The Freetrail Podcast with Dylan Bowman
Dylan Bowman
- 1 hour 26 minutesTrail Running Year in Review 2025 | Athletes, Performances, FKTs, Rookies, Storylines, 2026 Predictions & More
For the fourth year in a row, Corrine Malcom returns for our end-of-season retrospective podcast to summarize the year in trail running. It was another incredible season with so many amazing athletes and performances - we do our best to encapsulate everything in this episode.
The Docket:
00:00 Celebrating Trail Running Traditions 12:21 Trail Runner of the Year: Women's Picks 20:40 Trail Runner of the Year: Men's Picks 33:00 Trail Performances of the Year 39:06 Rookies of the Year 45:18 Key Storylines of 2025 50:58 The Bill Dooper Spirit Award: Celebrating Contributions Beyond Performance 56:29 Predictions for 2026: The Future of Trail Running 01:05:11 Personal Highlights of 2025 and 2026 Goals
REGISTER FOR THE BIG ALTA REGISTER FOR GORGE WATERFALLS Sponsors:- Grab a trail running pack from Osprey
- Use code FREETRAIL25 for 25% off your first order of NEVERSECOND nutrition at never2.com
- Go to ketone.com/freetrail30 for 30% off a subscription of Ketone IQ
22 December 2025, 4:02 pm - 1 hour 16 minutesAsker Jeukendrup | Endurance Nutrition MasterclassAsker Jeukendrup is a sport scientist whose work has been massively influential, especially in the world of endurance nutrition. His resume is incredible, working with many of the top athletes, teams, brands, and research institutions during his remarkable career. In addition to his academic, consulting, and speaking work, Asker is a co-founder of Neversecond -- a leading supplier of feuling and recovery products in endurance sport and an important partner of Freetrail. This is Asker's first appearance on the podcast. Timestamps:
04:15 What Makes You You? 09:28 Founding NeverSecond: A Science-First Approach 12:37 The Carbohydrate Revolution in Endurance Sports 15:09 Understanding Carbohydrate Absorption and Ratios 17:44 Nutrition Strategies for Varied Trail Running Distances 22:29 Gut Training: Assessing and Improving Carb Tolerance 27:49 Fasted Runs and Fat Metabolism 36:04 The Role of Carbohydrates in Performance 40:43 Understanding Nutrition for Racing Performance 45:15 Cooling and Its Impact on Nutrition Absorption 48:55 The Sodium and Electrolyte Debate 51:49 Caffeine: Benefits and Cautions 52:15 The Future of Health Monitoring in Athletes 59:47 Personal Stories and Lessons from Elite Athletes 1:00:15 Looking Ahead: The Future of Nutrition in Sports
Asker's consultancy REGISTER FOR THE BIG ALTA REGISTER FOR GORGE WATERFALLS Sponsors:- Grab a trail running pack from Osprey
- Use code FREETRAIL25 for 25% off your first order of NEVERSECOND nutrition at never2.com
- Go to ketone.com/freetrail30 for 30% off a subscription of Ketone IQ
18 December 2025, 1:01 pm - 48 minutes 21 secondsThe Trail Ahead: Consumer & Industry Trends Shaping Trail Running (TRE Live Panel)
This is a recording from a live panel conducted at The Running Event - the running industry's largest trade show. One of the big trends in running is the growth of trail running as a sub-category, something that is felt palpably at TRE. To contextualize this growth, I'm joined by two fantastic guests:
- David Callahan, Co-CEO of UltraSignup
- Stephen Holmberg, Founder of Insight Accelerator
We talk about the following topics:
- Growth trends in the sport
- Trail Culture as a growth driving phenomenon
- Cultural impact vs. commercial impact - the realities of the size of the market
- How people are discovering and experiencing the sport
- The impact of star athletes on the business of trail
- Marketplace dynamics (tariffs, inflation, competition, etc.)
- Q&A!
LEARN MORE ABOUT TRAILCON REGISTER FOR THE BIG ALTA REGISTER FOR GORGE WATERFALLS Sponsors:- Grab a trail running pack from Osprey
- Use code FREETRAIL25 for 25% off your first order of NEVERSECOND nutrition at never2.com
- Go to ketone.com/freetrail30 for 30% off a subscription of Ketone IQ
16 December 2025, 1:01 pm - 1 hour 16 minutesRod Farvard | Life On The Path
Rod Farvard is a pro trail runner for HOKA living in Mammoth Lakes, CA. Among other things, Rod is a past champion of the Canyons 100k and a runner up of the Western States 100. We recorded this in person at Freetrail HQ in Marinwood, CA, 24hrs removed from a long run together on my home trails.
