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The Steep Stuff Podcast
Speedgoat 50K Race Companion
The legendary Speedgoat 50k isn't just another mountain race—it's a brutal test of endurance that has humbled even the sport's greatest athletes. With 11,400 feet of climbing packed into 31 miles at altitudes reaching 11,000 feet, this Karl Meltzer creation has rightfully earned its reputation as America's toughest 50k.
James and Nick dive deep into what makes this race so special, tracing its rich history through the performances of ultrarunning royalty like Kilian Jornet, Anton Krupicka, and Jim Walmsley. They analyze David Sinclair's mind-blowing course record (4:57:35) set last year when he became the first runner to break the 5-hour barrier, while marveling at how the women's record has incredibly stood untouched since Anita Ortiz ran 6:02:06 back in 2008.
This year's field might be the deepest in race history. The women's battle features defending champion Jasmine Lowther, Broken Arrow winner Jennifer Lichter, mountain running star Grayson Murphy stepping up in distance, and local favorite Mally Noyes who knows every inch of the course. On the men's side, Michelino Senseri stands as the clear favorite—the only runner in the field who has broken 5:20, and he's done it twice.
What makes the conversation particularly fascinating is the hosts' analysis of the unique skills this course demands. Unlike many ultras, Speedgoat rewards ski mountaineering strength and climbing ability over pure running talent, explained by the exposed nature of the course running across ski slopes with minimal tree cover. Weather becomes crucial too, with cooler temperatures potentially setting the stage for record attempts.
Whether you're planning your fantasy picks, preparing to race, or simply love the drama of mountain ultrarunning, this preview provides all the insights you need to understand why Speedgoat has become one of the most respected measuring sticks in trail running—a race where legends are tested and new ones are born.
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What's up, fam? Welcome back to the Steep Stuff Podcast. I'm your host, James Lariello, and I'm so excited to bring you guys an episode today, a Speedgoat 50k preview episode, with none other than co-host, frequent co-host, Nick Tusa. Hope you guys enjoy this one. We get into all kinds of good stuff. This is a very historical race, so we get into a lot of the history of the race. Course records, broken course records, you name it. We kind of get into it. Hopefully there's a bunch of value in there for your guys' free trial fantasy picks. We hope you enjoy it. So, without further ado, here is the Speedgoat 50k race preview episode. It's time. Thank you, Ladies and gentlemen. We are live, Nick Tussauds. Welcome back to the Steep Stuff Podcast. How's it going, my friend?
Speaker 2:It's going, man, we're in the thick of things summer racing. It's been a good time.
Speaker 1:I know, I know I can't believe it's already mid to late July and we're already talking Speedgoat man. I always feel like it's crazy how fast time goes by. We were just chatting about all these World Prep races and Broken Arrow and centipede and here we are already we're back in the thick of it for for speed goat 50 K. It's pretty crazy. It's crazy. Yeah, yeah it's, it's a dude, I, it's. I gotta say speed. It's pretty stacked this year. I'm pretty impressed with the, with the turnout for both the men's and women's field.
Speaker 2:Look, both the men's and women's field. Look, look very deep, extremely deep, yeah yeah, most years I feel like you know you have your like three or four characters in the women's and men's side, but this year it's, it's deep. I'd say it's 10 deep on both sides. So it's easily solid and I think, I think a lot of people are prepping, I would guess, for for worlds, for heading over to Sean, for OCC or CCC. This is a great tune up for it and top three gets an entrance into OCC. So that's, that's probably a big thing for some people.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's an auto bid into OCC. Is it an auto bid for this year? Is it for the following? That's a good point. It would be for the fall, it would be for the following, I mean still interesting though.
Speaker 1:I mean yeah, I mean still interesting, though I mean if you're you know what, like I know like michelino's run at occ before hasn't had the best race that he wanted to. So if he does well here there's an opportunity. I just feel like it just it does create a lot of opportunity. Um, yeah, it's crazy, man, like when you, when you look at this course profile and think about like the history of this race, like first off, like hands down, like what car Meltzer created here, probably the toughest 50K in America, like easily in North America.
Speaker 2:I would say it's up there. Yeah, I mean, there are some smaller races that I would put up there, but this is at altitude. It's what? Almost 10,000 feet of gain.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's 11,000 feet, 11,000 feet of gain for 31 miles. It's 11,400 on the profile in 31 miles. It's 11 400 on the profile. Okay, in 31 miles. I I did not like. I looked at a couple other things for the rut to compare the rut 50k to it, um, but I didn't look at the.
Speaker 2:I mean, obviously it goes over a lone peak, so it's just as high, yeah, or if not higher, yeah, more technical, I would say the route's definitely more technical, so it ends up being a little bit of a slower race because no one's going under five hours at the run by opinion. But here we saw davidson.
Speaker 1:There is some crossover, though it is interesting because, like you see, athletes that seem to do well, like your davidson claire's, your michelino's jennifer lichter, like those athletes that seem to perform pretty well at the rut also seem to cross over pretty well, um, into speed go. So, yeah, man, it's happening. Yeah, saturday, july 26th 2025. Uh, I missed it. Cirque series, snowbird snowbird, I'm just so synonymous with that, with that cirque series race. Um, little cottonwood, such a beautiful canyon, um, I've obviously haven't been back since the cirque series race. That's kind of what I was going to say with it. But, dude, what, honestly, like you were just back, uh, not too far from there, racing in park city, like those canyons are so gorgeous it's unbelievable.
Speaker 2:It's well, I'm big cotton winner. It's special, special place yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we just had a chat pretty, pretty recent. We were kind of talking about some of the circ series races and just shorter technical stuff. You think you'll try to hop into anything next year. Try to go back to uh, do anything maybe. Maybe the speed go 28k.
Speaker 2:That'd be a good fit for you, I know that's, but it's been on the list for a while, it just hasn't lined up. Um, yeah, I mean, as long as weather pans out which I was actually just looking at the weather and it looks like they're gonna be having some pretty solid weather. It looked like highs and like the high 60s, lows and like the low 40s ish. So it should be a cool start with like a little warmer finish, but not what you're used to in those canyons. Those canyons can get very, very hot very hot.
Speaker 1:Yeah, once the sun breaks in there you get absolutely cooked because, dude, I remember from alta last year like that was like relatively cool start. But as soon as the sun hits you, as you start to get like above tree line and expose, like like, you get frigging cooked.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah. That's one thing with this course it is completely exposed. You are not in any type of tree coverage whatsoever. You're on top of ski mountains the entire time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's one thing I really enjoy about the Wasatch is like you can, it's not, I mean it's high up for, like, relatively speaking, but like, not like Colorado, it's like run runnable, high up, right, like you can run to 11,000 feet and, you know, still feel pretty good. Um, and it's, yeah, you're right, you're just hitting these beautiful ski peaks, You've got such a picturesque course. You're dropping up and down, lots of up and down, just pounding. Um, yeah, I don't know. I, like I said I speed going intrigues me. I don't know, like, just personally as an athlete, there's something about it that I I'd love to go see what it's all about. And obviously I played on the course in a couple different sections, um, you know, through circ, series stuff, but like never done the whole thing. So, yeah, it's definitely something for for the list. Yeah, definitely one on the list. Let's talk about it. So, like we talked about the course a little bit, obviously, 31 miles, 11 400 feet, one of the biggest elevation gains, if not the biggest, biggest in the sport as of right now as far as the toughest in the United States, like 50 K wise. Um, of course, low points about 8,000 feet, high points about 11,000. It's a lot of up and down, up and down, um, interesting thing courses seven, eight stations, uh, seven checkpoint, eight stations, if you will, two of which allow crew access so crew can get to two of those points on there.
