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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

21:50

Jackson Cole, Pre Beast of Big Creek Interview

The Steep Stuff Podcast ·

2026/07/29

Send us Fan Mail A mountain race where the “trail” turns into a real cliff scramble, a town that treats race weekend like a holiday, and a new skyrace in Washington that might finally feel like Europe without the altitude excuse. We sit down with Jackson Cole fresh off Mount Marathon to unpack why Seward, Alaska draws thousands of fans, how the hype somehow matches reality, and what it feels like to go full gas to the summit in a truly competitive field. We also get specific about what...

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16:35

Josh Potvin, Pre Beast of Big Creek Interview

The Steep Stuff Podcast ·

2026/07/29

Send us Fan Mail A fast sky race can look simple on paper until you add singletrack bottlenecks, an out-and-back with traffic, and a technical finish that punishes sloppy footwork. We sit down with Canadian trail runner Josh Potvin for a quick, focused catch-up before Beast Of Big Creek, starting with what training has looked like from Vancouver and why this has been one of his most consistent years ever. From there, Josh breaks down Quebec Mega Trail: the heat, the ruthless technical sectio...

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25:26

Carmen Pelar Graves, Pre Beast of Big Creek Interview

The Steep Stuff Podcast ·

2026/07/28

Send us Fan Mail The fastest way to fall back in love with running might be to become a beginner again. Carmen Graves knows what it feels like to chase mastery: high school sprinter, college soccer and track standout, then a decade-long professional grind in the steeplechase that took her to US Trials. After years of the same build-ups and the same track-season patterns, she wanted something new, so she stepped onto the trails and embraced the discomfort of learning from scratch. We talk thr...

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31:45

Kalie McCrystal, Pre Beast of Big Creek Interview

The Steep Stuff Podcast ·

2026/07/28

Send us Fan Mail A technical FKT at home can be more than a big day out. For Kalie McCrystal, it’s a proving ground for the skills that matter when the terrain gets steep, exposed, and unforgiving, and a stepping stone toward bigger goals like the Matterhorn speed record. We talk through her Tantalus Traverse FKT in the Tantalus Range across from Squamish, BC, a bucket-list alpine line that mixes runnable trail with moraines, snowfields, glaciers, route finding, and a crux that often include...

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15:08

Mercedes Siegle-Gaither, Pre Beast of Big Creek...

The Steep Stuff Podcast ·

2026/07/28

Send us Fan Mail A course can look “runnable” and still scare you a little. That’s exactly why Beast of Big Creek is so intriguing, and why I brought back Mercedes Siegle-Gaither for a tight, honest pre-race chat. She’d just been on the route previewing and training, and her take is vivid: long stretches of shady forest on smooth trail, a relentless uphill grind, then a shift above treeline into steeper, rockier skyrunning terrain with wildflowers and big mountain energy on the Olympic Penins...

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56:03

#189 - Mathias Eichler, RD - Beast of Big Creek

The Steep Stuff Podcast ·

2026/07/27

Send us Fan Mail Two weeks before a race, the glamor disappears and the real work shows up: shipping cutoffs, permit conversations, course marking decisions, and an inbox that never stops. We sit down with race director Mathias Eichler to talk about what it takes to bring Beast of Big Creek back and level it up as part of the Skyrunner World Series, without sanding off the personality that made it special in the first place. We get specific about the runner experience and the race director r...

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59:28

#188 - Bayden Menton Joins the Trail House

The Steep Stuff Podcast ·

2026/07/23

Send us Fan Mail A 5K with nearly 3,000 feet of gain, a choose-your-own-line climb, and a descent that’s basically controlled chaos. Bayden Menton joins me right after a huge Mount Marathon performance to break down what it actually feels like to race one of the most iconic mountain running events in Seward, Alaska and why the smallest decisions on cliffs, scree, and in the gut can decide your day. We also rewind to where Bayden comes from: Joseph, Oregon, early cross-country roots, and a li...

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42:25

#187 - Sean McCauley

The Steep Stuff Podcast ·

2026/07/22

Send us Fan Mail You can hear it right away: Sean McCauley isn’t chasing trail running just for a result, he’s chasing a life he actually wants to live. We talk through his origin story of starting to run at six to spend time with his dad in a military family, then falling hard for mountains, movement, and the quiet mental space that comes with long days outside. From early races to big dreams, Sean shares how running becomes both an outlet and a craft he’s willing to fully commit to. That c...

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11:34

Andie Cornish Signs with Mammut

The Steep Stuff Podcast ·

2026/07/20

Send us Fan Mail A lot of athletes say they love the mountains, but Andy Cornish actually builds her whole season around them. We talk about Jackson Hole summer life, getting up on the Grand Teton, and how growing up in the Tetons shaped a style that blends trail running, mountaineering, and ski mountaineering into one “mountain athlete” path. Andy also shares what it feels like to join the Mammoot team and why the fit matters when your goals don’t look like the standard trail racing checkli...

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7:58

Alexa Aragon Signs with Mammut & La Sportiva

The Steep Stuff Podcast ·

2026/07/20

Send us Fan Mail A sponsorship announcement is only interesting if it changes something real, and that’s why we wanted to hit record with Alexa Aragon. Alexa is now officially part of Mammut and La Sportiva’s athlete teams, and she’s clear about what matters most: using brand support to expand outdoor access for her students through her adventure club. We talk about the early, tangible wins already showing up, from donated harnesses and gear to climbing shoes that help more kids try the sport...

