The Steep Stuff Podcast
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The Steep Stuff Podcast
Noah Williams - Pre 2025 World Trail Championship Interview
Noah Williams has been on fire this summer. Fresh off a breakthrough performance at Sierre-Zinal where he clocked an impressive 2:45:10 as the third American finisher, he's now setting his sights on something even bigger: gold at the Trail Running World Championships in Spain.
The conversation kicks off with Noah recounting his recent racing adventures, from Alaska's rugged terrain to the iconic trails of Switzerland. His Sierre-Zinal performance stands out as particularly special - finishing 27th in what many consider the most competitive mountain race globally. Noah breaks down how he managed to improve significantly from last year, particularly in maintaining energy through the runnable sections after the brutal climbs. "I think I just improved significantly in that stretch and I was actually catching runners rather than being caught," he explains, showing how his training is paying dividends at the highest level.
As we turn to the upcoming World Championships, Noah doesn't shy away from ambition. With teammates like David Sinclair, Eli Hemming, and veteran Max King (replacing the injured Ryan Becker), Team USA is bringing perhaps its strongest squad ever. "Gold is definitely the goal," Noah states confidently, while acknowledging the fierce competition from European powerhouses like France, Spain, and Italy. The discussion delves into course specifics, equipment choices (poles vs. no poles), and the unique challenges of representing American trail running on the world stage.
What comes through most clearly is Noah's passion for elevating American trail running and inspiring the next generation. "I just want to do it for that next generation and inspire some American trail runners to do the same and show them that we are the best in the world, or we can be," he shares, highlighting how this race transcends individual achievement. After Worlds, he'll transition to his winter life as a ski patroller and competitive skier, demonstrating the versatility that makes mountain athletes so impressive.
Follow along as Noah takes on the world's best in the Pyrenees! Share your support for Team USA and let us know your predictions for the World Championships.
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Follow James on IG - @jameslauriello
Follow the Steep Stuff Podcast on IG - @steepstuff_pod
Use code steepstuffpod for 25% off your cart at UltimateDirection.com!
It's time. Thank you, Ladies and gentlemen. We are live, Noah Williams. Welcome back to the Steep Stuff Podcast. How's it going, man?
Speaker 2:It's good. Thanks for having me again, James.
Speaker 1:It's exciting to catch back up. It's been probably about a month, month and a half, since we've chatted. Since then you've had an amazing race at Series and All You've had some great races at some Cirque Series races as well. It seems like it's been a really fun summer for you. Man races at some.
Speaker 2:Cirque series races as well. It's been. It seems like it's been a really fun summer for you man. Yeah, thanks, it's been great. Um a lot of travel. I've been um seeing my girlfriend on the PCT as well, which she just finished Um, so that travel combined with um the travel to races. Like I went up to Cirque Alieska and had a great time in Alaska with Steve and some of the LASBO folks and then some of the Cirque Series folks there too, and yeah, tears and all went well. You know, little improvements are great. It didn't feel like a major jump, but it's just. You know, it was great to be back. I feel like I paced it much better this year, um, and yeah, and then Cirque a basin just recently was a good sort of tune up and kind of in the middle of a block of training there and it went better than I expected. So yeah, uh, feeling good for worlds.
Speaker 1:Awesome man, it's good to hear you're feeling good and what's the stoke level right, like right now? Are you really excited to go back and kind of get one back on a world championship race?
Speaker 2:about Innsbruck to know that I think it's just sort of worlds is much, yeah, much bigger, especially worlds being in Europe versus Thailand, I think will be a much different experience and I think, yeah, the field's going to be really dense and I'm really just excited to get out there and see the course. At this point I think that'll give me a much better sort of feel for how it's going to be and then just excited to be in that part of Spain, I think, you know, just to experience that culture and I've never been to the Pyrenees. So, brand new mountain range, yeah, there's definitely a lot to be excited for. Awesome man.