Speaker 1:Um, yeah, one of the things, I really I was messing with it. I was talking to Scott Klingon Smith. Uh, we did a little uh like a race, um like pre-race interview with him, and I was messing with him cause he was like oh, I'm going to put in my belt, I'm going to do this bottle, this bottle, this bottle, and I'm going to keep these in my hands. And I was like dude, what about the mandatory gear? And he like had a borderline panic attack and like but, because utmb is kind of synonymous with mandatory gear, but for this race in particular, I think it's kind of cool that the only mandatory gear is just your phone. Um, food, obviously. Um, I think it's a liter of water, so cell phone, collapsible cup, one liter of water capacity and then the ability to have food, spare food, so it's not like rain jacket and all this other stuff which is interesting.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm surprised on like the one liter. I know at Twisted Fork when I ran that they required a liter and a half, though you were going farther away from I don't know the start. It was a bigger loop where it's like this is like kind of condensed on a ski Hill. Everything is sort of close, like if, if weather did strike, you could dip down pretty quick. And there's eight stations, like you said, there's seven of them.
Speaker 1:So yeah, yeah, I think it's kind of cool. It's very uh like. I think that was something that I find interesting because, like, like we said, utmb is very synonymous with you gotta pack your rain pants, your rain jacket, this thing, that thing, it's. There's a lot of minotaur gear uh is what I'm trying to get at. But, like the like the mythos, like the, the background of american trail running and ultra running in general is very minimalist, right, I picture anton running shirtless, with a belt, you know, on long's peak, like that.
Speaker 1:That's american ultra running in a lot of ways so and I, anton, having history with this race and amongst many others, like I find it cool that they kind of kept it very minimalist in some ways so you can kind of run the race just with both bottles and a phone and you're good. Um, one of the interesting things about this race that I find kind of interesting, like neat and different. Prize purse $7,000. Prize purse First place is $2,000. Second, and this is for men and women, first place is 2000. Second place is a thousand and third is 500. I mean, I'm happy that they do a prize purse but I think it's a little low compared to some others. Like broken arrow, for the just goes to show you like how crazy our sports gotten, like as far as an evolved it's gotten, if you will.
Speaker 1:Um, from a prize purse perspective this year, the broken, the broken arrow ascent 3500. For winning the ascent 3473, which is an obscure number. Uh. For winning the 23k 5500 to the first male and female. For the 46 K. So Jen, jen, yeah, like some of those folks, jen and Eli got $5,500 checks. It's pretty solid.
Speaker 1:Second place $2,000. For the ascent. 23 K was 2,315 and third player, I'm sorry. And for the 46 K, second was $3,500. Third place for the ascent was $1,200. Third place for the 23K was $1,158. And then third place for the 46K was $1,000. So pretty sizable prize purses and compared, what I'm trying to get at here is like UTMB I think needs to step it up with the prize purse money. Like you're only offering 7K, whereas you see, like broken arrow for, like you gotta remember, for like an ascent or like a Cirque series race, like Cirque series you can make a thousand bucks right If you win. Like that's an easy day out. Like you don't have to work that hard for that money, whereas like two grand to have to work your butt off for 50 K it's going to take a long time to come back from. I don't know. I feel like that's.
Speaker 2:Whereas like a broken arrow you go win. The 46K at 5,500 bucks is a pretty solid payout. I was just looking up here. I was curious what UTMB like the 100 miler, what the payout is there, and it seems like they pay out pretty well the price first.
Speaker 1:it looks like last year, I think it was 120,000 euros, so they're paying out pretty well I don't know.
Speaker 2:I had this in my head that they didn't pay out that well, but maybe that's changed in the recent years?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 2:I don't know, I know Western doesn't?
Speaker 1:rut has a great prize purse, I mean the rut. You're always seeing athletes pictured with like stacks of cash, like if you win the 50, 50 care, 28 K.
Speaker 1:It's $3,000 for first place, so like 3000 in cash. That's like a lot of wads of like a hundred dollar bills. It's pretty cool, Even the VK. You make a thousand bucks if you win. So, like cam dude, Dude Kim came away last year. Then Did he win? He won the VK. If I remember correctly, he won the 28K too. So dude made himself $4,000 in a weekend. That's not bad.
Speaker 2:I don't think the rep paid out like that. Wow, I'm surprised we haven't seen Joe go up there. Joe Gray go up and do the VK. Yeah. I never even thought about that.
Speaker 1:Usually, you know what? It's always kind of probably with pikes and stuff like that could be why?
Speaker 1:yeah, yeah, that's right. Yeah, or worlds, or you know, in the in between years or off years. So, yeah, I do, he probably that would be a cool one to see. Yeah, because that's a proper, that's a proper like vertical kilometer. Yeah, you crush dude, let's talk. Let's talk history of this race. So one of the things I really got into the weeds on um about speed go is just like how storied it is in our sport, like it's. There's a lot of history to this race. Like 2017, jim Walmsley broke the course record that Sage candidate had set. We'll get into Sage's course record, but the former course record was five oh eight oh seven set by Sage. I believe it was in 2013. Jim goes and breaks it by about four minutes. Uh, in 2017. Then adam peterman came along in 2021, broke jim's course record by about 20 seconds. I did not know it was that close. So, peter, yeah, peterman was very close to jim's course record in what was that time?
Speaker 2:is that five?
Speaker 1:peterman did it, it was five oh five hold on. I didn't write that one down specifically. No, I do. I wrote David Sinclair's down, which was broken by like seven minutes.
Speaker 2:And then I would imagine, it was yeah.
Speaker 1:Wamsley. Actually, you know what I can get hold on. I can get cause that would have been 2021.
Speaker 1:Adam Peterman one Hold on Adam Peterman ran five4, 31 back in 2021 so it took about 20 seconds off of jim's time and then david sinclair goes and absolutely demolishes the course record last year and broke adam's time by about seven minutes and the first, the first person to ever go under five hours on that course, which is kind of crazy. Yeah. And you know what the even crazier part is is like sam hendry I really look up to as an athlete like I have a lot of respect for, like like extremely talented dude.
Speaker 1:He beat sam hendry by 27 minutes like 457, 35. It's not like it was even 459, it was 450 something. He was in into the four range. Yeah, I'm doing like a hundred mile race, not a 50k.
Speaker 2:That's just domination, it's oh yeah, that might have been.