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23:13

Sophie Wright Signs with La Sportiva

The Steep Stuff Podcast ·

2026/07/20

Send us Fan Mail Mount Marathon looks simple on paper, but Sophie Wright explains why it can leave your entire body trashed for days. We talk about that unique kind of post-race soreness, how falling and braking on steep terrain adds up fast, and why this year’s “no snow, straight to hard shale” descent made the race feel extra sketchy. If you’ve ever wondered why a short mountain running effort can hurt more than a long run, this conversation puts real words to it. We also get into what it ...

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71:54

#186 - Dani Moreno

The Steep Stuff Podcast ·

2026/07/17

Send us Fan Mail A trail running comeback can look heroic from the outside, but the real story usually lives in the months nobody sees: the freak accidents, the stalled fitness, the identity spiral, and the slow grind back to the start line. Danny Marino joins us right after her Broken Arrow 46K win to lay out exactly what it took to return and race fearlessly again. We get honest about the injury cycle that derailed her momentum, including a toe fracture that worsened into a full break, a s...

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64:31

#185 - Timmy Parr

The Steep Stuff Podcast ·

2026/07/16

Send us Fan Mail He’s 44, he’s racing almost every weekend, and he’s still winning. Timmy Parr is one of the true American mountain running legends, and he’s on a mission that sounds impossible until you hear how close he is: Project 5050, a plan to win a race in all 50 states. He’s already checked off 46, and he tells us exactly which four states remain and how he’s managing the travel, the training load, and the pressure that comes with chasing a public goal. We start with Whiteface Sky Ra...

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20:46

Morgan Elliott Pre Whiteface Skyrace Interview

The Steep Stuff Podcast ·

2026/07/03

Send us Fan Mail A two-loop skyrace sounds straightforward until you’re halfway through lap one and realize the real battle is in your head. We sit down with Morgan Elliott just before Whiteface Skyrace in upstate New York, where family is nearby, the terrain is steep, and the season is already packed with travel, racing, and big expectations. We get into what makes Whiteface different: a double-loop format, ski resort climbing that can feel brutally simple, and the mental math of how hard y...

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14:08

Robin Vieira Brower Pre Whiteface Skyrace Interview

The Steep Stuff Podcast ·

2026/07/03

Send us Fan Mail A double loop can turn a mountain race into a mind game fast. We sit down with Robin Vieira Brower right as Whiteface Sky Race week kicks off to talk through what changes when you know you have to climb the same mountain twice and still have the legs to descend it. Robin shares why she’d normally rather disappear into a point-to-point style course, and how she plans to use lap one as a live course study so she can be more intentional and efficient when it’s time to go again. ...

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46:30

Whiteface Skyrace Race Companion

The Steep Stuff Podcast ·

2026/07/03

Send us Fan Mail A 20K with nearly 8,000 feet of climbing shouldn’t exist, and yet Whiteface Sky Race is about to make a whole field of strong runners question their life choices. Steve Taylor joins us from smoky Colorado Springs as we turn our full attention to Whiteface, the opener of the Merrill U.S. Skyrunner Circuit, and one of the steepest, most punishing race profiles you’ll find in the United States. Two loops. A massive early climb that gains about 3,000 feet in 2.5 miles. Long stret...

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27:23

Kyle Richardson Pre Mount Marathon Interview

The Steep Stuff Podcast ·

2026/07/02

Send us Fan Mail Mount Marathon is the kind of course that doesn’t care about your resume. It’s steep, loose, fast, and packed with a century of mountain running history, and that’s exactly why we wanted Kyle Richardson back on the podcast right before the 98th running. We talk about what it means to arrive in Alaska healthy after past injuries, and why that alone can feel like a win in trail running and skyrunning. Kyle shares how he’s balancing curiosity with competitiveness as a first-tim...

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13:49

Klaire Rhodes Pre Mount Marathon Interview

The Steep Stuff Podcast ·

2026/07/02

Send us Fan Mail Mount Marathon is the kind of race that makes no sense on paper and perfect sense the moment you watch it. It is short, steep, chaotic, and deeply tied to Seward, Alaska and the local mountain running community, yet it keeps attracting bigger names and deeper competition every year. We sit down with Klaire Rhodes just before July 4 to hear how she is feeling heading into race week after a packed, travel heavy June, and why she still shows up even when it is not the main goal ...

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64:25

The History of Mount Marathon with Eric & Denali Strabel

The Steep Stuff Podcast ·

2026/07/02

Send us Fan Mail Mount Marathon looks simple on paper: sprint from downtown Seward, climb hard, then hang on for dear life all the way back to the finish. But the people who live it know it’s something else entirely. We’re joined by Eric and Denali Strabel to tell the story of why this Fourth of July mountain running race carries so much history, emotion, and identity for Alaska, and why it still feels like the purest kind of “go there and throw down” competition. We talk about growing up in...

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43:26

Mount Marathon Race Companion

The Steep Stuff Podcast ·

2026/07/01

Send us Fan Mail A 5K with nearly 3,000 feet of climbing should not be able to feel this fast, but Mount Marathon always does. We’re heading into July 4 in Seward, Alaska with a start list that looks deeper than usual, and we wanted a true course and field preview that actually helps you watch the race with smarter eyes. Meg Cook joins us to unpack why Mount Marathon still represents the most primal version of mountain running: a hard uphill road start, a chaotic funnel into the mountain, and...

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409 results

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