Topics discuss:
- Feelings approaching the end of the year
- Finding and embracing "Your Path" in life
- Sacrifice as being a necessary element of being On The Path
- Focusing on UTMB after years committed to Western States
- Evaluating his 9th place performance in 2025 and where there's room for improvement
- Supported FKT attempt on the John Muir Trail
- Switching coaches
- Goals for 2026
- A lot more!
Vote for Trail Runner of the Year
Vote for Trail Performance of the Year
REGISTER FOR GORGE WATERFALLSSponsors:
- Grab a trail running pack from Osprey
- Use code FREETRAIL25 for 25% off your first order of NEVERSECOND nutrition at never2.com
- Go to ketone.com/freetrail30 for 30% off a subscription of Ketone IQ
Freetrail Links: Website | Freetrail Pro | Patreon | Instagram | YouTube | Freetrail Experts Dylan Links: Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | Strava12 December 2025, 1:00 pm - 1 hour 12 minutesRest Day | Western States & Hardrock Lotteries, The Running Event, CIM Results, & Rachel Entrekin x Norda
Welcome to Rest Day, Freetrail's occasional news pod covering the latest happenings in trail running. This week, we're joined by Corrine Malcolm to talk through the following topics:
- Western States & Hardrock Lotteries
- Courtney Daulwalter & Christian Allen rip CIM
- Thoughts from The Running Event
- Broken Arrow x ACG partnership
- Rachel Entrekin signs with Norda
- Debut of Trail Team of the Year
Vote for Trail Runner of the Year Vote for Trail Performance of the Year REGISTER FOR THE BIG ALTA REGISTER FOR GORGE WATERFALLS Sponsors:- Grab a trail running pack from Osprey
- Use code FREETRAIL25 for 25% off your first order of NEVERSECOND nutrition at never2.com
- Go to ketone.com/freetrail30 for 30% off a subscription of Ketone IQ
8 December 2025, 1:01 pm - 1 hour 7 minutesZach Miller | Art vs. Science, Hardrock, Bill Dooper, & World Champs
Zach Miller is a legendary trail runner, splitting time between Oregon and Colorado. He is one of the most beloved and most decorated athletes of the last decade, not only because of his results but in how he approaches the sport.
This is a companion podcast for a new film that Freetrail released this week, documenting Zach's race at the 2025 Hardrock 100. The film is entitled A Lap For Bill - a moving tribute to his late friend Bill Dooper.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction and Current Life Updates 02:54 The Intersection of Construction and Athletics 06:10 The Art vs. Science Debate in Sports 08:56 Reminiscing About Early Racing Days 12:03 The Impact of Bill Dooper 15:06 Reflections on Hardrock and Future Goals 32:48 The Toughness of Zach Miller 34:34 The Essence of Competition 40:11 Reflections on the World Championships 50:32 Inspiration and Future Goals
Salomon's Film About Bill Dooper REGISTER FOR THE BIG ALTA REGISTER FOR GORGE WATERFALLS Sponsors:- Grab a trail running pack from Osprey
- Use code FREETRAIL25 for 25% off your first order of NEVERSECOND nutrition at never2.com
- Go to ketone.com/freetrail30 for 30% off a subscription of Ketone IQ
4 December 2025, 1:00 pm - 40 minutes 2 secondsEmergency Pod: Broken Arrow, ACG, & Trail Running's Largest Prize Purse
This is an emergency episode recorded in San Antonio, TX at The Running Event. We're here to breakdown the recently announced new multi-year partnership between the Broken Arrow Skyrace and All Conditions Gear (ACG) and the exciting details contained in the rollout.
Our guests today provide perspectives from three distinct angles:
- Brendan Madigan: Broken Arrow Race Director
- Todd Simpson: ACG Global Marketplace & Strategy
- Bailey Kowalczyk: All Conditions Racing Department Athlete
Topics discussed:
- High level details of the partnership
- Why ACG is excited about trail running
- The $150k prize purse
- What this means for current and future generations of pro trail runners
- Other areas of investment: Adaptive athletes, inclusivity, women/mothers, spectators, etc
- The importance of TRE
- The state of specialty retail
- The 2026 TrailCon
- A lot more!
