August, 15th UPDATE: Follow LIVE race results available at: https://www.hubertiming.com/results/2021GnarGnar
After the 2020 race was cancelled, this Sunday will see the country’s top mountain runners face off at the USA Track & Field (USATF) Mountain Running Championships; the fourth MUT championship in the 2021 series. Returning to Oregon for the first time since 2015, this year’s “mountain champs” takes place this coming Sunday, August 15 and is held in conjunction with Go Beyond Racing’s Gnar Gnar Trail Race. The challenging up & down course is six miles long with over 2,000 feet of elevation gain/loss on the trails of Mt Hood SkiBowl in Government Camp. It’s a lung-burner going up and quad-burner coming down!
In addition to being the premier USATF off-road championship, the Gnar Gnar will also serve as a selection race for the 2021 US Mountain Running Team. The top three men and women to finish will earn a spot on the US team scheduled to compete at the inaugural World Mountain and Trail Running Championship in Chiang Mai, Thailand. This event was to be held in November 2021, but has been postponed until February 2022.
These athletes will join 2019 World Mountain Running Champions and defending USATF Mountain Running Champions Joseph Gray (Colorado Springs, CO) and Grayson Murphy (Bozeman, MT) who earned automatic spots for the US team. With both Gray and Murphy registered for the Gnar Gnar, the final team spots may fall to the fourth place male and female should Gray and Murphy finish in the top three. In addition to US team spots, the top mountain runners will be gunning for $4400 in prize money up for grabs courtesy of presenting race sponsor Nike Trail.
Andy Wacker finishing the last USATF Mountain Running Championships to be held in Oregon in 2015 at Mt. Bachelor. Photo: Richard Bolt.
Like all USATF MUT national championships, there will also be opportunities for the top junior and masters athletes to shine at Gnar Gnar. Awards will be given to the top 3 men and women in each masters 5 year age group starting at 40. $600 in prize money is up for grabs in the USATF masters category. At the other end of the age spectrum, awards will be given to the top 3 junior men and women ages 19 and under. Currently, 140 of the 300 runners registered for the race are members of USA Track & Field.
In addition to defending USATF Mountain Running Champions Grayson Murphy and Joseph Gray, there are a number of past US team members registered for this Sunday’s race including 2019 USATF 1/2 Marathon Trail Champion Sam Lewis (Moscow, ID), 2014 USATF Mountain Running Champion Allie McLaughlin (Colorado Springs, CO), Anna Mae Flynn (Marble, CO), 2021 USATF 50 km Trail Champion Kimber Mattox (Bend, OR), Allison Morgan (Bend, OR), Chris Lundy (Mill Valley, CA), Tabor Scholl (Louisville, CO), Evan Williams (Seattle, WA), 2021 USATF 1/2 Marathon Trail Champion Andy Wacker (Boulder, CO), JP Donovan (Incline Village, CA) and 2011 World Mountain Running Champion Max King (Bend, OR).
Course record holders for the Gnar Gnar race Mike Allen (Astoria, OR – 43:45 in 2019) and Kate Peters (Portland, OR – 52:28 in 2018) will also be in the mix, as well as many other talented trail runners including Joseph Demoor (Carbondale, CO), Bailey Kowalczyk (Nederland, CO), Janelle Lincks (Thornton, CO), Jeshurun Small (Golden, CO), Tyler McCandless (Fort Collins, CO), and Eli Hemming (Louisville, CO). In the junior race, Malachi and Kylah Ricks from Colorado will be the ones to watch. Max King, Bob Pollmann (Boise, ID), Chris Lundy and Chris Grauch (Nederland, CO) will be among the top masters competing in the race.
To better understand how some of the top athletes are approaching Sunday’s race I interviewed a mix of “young guns,” US team veterans, road running/track crossover athletes, as well as masters’ stars. Here’s what they said:
2019 USATF Mountain Running Champion Grayson Murphy. Photo by Mike Scott.
Grayson Murphy (Bozeman, MT)
Saucony sponsored athlete, training log author, 2019 World Mountain Running Champion, 2019 USATF Mountain Running Champion, 2019 XTERRA Trail Run World Champion and 9:25:37 3000 meter steeplechase PR at the US Olympic Trails.
[TAYTE POLLMANN] This year is an up/down course. How does this play into your race strategy?