Speaker 1:I mean we'll see what happens over the next few years. I mean like maybe, maybe you'll get, maybe jim will come back or maybe david sinclair will continue to lower it. But outside of that, maybe maybe folks will improve or we'll get some new phenoms in there. But I don't know if that course record is going to come down anytime soon. Like that's that's kind of. That's so fast to think about. Like 31 miles, 11,200 feet or 11,400 feet of climbing and you're running less than five hours on that.
Speaker 2:That's, that's yeah, that's crazy so sometimes it just takes someone to do it, and once someone does it, the dominoes just fall. So we'll see this year it's yeah. This year I think we'll say a lot because, like we were saying, this is the one of the deepest fields we've seen it is.
Speaker 1:It is lots of names, lots of names, and I do want to give some more commentary on the women's side as well the women's course record. So it's this is a tale of course records and some interesting history here. Like the women's course record, you would have thought it would have fallen since then. It was set in 2008 by anita ortiz in six hours two minutes and six seconds, and it's interesting because, like the only athletes that have really come super close, jasmine luther ran last year 6 1505, which is still, you know, quite a few minutes, 13 minutes off, and anime flynn ran 6 1804. Um, so no one's really come super super close in that amount of time.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, it's uh it's interesting now that you say that, I feel like this is like, correct if I'm wrong here. But is this the last known like or the oldest course record in american trail running right now? Because recently, you know, uh pikes was broken pikes was broken ledver was broken.
Speaker 1:Oh, maybe it's the women's lead bill one it might be and tracen that might be, that I don't know when that was, though I want to say that that was more recent than 2008, though I'm gonna find out who. Yeah, I'm just gonna google this really quick, just yeah that's just.
Speaker 2:It's so interesting, like you said, like this is a race that has been around for so long and that every pro, basically in their build up to a lot of these ultra runners, um, the build up to their 100 milers that they start doing, you know, when they're six, seven, eight years into the sport, this is a, this is a course that they go through, like you've had every name race this and the fact that it's never been broken is astonishing. Like, was there a shorter course? Then was? Was it? Was it the perfect weather? Is it? Is it a weather thing? It's possible.
Speaker 1:I want to give some commentary to the level one. So I I didn't realize this, but Mary Dell Denholm did break it in 2024. She broke and Jason's record she ran 18, 23, 51 Is Chris, set by Mary Delahun. The time broke previously held by Antreson, who ran 1806-24. That doesn't make any sense, ai. What are you doing to me? So? No, that's incorrect too. I might have to cut this out.
Speaker 2:I feel like she did, but she was very, very close. She was on her way to doing so and then maybe fell apart towards the end, but David could have very well overshadowed her during that.
Speaker 1:No very well overshadowed her during that. That's kind of no okay. So I'm sorry, audience who's listening to this thinking no, it's and tracen's record, because we were right originally and tracen holds the record. In 1806, mary down home came close. Listen to this. This is kind of funny. I typed this in. This is how you can never trust ai and this is why we don't want them to be our. It literally says the current women's course record for the leadville trail 100 is 18 23 51 set by mary denholm in 2020. That's yeah. It could not be more wrong. Dude like google. Ai sucks.
Speaker 2:I'm sorry and what year was that? That and tracing did that? Was that 2011? Right, 1994? Okay, that's the oldest. Forget what I said. How about 50k and under?
Speaker 1:this is probably what I'd say for some of the like the bigger sub ultra races, it's hard to say because this is you would qualify this as technically an ultra race because it's a 50k, but for some of the bigger races, set back in 2008, this is one of the longer standing ones. I just the reason I bring it up because it's like a leadville in a lot of ways, where so many amazing women in our sport have come through and have raised this, like your anime flins, your hillary allens, like Jasmine Louther, like there's so many strong women that have come through and not even gotten close, like within still within 10 minutes. So yeah, I don't know, maybe, like you said, maybe there was, it was a great weather day and maybe it was a shorter course. Yeah, I have no idea, but it is wild to me that that has stood the test of time since 2008. So some more history that I find really interesting that I do want to dive a little deeper into.
Speaker 1:So killian ran this, won the race back in 2012. He ran 518, 27 um. Sage canada is now tied with david sinclair for the most titles. David has three wins. Sage canada has three wins. Sage canada won 2013, 14 and 15 and previously had the course record at 50807. That was set back in 2013, um anton. Anton has raced this race twice. Uh, 2012. He was fourth behind killian um I do not recall who was kind of in those two gentlemen in between and he was second in 2013 to sage um. So anton's had some history at this race. Other legends who have run this race ricky gates, mike wolf, joe grant, timmy parr, dylan bowman, tim tollefson, who we'll get to ryan fabus, nick clark, um dude hayden hawks got his start at this race in 2018 with a big win, and then christian allen got his start at this race in 2018 with a big win. And then Christian Allen got his start at this race in 2023 with a statement that's right, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:So lots of like a history on the men's side and on the women's side. All right, here's the women's history that I find really cool about this race. So we already talked about the women's course record that was set in 2008 by Anna Ortiz no-transcript and then she wound up going to win her second title in 2014 in 6'42". Hillary Allen was fourth that year, in 2014, and then went the next year in 2015,. Came back and won. So she's a former champion. Won in 637, 35 in 2015. Katie scheid ran this race in 2015. She was seventh in 2015. Ran 744, 28. Never came back to try and win, though I find that really interesting that katie scheid never came back to take the dub or try. Jaman ran this this race as well, but we'll get to him. He ran it in 2019.
Speaker 1:Anime Flynn I feel like had her one of her many breakout performances, but I think 2017 Anime Flynn like you got to give her flowers like absolute breakout performance ran 618.04 for the win in 2017. Marian Hogan was also in that 2017 race, who's a big name in ultra, now runs for Solomon and she was sixth and 7 1501 back in 2017. Anna Mae Flynn also went on to win again in 2019. And then another household name, jennifer Lichter, raced her first speed goat back in 2022 and got second and 652 06 right after coincidentally, right after winning the broken arrow sky race 46k just a few, uh, about a month removed.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, it's just interesting, lots of so, like so many greats and so many of the big names in our sport, both men and women have really come through and race this race, so there's a lot of history to it. Yeah, uh, let's talk names. We can talk. Do you want to talk about men's names or women's names? Just like, I feel like the depth is very deep here yeah, let's start with the women, okay, yeah yeah, let's talk about it.
Speaker 1:So I'll let you, I'll let you throw off a bunch of couple, or a couple names that you that really stood out to you, of women that are going to be uh yeah lead field this year.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, one of the surprising names. I saw one that I I'm not familiar with. Um, I don't I like to think that I'm educated on like the salt light kind of loss I've seen, but this one I actually haven't heard of. It was uh, sorry if I'm saying her name incorrect. Is it mally noise?
Speaker 1:valley yeah, noise is the right way to say noise, noise, yeah.
Speaker 2:So she, uh, she took second in 2023 and 2024. And she, it seems like she lives like right around the base of it, like in Cottonwood Canyon. Is that what you were saying?
Speaker 1:Yeah, a little Cottonwood from sun Valley, resides in little Cottonwood. Now Got it yeah.