Speaker 1:Are you going to stay out there for a bit after to kind of explore, or are you going to head right back?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I'm going to my. My girlfriend, emma, will be out there for the event for like the whole four days and then we'll have you know, I race the second day, so like we'll have some, well, two days at the, you know, just kind of hanging out in Confrank Jaka or Yaka, I don't, I'm probably pronouncing that wrong. It's the town that like uh kind of a little bit outside of confrank, that a lot of people are going to be staying, uh, so we'll be able to sort of do our own thing around there for the last few days and then we'll go to the beach near Barcelona for two days afterwards for a little vacation. It's nice to go, it's nice to treat it as, uh, you know, a big race but also a vacation in spain. So that's how I'm trying to look at it I love it, man, I love it.
Speaker 1:What's, um, I'm trying to think of, like, what I want to get into specifically for this, if we want to do world or talk series and all. Because, like I was talking it's funny I was chatting with michelino yesterday and we were talking about the team in general and one of the things he brought up and I was like man, I do have to talk to him about this was like serious at all. I mean, you ran lights out. 245. 10 is an insane time for in the top 30s you were 27th place or something like that. Third American. I mean you have to be very proud of that. Like that is like an absolute, like killer performance man, like yeah, that's that's, that's gonna be, it's hard to top.
Speaker 2:I mean it's gonna be. It's hard to top. I mean it's amazing. Well, thank you, yeah, I appreciate that. I feel like I, yeah, I still have. I definitely feel like there's more to do there. Um, I taste it better, but I'm still. I still feel like I'm far from nailing it.
Speaker 2:The the climb honestly didn't feel that good. I. I was, I think. I looked at my splits. I was slightly ahead of last year at Ponchette, which is sort of like the main steep part, um, and then it was funny, I was, but I really wasn't that far. I was almost exactly what, really wasn't that different? Um, I was very similar at Ponchette and at Chandelin splits, wise, um, and then I just rolled the last section much better. So I think I probably improved slightly on the climb. But the main improvement was like that climb call it the equivalent of last year didn't take that as much out of me for the runnable section towards the end, because there's a really like once it starts to pitch down before the, the drop into zanol, um, there's a long, very runnable stretch and I think I just improved significantly in that stretch and I was also actually catching runners rather than either just kind of being in no man's land or like being caught more often. So it felt mentally much better and also it was the most expensive 10 seconds of my life so far. Uh, the, the, the two, 45, marco, you know, uh, if you go under two 50, you get 200 Franks, and if you go to under two 45, you get 400. So I missed 200 Franks by 10 seconds, but hey, stian missed it by three. So yeah, no, it was cool to finish right behind Stian and you know, got to tell him you know, good to see you back and it's always great seeing him. You know his like. He's such a nice bright light in the sport, I feel like. And obviously, yeah, we're all glad to have him back. So, yeah, it was a good.
Speaker 2:Last year I was staying with the trail team up in Kranz Montana and it was logistically a lot nicer just coming as an individual this year to stay in Zinal and then I got to do a pretty short but still fun run up towards the Zinal Glacier the next day with my buddy Jason and yeah, so I got to like see the valley a little bit more because you know, when you're in Zanali you're just like man, there's got to be so much out here and even just that valley there's so many cool trails and options and glaciers. I mean it's stunning to be there and one of these years I'll have to stay a little longer afterwards. But the other problem with that is Switzerland's expensive. So yeah, I decided to hop over to Chamonix for a few days with Dan Kurtz and Remy Leroux and that was really, really fun to see, just to see Cham for the first time I'd never been, and gets me psyched for potentially a UTMB race next year. So nice.
Speaker 1:Do you think you'll go back to series and all next year?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think I will, and then I think I'll do OCC. Um, yeah, because I got that qualifier through Labarado, it's CCC, so I can just transfer the, the entry, to OCC, I guess Nice, nice Is what I've been told. I'm uh pretty new to the UTMB stuff, to be honest.
Speaker 1:And they seem to change it all the time too. So hopefully, hopefully, it doesn't change.
