - discussing the confusion of the UTMB World Series(42:00) - race coverage ideas(63:16) - whether pro trail runners should have agentsLinks:Follow Brett on InstagramFollow Luke on InstagramAdditional Episodes You May Enjoy:#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 UltrarunningSupport the show

Text us your thoughts about this episode or ideas for future episodes!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 orderHVMN - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://hvmn.com/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next orderTimestamps:(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 thoughtsLinks:BeRad PodcastCat's websiteCat's InstagramAdditional 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 StepsSupport the show

Text us your thoughts about this episode or ideas for future episodes!CJ Albertson is a professional runner for Brooks based in Fresno, CA who just set a new 50K world record in 2:38:43. In this conversation we talk about his motivations to break that record, whether he’s interested in moving up in distance on the ultra scene, and his general thoughts on competition, physical training, mental training and more.Sponsors:Rabbit - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.runinrabbit.com/discount/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next orderHVMN - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://hvmn.com/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next orderTimestamps:(2:20) - motivations for reclaiming the 50K record(9:11) - whether there's still time to shave off the record(12:45) - interests in other ultra distances(20:29) - training philosophy for ultras(23:17) - remaining goals, performance ceiling at marathon distance(31:10) - relationships with other elite marathoners(36:58) - mental training philosophy(40:47) - training inspirations(47:54) - interests in recovery, how he spends the rest of his days(58:10) - miscellaneous topicsLinks:Follow CJ on InstagramFollow CJ on StravaRenato CanovaMihaly Igloi MethologyQuestioning Christianity with Tim KellerAdditional Episodes You May Enjoy:#129 - Des Linden | Sports Psychology, Running Commentary, Trail and Ultrarunning Interests#109 - Jim Walmsley | 2022 UTMB Pre-Race Interview#38 - Taggart VanEtten | Road Ultrarunning, Midwest Scene, 100 Mile World Record AttemptSupport the show

Text us your thoughts about this episode or ideas for future episodes!Tyler Clements is the Founder of Surveyor Sports Management where he serves as an Agent/Athlete Manager for some of the most notable trail and ultra runners in our sport. Similar to our recent talk with Kelly Newlon, I was really excited to have this conversation with Tyler because it was an opportunity to shed light on another point of view in the athlete-sponsor landscape. We talk about:his background as an Athlete Managerwhat it looks like on a day to day basis to represent and work with professional trail runnerswhether it makes financial and career sense to work with an Athlete Manager or Agentinsights into the recruitment and negotiation processwhether athlete contract sizes are growing right nowhow much of a factor age and injury play in the re-negotiation processwhether it makes more sense to stick with one brand or to move around in your career Tyler struck me as someone who cares deeply about his craft and the role he plays helping athletes navigate their professional careers. Sponsors:Rabbit - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.runinrabbit.com/discount/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next orderHVMN - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://hvmn.com/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next orderTimestamps:(2:22) - background as an agent, interests in trail and ultra running(5:45) - defining athlete management, what it goes into being an agent for athletes(17:23) - responding to the concern that trail and ultra athletes can’t afford agents(22:12) - helping athletes strategize and plan for their entire careers, future selves(27:03) - the questions athletes typically aren’t asking in the negotiation process(37:03) - whether athletes benefit more from sticking with one brand for their careers or moving around(44:23) - how athletes can determine what they’re worth pre-negotiation, what to ask for upfront(56:22) - whether there’s a significant gap between what brands want and what athletes want from a partnership(60:24) - whether athlete contract sizes are growing across the board, or for only the top athletes(65:14) - whether there are elements of contracts in other sports like gravel biking that make sense for trail running(71:21) - how much of a factor age and injury play in the contract re-negotiation process(78:26) - opportunities for athletes to engage and partner with non-endemic brands(93:03) - final thoughts on the athlete-sponsor landscape Links:Connect with Tyler on LinkedInFollow Surveyor Sports Management on InstagramSupport the show

Text us your thoughts about this episode or ideas for future episodes!Scott Dunlap is the VP of Mobile at Adidas and the GM of Runtastic, a subsidiary of Adidas where he is creating the future of the quote un quote connected athlete. In this conversation, we talk about:being an early voice in the ultrarunning media contributing to the blogging wave of the late 2000s and early 2010s a few of his popular articles including his idea for the Strava GOAT program and whether endurance sports are a luxury goodthe role that technology companies play in promoting and facilitating more outdoor activitythe application of web 3 technologies to the trail and ultra world and how athletes and creators stand to benefitthe state of trail and ultrarunning Sponsors:Rabbit - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.runinrabbit.com/discount/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next orderHVMN - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://hvmn.com/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next orderTimestamps:(1:54) - background in trail and ultrarunning(7:42) - being an early voice in the ultrarunning media(16:08) - the idea of the Strava “GOAT” program(22:54) - the confluence of trail running and Silicon Valley influences(28:01) - explaining the Adidas Runtastic App(34:19) - how essential community and gamification will be to future outdoor activity(41:46) - other important influences in the technology community on outdoor activity (45:43) - speculating on shifts in consciousness when 1 billion athletes are connected worldwide(52:09) - understanding the application of web3 technology to the trail and ultra running world (61:10) - understanding move2earn, STEPN(70:31) - how professional athletes and creators in trail and ultra could benefit from these new technologies, platforms(78:20) - thoughts on the state of trail and ultrarunning (82:48) - final thoughtsLinks:Connect with Scott on LinkedInFollow Scott on TwitterAdidas RuntasticArticle - Strava GOAT ProgramArticle - Are endurance sports a luxury good?Book - EcotopiaSTEPNAdditional Episodes You May Enjoy:131 - Jonathan Levitt | For The Long Run Podcast, State of Running Content, Athlete-Sponsorship Landscape130 - Robin Thurston | MapMyRun, Connected Fitness, Outerverse, Future Of The Outdoor Media IndustrySupport the show