Speaker 2:So, like she knows this race so well, it's cool to see a local that has like been here a year after a year and now is showing up with like some really legit competition. So I'm really excited to see what she could do, because like that's kind of where people can have their breakouts, you know, at their hometown race, when like a bunch of big dogs come in and they just like wipe the field because they have experience here and this seems like a type of course, and with a course with this much of hurt, it's something that you probably have to return to. I don't know if you're going to hit it right the first time, because it's so easy to go at hotness and just destroy the first like couple climbs, but those last couple climbs are absolutely brutal, um. So yeah, we'll see a couple other names.
Speaker 2:Emma cook clark she's never raced here before. Um, she, she was so good on the skyrunner series. She's so good at these technical mountain races, um, whereas this one is maybe not as technical, but very so much for so much hiking. That's just her thing, um she's super excited.
Speaker 1:yeah, she showed her chops at mammoth in previous years as well, or in a um, like she can do runnable stuff as well.
Speaker 2:So and super steep so yeah, and then, uh, grayson Murphy that always stands out, um, especially now that we saw her kind of make the make the move up in distance, um, at a broken arrow where she took fifth Um. So, yeah, it'd be, this will be her longest race, probably time on feet like to date at a race, so be super interesting to see what she can do there. She's very familiar, I imagine, with these trails, having raced on them before, just not in a speed goat race. Um, you got returning champion jasmine lowther. She's been out there training now seems like her and nicolino moved out there, so she's probably very familiar with the course. I've been kind of seeing what they've been doing bouncing around the los ach, kind of hitting all the all, the all the major stuff that you kind of got to hit to, uh, get familiar with that range now that they just moved there.
Speaker 1:So it's been fun to see I've heard milky nicolino is getting pretty, pretty into the um the whirl spending a lot.
Speaker 2:oh dude, he's gonna, he's gonna give that a rip, he's going to smash the world.
Speaker 1:of course, I love that.
Speaker 2:Poor David.
Speaker 1:Hedges is going to get two broken records in a year. That bastard.
Speaker 2:I feel bad for him. And then the big name that really stood out because she's kind of been on everyone's radar as of late and you mentioned she took second in 2022, jen Lichter, having won Broken Arrow, what what? Now, a month or so removed from that win, similar to what she did in 2022 and then coming to this race, I expect she's in very similar fitness um training out of missoula, peaked at her shrava, putting in some big days for usual in the mountains, kind of what she had to do for this race. Yeah, if she, if she can win this man, I think she is. She's in for you know, troy watch, I have a feeling yeah, oh, easily yeah it's like we talked about her on the last uh broken arrow pod.
Speaker 2:She just has that. She has that dog in her and in her eyes. Like you could tell she's such a competitor and she's going to come here. You know what?
Speaker 1:The only thing it'll be bump, like it's kind of a it's a good year for her, but like a bummer year, like let's say she does have, like let's say she wins speed, goat right. She has an opportunity then to go for like the trif's team those three kind of are the triple crown.
Speaker 2:I would say like broken arrow, speed, goat run, I like that. I like that.
Speaker 1:That's good I mean it's like the. You know I would put her up there as like probably the best like female 50k mountain runner in the country, like one of the best in the world, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:No, 100%, yeah, Absolutely. Then a couple other names I just want to throw out there too. Janelle Lynx every time she's on a starting line she's killer, she's making the jump. It seems like too. I think she's done something longer before. I was looking at her UTMB profile and she did something in the azores with golden trail that looked like it was a little bit longer. I don't know. I don't know if it was, if this was a combined time or not, but this does seem like a pretty big jump up in distance, for so I'm curious why she's doing it. Really cool that she's. She's doing it because she was always just like a staple and kind of zerk series and uh go pro games and or shorter mountain races. So it'll be cool to see her out there broken arrow.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, yeah, uh. Sarah beal she trains out of boulder more of a flatter runnable kind of um. 50k to like 100 mile seems like 100k or um. So it'll be interesting to see, uh, someone with you know flatter speed coming here. You never, you never know it. Sometimes it translates for people, sometimes it doesn't.
Speaker 2:Uh, robin lesh yeah, she was, uh, she was eighth at broken arrow and she won the 28k last year, so she's familiar with this horse. It's just a little bit longer. We'll see. Uh, she's training right now um out of durango and I saw her putting in some big loops in the san juan, so I can imagine she's uh, she's definitely ready to go. Um, and then another san juan girl, uh, lindsey allison. Yep, uh, coming off fifth last year um at this race and I think she's coming here to get a little bit of revenge from from broken arrow, um having dnf to. I did hear about the reason. I know you're going to be having her on in the next day or so, um, so we'll figure out, maybe, maybe, why that happened. Maybe she's trying to save her season and maybe this ends up being a big race.
Speaker 1:For we'll see, yeah I mean, she's made the world seem too. So I think this is, yeah, this would be a good. I don't you know. That's actually interesting, because I do need to ask her about that if she'll continue on to do. I know, before then, when we had her on the podcast, it was all about ccc. Now things have changed a little bit. She's made a world's team. So with CCC, still the, still the you know, the jewel in the season, or is it going to be worlds? And how do you? How do you do?
Speaker 2:both. And yeah, exactly, he sounds like he's. He's doing both. Yeah, he's doing CCC and and worlds, which is. I commend you for that.
Speaker 1:Eli's not a human being. Yeah, he's also not human, I'm not really sure where he's from.
Speaker 2:But yeah, and then another woman name I want to toss out there, a new one for me uh, anna fisher. Uh, she's sponsored by the north face. Um, local out of uh salt lake area, um, so again, familiar with these trails. You, just you can never count out somebody that that that's familiar with the wasatch and, having trained there, has she had any previous finishes at this race?
Speaker 1:the one thing that like a common thread that I'm finding, in both the men's and women's fields, is that there's a lot of experience at this race, whether it be at the 28k or the 50k.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yep, yep, and that's absolutely going to show, absolutely, um. And then, as for just our times and stuff, just uh, I know we talked about it a little bit earlier, but just uh, reiterate here, uh, last year's winner was Jasmine Lother at 615. Um, and yeah, the course record having been 602. I think this year we're going to be looking at somewhere around 610, maybe pushing 605. I just think, with the competition and with everybody pushing each other, they're going to start out hotter than maybe usual, similar to like how people did it like Western States. It's kind of kind of how we're seeing this, this sport, go. Regardless of the distance, people are putting themselves in contention very early on. The race doesn't start, you know, at the third or fourth aid station. The race starts at the first climb and these girls are going to be pushing it on the first climb, right off the bat. I think that's going to result in a time that's pretty close to this course record. I have a feeling to these conditions.
Speaker 1:I think you're right. I think we might be on course record watch for this week and for the women's course record at least. Don't think the men's, I really don't, but for the women's course record I think 602 to that 604 range it's a stretch like that's. So that's hard to do. But you gotta remember, like jazz did win last year in 6, 1505 and she wasn't like, I mean, she was push, but like, not like, mally ran 622, 31 and then third place, cody, um kelvin was 620, so about two minutes back.
