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"We have a growth problem in trail running—and it's both a blessing and a curse. The question is: are we building with community, or building on top of it?"

Corrine Malcolm isn't just asking these questions—she's in the rooms where they get answered. As a sports marketing consultant with HOKA, former UTMB commentator, coach, and podcaster, she's spent the last few years working inside the industry to shape trail running's future. But she's also been a professional athlete since age 15, from the US Biathlon team to racing 100-milers across the globe.

In this conversation, Corrine pulls back the curtain on what it's really like to navigate trail running's professionalization, why she left a secure contract to take a risk with HOKA, and how her golden thread—asking "Why can't I do that?"—has driven every major decision in her life. From almost making the Olympics to dropping out of grad school with "60% of a PhD," from getting fired by UTMB to now collaborating with them weekly, her path has been anything but linear.

We talk about the sport's identity crisis, the hard conversations she's willing to have (even when uncomfortable), why she still regrets that 2019 UTMB DNF, and what keeps her coming back to Cape Town. This is trail running from the inside—honest, critical, hopeful, and deeply personal.

Key themes:
-Trail running's growing pains: professionalization vs. community soul
-Working inside the industry to create change (not just criticize from outside)
-Learning when to move on vs. when to push through
-Why "Why can't I do that?" became her guiding principle
-The team behind every finish line
-What 100 miles teaches you that nothing else can

If you've ever wondered what it takes to build a life around trail running—not just racing, but truly shaping the sport—this conversation is for you. 

Corinne's honesty about the messy middle, the pivots, the DNFs that still sting, and the work that happens behind the scenes makes this essential listening for anyone who cares about trail running's future.

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