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PODCAST

The Steep Stuff Podcast

James Lauriello

Professional trail runner James Lauriello sits down with some of the most interesting athletes, coaches, adventurers, and personalities in the mountain running world to take an inside look at what drives them and what it really takes to chase greatness in the mountains.With no script and no two conversations quite the same, The Steep Stuff Podcast dives deep into the people, stories, and ideas shaping trail, mountain, and skyrunning. From training and racing to adventure, gear, lifestyle, the highs

sports running

All Episodes

67:10

#193 - Joe "Stringbean" McConaughy - RD North Bend...

The Steep Stuff Podcast ·

2026/09/04

Send us Fan Mail A mountain town, a brutally steep VK, and a trail festival that’s trying to feel like a hometown party instead of a corporate expo. We’re joined by Joe McConaughey, ultrarunner, coach, and race director of North Bend Trailfest, to break down why Mount Si delivers one of the most compelling short-course mountain running tests in the Pacific Northwest and why that matters for the future of sub-ultra racing. We talk course specifics and what you actually get when you show up: a...

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29:01

Most Replayed Episode: Allie (McLaughlin) Avatar,...

The Steep Stuff Podcast ·

2026/09/01

Send us Fan Mail A hip that might not cooperate. A course that’s basically a slip-and-slide. A start line you’re not even sure you’ll stand on. Then somehow… you find yourself racing at the front anyway. That’s the headspace Allie Mack brings us into right after earning another Team USA spot with a hard-fought third place at a gnarly mountain running qualifier. It’s her eighth team since 2014, and she explains why it somehow feels more special now than it did early on, especially as the U.S. ...

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77:44

Most Replayed Episode: Grayson Murphy, 2X Mountain...

The Steep Stuff Podcast ·

2026/08/29

Send us Fan Mail Winning world titles is hard. Getting told you are “fine” for 18 months while your body is clearly breaking down might be harder. We sit down with Grayson Murphy to talk through the parts of elite mountain running that rarely get said out loud: identity, sponsorship pressure, health uncertainty, and the behind-the-scenes work it takes to keep showing up. Grayson opens up about her Crohn’s disease diagnosis and the long, frustrating path to getting answers, including how repe...

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25:35

BONUS Episode - UTMB Predictions with Nick Tusa

The Steep Stuff Podcast ·

2026/08/27

Send us Fan Mail UTMB week brings out the most honest kind of sports conversation: we have a stacked start list, a million storylines, and almost no certainty once the race hits the high climbs and the long night. Nick Tusa joins me for a focused UTMB and CCC preview where we argue through the men’s and women’s fields, call our shots, and explain what we think actually decides Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc when everyone is fit. On the men’s side, we dig into the big questions around Jim Walmsley...

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80:40

UTMB OCC Race Companion with Nick Tusa

The Steep Stuff Podcast ·

2026/08/25

Send us Fan Mail UTMB week has a way of making trail running feel bigger than sport. The streets of Chamonix fill up, legends stroll past like it’s normal, and suddenly a 60K like OCC feels like the center of the universe. We’re back with Nick Tusa to break down why this year’s OCC field looks so deep, how the course changes keep reshaping the short trail world, and why tactics matter as much as fitness when everyone’s fast. We dig into the men’s side with a real focus on decision-making: wh...

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24:37

Christian "Slim" Allen - Pre UTMB OCC Interview

The Steep Stuff Podcast ·

2026/08/25

Send us Fan Mail Sierre Zinal doesn’t hand out gifts, and neither does a season that starts with a stress reaction, rolls into a posterior tib strain, and then keeps whispering from an irritated Achilles. We sit down with Christian Allen fresh off a huge European stretch to talk about what finally clicked, how he stayed consistent enough to stack results, and why his best racing shows up when he resists the urge to force the day early. We get specific about the realities of pro trail running...

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53:38

Noah Williams - Pre UTMB OCC Interview

The Steep Stuff Podcast ·

2026/08/25

Send us Fan Mail Chamonix does something to your brain. You land, look up at the peaks, and suddenly every run feels like it should be longer, harder, and higher. We sit down with Noah Williams to talk through the reality of preparing for OCC when the terrain is unreal, the field is stacked, and the smartest move might be holding back even when your legs feel electric. We get into the nuts and bolts of mountain running performance: adapting from Leadville altitude to lower-oxygen-cost runnin...

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40:40

UTMB ETC Race Companion with Rachel Tomajczyk

The Steep Stuff Podcast ·

2026/08/22

Send us Fan Mail A 15K can feel longer than a 100K when the course is straight up, straight down, and the field is absolutely loaded. We’re fired up for ETC in Courmayeur during UTMB week, and we’re treating it like what it’s becoming: a legitimate proving ground for mountain running specialists who live for steep climbs, fast singletrack, and fearless descents. We dig into what makes ETC unique, starting with the course math that matters: 15K with roughly 1200 meters of gain, a big first cl...

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17:57

Taylor Stack - Pre UTMB ETC Interview

The Steep Stuff Podcast ·

2026/08/22

Send us Fan Mail Mont Blanc in the background has a way of rewriting your definition of “normal.” We’re checking in with Taylor Stack from Chamonix as UTMB week starts to buzz, and he shares what it feels like to train in a place where even the “easy” routes quietly stack thousands of feet of vertical gain. We talk about the practical reality of Alpine trail running versus Colorado mountain running: bigger relief from a lower start, fewer truly flat miles, and terrain that can surprise you e...