[GRAYSON MURPHY] It really doesn’t change anything or make a difference for me. I just want to go out there and compete to the best of my ability.
[TAYTE] How would you describe your preparation for this year’s championship? How long have you been training for this race?
[GRAYSON] I was running on the track all spring and devoted much of my training to the Olympic Trials. I still feel like I am coming back from these efforts and haven’t devoted any time to training for trails specifically. Also, because my spot on the US team is already secured for Thailand, I will be training through this race and just looking to use it as a good workout effort.
[TAYTE] What are your goals on race day?
I would love to defend my 2019 title, but at the end of the day I’m just looking to get in a good workout effort and more experience on the trails. And to enjoy the views of Mt. Hood of course!
[TAYTE] You’ve been selected for a US team before and as you mentioned you have an automatic qualification for this year’s team competing in Thailand. What does it mean to you to be part of a US team?
[GRAYSON] It is always an honor to represent the USA and I am very much looking forward to competing in Thailand in November!
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Tyler McCandless (Fort Collins, CO)
Rabbit sponsored athlete, 2:12:28 marathon PR, 4th place 2018 USATF 25 km Championships (1:15:23) and 1st place Moab Red Hot Ultra 33K.
[TAYTE POLLMANN] This year is an up/down course. How does this play into your race strategy?
[TYLER MCCANDLESS] I’ve never competed in any US Mountain Running Championships so I can’t compare up/down vs all up. I do think the field is very good and if it’s close after the uphill it’s going to be a very fast last two miles on singletrack.
[TAYTE] How would you describe your preparation for this year’s championship? How long have you been training for this race?
[TYLER] I spent the spring preparing to race on the track and wanted to give myself a shot to make the Olympic Trials at 10,000 meters. I ran a really solid 5,000 in 13:48, but went out a bit too aggressive and wasted too much energy and only ran 28:50. I was a little bummed after the race so I decided to find something fun and the GoPro Mountain Games 5K/10k looked tough and fun. I hadn’t done a single hill or mountain run before the race but won the 5K and took second in the 10K behind World Mountain Running Champion Joseph Gray. After that race, I wondered what I could do in the trail running scene if I incorporated some hill/mountain work while maintaining fast workouts. Once I could do 14 or more miles with 3,000 feet of vertical gain on a Wednesday and run 30:00 for a 10k in Colorado Springs on Saturday, I gained the confidence my legs are ready to run fast on the mountain.
[TAYTE] What are your goals on race day?
[TYLER] My biggest goal is to get the most out of my body on race day and I’ll be super proud if I finish knowing I did my absolute best out there. I’d really like to put myself in a position to try and win the race too. There are really strong and very tough runners entered with a heck of a lot more mountain running experience, but I’ve also never felt so aerobically strong and fast in my life.
[TAYTE] What would it mean to you to make your first US team?
[TYLER] It would mean a lot to make the US Mountain Running Team that’s always competitive on the world stage. Everyone is awesome in the trail/mountain community and I hope I can make the US team and make a real positive impact for the team in Thailand.
Kate Peters (Portland, OR)
Age 16, Gnar Gnar women’s course record holder.
[TAYTE POLLMANN] This year is an up/down course. How does this play into your race strategy?
[KATE PETERS] When I’ve ran the Gnar Gnar the past several years, I would typically crush the uphill and get demolished by other runners on the downhill. I’m not very good at running downhill fast. This year I’m going to run the uphill at a nice controlled effort and try to run faster on the downhill. I don’t want to get passed by so many people on the downhill this year.
[TAYTE] How would you describe your preparation for this year’s championship? How long have you been training for this race?
[KATE] I finished my track season about two months ago. I took some time off to give my legs a much needed break. I just started back up with base training about a month ago. Training is going great. I do frequent grass mile-repeats and run often in Lake Oswego, OR. I’m looking forward to seeing what I can do on race day.
[TAYTE] What are your goals on race day?
[KATE] I have no clue if I’m way over my head because I have never run a very competitive trail race before but it would be pretty cool to defend my title.
[TAYTE] What would it mean to you to be selected for the US team?
[KATE] It would be amazing to be selected for the US Mountain Running team. It’s always been my dream to make a US team. I’m excited about the opportunity to do so.
[TAYTE] You are the current Gnar Gnar course record holder. What do you enjoy most about this course? What skills do you need to run fast on this course?