Sponsors:
- Grab a trail running pack from Osprey
- Use code FREETRAIL25 for 25% off your first order of NEVERSECOND nutrition at never2.com
- Go to ketone.com/freetrail30 for 30% off a subscription of Ketone IQ
Freetrail Links: Website | Freetrail Pro | Patreon | Instagram | YouTube | Freetrail Experts
Dylan Links: Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | Strava3 December 2025, 5:42 pm - 32 minutes 48 secondsThe Lives of Modern Professional Trail Runners | TrailCon Live Panel - Sally McRae, Jim Walmsley, Hayden Hawks, Hillary Allen, & Tabor Hemming
Today's panel is entitled The Lives of Modern Professional Trail Runners, recorded live at the 2025 edition of TrailCon -- a two-day trail running festival, conference, and trade show hosted in Palisades Tahoe, CA in the days between Broken Arrow and Western States.
Our panelists today:
- Sally McRae (Moderator)
- Jim Walmsley (HOKA)
- Hayden Hawks (HOKA)
- Hillary Allen (Brooks)
- Tabor Hemming (Adidas TERREX)
LEARN MORE ABOUT TRAILCONSponsors:
- Grab a trail running pack from Osprey
- Use code FREETRAIL25 for 25% off your first order of NEVERSECOND nutrition at never2.com
- Go to ketone.com/freetrail30 for 30% off a subscription of Ketone IQ
Freetrail Links: Website | Freetrail Pro | Patreon | Instagram | YouTube | Freetrail Experts
25 November 2025, 1:01 pm - 59 minutes 47 secondsRest Day | Gorge x ACG, Pacific Trails Cancellation, JFK & Ultra Trail Cape Town Preview
Welcome to Rest Day, Freetrail's occasional news pod covering the latest happenings in trail running. This week, we're joined by Adam Merry to talk through the following topics:
- Pacific Trails by UTMB Cancellation
- Gorge Waterfalls new multi-year partnership with All Conditions Gear
- David Kilgore's departure from the Team Manager role at On
- JFK & Ultra Trail Cape Town previews
Fabrice Perrin's LinkedIn Post
Sponsors:- Grab a trail running pack from Osprey
- Use code FREETRAIL25 for 25% off your first order of NEVERSECOND nutrition at never2.com
- Go to ketone.com/freetrail30 for 30% off a subscription of Ketone IQ
21 November 2025, 1:01 pm - 1 hour 11 minutesRest Day | UTMB Expansion, Kilian Back at Western States, Road Stars Move to Trails, & New World Records
Welcome to Rest Day, Freetrail's occasional news pod covering the latest happenings in trail running. This week we're joined by Tim Tollefson to talk through the following topics:
- UTMB's Purchase of Zugspitz Ultra Trail
- The global event landscape and where independent events fit
- Caleb Olson wins GPT100
- Kilian Jornet registers for Western States 2026
- Molly Seidel and Des Linden moving from roads to trails
- Eliud Kipchoge wears Radical Air Flow at NYC Marathon
- New 50 Mile and 100 Mile World Records
- Personal running and life updates
- A lot more!
REGISTER FOR THE BIG ALTA REGISTER FOR GORGE WATERFALLS Sponsors:- Grab a trail running pack from Osprey
- Use code FREETRAIL25 for 25% off your first order of NEVERSECOND nutrition at never2.com
- Go to ketone.com/freetrail30 for 30% off a subscription of Ketone IQ
13 November 2025, 1:00 pm - 1 hour 18 minutesEric Lagerstrom | From Triathlon to Trail
Eric Lagerstrom is a longtime pro athlete across sports. He's also an entrepreneur and creator, leading That Triathlon Life, a popular YouTube channel, podcast, and brand driving culture in multisport.
After a long and successful pro triathlon career, Eric is now experimenting with elite level trail running, including a 2nd place finish in the 2025 Black Canyon 50k - a very impressive result in a deep field.
Topics discussed:- Eric's triathlon career and move to trail
- Building That Triathlon Life: Early inspiration, building momentum, & evolving over time
- What trail can learn from triathlon
- How Eric has changed his training since focusing on trail
- Winning and setting a CR at his 50k debut
- Finishing 2nd place at Black Canyon 50k and what he learned
- The similarities between 50k trail and 70.3 triathlon racing
- Navigating a tough day at Kodiak by UTMB
- Goals for the future
- A lot more!
- Grab a trail running pack from Osprey
- Use code FREETRAIL25 for 25% off your first order of NEVERSECOND nutrition at never2.com
- Go to ketone.com/freetrail30 for 30% off a subscription of Ketone IQ
6 November 2025, 3:00 pm - More Episodes? Get the App