Speaker 1:Uh, mk was in the mix as well. Lindsey allison and ruby lindquist were kind of in the mix but they were, all you know, 15, 20 minutes back, um, you know, 30 in some cases, like off of jazz, if you get a duel between maybe great, like you got, you also have like grayson in the mix, you've got jen lichter, um, I think the level of ladies in this race, I think we'll get close. I really do. Do we get? Did we get a new course record? I mean maybe jazz, um, or jennifer or grayson, or one of these like fantastic women, like goes and absolutely smashes it on the park. It's possible, um, I just think that's more likely to see a women's course record go down than the men's in my opinion I agree I think that's totally possible.
Speaker 1:Um, yeah, so, so some other things to add to it, so that mally noise um, interesting, she's a solomon freeski athlete. Um, yeah, so that's why she was being kind of hyped up a little bit there in broken arrow. There was some discussion, uh, at least around the golden trail series, like they kind of talked about her a little bit, um, and there was just some some media around her. Um, yeah, solomon free ski athlete.
Speaker 1:So primary sport is is skiing, a secondary sport is running, but she's a damn good runner man, like oh yeah three for three finishes all in the top five, two second places, one in 24, one in 22, and then fourth, uh, in 2020, her best time six 22. So you know she very much show a contender for this podium like easily uh, skiers race.
Speaker 2:I mean look, we have David Sinclair. Yeah, I mean yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I think that this is just one of those rare courses where there's a lot it's like there's a lot of runnable climbs but there's also a lot of hiking like there's a good amount of hiking in this. So it's who's got like who's and that ski strength really matters. It really translates in a particular race like this. Um, you know really your ability to endure those terrible ups and downs of uh and then being in the pain cave. So, yeah, I think, yeah, there's this is a lot to this uh. Another person I do want to point out, who you already mentioned, was robin lesh. Just very consistent, like one of the things I really admire about robin, like you said, eighth place the broken arrow uh 46k this year. One speed goat 28k last year. Very rarely is she not like in the mix. Like she's very much like usually a very perennial top 10 contender in a lot of ways. So, yeah, very much so.
Speaker 1:One person you didn't mention I did want to throw in there was gwen rudy. Uh, friend of the pod, we've had her on before trains out of leadville. She is a broken arrow triple crown winner from 2022. Um, she also set the course record at the uh run through time half marathon this year, so it'd be fun to see her out there mixing it up in in a much longer race. Um, lindsay Allison does intrigue me. I'm very curious to see what Lindsay Allison does on this course.
Speaker 1:Uh, especially coming off of broken arrow, I think the fire is definitely going to be there. Um, yeah, and then, like we talked about, I'm interested in this group, like how grayson kind of falls in this like five, you know the six hour range. Uh, this more of a six to seven hour range type of running. Um, this will be by far her longest run. So I think it's it's the fear of the unknown, the wonder of the unknown. I think it's kind of cool. I like seeing grace moving up into the longer stuff, like it's, um, you know, hopefully it's a better fit for her or something that she's excited to do you know I wonder.
Speaker 1:I'll never know what this is like, but to be so good at something like so, so good and so talented, it's like why am I gonna go run the vertical or the or the, you know, or the up down slash mountain classic again, when you know you have the ability to explore more, you know and maybe, maybe it's, maybe it's less pressure.
Speaker 2:She's going into something where there's no expectations for, so she can kind of just like do what she wants and all the power to her.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah no, and I I gotta applaud her for, like you know, you got this big race in worlds at the end of September and you're going to take some swings between now and then to see, like, what sticks, what doesn't. And you know, it's like one of those things where you know she's so accomplished and just she has so much experience but it's like nothing really replicates that race setting where you got to take some swings at races beforehand to get back into that. You know that feeling and understanding like how that you know what it's like to fuel on that type of day Cause.
Speaker 1:Like you, could do only so much in training and I think that she's like I said, I gotta, I gotta applaud her for taking those swings and, you know, especially on a big stages like this, and seeing where it comes out. I know she had a tough day and the day she didn't want to have a broken arrow, like we had both picked her for easily first place, um, just because name recognition and just what she's done throughout her career. But you know, dude, we could totally be. You know, I wouldn't be surprised at all if she goes and wins. You know, like, not at all. Um, yeah, it's gonna be fun to follow and, uh, yeah, I think that's the ladies that intrigue me. Janelle links as well. She had a fourth place finish at broken arrow back in 2023 at the 23k. This year she did compete and took eighth place at the broken arrow scent. Um, so much shorter. Um, yeah, I mean, we'll see you know, I'm excited to see kind of her go out and compete.
Speaker 1:Um, all right, let's talk about the men. The men's, like both, feel these fields are so deep. Man, um, I'll get into the men. I'll jump on some of this. Just the names that I just came across Michelino Senseri, ryan Becker, timo Tollefsen, zach Gardner, jeshrin Small Grant Barnett, cole Campbell, adam Mary, adam Loomis, our boy, kieran Ney shout out to Kieran Ney, friend of the podcast. Scott Klingonsmith, young gun, josh Potman. And then Devin pancake Thanks for letting me know Devin pancake was in this race, because I did not.
Speaker 1:I did not see that. The name that stands out to me when you're when this is going to be a math equation, right, it's like when we're looking at this, we're looking at times, right, the only person that's run under 520 in this entire group and, in fact, has run really closer to 515 twice as michelino um won the race back in 2019. He was a speed goat champion. That's really what got him on the map. That's what got his name recognition out there, dude. I mean, back in 2019 he ran 514, 38 or 35. I'm sorry, 514, 35 beat germain.
Speaker 1:Germain was in that race, yeah shout out to our friend germain uh, grandier I wish I could speak french, um, yeah, and then also he took third place in 2022.
Speaker 1:I know he didn't have the race that he wanted to, but still ran 516, 22 back in 2020. That's fast, dude, that's faster than anybody, and so I kind of look at it from a math perspective. Nobody in this entire group of men has run anything under 520. And the fact that Michelino's done it twice gives me the indication that if he's vintage Michelino that we've seen break the Grand Teton record, win Broken Arrow 46K, back in 23. If it's that Michelino, yeah, it's his raceeton record win, broken arrow 46 K, back in 23. Like, if it's that Michelino, yeah, he's that it's his race to lose, in my opinion, like, I think Ryan Becker is supremely talented, I think Zach Gardner, justin small, there's a lot of, like Cole Campbell, there's a lot of really talented guys in this field. But when you look at times like, for instance, like Ryan Becker took third place last year and, um, sorry, he took third place this year at the broken arrow 46k, obviously seventh place, yeah, seventh last year in 2024, but ran 549 49, that's, it's 30 minutes off of michelino's like slowest time, um, tim tolfson, tim tim's run close. Like he took second in 2017 to then course record uh breaker, jim walmsley, um. And he ran 523, 32. And then the following year came back in 2018 and ran 537, 35 um.
Speaker 1:Zach gardner is a big name. He runs for norda um. He's, I'd say, known enough uh for being a wasatch guy. He's a nord athlete and also he won the Andorra 100 mile back in 2023. His fastest time on this is 540.33. Josh Small took fourth in 2023. He's ran 537.22. Grant Barnett took fifth in last year, ran 545.56.