[KATE] I love the Gnar Gnar. It’s a fun race and definitely the highlight of my summer. I love the trail running community and how challenging the course is. You feel really accomplished when you get to the top at the turnaround point and look down and see where you started. It’s crazy to think that you just ran up that high. I think to run fast on the course you have to be very strong and have good endurance to run uphill. You also need to be fearless on the downhill to run your best race.
Chris Grauch at the 2015 Moab Trail Marathon. Photo: Richard Bolt
Chris Grauch (Nederland, CO)
Past USATF masters national champion in mountain, 1/2 marathon trail and marathon trail.
[TAYTE POLLMANN] This year is an up/down course. How does this play into your race strategy?
[CHRIS GRAUCH] Are you kidding? I’m not giving that away! With an up/down course this year my race strategy has doubled. “Go fast” now includes “don’t fall”.
[TAYTE] How would you describe your preparation for this year’s championship? How long have you been training for this race?
[CHRIS] My preparation for this year’s race has been fairly standard, but I’ve enjoyed it immensely as I didn’t have much structured training last year. I’ve been doing a variety of different workouts on varying terrain. From shorter intervals on the track to longer efforts on steep technical terrain, not all workouts have been geared specifically toward the US Mountain Running Championships but rather a whole host of races that I’m hoping to attend.
[TAYTE] What are your goals on race day?
[CHRIS] As always my race day goals are to be competitive in the master’s division and aim for a high placement overall. However, this is getting increasingly difficult as I have quite a few more grey hairs.
JP Donovan and Andy Wacker at the 2015 World Mountain Running Championships. Photo: Richard Bolt.
John “JP” Donovan (Incline Village, CA)
Member of the 2015 US Mountain Running Team, 1st place 2017 Broken Arrow Skyrace VK, 3rd place 2017 Broken Arrow Skyrace 26K and 5th place 2017 Run the Rut.
[TAYTE POLLMANN] This year is an up/down course. How does this play into your race strategy?
[JP DONOVON] I’m a scrambler Tayte! The harder the course the more at home I feel.
[TAYTE] How would you describe your preparation for this year’s championship? How long have you been training for this race?
[JP] There is a local runnable six mile loop that starts at 8,900 feet and I like to try and get double side aches on that! That trail is the one I chose to simulate this race at Mt Hood. It’s at elevation and has a similar course profile.
[TAYTE] What are your goals on race day?
[JP] I tier my goals in the following order: Minutes beyond course record, Course record, First Place, Podium Finish, Qualify for the US Team, Finish the race or PR, Climb Quickly, Pass Somebody and Have Fun!
[TAYTE] You’ve competed on US Mountain Running Teams before. What would it mean to you to be selected for the US team again?
[JP] The team is a chance to test yourself against world class competition. It’s a chance to travel and meet new people that have something in common. If I could do it again or all over, I would have spent more time meeting more athletes from different countries, there were so many and I only met a few.
Tabor School, Marisa Ruskan and Mandy Ortiz show off their 2nd place team prize at the 2014 World Mountain Running Championships in Italy. Photo: Richard Bolt.
Tabor Scholl (Louisville, CO)
Age 24. Junior women’s team silver medal at the 2014 World Mountain Running Championships.
[TAYTE POLLMANN] This year is an up/down course. How does this play into your race strategy?
[TABOR SCHOLL] Uphill is definitely an area that I am constantly trying to improve, so with it being up/down I’m trying to hang in the mix for as long as I can going up and then “unleash the kraken” on the downhill where I can use my track speed! Easy, simple, painful.
[TAYTE] How would you describe your preparation for this year’s championship? How long have you been training for this race?
[TABOR] My preparation has been trying to get more time on trails and remembering how to run fast on them again. I grew up running/racing on trails, but then took some time away to focus on track during college. Much of what I have been doing recently is having fun exploring routes around Boulder and Kremmling, Colorado. I haven’t been training for the race specifically for too long, as I was coming back from a femoral neck stress fracture in January, then was really focused on track. Come May, however, I decided I needed to make some “enjoyment changes” and jumped over to trails. My coach, David Roche, recommended that I give the championships a shot and that is what we’ve been working towards ever since with some fun races sprinkled in there along the way!
[TAYTE] What are your goals on race day?
[TABOR] I want to get to the start line happy and healthy! There have been way too many races that I’ve lined up for sad and injured, so anytime I can race freely is a win in my book. In addition to that, I’d be lying if I didn’t say I wanted to make the World’s team because I really do!
