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Taylor Stack - Post Sunapee Scramble Interview
The path to international mountain running stardom isn't paved – it's steep, muddy, technical, and tests athletes to their absolute limits. Taylor Stack knows this firsthand after his breakthrough performance at the 2025 US Mountain Running Championship Son of Peace Scramble, where he secured third place and a coveted spot on Team USA.
What makes Stack's performance remarkable isn't just the result – it's how tantalizingly close he came to winning it all. Leading the race during critical sections and finishing just 10 seconds behind the winner, Stack executed a nearly perfect tactical race. Unlike previous competitions where he'd gone out too aggressively, he deliberately conserved energy during the first lap to unleash his potential on the second brutal climb. This strategic patience paid dividends as he moved through the field and eventually took the lead.
The race conditions presented their own character-testing challenges. Two inches of rain had fallen the day before, transforming sections of the course into treacherous, slippery terrain. Adding another layer of difficulty, Stack experienced mysterious vision problems during the final technical descent – a moment that may have cost him the victory but showcased his mental fortitude as he maintained composure to secure his Team USA position. The elite men's field maintained a blistering pace throughout, with gradient-adjusted miles around four minutes, demonstrating the world-class caliber of American mountain running.
Stack's performance signals his arrival among America's mountain running elite and sets him up for an exciting season ahead. With his primary goal accomplished, he's now contemplating how to approach upcoming races like Broken Arrow Skyrace, weighing the benefits of competing in multiple events versus focusing on specific distances. Whatever path he chooses, his trajectory in the sport looks incredibly promising as he prepares to represent the United States at the World Championships in the Pyrenees this September.
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What's up, fam? Welcome back to the Steep Stuff Podcast. I'm your host, james Lauriello, bringing you an episode today with none other than Mr Taylor Stack, about a week removed from his third place breakout performance at the 2025 US Mountain Running Championship Son of Peace Scramble. We talked a whole bunch of things about the race and how the race unfolded. For Taylor, it was the men's race. Both the men's and women's race were absolutely bananas, but this one was really fun to follow along, as Taylor had, at one point in time, had been in the lead of the race and almost won the damn thing. It was pretty fun getting to chat and talk about it and what it means to him in his young career to make Team USA and be go competing over in the Pyrenees in September. It's a really fun conversation, very insightful. So, yeah, hope you guys enjoy this one Without further ado, taylor Stack. Taylor Stack, welcome back to the Steep Stuff Podcast. How you doing, man?
Speaker 2:Doing really well. Yeah, thanks for having me.
Speaker 1:Yeah, dude, stoked to be back on with you. I feel like we just chatted because we just did. Dude, congratulations. You ran a big race this weekend, got on the podium of uh and made, cemented your spot on, you know, on uh, the world's team. How are you feeling right now, man?
Speaker 2:Feeling great. I mean, yeah, this was the first kind of big, important race of the season and it went almost as well as it could have for me. So just, I mean going in the the really the only major goal was to try and make that team and it feels so good to get the job done and punch that ticket. So, yeah, I'm stoked.
Speaker 1:I mean, dude, like last year, you showed, like you had some amazing performances. You showed flashes of like, like, like a serious potential in the sport, and I feel like this was, this was one of the ones that like, just like breakout, like, like a serious potential in the sport, and I feel like this was, this was one of the ones that like, just like breakout performance. Like a lot of people know who you are now. Like does, have you gotten a lot of followers and people reaching out to like, congratulate you in the time since, uh, since the race?
Speaker 2:Yeah, definitely gained a bunch of followers on like Strava and Instagram and stuff, which is, yeah, it's cool. Yeah, I feel like last year I had a. I had some good races, but, um, I think this weekend proved that my, you know, the training has has leveled up and the fitness has leveled up with it this year. So I'm really excited to start the season off that way and see what happens next.