Speaker 1:So you're starting to see a trend here. Right, there's a lot of 525 to like 545, but nobody really sticks out to me that like the, the possibility of running underneath 525 for at least this year at least. I think like I could see michelino going and winning it and like, even if he runs 517, 519, 520 um. I don't think anyone's going to come close to that. He'll probably get it. Have a nice padded lead um. One person that does stand out to me. I really like him both as a person and just as a like, just a really hard worker kind of guy called campbell um didn't have the race that he wanted this year at broken arrow but like is so consistent uh, sixth place in 2024 at the 46k fourth place in 2023, at the 46k ninth place this year in probably what was his most improved time, obviously, but like just just you know this, he put himself in it too.
Speaker 2:I know, like the first loop I saw him and he was right up there with them and then maybe just fell back.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but this is tough man, I mean I got that vibe from noah that like it was just it was car, like just it was so many guys trying to buy for the Brian Whitfield, like just so many people trying to buy for those spots. Very deep, very deep. Adam Mary, what's your thoughts on Adam Mary Like, what's your take on him being in the field? I know he took 19th place at Broken Arrow this year at the 46 K. I think he's trying to get transition more to like the mountain stuff yeah, like what do you?
Speaker 2:yeah, I, I mean looking at, looking at his past races and from what I know of him, he's never really been like a. It seemed like a more of a mountain guy. It's always been more of that runnable um type terrain, like a western um. So he's he's a big question mark for me. Um, he could go out very well and have a day. Uh, he's a strong runner. That's definitely one thing that like stands out about him. It's like he's strong. In this race. You need to be strong. You can't be this like little wimpy road runner or whatever. Like this is a. This is a true mountain race. Uh, so, yeah, it's definitely a question mark, but he very well could be in that top 10, top 10 for sure. We'll see. For me it's six through. 10 is like all question marks. It's anyone's game. The top five, I feel like I have narrowed down a decent amount, but again, this is such a deep race, so it's just, it's anyone's game.
Speaker 1:Yeah, anyone's game. Yeah, there's so much. Yeah, there is a lot of questions marks like do we get vintage tim tolson? Like yeah, like tim, I can you still pop on? Yeah, well, the thing about it is like, dude, the last thing to really like. I'm not calling them old, but I am saying like sorry, tip, that's not an insult, but like what I was gonna say was like the last thing to really go is like you might lose some top end speed as you get into your later 30s, early 40s. Like your vo2 goes down a little bit but like also, vo2 is not an indicator of who's going to win this race. It's. There's a lot of other factors and like, look at you know I mean a lot of people want to talk about um, who just won hard rock. Um, the hoka athlete just totally slipped my mind uh, uh.
Speaker 2:So it's the last thing right to the p ludovic, ludovic pomeroy.
Speaker 1:It's been a long day, yeah, but like if you want to like, and I'm not making comparisons at all, but ludovic, if I remember correctly, he's knocking on the door at 50 years old and just can climb so well and just descend very well, like so much that it made um like matthew blanchard, like back off a little bit because he was too hard, so interesting.
Speaker 1:So I mean, I think, um, obviously two very different athletes, but I think, like, like I said, this might suit someone like Tim a little bit, but he's had so many great finishes at UTMB. This is obviously just a very different type of race, cause there's so much vertical gain, so much hiking. Um, and Tim's had, like I said, he's been on the podium twice in this race, so wouldn't be at all surprised to see him off there. I'm curious, like Grant Barnett has I don't want to say gone full time, but pretty close to it, running for craft, like with that extra time, we'll see if, like, he's been able to make some improvements.
Speaker 1:Like you know, grant is an interesting case. Like I really respect him a lot, both I really like him as a human, but also like as an athlete. Like he showed that he's developed and grown a lot. Like he ran this race back in 2019, 14th place, ran 628, 16. Comes back for the first time last year. Takes fifth place in 2024 runs 4, 5, 45, 56, so a good like almost 40 something minutes faster. Like that's I gotta give him. Yeah, that dad deserves his flowers. So just goes to show the development how much he's improved as an athlete.
Speaker 2:It's really cool, um, another name, sorry, he just the touch on him. It looks like he's gearing up for uh run, rabbit run later in september. So this seems like a like a proper tune-up. Uh, he dnf'd at um at. Where was that at canyons earlier this year?
Speaker 2:um probably went out with all those other guys like everyone did um, but yeah, it looks like he sort of had a quieter year won the 50k antelope island buffalo run. Looks like that's a local one in march, but yeah, so it looks like he's probably geared up and ready to go. I'm really excited to see what Grant does.
Speaker 1:I'm a big Grant fan. He's a wild boy, I really like him. That was one of my favorite pods. Oh my god, Make ultra running or trail running raunchy again. I was like I'm going to get canceled for this one. What did you think of? Adam? Loomis is another one.
Speaker 1:he's a local wasatch guy yes um eighth place in 2022 um ran 549, 21, and then fifth place in 2021 ran 537, 44. So another one of those. Really there's a lot of really consistent guys that are going to compete for, like that sixth through 10th spot, maybe even fourth through 10th spot um, like very similar times. We're going to see a lot of like stacking, I think, just everybody's ran around the same time, if you will. Most of like I said, the only outlier really to me is, or one of the big outliers is really Michelino.
Speaker 2:Now I'm going to throw this out there Top five, I think, is going to be 535. If you want to be in the top five, I think you have to run like 535.
Speaker 1:Is that fair to say, or is that?
Speaker 2:maybe pushing it a little bit.
Speaker 1:Okay, I'd say it's fair, damn my computer locked up or I'd say like what the traditional, or actually hold on one second. I'm kind of curious to see like what the podium was historically.
Speaker 2:Because you definitely have to go. I think, with how deep the field is this year, I think you have to go under six to take top 10. For sure, because the women are going to be low sixes yeah.
Speaker 1:I think that's fair. You're right on the bubble there. So, like last year, david Hedges was fourth place and ran 538, 35. Scott Patterson, who are we aware of? Is Scott Patterson not on the list for this year?
Speaker 2:I don't, I didn't see it, I didn't see him either.
Speaker 1:I just want to make sure I might go back and check, just man, if he was yeah, scott patterson's legit. Um, scott patterson ran 532. He's another one though 532, like it just goes to show you, like dude, how I don't think. I think sometimes people sleep on michelino. But like the fact that, like someone like scott patterson, his sam hendry adam peterman ran 546 last year, like the fact that like michelino goes like literally 516 and 514, like I was under 520 twice, like that's dude, like that's, that's world class right there.
Speaker 2:So faster than kj. No question about michelino. Um, I know we talked. When we talked in the broken arrow preview, he didn't feel like he was like 100 fit. He was kind of like gearing back up. Where where do we feel like he's at now? Is he he?
Speaker 1:hasn't I mean I know he's been. He's been playing the world a bunch. I know he's signed up and planning the race. That's the best of my knowledge.