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19:45

Sydney Petersen - Pre UTMB ETC Interview

The Steep Stuff Podcast ·

2026/08/21

Send us Fan Mail Chamonix has a way of making trail running feel like the center of the universe, and Sydney Peterson is soaking it up while she can. After stacking a string of brutally competitive European races, she joins me for a catch-up from the Alps where recovery, team time, and UTMB week energy all collide. We talk about what it’s like to live among people who treat mountains like a daily ritual, from running vests at the grocery store to the quiet confidence that comes from being sur...

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26:30

Finlay Grant - Pre UTMB ETC Interview

The Steep Stuff Podcast ·

2026/08/21

Send us Fan Mail A race where the “course” is more like a suggestion sounds fun right up until you’re waist-deep in a peat bog, freezing, and trying to decide which ridge will get you to the next checkpoint fastest. That’s the world of UK fell running, and Finlay Grant joins us to explain why it creates a uniquely durable kind of mountain athlete. We talk about Finlay’s path from school cross-country into fell running, then onto the European skyrunning scene, including his build toward...

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37:52

Sam Lewis - Pre UTMB ETC Interview

The Steep Stuff Podcast ·

2026/08/21

Send us Fan Mail A hamstring injury doesn’t just take away fitness. It can mess with your confidence, your decision-making, and even your ability to trust basic sensations like a cramp. Sam Lewis joins us from the Chamonix area to talk about the messy middle of a comeback, right after a hard Sierre-Zinal and just before lining up for ETC near Courmayeur. We get into what it’s like to train in the Alps without getting carried away, why UTMB week in Chamonix feels like a mini home for so many ...

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41:38

#192 - Kirsty Skye Dickson

The Steep Stuff Podcast ·

2026/08/19

Send us Fan Mail A 3:05 at Sierre-Zinal and a Mont Blanc Marathon 23K podium is the kind of season that usually comes with “full-time pro” stamped on it. Kirsty Sky Dixon is doing it while working full-time as an orthodontist in Scotland, and the way she thinks about that balance might change how you approach your own training and goals. We talk through what Sierre-Zinal felt like on her first attempt, why the course is so addictive, and how the race exposes both strengths and weakness...

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1:21

A Special Discount Code for Listeners

The Steep Stuff Podcast ·

2026/08/16

Send us Fan Mail Use code SteepStuff for 20% your cart on Sidas.us Follow James on IG - @jameslauriello Follow the Steep Stuff Podcast on IG - @steepstuff_pod Follow Sidas USA on IG - @sidas_usa

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87:43

Most Replayed Episode: Joseph Gray, Mountain...

The Steep Stuff Podcast ·

2026/08/15

Send us Fan Mail The mountain running GOAT label sounds shiny until you hear what it demands day after day. Joseph Gray joins us for a wide-ranging, no-fluff talk about winning at the highest level, staying motivated deep into a long career, and how he handles the pressure of being someone other athletes look up to. We dig into why sub-ultra trail racing often gets overlooked in the US compared to ultrarunning, even when the performances are absolutely world-class. Joseph breaks down the eco...

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59:42

#191 - Tyler Andrews, FKT Holder - Mount Everest

The Steep Stuff Podcast ·

2026/08/13

Send us Fan Mail One decision on Everest can erase years of work, and Tyler Andrews knows that better than most. After six failed summit pushes and three straight Everest seasons, he finally threads the needle and sets a blistering speed record, then comes home to the weirdest part of any big win: the emotional comedown and the sudden question of “now what?” We talk about what it’s like to chase a far-out goal for years, hit it on the last possible day, and then step straight into a new level...

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1:21

A Special Discount Code for Listeners

The Steep Stuff Podcast ·

2026/08/11

Send us Fan Mail Use code "Steepstuff" for 20% off your cart at sidas.us Use code SteepStuff for 20% your cart on Sidas.us Follow James on IG - @jameslauriello Follow the Steep Stuff Podcast on IG - @steepstuff_pod Follow Sidas USA on IG - @sidas_usa

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50:15

#190 - Abby Bennett, The Journey Back From Hip Labrum...

The Steep Stuff Podcast ·

2026/08/10

Send us Fan Mail A “clean” MRI can still leave you limping, doubting yourself, and stuck in the worst kind of uncertainty: pain without answers. James sits down with Abby Bennett for a candid, detailed update on her long road to a hip labral repair and what she wishes she knew from day one. Abby unpacks how her injury started as a weird, persistent fatigue in one leg, then escalated into deep hip pain that spread through her glute, adductors, and hamstring as her body tried to stabilize an u...

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31:57

Beast of Big Creek Race Companion with Rachel Tomajczyk

The Steep Stuff Podcast ·

2026/07/30

Send us Fan Mail Use code SteepStuff for 20% your cart on Sidas.us Follow James on IG - @jameslauriello Follow the Steep Stuff Podcast on IG - @steepstuff_pod Follow Sidas USA on IG - @sidas_usa

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14:05

Daniel Antonioli & Beñat Albisu, Pre Beast of Big...

The Steep Stuff Podcast ·

2026/07/30

Send us Fan Mail They just landed in Seattle, they’ve barely had time to shake out their legs, and they’re already thinking about one thing: how a U.S. sky race will feel compared to the European skyrunning circuit. We sit down with Daniel Daniel Antonioli & Beñat Albisu for a quick, high-energy pre-race conversation as they get ready to race near Big Creek in the Olympic Mountains for the first time on American soil. We talk travel realities and first impressions of the Pacific No...

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409 results

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