Speaker 2:And it's all right to go read the rules again.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what, um, all right off question related to series and all. Do you, did you just feel like, did you change anything in your training specifically for this race? Going around like into it uh, as far as feeling more comfortable on that climb and being able to transition off that into the, into the rollers and into the descent and just not feeling as wrecked, would you just equate it to just being fitter all around, like what do you? What do you think about that?
Speaker 2:I think, yeah, I think, ladder, I think being fitter all around. I think I definitely was less specific this year for Sears and all because, um, one, yeah, pretty much after the broken arrow, laberinto, double, it was, uh, training wise, the focus shifted to training for, you know, a 45 K with 12,000 feet, which is what worlds will be. So, yeah, um, less specific didn't do so? Yeah, I wasn't. Yeah, I, last year I had some very specific Sears and all you know, the classic Killian like flat, flat, rut or steep climbing, flat running, steep climbing, flat running type thing.
Speaker 2:Uh, I did a couple of those that were back and forth and, yeah, I think, just overall I'm stronger and like felt like I could run faster after that climb, because I think the climb just didn't take it out of me as much, which was funny, because I think, yeah, it felt worse, like the climb. Actually I was worried, I was behind splits and I was just thinking like I kind of had a mental low a little before Ponchette, thinking, man, I'm just not on it this year, even though I was actually slightly ahead of splits, and then things turned around and I started actually feeling good. Then, once you're passing people, I think that changes the mentality, so, um. So by the end I was kind of like man I could, can we make this race a little longer? Like can I catch a few more guys?
Speaker 2:Uh, so yeah, I, I think, um, yeah, it's just such a fun race, cause it's probably going to feel, yeah, I don't know when I'm going to nail it, I don't know if I ever will, I don't. Yeah, I mean, I I do feel like I could go under 240 in that race, though If I truly, I think that would feel like nailing it. I guess On, I know, I mean Sarah's and all is one of those races it gives you the sense of the yeah, it's, it's the truly most competitive race in the sport. And so I'm definitely like I know where I stand in terms of I will probably never win sears and all like that is sort of out of the question. But I think a sub 240, top 20, top, maybe top 15 on a certain year, like that could be. Yeah, that that would be uh, nailing it for me, I guess that's confidence building time, man.
Speaker 1:I mean that's insane. That's amongst the best in the world, which is kind of cool yeah thanks, it definitely gives me confidence going into this weekend Sorry next weekend. Yeah, let's talk about that. Let's get into next weekend and get into the world's conversation. I think it's common knowledge. Now it's a big time bummer. Ryan becker's not going to be competing with you guys this year, yeah, due to injury.
Speaker 1:So max king I know I feel so bad for ryan, uh, but max king is going to be taking his place. Max, you know, while we shift kind of gears with one guy out, one guy in. Max also has a ton of experience, um, having been on numerous worlds teams, including he was with you, I think. Yeah, he was with you guys in chiang mai as well. Yeah, with that leadership and that dynamic, do you think that's going to help you guys immensely? Um, you know, kind of pull together as a team when it comes to I don't know just kind of the team formatting and things like that yeah, I think it's.
Speaker 2:It's great having experience like max coming in. Um, yeah, I mean, he's just like a really good person and, um, I think what's great about max is he can be at a big event like that and then we can talk about, you know, skiing or like we don't have to, like he, he's not. Some folks just nerd up, nerd out about running the whole time with each other and that's fine, I'm getting, we're all gonna have, we're gonna do that. We're all running nerds about running the whole time with each other and that's fine, we're all going to do that. We're all running nerds, trail running nerds for the most part. But I think it's nice to have, yeah, folks who are just really comfortable with that kind of event and that kind of pressure and not letting it affect them too much. Yeah, he definitely is the kind of guy that leads by example and, yeah, it'll be exciting to see him. I think, yeah, we're the only two returning from the Chiang Mai team, so it'll be fun to reminisce about Chiang Mai. And, yeah, I like Max, he's awesome, I definitely. But on the other hand, yeah, it's definitely.