[TAYTE] You’ve been selected for a US team before. What does this experience mean to you and what would it mean for you to be selected this year?
[TABOR] Being selected previously was such a privilege! It allowed me the opportunity to travel aboard, see the world, and meet new people who love running too! It fostered my desire to return to the trails after a 5-plus year hiatus. To be selected would mean a lot. It would help me believe that I’m meant for this sport and give back to the people/coaches that have put so much time and energy into me and my running throughout the years.
Malachi Ricks (Moab, UT)
Age 19. 9th place 2020 High Drive Challenge, 1st place Arches Ultra 9K and 5th place 2020 Tushars Mountain Run.
[TAYTE POLLMANN] This year is an up/down course. How does this play into your race strategy?
[MALACHI RICKS] There honestly isn’t much of a strategy going in. I’m just out to have fun and want to gain the experience before I take things too seriously.
[TAYTE] How would you describe your preparation for this year’s championship? How long have you been training for this race?
[MALACHI] There hasn’t been a set training plan. I’ve just been enjoying myself in the mountains.
[TAYTE] What are your goals on race day?
[MALACHI] The only goal for Sunday is to have a good time out on the Oregon trails, and whatever happens, happens.
Andy Wacker at the 2018 Long Distance Mountain Running Championships. Photo by Robert Urbaniak.
Andy Wacker (Boulder, CO)
Salomon sponsored athlete, US team member for five World Mountain Running Championship, silver medalist at the 2015 World Long Distance Mountain Running Championship, 2016 and 2020 USATF 1/2 Marathon Trail Champion, 2020 US Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier, 20th place at the 2017 Trail World Championships and team sliver medalist and 2015 USATF 50 km Trail Champion.
[TAYTE POLLMANN] This year is an up/down course. How does this play into your race strategy?
[ANDY WACKER] With only four men making the team, there is little room for error. You have to be able to climb very well and if you are lucky, pass on the descent. This year, like 2019, has a single climb and descent, unlike former world and US championship courses. It favors strong climbers that can sustain a long difficult uphill.
[TAYTE] How would you describe your preparation for this year’s championship? How long have you been training for this race?
[ANDY] My year has included mountain specific training since January, where I raced Boulder, Colorado hills for the “virtual Chuckanut” race and local FKTs. Unfortunately my last few months of training have been affected by an achilles injury. As a silver lining, I have been able to build unprecedented power by biking thousands of feet of vertical gain.
[TAYTE] What are your goals on race day?
[ANDY] My goals are always: Make Team USA, cheer on the women’s race/ support all athletes, have fun and promote the sport of mountain running.
[TAYTE] You’ve been selected for a US team fourteen times and made five “classic distance” mountain running teams. What does this experience mean to you and what would it mean for you to be selected this year?
[ANDY] This team and this sport are the core of my identity as a runner. Given serious setbacks, and a difficult past year, it would mean the world to me to persevere and make the team.
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Jeshurun Small (Golden, CO)
1st place 2020 Speedgoat 25K, 2nd Moab Red Hot Ultra 33K, 1st place 2019 Flagstaff Sky Peaks and 1st place 2019 Cheyenne Mountain Trail Race 50K.
[TAYTE POLLMANN] This year is an up/down course. How does this play into your race strategy?
[JESHURUN SMALL] I am glad it is an up/down year. The Gnar Gnar course looks fast with only the two climbs and descents. I am a better descender than climber, so I need the descents to be successful at this race. Thus, the race day strategy going into it would be to use the first up/down to get into position. Then try to hold on as long as I can on the second climb to arrive at the top with enough energy to bomb the last downhill. I stand by the classic saying, “You can win a race on the uphill but lose a race on the downs.”
[TAYTE] How would you describe your preparation for this year’s championship? How long have you been training for this race?
[JESHURUN] Training going into the race has been trying to get back my mountain legs. I used the winter and early spring to work on my flat road/track speed. I have recently started to work on my mountain legs. I have had some life changes in the last few months, so these changes have affected my typical spring training, i.e., skiing lines in the spring. Skiing works well with me in the early season to jump-start my climbing legs, but I was not able to ski this season. So, this summer has been used to jump-start the climbing legs. I have done a few up/down tempos and long runs, which give me some confidence for this race. Throughout my college years I focused on marathons and ultra-distances and a six-mile mountain race seems short. I definitely feel more comfortable racing marathons and the 50k but switching up to the short distance has been super fun. The only downside is that every race this year has been a lesson learning event.