Text us your thoughts about this episode or ideas for future episodes!Kelly Newlon is the Co-Owner of Real Athlete Diets, a catering company that focuses on feeding ultra endurance athletes. We talk about her experiences and insights supporting well-known runners in our sport on fastest known time projects, as well as her interests in and knowledge of the athlete-sponsorship landscape in trail and ultrarunning.Sponsors:Rabbit - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.runinrabbit.com/discount/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next orderHVMN - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://hvmn.com/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next orderTimestamps:(1:40) - overview of Real Athlete Diets (RAD), role in trail and ultrarunning community(2:52) - how relationships are formed between RAD and trail running teams/athletes(4:38) - what a standard relationship looks like between RAD and the athlete(8:10) - the role that food catering services play in fastest known time (FKT) attempts(11:52) - whether these services are a competitive advantage for athletes pursuing FKT attempts(14:17) - other interesting food-related logistical insights from FKT attempts(17:38) - how to keep athletes as nourished and healthy as possible on long-trail FKT attempts(21:49) - final thoughts on food-related FKT logistics(24:22) - interests in the athlete-sponsorship relationship, Athletes’ Coalition(31:07) - critical questions athletes should be asking in the contract negotiation process(38:05) - whether both sides (athlete and sponsor) are generally satisfied with the current state of affairs(46:16) - educating athletes earlier in their careers(49:33) - whether all athletes and all brands generally want many of the same things out of contracts(51:56) - whether the Athlete Manager or marketing team is most influential in the direction of a trail running team(56:01) - commenting on trends like team sizes, road versus trail investment, etc(61:56) - whether we are still growing or we are at a high point in terms of athlete opportunity in the sport (65:06) - final thoughtsLinks:Check out the Real Athlete Diets websiteFollow Real Athlete Diets on InstagramAdditional Episodes You May Enjoy:#98 - Steff Gardner | How Salomon Is Building Their North American Trail Running Team#99 - Robert Muecke | How Adidas Terrex Is Building Their Trail Running Team#106 - David Kilgore | How On Is Building Their Trail Running Team#108 - Jordan Hamm | How Brooks Running Is Building Their Trail Running TeamSupport the show

Text us your thoughts about this episode or ideas for future episodes!Josh Eberly is the Head Coach of the Western Colorado University trail running team.  In this conversation we get into the details of how he's built the team, how it's currently structured, how the team trains, where they compete in the trail and ultra worlds,  and what it's going to take to expand their model to other colleges and universities across the country. Sponsors:Rabbit - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.runinrabbit.com/discount/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next orderHVMN - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://hvmn.com/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next orderTimestamps:(0:50) - influence of the Hanson's Brooks Team(6:46) - the benefits of running for a co-located team(11:36) - other pros and cons of a co-located pro running team(12:48) - background as a trail running coach at Western Colorado(15:44) - why Western Colorado is unique among other schools for trail running(20:54) - athletic development of collegiate trail runners(25:38) - the blueprint for making trail running intercollegiate(29:46) - coaching inspirations, motivations(36:40) - how the trail running team is structured, how they train(41:49) - how Josh recruits for the trail running team(49:19) - the compelling nature of trail running for prospective college runners(50:12) - where the team races on the trail and ultra scenes(59:39) - the resources the team provides for the runners(62:16) - the future of the team(65:53) - athletes to watch on the team(67:40) - calls to actionLinks:Follow Josh on InstagramWestern Colorado University Trail Running TeamAdditional Episodes You May Enjoy:#26 - Sam Parsons | How To Build A Trail Running TeamSupport the show