Speaker 1:I text him this weekend he's out of service. That's over right now, which makes me feel like, since that he's out of service, I would guess that and I I don't know. I asked francesco, like he and I, I talked to francesco more than I talked to michelino. Shout out to francesco guys, if you want to listen to a really good podcast, listen to uh chasing trail by uh teddy tonel anyway um, yeah, in my opinion.
Speaker 1:Um, like francesco hadn't heard from him either, so that's my guess is that he's he's, he's doing what he did before, like the grand, and maybe sleeping up high getting used to the altitude? Um, maybe maybe being out of service a little bit dedicated yeah oh yeah, dude, he's a mountain ninja. Um yeah, so that's my guess. So if that's the case, then my my opinion would be he's just. Uh, we might be in for similar performance of like 20, 2022 or 20 exciting yeah, um, yeah, let me go back.
Speaker 1:I got some other numbers, so we looked at, we looked at the podium from last year. Like I said, 532. So if you want to get in the top three, you're gonna want to run under somewhere under 535 so yeah, that would be my guess in 2023. Christian won this race surprisingly a little slower. He ran 523, 37, uh. Nick handel ran 530, adrian mcdonald ran 531 and Josh ran 537. So I mean, with Josh coming back, 537 is his fastest time.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:He was eighth, also in 2018, and ran 607. So he's another one Like look how much he's improved 607 all the way down to 537.
Speaker 2:Even in these last couple of years.
Speaker 1:Yeah, since he's moved to Boulder, I feel like, which was like two-ish years ago, he wasn't based out of, like, I think, golden before, um, yeah, he's kind of went to a new level, he's, he's one to watch and I'm excited for josh it's really interesting because, like I think temperature is probably going to play a big role because, like I can remember videos of christian sweating pretty bad and like it was pretty exposed, um, so yeah, if it's a cooler year, like we could see some, you know, I think we could see go under 520 and this is why I I'm gonna put salt lake guys at an advantage here for this race.
Speaker 2:They're used to that heat like it's. Yeah, it's hot on the front range in colorado, but you can go up the road 20 minutes and it's 20 degrees cooler and whatever. That's what I always do, at least. Um, but like these guys are training like it's, it's 100 plus degrees in salt lake and if you're climbing out of there like you're ready for this race, it's big time. I mean, I noticed that at twisted fork it was all the satellite guys that trained in the heat. They were up at the top, surprised.
Speaker 1:So I expect that here as well. Finn's home cooking dude best, yeah, um, yeah, trying to think of who else I didn't mention. I did mention kieran, nay, um, no history with this race, but also did run. This year he ran 448 23 at broken arrow at the 46k. Not the day he wanted, but like still, 446 448 23 is pretty damn fast on that. Oh yeah, that's no joke. Um, so definitely capable of a top 10 position um names I got, I got here too.
Speaker 2:Uh, alex proctor um, he's out of salt lake as well. Young kid um just broke, I believe him, and finn went at it. Um, uh, I think it was that antelope island race 50 mile, yeah, yeah 50 mile, yeah, and he. I think he broke. No, he did, he broke the court. I think they both broke the old course record that was set by. Oh, I had it and I lost it um it was some prominent jameel no, no, I remember who, but anyway, really solid race.
Speaker 2:He's on the up and up. He's 24, 25 years old. Um, very well, could see him in the top 10, uh, andrew, uh, nat pick he I raced against him, kept it right a bit in 2023 at Zerk series. Yep, he is partners or married to, uh, just sell slop, I believe. I don't know if they're still together. They were at the time, um, and and then, uh, henry harris as well. He's a colorado guy, um, kind of pretty known, I feel like, throughout the colorado scene. He's kind of always up there.
Speaker 1:He's always competitive, um, yeah, so it turns out salida he doesn't miss much.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he's no, he races very tough like reason.
Speaker 1:If I remember correctly, he did get it either one or got on the podium. I'm tough. Last year like did some longer stuff and then I'm glad to see him back. You know he helped out a bunch when david um david hedges ran hedges yeah, did his.
Speaker 2:Uh, nolan's 14 record he was very involved with it yeah, yeah, yeah, he yeah younger kid in the sport, I think he's maybe around my age me, 29, 30 but has been at it for a while. I feel like like so very well could see something out of him. Tyler Fox is another one. I believe he's living in Wyoming now, but he used to be a Boulder guy. I think he was a Rocky Mountain Runners guy. He was affiliated with them for a while.
Speaker 2:Has a lot of really great results and he's a coach. I don't think he's hit a home run in the past couple years, but very well can see something out of him. He's. He has segments all over boulder super solid. But yeah, I think that's. I think I listed. You listed everything that I had and I just added to it. But yeah, if there's anything, else.
Speaker 1:I think we're good. I think we're good. Uh, I do want to, like I said, give us, give a shout out to the three young guns. Kieran nay, who's? I feel like I can't call it kieran a young gun. Even as a young man you gotta remember, I'm ancient dude. I brought my cane with me to this experience of this conversation. So you know, as an old guy I can say, uh, look out for the young guns. But scott cling on smith um devin pancake and uh, kieran nay, are the the young guys that I think are worth looking out for? All right, let's do women's podium. I'll let you take it away Women's podium.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'll start. I'll go from five to one. In fifth I have Mally Noyes, fourth I have Emma Clark. Third I have Grayson Murphy. Second I have Jasmine Lother and first I have Jennifer Lifter. I, I have Jasmine Lowther, and first I have Jennifer Lifter.
Speaker 1:I think we have the same podium.
Speaker 1:It's pretty close, I had only written down top three but like on a side, so fifth place. Fifth place this year. I'm going to go Mally Noyes. Fourth place I'm going. Lindsay Allison Improves by one spot but probably has, like it's a deeper field. So I'm going. Lindsay Allison improves by one spot but probably has like it's a deeper field, so I'm sure she has a much faster time. Third place I'm going Grayson Murphy. Second place I'm going Jasmine Louther Um. First place Jen Lichter, um. And the only reason is like. Jasmine we got to remember Jasmine's a defending champion ran this race last year. Um had an amazing race, I think it's it's between Jen Jasmine and like and like um.
Speaker 1:I don't know how grayson's gonna race this race like how aggressively? So I think that's the big question there I could see aggressive too.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I 100 because she knows it. Yeah, I could see grayson pushing it out and taking the lead like early on and kind of set the tone, and then jen and jasmine will probably make their moves because they yeah, like watching Jen put on absolute clinic at Broken Arrow um like makes me feel like maybe she'll do the same thing.
Speaker 1:I don't know, maybe she has like reverence and like more respect for this course just because she's she didn't win it last time around. Um, I don't know. Like that's a really she's a really fierce competitor. Like I have a lot of respect for her and like really like admire Jen Lictor, like uh, yeah, so I don't know, like I I just feel like, um, given off that broken arrow, uh, you know, just after that broken arrow performance, like just yeah, I think this is a squad of ladies that will get significantly closer to the course record. I think I think we might be on course record watch for this year, like I said, if it stays cool I mean you said it's going to be cloudy, it's going to be what high sixties.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Low of the forties.