[TAYTE] What are your goals on race day?
[JESHURUN] The goal going into race day is to have fun! Obviously, I want to put myself in contention for a Team USA spot, if that is the classic distance or potentially the long-distance team. The competition for this year is stacked, from veterans of mountain running, some fast road runners crossing over into the trail scene, to even some new post-collegiate hopefuls. It will be interesting how the race unfolds. Regardless of what happens, I am excited to be out there putting forward my best effort. I hope to represent the “young-guns” of the sport on race day.
[TAYTE] What would it mean for you to be selected for Team USA?
[JESHURUN] It is one of my lifelong dreams and it would be an honor to represent the USA one day. To be a member of the US Team would symbolize the future of the sport in the USA. MUT (Mountain, Ultra, Trail) running is still a niche sport in the USA. Any young person accepted on the team could motivate the next generation of trail runners in the country. Post-collegiate trail running is a valid career path and I want to see more young athletes getting involved in the sport.
Eli Hemming (Louisville, CO)
Professional triathlete, 2-time USA U23 National Champion and USA Elite National Champion and ranked 28th in the world by World Triathlon.
[TAYTE POLLMANN] This year is an up/down course. How does this play into your race strategy?
[ELI HEMMING] I don’t really have enough knowledge when it comes to trail racing to have a strategy. I figured I would go REALLY hard on the uphill and for the down hill…I have health insurance if I mess up.
[TAYTE] How would you describe your preparation for this year’s championship? How long have you been training for this race?
[ELI] I actually just came off of a foot injury sustained in triathlon training so my preparation hasn’t been the most ideal. I have had a couple weeks of specific workouts now.
[TAYTE] What are your goals on race day?
[ELI] I’ve only ever done a few trail races in my life and never against the best. I just want to see where I can stack up! My fiancée (Tabor Scholl) says I can’t go home unless I make the team so I should probably try to do that too. But don’t worry I told her it goes both ways.
[TAYTE] You’ve competed for the US in triathlon events. How would you describe your experience competing for Team USA and what would it mean for you to make a US team in mountain running?
[ELI] It has been amazing and an honor to travel the world racing with USA Triathlon! They have given me so many opportunities including the ability to race against some of the best athletes in the world. To make a US team in mountain running would mean that I get to explore the trails and not so much a city when racing. I would love to be able to make the team as a way to show to myself that I’m a contender in a single sport…and not three.
Samantha Lewis at the 2019 USATF Mountain Running Championships. Photo by Joe Viger Photography.
Samantha Lewis (Moscow, ID)
US team member at the 2019 World Mountain Running Championship, 2019 USATF 1/2 Marathon Trail Champion and 4th place at the 2019 USATF Mountain Running Championship.
[TAYTE POLLMANN] This year is an up/down course. How does this play into your race strategy?
[SAM LEWIS] I think the course being up/down adds an extra element because you know that not only do you have to prepare for the climbs but also dancing on the descent! Based on the single-track descent, I think positioning is going to be really important at the top of the climb.
[TAYTE] How would you describe your preparation for this year’s championship? How long have you been training for this race?
[SAM] I had a rough beginning of the year due to some health issues. Since the USATF Mountain Running Championships were not scheduled until August, I did not have to rush the process of training. My coach and I approached the Spring training conservatively and then once I was able to be more consistent in training, I spent eight weeks at altitude playing in the mountains in Boulder, Colorado and Steens Mountain in Oregon. I have been working on my descending skills all summer to have more fun and trust myself more.
[TAYTE] What are your goals on race day?
[SAM] Ever since not racing to my potential at the 2019 World Mountain Running Championships, I have wanted the opportunity to represent the US at another World Mountain Running Championship. Also, in every race I run, my goal is to ultimately “Go Play”, by focusing on the process and reaching my potential on the day.
[TAYTE] You’ve been selected for a US team before. What does this experience mean to you and what would it mean for you to be selected this year?
[SAM] The 2019 World Mountain Running Championship was my first time representing the US. I learned a lot from the experience and the race fueled my fire to make more US teams in the future. The elite women’s field this year is absolutely loaded and I cannot wait to battle with the other women for spots on the team!