Text us your thoughts about this episode or ideas for future episodes!In this episode I’m talking with Scott Kummer who, among a few other roles in the ultrarunning community, is the host of the popular Ten Junk Miles Podcast. If you’re a longtime listener, you know this show is capable of going on streaks. Sometimes it focuses on the pro athletes, then it'll focus on the business side of the sport, and so on. Right now, I’m really into these conversations with fellow podcasters in the space. So if you enjoyed the episodes with Dylan Bowman, Corrine Malcolm, Jon Levitt, and Matt Chittim, I think you’ll really enjoy this one too. Scotty and I get right into a few of the hot-button issues including the pros and cons of engaging with Running Twitter, handling praise and criticism as a public figure in the sport, issues with past and current running content, race coverage preferences, athlete sponsorship issues, UTMB, race directing preferences, and way more. Don't be intimidated by the 3+ hour length of this episode. No time is wasted - Scott is a great conversationalist.Sponsors:Rabbit - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.runinrabbit.com/discount/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next orderHVMN - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://hvmn.com/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next orderTimestamps:(0:55) - the pros and cons of Running Twitter(5:07) - handling praise and criticism as a public figure in ultrarunning(12:05) - Scotty’s background in the sport (16:44) - issues with past, present running content (23:10) - why we started our podcasts, why people start running podcasts(30:22) - running podcast style, preferences(47:21) - podcasting as a profession, making money through the medium (62:47) - the bigger “why’s” for doing podcasts (70:49) - UTMB debates, low-key events (77:08) - getting into race directing(99:28) - race coverage debates (117:20) - athlete-sponsor relationship debates (129:06) - guests we want to have on our shows (139:25) - more debate about types of stories to cover(144:07) - corruption, paying for guests and appearances (149:40) - the why for doing this, having an impact, dealing with criticism(155:00) - the podcast preparation, publishing process (168:15) - debates about coaching in our sport Links:Support Ten Junk Miles via PatreonThe Art of Trail Race DirectingWoodstock '99 DocumentarySupport the show

Text us your thoughts about this episode or ideas for future episodes!Matt Chittim is the Host of Rambling Runner, a podcast for dedicated amateur runners who are working hard to get better and achieving inspirational results while balancing running with the rest of their lives. He is also the Founder of Relay, a collection of some of the best content creators and athletes in running coming together to put out the most creative and collaborative running content on the internet. In this conversation, we talk about this new venture in the running media space, the business of podcasting, and our interests and inspirations in other sports and realms of business.Sponsors:Rabbit - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.runinrabbit.com/discount/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next orderHVMN - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://hvmn.com/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next orderTimestamps:(2:56) - reflecting back on the Business and Sports Discourse Podcast(17:37) - benefits of running podcast network(28:48) - the middle class of running content creators (44:07) - the declining power of legacy running media brands (49:11) - where the gaps are in running content(53:05) - incentivizing running creators to publish on Relay(59:32) - the merits of a paywall for running content(64:10) - the willingness of running fans to pay with money instead of attention for content(68:00) - the pitch for Relay(75:04) - how Relay becomes the best running content on the internetLinks:Check out the Rambling Runner PodcastCheck out Relay on PatreonFollow Matt and Rambling Runner on InstagramBusiness and Sports Discourse PodcastAdditional Episodes You May Enjoy:#131 - Jonathan Levitt | For The Long Run Podcast, State of Running Content, Athlete-Sponsorship Landscape#130 - Robin Thurston | MapMyRun, Connected Fitness, Outerverse, Future Of The Outdoor Media IndustrySupport the show

Text us your thoughts about this episode or ideas for future episodes!Jonathan Levitt is the Host of the "For The Long Run" Podcast, a show that explores the why behind what keeps runners running long, strong, and motivated. In this conversation, we talk in-depth about the state of running podcasts, changes in the athlete-sponsor landscape, and how to build a career in the endurance world. Sponsors:Rabbit - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://www.runinrabbit.com/discount/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next orderHVMN - use code Singletrack20 at checkout on their website (https://hvmn.com/SINGLETRACK20) to get 20% off your next orderTimestamps:(5:17) - riffing on what's damaging to the craft of running podcasting(12:58) - sponsorship dilemmas, incentives in running podcasting(16:08) - considering how sponsors spread in the running world(18:15) - Jon's background in the endurance sports world(37:42) - the "burnt ends" philosophy of running content creation(44:36) - how to serve your podcast audience(49:11) - optimism and pessimism in the running podcast space(54:19) - not overcomplicating running content creation(59:47) - endemic versus non-endemic sponsors in running(72:10) - the opportunities non-endemic sponsors provide to the running world(78:16) - how athletes can identify and start non-endemic sponsor relationships(85:33) - understanding and appreciating the sponsorship grind(95:51) - importance of supporting running creators (102:20) - investing more into performance, content creation, lifestyle(111:43) - the changing athlete-sponsor relationship(121:23) - examples of the changing athlete-sponsor relationship (130:49) - next evolutions in the running media space(134:00) - opportunities for next generation running content creators(140:47) - what's next for Jon and For The Long Run PodcastLinks:Check out "For The Long Run" PodcastFollow Jonathan on InstagramFollow Jonathan on TwitterAdditional Episodes You May Enjoy:#130 - Robin Thurston | MapMyRun, Connected Fitness, Outerverse, Future Of The Outdoor Media Industry#20 - Zoe Rom | Trail Runner Magazine, Running Journalism, Diversity Talks#3 - Jimmy Daly | Social Media, Content Creation, Branding For Trail RunnersSupport the show