Speaker 1:So, Absolutely, man. I mean absolute, like world-class performance and like from what Mason? I already talked to Mason and David and obviously they sung your praises immensely. But, dude, you almost won the race. It was pretty damn close, from what I understand. So maybe paint the picture, because from what I saw as a commentator on the live stream, it seemed like you were in contact with the front of the race for pretty much the entire time, like there was no time where you kind of fell back or was lagging. Maybe help paint the picture for me to understand, like where you got some separation and kind of how that played out.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so the I was my main like strategic thing was to save myself on the first lap, because I have in the past I've had a tendency to go out really hard, which sometimes pays off, but sometimes really doesn't pay off, and I knew on a course like this where there's two gnarly climbs like I was gonna need to save some gas for the second one. Um, and I'm really happy with my tactics and how I I think I you kept myself within striking distance of the front the whole time on the first lap without totally blowing myself out, then had a good first descent and moved into position and then my second climb was really great and that's what I pulled into second. Then Mason and I were battling for a while going into the single track section on the second climb and then I kind of pulled away from him around there and was in the lead um for the second part of that climb and then starting the final descent, which was like, uh, I was a little surprised but I was like I really want to win this race and I'm just going to like try and go for it here. But yeah, it was weird I was, I was dealing with some like weird vision issues on the second descent where I was getting like really blurry and so it was hard for me to really attack the downhill in the way that I wanted to.
Speaker 2:Um, and obviously you know david had an insane second lap. I mean talk about good tactics. I think he really saved himself and then just was able to totally capitalize on that second lap, which was super impressive. And Mason obviously I mean he was running from the front the whole race, so that was such a courageous and burly performance from him too. So huge respect to those guys. And then, but yeah, I wasn't able to hold them off quite enough on that last descent, but we all finished within 10 seconds of one another, which is crazy. It was so close, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was wild dude. That's so interesting. You, you speak to the blurry vision, you don't tell her. Mccandless said the same thing.
Speaker 2:So I wonder what that is.
Speaker 1:If that's like a, if that's like I don't know like a result of what that is, if that's like, uh, if that's like I don't know, like a result of I don't know, like a result of pushing really like insanely hard or like what that is.
Speaker 2:That's different, that's interesting yeah, I'm trying to figure it out too. The weird thing is like I mean, obviously it was, I was pushing hard but I didn't feel like I was redlining as hard as I have, like in some other races in the past where that didn't happen. So I'm wondering. I think for me it might have been a dehydration issue. Okay, yeah, because it kind of happened once before last year. Um, at run three time marathon, like I got this weird blurry vision after the race that lasted a couple hours and it seemed like the same kind of thing. Um, so I don't know, dehydration is my best guess, but but yeah, it just makes it hard to really attack the like technical terrain on the downhill when you can't quite see very well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Big time yeah.
Speaker 2:What did you?
Speaker 1:Oh sorry.
Speaker 2:No, you're good. I am still like super pleased with the race and like, yeah, I hate excuses, but um, yeah, I mean it was a pretty sick race out there.
Speaker 1:So dude, you should do nothing but pat yourself on the back. I mean, in another universe you're, you're the champion, like it's. It's, it was that close, like so crazy. So yeah, it's. Um, I would do nothing but be extremely confident moving on from this one. And then the team we're sending man is like you guys, this is a great team, like a very stout, like stacked group of guys. So yeah, it's, it's pretty something, it's something to be excited about for sure.
Speaker 2:Definitely. Yeah, I mean, I think the cream rises to the top and like there were a lot of fit guys in that race who had, you know, I think, had a good chance of making the team and, um, it was just about who was able to execute on the day. And, yeah, I think I, I'm, I have some confidence that we're sending a really early, good, talented, fit team.
Speaker 1:So yeah, yeah, you guys are going to compete for for medals. There's no doubt in my mind, was there? Was there anything about the course that surprised you? I know you got out like a couple days before, a day before to get to see it. Um, but just like the mud man like seemed like guys were slipping and sliding all over the place. Did you have any traction issues or were you pretty good and upright for the entire time? I didn't see you fall specifically.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I only fell once. It was pretty minor though. I just took a slide down one of the grassy muddy spots. But yeah, I think it rained two inches the day before the race and so it was going to be muddy and the traction isn't going to be perfect, no matter what. But it's just a condition that everyone was dealing with and I think that's what makes you know this sport kind of fun and interesting is when you have to deal with stuff like that and it's not perfect, but yeah, I think it was really, you know, made the conditions fun and made the race super exciting.