Gnar Gnar course record holder Mike Allen. Photo: Tayte Pollmann.
Michael Allen (Astoria, OR)
1st place 2019 Gnar Gnar Trail Race, 1st place 2021 Backcountry Rise 20 Mile, 1st place 2019 Elk Kings Trail Race and 1st place 2019 Smith Rock Ascent.
[TAYTE POLLMANN] This year is an up/down course. How does this play into your race strategy?
[MICHAEL ALLEN] With an up/down course like this I basically tell myself it’s a three mile race to the top and I try not to worry about the downhill too much. My strategy will be to push the uphills hard, which is my strength, and then really stride out on the downhills. If I can get a big enough lead on someone after the uphill, my downhill running is good enough to hold on.
[TAYTE] How would you describe your preparation for this year’s championship? How long have you been training for this race?
[MICHAEL] Without close access to any big mountains, my preparation for this race has been to run as many hills as I can find in and around Astoria, OR. All of my runs, except track workouts, usually contain a few hill climbs or lots of rolling hills. We have some great logging roads nearby which have been perfect for one to two mile tempo workouts across the rolling hills. Hill repeats that gradually get longer or multiple long hill climb repeats have been staples of my training as well. I’ve been training for this race all year and just finished up the Go Beyond Summer Series races in Portland so I could see where my fitness was at. I recently did the Backcountry Rise 20-miler as a tune-up and a chance to get in some big hill climbs at race pace.
[TAYTE] What are your goals on race day?
[MICHAEL] My goals on race day will be to run a faster time than I did for my winning times in 2018 and 2019, to not get passed by too many guys on the downhills, and to get off to a fast start since the course gets narrow quickly. I finished in 14th place at the 2019 USATF Mountain Running Championships so a place inside the top 20 of this race would mean I ran a good race.
[TAYTE] What would it mean for you to be selected for the US Team this year?
[MICHAEL] It would be validation for all the hard work I’ve put in since I started entering mountain/trail races five years ago and a great way to cap off the last year and a half of training and missed races.
[TAYTE] You are the current Gnar Gnar course record holder. What do you enjoy most about this course? What skills do you need to run fast on this course?
[MICHAEL] I’m so glad I found this race three years ago because it really suits my type of trail racing. I love long, steep hill/mountain climbs, and this course has a big one. It will push you mentally and physically and once you get to the top you get to run down fast dirt switchbacks so this course really has it all. You’ll need a good mix of sustained climbing power, downhill running technique, and speed to run well at this course. Hopefully, I’ll have them all this year!
Bailey Kowalczyk
Bailey Kowalczyk (Nederland, CO)
Salomon sponsored athlete. 2nd place 2019 Barr Mountain Trail Race, winner of the 2020 Golden Segment Colorado and coach.
[TAYTE POLLMANN] This year is an up/down course. How does this play into your race strategy?
[BAILEY KOWALCZYK] I love that this year is an up/down course. I truly enjoy both ascending and descending, and feel that my training is consistently well-rounded and will allow me to run both strong. My strategy is fairly similar to an uphill course though— I want to leave it all out there and run happy and strong!
[TAYTE] How would you describe your preparation for this year’s championship? How long have you been training for this race?
[BAILEY] I feel well-prepared for this race! I have been racing longer races recently (3 to 4 hours), so this will be a bit of a change of pace for me. My training always incorporates a lot of hill speed, road speed and endurance through long runs, and I feel that all of this will pay off on race day. There has been a bit of a shift to more speed work over the last few weeks, but otherwise, I try to take a well-rounded approach to all races, so I can feel prepared for any variables that come my way!
[TAYTE] What are your goals on race day?
[BAILEY] I want to leave it all out there, challenge myself to hang with some of the most talented runners, and most importantly have fun doing it. This will be the first US race I have been able to line up for since my trail debut in 2019, and I do not plan to take it for granted. I want to test myself and just take in the joy of being able to race some KILLER girls again! I’m so excited just to be there!
[TAYTE] What would it mean to you to be selected for the US Team?
[BAILEY] It would mean so much to me to make the team! I have been dreaming of making the US team since I started trail running in 2019. I have my sights set on the long course team, but would be so happy to make any US team!
Evan Williams. Photo by Jamil Coury.