Speaker 2:I'm super bummed for Ryan, I think. Yeah, I mean, speed goat was awesome and I guess maybe I don't know exactly know what happened, but I think it sounds like that might've pushed him over the edge, and um Taurus posted um, yeah, and I mean the post-tip is so brutal, like um, but I've clearly he's tried as hard as he could. I mean he was biking a ton and um, yeah, I'm sure it'll come around one of these years. Uh, ryan, it's not, it's not the end. Um, of course, and uh, I'm excited to see what he does in the future. Um, but yeah, he definitely deserved that spot and um, it's, it's the right decision for the team. So it's a hard decision to make, though, and I respect, I respect his uh, you know maturity there.
Speaker 1:So yeah, with the team you guys are rolling up with. I mean, this is amongst the teams. This team's pretty deep. It's hard to put expectations on things and I don't think it's very fair to put expectations on you guys like that. But but at the same time, it's it's I don't want to say the dream team, but it's pretty legit. Like this is the the euros should be, should be terrified at this point with who we're rolling in with. Um, obviously it's a little nationalist to say that, but I still you know I love my guys on my team, you know, um, what do you? What's your expectation for this? How do you feel going into this race? I?
Speaker 2:mean, yeah, I think it's fine to set those expectations on us. I think we're, yeah, we are coming in just off the numbers. I mean you could probably do some statistical analysis on ITRA or UTMB scores and yeah, we all sort of we certainly all belong in the top 20. I think I'm, my reach goals I've been saying this for a while is top 10, and if I'm top 10 and two or three of those of my teammates are ahead of me, we I mean there's no reason we can't win gold. So, yeah, I think gold is definitely the, the, um, the goal. I mean to we.
Speaker 2:I don't feel like I felt this way in Thailand, necessarily, I think I didn't. I also just didn't have as much context that I didn't know the Euro competition as well as I do now. But knowing the Euro competition, I mean they're, they're. You know France is bringing a crazy team, uh, spain, um, italy, they're always in there, um. But I think, now that I know a few of those athletes on those teams, now I think I know that certainly, you know, david and Eli are going to be right up there in the front group and I think, um, if a few of the uh, you know, a few of us are trailing a little bit back and still in sort of top 10 striking distance, I think, um, yeah, I don't see why we can't visualize it. I have to.
Speaker 2:You know, I want to see the course and it's like I could visualize it happening at Sierras and all right, but it's not. It's like it's going to take five hours, you know, maybe even five and a half, six. It's kind of that's where I'd have to. So there's like a lot of excitement around the people in the race, not just the, the us, but the other strong teams, and and then I just can't picture where we're all going to be right now. But, um, but I do, I've heard, I think they were thinking just under five hours for the top guys, but to me, like for 12 000 feet of climbing and descending, I mean, I, it's hard to imagine that, running that that quickly. I guess we're at lower elevation too, so I'm kind of used to like suffering at you know, 4,000 meters. But um, yeah, uh, I, that's fast, that's a really fast, like 12,000 feet, um, and maybe that is how the course is. Um, I'm excited, I'm rooming with Michelino, so, and he's been out there for a couple of weeks, so definitely.
Speaker 1:That's a delight. There you go.
Speaker 2:Yeah, very excited. I was happy to see the roommate list and, yeah, so excited to hear from him about the course and he already has given us a lot of info over text.
Speaker 1:So yeah, yeah, it's interesting, I in, I mean just from talking to him and hearing what he had to say about it like very runnable, uh climbs, a lot of technical descending. I think the runnable climb specifically translate for American men to do very like for Americans in general, you know from the runnable climbing, I think, to do pretty well.