Speaker 2:It's possible, it's very possible very possible.
Speaker 1:If I mean, if the sun doesn't like sun plays such a big factor out there, if it's state sun stays in and it's cloudy, uh, we might have a, like you know, a really speedy day out there and yeah. So honorable mentions I do want to give some honorable mentions. Um, robin lesh is one of the honorable mentions I do want to throw out there, just like so consistent um, uh, gwen Gwen Rudy. Sarah Beal I think Sarah Beal is a big one to keep an eye on, um, just because she has so much consistency. Um, you know, 12th at the broken arrow, 46 K this year. Six, the canyons uh, second last year at the Pikes Peak marathon, 2024. So a lot of consistency there. Someone I would expect to compete honorable mention for. You know, top 10 easily.
Speaker 2:Let's talk men yeah, men, again about fit the first. Uh, ours might be a little bit different here, just because I feel like the men's was this is tough, this is tough. Uh, fifth, I have grant barnett. He was fit last year. Uh, cole campbell fourth, third ryan becker, second jessren small and first Cole Campbell. Fourth, third Ryan Becker, second Jeshrin Small and first Nicolino Sinceri.
Speaker 1:It's like basically the same.
Speaker 2:Really.
Speaker 1:So close, yeah. So fifth, I'm going to go Grant Barnett Same. Fourth, I'm going to go this time Jesh. Third, I'm going Cole Campbell. I think Cole Campbell has a day out there. I wouldn't be surprised if Cole Campbell like wins the race, like if, like I just I really liked that guy. I just something about him, like his work ethic, just like not that other guys don't have crazy work ethic Like Cole Campbell just struck me as a particular hard worker.
Speaker 1:In second place, I'm going to go Ryan Becker I don't know, I think Be or out of anybody just as the most approved on this day, just because, like yes, he had seventh place last year, took seventh place last year, but like you got to remember, like Ryan has dealt with Achilles issues for a very long time and like last year was kind of a gift for him, like he didn't really know what, how things were going to unfold, and he was able to kind of you know, this year is obviously on a heater. Last year ran what was it? 547 or 549, if I remember correctly, I think Ryan is capable of going in the 520s and maybe under. I think, if there's anybody that can stick with Michelino, you got to remember, last year we had the duel between Michelino and Ryan at the 50K, where Michelino beat him by 10 or 15 minutes or something like that.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So we'll see. You know, like just goes to show you like what a, what a, if michelino was at full michelino mode, um, what would have happened between him and eli and, uh, david sinclair this year? I think, I think it would have been a different, it might have been a different conversation. You know, like I don't know, becker had the race of his life. Um, like I think, uh, noah williams made a comment that like damn, like you know, at the time, like becker had the race of his life, um, like I think, uh, noah williams made a comment that like damn, like you know, at the time, like becker made a move, apparently on one of the early climbs, and like no, it was like yeah, I, I that's a ballsy move I'm not gonna do that sure shit.
Speaker 1:He stuck it. So yeah, I, I like, I like that ryan races like um, like safe money don't make money.
Speaker 2:So yeah, yeah ryan was.
Speaker 1:Ryan was first team all violence there and hopefully first team all violence at this one. So hopefully.
Speaker 2:I mean, yeah, it's. He's got to have so much confidence he's going to be. I bet he is the most confident person on that starting line. I'm not kidding, I bet he is yeah.
Speaker 1:I mean we'll see. Um, yeah, I'm just like I don't know. I, I, I got to get in his head a little bit Cause he, he seemed like just the emotion and just like everything, just to finally get that monkey off your back and like have a knock one out of the park Like he, he's been due for it. So Ryan's- another one.
Speaker 1:Ryan could win this race, dude. You know, like I, I think he's. He really came up another level with that performance of broken arrow performance of broken arrow. So you know, we'll see if um, this is a much different course, this is a bit of a different beast. So we'll see um in first place. I have to stick with Michelino and the only reason is, like I said I keep coming back to the math the only person to ever go under two 20, um to do to go under two 20 twice, that's in this field. Um right.
Speaker 1:That's right, and he is the only champion in the field as well. 514 and then runs 516 in 2022. So a lot of consistency too. You know like to run 516 and run 514. Um, just really sticks out to me. You know, even on a bad day. I know he dropped one of the years too. If I remember correctly, it might have been 20. I don't know, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe it was 22 the year he got third. I don't know, that might be bad information, but I can't remember Honorable mentions. I'm going Tim Tolson Guy could see him in the top five. Wouldn't be surprised. Like I said, his best year was in 2017, where he ran 223.
Speaker 1:Grandpa Arnett, zach Gardner, and I think I already named Grandpa Arnett in fifth place. So, yeah, that's that's kind of my, my mix, if you will. Um, yeah, it's going to be a great race. Man, I, I, I think this is like a. This is a very stacked 50 K field. I think a lot of really solid athletes, um, really excited to see what's going to happen in the women's race. Like I said, there's a really strong possibility. We get to, uh, get to get to close to that that course record, and it would be cool to see a woman go under six hours in this race. I think. I think there's a lot of ladies that are capable of doing it, so it's just a matter of getting you know people having the right day, so cool.
Speaker 2:Well, are we going to have a live stream for this? I feel like typically there's not one. I don't think so.
Speaker 1:That's actually something. I would hope so, but maybe not, I don't know Cause.
Speaker 2:to be honest, they have decent service in the Canyon there. I feel like I normally have service on there. So hopefully one of these years eventually they get something, cause this would be a fun one. Cause, like we were saying earlier, the course is pretty condensed for the most part, so like capable of doing it, and the trails are smoothing up where you can have someone you know whipping around on a bike. Um, maybe not on the climbs but on the descents I'm on their website now and I'm not seeing anything.
Speaker 1:But just because I'm not seeing anything doesn't mean there actually isn't one. I don't follow them on instagram. I don't really follow youtube and be on instagram either, um, but like I just and that's that's a different conversation. But like I, yeah, I would. It says click here to I don't know, maybe I'm wrong dude. It just says click here to follow the speed goat mountain races. So maybe there is, I don't know if they're live tracking.
Speaker 2:Live tracking is pretty good on the UTV website.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I just see live tracking. Okay. So no, I can confirm there is no live stream, because if it was, it would say stream live streaming. There is a few like, for instance, like the Cat 100 by UTMB that's on August 9th is just live tracking, but like if it shows like Hoka, utmb Montblanc on there August 31st and it says live stream as well. So this one is just live tracking. Cool, they should get a live stream, though. That would be cool, they should, you know game.
Speaker 2:Cool. They should get a live stream, though. That would be cool.
Speaker 1:They should Get Mountain Outpost out there to do something. That'd be dope, that'd be awesome. Well, nicholas, thank you so much for joining. As always, I appreciate you and this was a great one. Cheers to many more. I think these are pretty safe picks. I think we'll be, I think.
Speaker 2:so I got to submit my free trail because I'm feeling pretty confident about this one.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think so. I think so. Well, listen, man, appreciate you. Thank you so much. Thank you, listen up, guys.
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