Speaker 1:Yeah, amazing, was there? Like what did you think about? Like obviously these races go out stupid fast, but like we're talking four minute great adjusted pace, like in that range fast. What did? How did that feel initially when things took off? Were you just like in control and chill, or were you like I'm going to kind of get back within myself, or like what were your thoughts on that?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I, I kind of knew that it was going to go out fast and like too fast for a lot of people. So I made a conscious effort to not blow myself out in like the first half mile because the race starts and there's like a maybe 400 meters of kind of a flat downhill and then it goes straight into a ridiculously steep, muddy climb and at that point, you know, I was like 15th place, like in the middle of that, and I knew that it was going to be easy to get super excited and go like full like vo2 max on that climb and I was like I can't do that, people are gonna blow up and like I just had to trust that, like I wanted to stay in control there and then kind of move up later on in the climb. So that was my strategy, but even still, I mean I think I was running like 440 strava gap it's fast as shit mile.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's kind of nuts, but yeah was there any?
Speaker 1:uh, obviously in these races you're kind of within yourself and then you know there's back and forth, right, when you're you know guys make moves, you cover them. Was there any other competitors that surprised you Like? Was there anyone that kind of stuck out to you or like wow, like that's. That's like one of the things that I was so blown away is Dan's downhill dude. Holy shit, that guy's like insane, like just watching him on the live stream was like. That guy's like insane. Like just watching him on the live stream was like man, that's like one of the best downhillers in the world. Right there, was there anyone like that, that like kind of stuck out for you?
Speaker 2:yeah, I think I mean I knew that dan is. He's got that dog in him on the downhill for sure, so I wasn't super surprised to see that um from him. But uh, I think you know david norris. Obviously he was like someone to be watching out for, but I didn't. I didn't fully expect him to just like totally murder everyone like he did on that second lap, like that was nuts, such an impressive race for him, like he was not one of the guys that I had on my radar as much as other people going into it.
Speaker 1:So so it's funny I forget that, like you guys, so like in the Cirque series, that's all he really raced like the last few years so like. But he also didn't show up to Snowbird last year, which I think was the only one you did right. So no one. Like a lot of people didn't really get a look at him, which is interesting and like not a lot of. It's not that not a lot of people do mountain marathon, like a lot of people do do it, but it's a very selective race. It's hard to get into.
Speaker 1:So, and not as many eyes have been on it in the last like decade or so. So yeah, it's. It was very dude. He wasn't even on the list of like when I was reading it off in the live stream, um, and we were kind of going through the elite men, I was like David Norris isn't even on this. Like don't be surprised if that guy goes, wins, wins the race and sure Shit. He did. So, yeah, I think he was. A lot of people look past him and didn't. I had no idea that like he was that talented, so almost an Olympian. It's kind of crazy.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah, that's nuts. Also. Another one was sick. Um, you ran a bold race from the front and just like toughed it out.
Speaker 1:Um, so that was cool.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, go ahead.
Speaker 1:No, I was going to say does this change anything for you now, now that you're on the team, like you're locked in, like are you still like going out to broken arrow to go through down there? Do you think you'll be a little more conservative and maybe just like approach things in a different way now that like you kind of locked up a spot and like that's the a goal now, like how has has that changed the calculus in your mind at all?
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's a good question, Um, cause my, my plan is and has been to double VK, or, I guess, a cent now at broken arrow and then do the 23 K two days later at broken arrow and then do the 23k two days later. Um, but it is, you know, now that I have that spot secured it, I I'm considering the possibility of maybe not doing the vk and just going all in on the 23k to be fresh for that. Um, I haven't decided yet, though I think I'm still gonna. You know, I need to mull it over because I think it be sweet and that VK is like one of the most like stacked fields of all time on American soil, like, it's true, and it would be really cool to be a part of that, but it would also be really cool to be able to watch the race. So, I don't know, we'll see what happens. I need to think about it. But, yeah, people, um, if it's going to change the plan and I, I still have to do some thinking on that.
Speaker 1:Okay, no, I like it, I like it, it's. I think it's smart too, although, dude, you actually have the like, the ability you probably could like. There's a, there's a world where you could make both teams, so I don't know, like that's, that's compelling too. I don't know.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it'd be cool to make both teams 's definitely. Uh, you know some people, I think, like you have joe gray in the mix who wasn't there at sunopee. Um, you know people like that. And also I think there are some people who are more uphill oriented, who are gonna be maybe like more of a factor in the vk than they were at sunopee. So I think I my strength, still is the best in races that have a downhill component to it. So, yeah, we'll see. It would be cool to put my name in the hat, but then, at the same time, it would also be cool to, you know, give the option to other people who could, who don't already have a spot as well. Not that I would be likely or guaranteed to take one of the vk spots, even if I did race, but yeah, I think it's a good way to look at it for sure.