Evan Williams (Seattle, WA)
Member of the 2019 US Trail Team, 1st place 2019 Backcountry Rise 50K, 4th place 2019 Escarpment Trail Run and 4th place at the 2019 FOURmidable 50K.
[TAYTE POLLMANN] This year is an up/down course. How does this play into your race strategy?
[EVAN WILLIAMS] My race strategy follows advice I heard once from Max Ferguson – “run the car out of gas, roll it down the hill”. An up course would be more difficult because even though I have a lot of leg power, my climbing efficiency is consequently a challenge. Fortunately, I’m blessed with enough coordination to run hard on the downhills.
[TAYTE] How would you describe your preparation for this year’s championship? How long have you been training for this race?
[EVAN] I had a great plan. It all went out the window after I partially tore my soleus in the Backcountry Rise 50K a month ago. Before that, I was targeting 30 to 45 minutes mountain climbs in the I-90 corridor just outside of Seattle, WA. Every other week, I’d run one of these as a time trial and work on pacing. I learned to let the fatigue find me rather than go out too hard and find the fatigue. Olin Berger (2018 US Team member) taught me that one. He’s racing too!
[TAYTE] What are your goals on race day?
[EVAN] Quick answer: Place in the top ten and have fun. I’m a little out of my element here, coming from a 50k focus. Other goals include: Don’t reinjure my calf, Pace the climb just right, Finish close enough to Joseph Gray that he hasn’t already eaten, showered, and left for home.
[TAYTE] You’ve been selected for a US team before. What does this experience mean to you and what would it mean for you to be selected this year?
[EVAN] I dream about making another US Team selection all the time: hearing the stories/journeys from communities all over the world, motivating each other on the course, and then sharing an indescribable camaraderie immediately afterward. I also learned how to say “Let’s go!” in a dozen different languages. It gets me through the low days and injury detours. I don’t know if the 10 to 12-kilometer distance is my best shot, but I’m excited to see where I stack up at Gnar Gnar and then focus on The Rut 50k in September to make my case.
Janelle Lincks 3rd place 2020 Moab Trail Marathon
Janelle Lincks (Thornton, CO)
3rd place 2020 USATF Marathon Trail Championships, 2nd place 2021 Classic 10K, 1st place 2020 Black Squirrel Half and 4th place 2020 Classic 10K.
[TAYTE POLLMANN] This year is an up/down course. How does this play into your race strategy?
[JANELLE LINCKS] I’m going to run hard on the uphill and let the rest of the race take care of itself
[TAYTE] How would you describe your preparation for this year’s championship? How long have you been training for this race?
[JANELLE] I’ve been training pretty consistently, doing races that seem to align with the demands of the course. I run on trails everyday except for one track workout a week
[TAYTE] What are your goals on race day?
[JANELLE] I want to run fast and be present for the experience. I’m really excited for the course, I haven’t spent much time in that part of the country.
Max King winning the 2012 USATF 50 km Trail Championships in his hometown of Bend, Oregon. Photo: Richard Bolt.
Max King (Bend, OR)
Salomon sponsored athlete. 2011 World Mountain Running Champion, 2014 IAU 100 km World Champion, 3rd place 2016 NACAC Cross Country Championships, USATF 50 km Trail Champion, 8:30:54 3000 meter steeplechase PR and 2:14:36 road marathon PR.
[TAYTE POLLMANN] This year is an up/down course. How does this play into your race strategy?
[MAX KING] The up/down courses have always been my strength in mountain running. It seems I need them both because I’m not the best at either of them. I love the downhill and my fitness will get me up.
[TAYTE] How would you describe your preparation for this year’s championship? How long have you been training for this race?
[MAX] My preparation for this year hasn’t been optimal. Nothing wrong, it’s just that I’m coming off running the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run a few weeks ago and I was obviously just doing a lot of mileage and slow running prior to that. After a few weeks of easy training, I’ve been getting in some good workouts but I need another few weeks to really round into good shape.
[TAYTE] What are your goals on race day?
[MAX] I’m not really going in with too many goals. A US team would be great. A masters win would be great. Just a fun weekend of racing would also be great.
[TAYTE] You’ve been selected for a US team before. What does this experience mean to you and what would it mean for you to be selected this year?
[MAX] US teams are always a blast. It feels like one of the few times in this sport where you come together to form a team and compete as a team. Every team I’ve made has been an honor and I hope to make a few more before I’m done.
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