Speaker 2:Um we tend to, we tend to pitter patter and we don't have poles. That's our, that's the American sort of uh trope in in international trail, I feel like, and but I I do think that some of us are going to be using poles. I personally won't be. I haven't been training with them and I've been doing pretty like very steep climbing leading up to this or you know, during this block, and I just feel like I'd rather put my hands on my knees and just hike super hard and and I think if it gets rocky and technical it's sort of a disadvantage to have poles. So, um, but I know we can like pick them up at certain spots and drop them off. I think too. Anyway, these logistical things I have, you know, we'll, we'll figure it out in a couple of days here.
Speaker 1:Cool, cool, all right. Last question Um, if it's the day you guys want out there, it's the day we're hoping you guys have what would that mean to you to not just represent team USA, like you have already, but also win a medal for team USA?
Speaker 2:I mean, yeah, it would mean a lot. I, I just, I just think, um, there are so many runners, uh, that have the potential for this to be on this team in the future and are waiting in the wings, so to speak. I mean just thinking about the broken arrow race being the main qualifier. Like you know, there are there's just so many guys that were not very far behind me at Broken Arrow in that top 10, top 20, that all of them, you know, a couple percentage points difference in certain factors. Just, you know they could have been in there and so, um, yeah, I just want to do it for that next generation and, you know, inspire some, some runners to some American trail runners to to do the same and to show them that we are the best in the world, or, you know, we can be it. I think it used, it's always been, we've always been the, you know, I don't know the, what do they call it?
Speaker 1:The ugly stepchild or the little, you could say, little brother, you could say yeah.
Speaker 2:I feel like there's always just this uh, no, I, I mean, the Europeans are perfectly nice, they're just they. They do dominate and they have dominated for a while. And yeah, and I think Worlds is cool too, because I'm probably overlooking teams outside of Europe as well, so I think it's exciting. Definitely nothing's guaranteed, but I think, yeah, I'm going in trying to represent American trail running as best we can. I mean, I think the flag has all kinds of other meanings and connotations right now and it's kind of complicated politically. But I think what's cool about sport is that it can ride above some of that political BS for lack of a better term and and, uh, and sort of just rep, you know, uh, represent, you know, I. I think we can sort of separate the current political state from and and just be patriotic in general, um, and and. We can find common ground there.
Speaker 1:So yeah, it's a it is. It's a beautiful opportunity for fans of of the sport to come together. I think that's the best way to right yeah, and I, yeah, and I'm really excited.
Speaker 2:It's awesome to hear that free trial is going to be there. That'll be great coverage and just also, just yeah, it brings more eyes to it, to Worlds versus UTMB, for example, and yeah, I think Worlds is it's yeah, it's a bit more of an even playing field. I feel like I love it.
Speaker 1:Um, so I love it. What's next for you? Are you, uh, after you take your, after you have a little vacation, are you going to transition, I guess, to skis pretty soon in the next few months, right?
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, we've been getting snow on the peaks here in uh in Colorado and that's getting me very excited for skiing. That it's uh, get the dusting. I mean obviously it melts in a day or two, but but yeah, I'm uh man. I mean I've been thinking about skiing since July so I'm like, yeah, I I think I may have said it I'm more of a skier than a runner. So, yeah, I definitely focused more on this.
Speaker 2:I I considered a something in October, maybe the end of October it would be. I would sign up last minute probably, and it would probably be if the snow seems to be, you know, uh, holding off Um. But yeah, I start my ski patrol season in November, so, um, and then I'll be gearing up towards, uh, the Nash nationals slash world cup uh at powder um is in early december. So not really, I'm definitely going to be taking I think I'd rather just take october completely, almost completely off from structure training. I think it's a good time in the year for me uh leading in, and I really do need to build up some energy for ski patrol. It is not not a job to be taken lightly physically, even for someone like me. Like I need to be well rested and ready to go and contribute to my team.
Speaker 1:So it's amazing. Noah, I wish you the absolute best of luck, man. I hope you have a day out there and I hope uh, I hope you guys bring it home for team USA. Either way, we're cheering for you. And a safe travels out man All right.
Speaker 2:Appreciate you, james, yeah.
Speaker 1:Thanks, buddy, thank you.