Speaker 1:How are you feeling? Are you, uh, have you been running at all? Or are you kind of just taking some time off or like where's? Where's the mind and body out right now?
Speaker 2:I feel good. Yeah, I took the day monday, the day after the race off and that was just a big travel day. But getting back into it this week, I've been running since then and, um, maybe like a little more kind of an aerobic focus this week, just like keeping things chill and getting some miles without super intense. But yeah, I mean, my legs are definitely sore, but I think I I've, I've been training consistently enough to where my body's rebounding pretty well and I'm feeling fairly recovered at this point.
Speaker 1:So yeah, Dude, I gotta ask you, man, how were you so prepared for some of those descents, like, were you, like did? Were you specifically going to beat your, like finding places to beat your legs up, like out in Fort Collins, and like hammering descents? I didn't check your Strava before we chatted, but I got to ask you, like, how, how did you prepare for some of that?
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's funny Cause I think I mentally prepared for like it being really really bad. Um, cause that's what everyone said. Like they, everyone I talked to about son of P says that the downhill is insane and gnarly. Um, but yeah, in terms of training, I didn't really do anything super targeted. I was making sure that I was getting, you know, sprinkling in some steep uphills and steep downhills into training, Um, but also just doing a lot of you know, flat track work and leg turnover stuff like that. Um, and just I I think for me, like it comes down to your fitness. So if you feel you know, if you're able to like run well on the climbs and then not be completely tired, then you'll have more energy to like attack the downhill yeah that's the way that I kind of see it one thing I didn't ask you did you hit any low points in the race?
Speaker 1:Like I know Mason was pretty candid with like one low point, I think, where you passed him on that second climb. Like, did you have any points where you were like like just hit a low, or did you feel pretty stable and just chill the whole time, cause you looked super smooth at this at the finish line?
Speaker 2:Thanks, yeah, I think, um, um, I was feeling like really good for most of it and I was pretty confident in my tactics and everything and like fatigue wise I felt great. I think the low point for me was like that last downhill, when it was getting technical and my vision was kind of going out and I felt like you know, I had the fitness to be running harder but I was limited by not being able to see and I was like stressed that I was going to fall and like hurt myself and not make the team Um. So I think there was like some anxiety during that last like mile of the race, like after David Mason passed me, I was like is this going to blow the whole thing? Um, but pulled it together. So, yeah, no, no real low points. It was a pretty. The whole race was a high point for me.
Speaker 1:I think it was so funny when you crossed the finish line. I guess there was a video, I can't remember if there was a video of it or it was. I think it was both. On the last, some random guy was like congratulations. You were like out of it and then kind of came back to it. You're like, oh, thanks, man.
Speaker 1:I don't know if you thought it was somebody else or what. But it was like it was kind of funny like watching you being out of it and then kind of come back Like it was yeah.
Speaker 2:Well, it was funny too, because they had multiple races going at the same time. There was like a high school race, um, and so people were finishing that and you were passing people who were on their first lap or second lap or whatever, and so there were just a lot of people around and I was like couldn't see very well and didn't really know what was going on. Yeah, I was definitely a little disoriented at that moment, but yeah, it was epic dude, absolutely epic.
Speaker 1:You know what? I think we got everything. Giant congratulations man. Like breakout performance, like it's it's just the beginning of this like great career you're gonna have and I'm super excited to follow along.
Speaker 2:So congratulations man yeah, thank you so much, I'm just stoked yeah you should be.
Speaker 1:You should be like big pat on the back and I know david roche messaged me and like he was also in the live stream, like freaking out, but like I was messaging him, he's like I can't believe this. He's like oh, so many, so many of my athletes are like up at the front, so pretty, damn cool.
Speaker 2:Yeah for sure. Very cool for David. I feel like his athletes balled out disproportionately, which is cool to see.
Speaker 1:You guys are doing something right, so hell yeah.
Speaker 2:Listen.
Speaker 1:Taylor, have a great rest of your day. I really appreciate it. I'm going to get this out on Friday and we'll be in touch, man, thank you.
Speaker 2:Sounds great. Thanks, man, I appreciate it bro.
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