The Steep Stuff Podcast
Welcome to the Steep Stuff Podcast, your source for all things Short Trail
Episodes
317 episodes
#178 - Stevie Kremer
Stevie Kremer's name is stitched into trail running history, but the part that surprised us most wasn’t the podiums. It was how she built a world-class career without letting running swallow her life whole. Stevie takes us from a childhood spli...
#177 - Kieran Nay
He flew across the world, navigated a high-stakes visa process, got sick right before travel, and still walked away with a breakthrough weekend. We’re back with mountain running standout Kieran Nay, fresh off the WMRA World Cup in China, where ...
#176 - David Norris
David Norris is stacking proof-of-fitness in the most honest way possible: show up early, race hard, learn fast. We sit down to catch up right as he rolls out big spring results including a win at Big Alta 50K and a podium at Gorge Waterfalls 5...
#175 - Max King
Barkley Marathons is famous for suffering, but Max King explains the part most people miss: it’s a puzzle that rewards cooperation as much as fitness. We talk about why he’s drawn to deep-woods, off-trail navigation, how the old-school “tear a ...
#174 - Erin Ton
She’s calling in from the backcountry of Utah with a Starlink connection, fresh off slot canyons, desert miles, and yet another FKT. Erin Tun is back, and our catch-up quickly turns into a deep look at what it actually takes to move fast in the...
#173 - Olivia Amber
She steps away from competition for years because of serious health issues then returns with a top-five at Transgrancanaria and an audacious Sierra project that looks more like an alpinist’s dream than a runner’s itinerary. Olivia Amber joins u...
#172 - Marcel Höche
A top European trail runner lands in the US, strings together races and workouts across the West, and leaves with a clearer view of what makes American trail running culture feel so alive. We sit down with Marcel Höche, professional athlete for...
#171 - Aimee Kohler, Founder & RD of The Running Kind
Trail running says it loves the outdoors, but are we willing to change how we race to protect the places we run? I’m joined by Aimee Kohler race director of The Running Kind, a small but fast-growing organization putting on carbon-neutral trail...
#170 - Christopher Fisher
Chris Fisher just came back from a three-month Ecuador adventure that started with almost no plan and turned into a full-on human-powered volcano mission. From a base in Quito at high altitude, he links long bike days with climbs on Ecuador’s b...
Tyler McCandless | Gorge Waterfalls 30K Pre Race Interview
A stacked start line, a rolling course that never lets your legs settle, and a late climb that can flip the whole day on its head. That’s why the Gorge Waterfall 30K feels like more than “just” an early-season trail race, and why I wanted Tyler...
Robin Vieira Brower | Gorge Waterfalls 30K Pre Race Interview
A fast 30K can be more intimidating than a steep ultra, especially when the trail begs you to push from the opening minute. James sits down with Robin Vieira Brower ahead of the Gorge Waterfalls 30K to talk about what makes the Columbia River G...
Mason Coppi | Gorge Waterfalls 30K Pre Race Interview
A great race can change your season, but it can also expose every weakness you’ve been dodging. We’re joined by Mason Coppi for a Gorge Waterfalls 30K pre-race talk that goes deeper than predictions, getting into what it really takes to show up...
Grant Colligan | Gorge Waterfalls 30K Pre Race Interview
A course that makes you hammer 5:15 pace on the road, then immediately asks you to thread technical trail like you still have fresh legs, is not a “standard” trail race. Gorge Waterfall 30K is built to punish hesitation, and that’s exactly why ...
Alexa Aragon | Gorge Waterfalls 30K Pre Race Interview
The Gorge Waterfalls 30K brings a rare mix of speed and strength: runnable trail, road sections where pace changes can stick, and late climbs that punish anyone who goes out too hot. We’re in Hood River with Alexa Aragon for a pre-race conversa...
#169 - Caleb Hardaway
A five hour push across Boulder’s Flatirons sounds like a hard trail run until you add exposed scrambling, solo climbing up to 5.7, and the kind of off trail linkups where every boulder wants your ankles. We sit down with Caleb Hardaway, a new ...
#168 - Mountain Tiger RD's, Connor & Alice Curley
A great trail race isn’t a distance on a flyer, it’s a line you cannot stop thinking about. I sit down with Connor and Alice, the founders and race directors behind Mountain Tiger, to unpack how a “run it because it’s beautiful” mindset turned ...
The Sub Stack Short Trail News - Episode 3
Big Alta didn’t just crown winners, it showed how quickly short trail racing in the U.S. is leveling up. Rachel & James break down a heat-impacted weekend where the 28K delivered a course record and the 50K produced tight battles that came ...
Kyle Richardson Signs with Arc’teryx
Breaking news with a human pulse: we sit down with Kyle Richardson to unpack his move to Arc’teryx and what it means for the future of mountain running, creative projects, and the gear we trust on steep ground. From FKTs to film, Kyle’s vision ...
Grace Strongman - 2026 Trail Team Selection
The NCAA doesn’t last forever, but the hunger to train, compete, and belong to a team doesn’t magically disappear at graduation. That’s where Grace Strongman is right now: a Colorado School of Mines standout, a materials engineer, and one of th...
Elise Coates - 2026 Trail Team Selection
A stress fracture can either end your momentum or teach you how to build a career that actually lasts. I’m joined by Elise Coates, fresh off being named to the 2026 Trail Team Elite squad, and her story is a rare blend of high-performance ambit...
Paul Knight - 2026 Trail Team Selection
You can feel the moment a runner starts to outgrow the track and get pulled back toward the mountains. That’s where we meet Paul Knight, newly selected for the 2026 Trail Team Elite and fresh off D2 Indoor Nationals, where a strength-focused bl...
Zachary Erikson - 2026 Trail Team Selection
A re-release with a purpose: we’re celebrating Zach Erickson’s selection to the 2026 Trail Team Elite and unpacking the gritty, honest road that got him there. Zach grew up in Idaho Falls chasing every ball sport, found running in middle school...
Maya Rayle - 2026 Trail Team Selection
A Harvard biologist who loved salamanders, a Wisconsin grad-year racer chasing deeper fields, and a Montana transplant who found her stride on steep, technical trails—Maya Rayle's story is a study in smart risk and joyful grit. We sit down to c...
Jane Maus Signs With Arc'teryx + Debriefs of the Black Canyon 50K, Grand Teton & World Mountain Running Champs
A late-race surge, a flow-state descent, and a new home with the bird—this conversation with Jane Moss is pure momentum. We kick off with Black Canyon 50K where Jane, still two weeks removed and sore in all the usual places, explains how a volu...
