Send us Fan Mail

A great trail race isn’t a distance on a flyer, it’s a line you cannot stop thinking about. I sit down with Connor and Alice, the founders and race directors behind Mountain Tiger, to unpack how a “run it because it’s beautiful” mindset turned into one of the most talked-about mountain races in Donner Summit, California near Lake Tahoe. We get specific about what makes their course work: a point-to-point route that links two ski areas, hits four summits, and avoids the usual trap of adding awkward mileage just to land on a round number.

We also go behind the curtain on race directing. Connor and Alice share the real workload that shows up long before bib pickup: permitting across multiple partners, the stress and joy of race day, and how they build a tight community feel by keeping it one day and one distance. Then we nerd out on the brand itself, from the Smilodon-inspired “Mountain Tiger” name to the punk and metal design language that helps the event stand out in the California trail running scene. And yes, we talk about the free finish-line tattoos and why runners went all in.

Big news closes it out: Mountain Tiger Diablo is coming to Mount Diablo State Park in the Bay Area on October 10, 2026, aiming for a steep, direct, short mountain race around 12 to 13 miles with roughly 4,000 feet of gain. We also dig into their inclusion goals, equal prizes for men, women, and non-binary finishers, plus a free women’s training program with San Francisco Running Company designed to bring more women and non-binary runners to the start line. If you love mountain running, community-first events, and California trail races that feel different on purpose, this one is for you.

Subscribe, share this with a friend who loves steep trails, and leave a review so more runners can find the show.

Register for Mountain Tiger ! - @mountaintiger

More info on Mountain Tiger - @mountaintiger

Follow Mountain Tiger on IG - @mountaintiger

Follow James on IG - @jameslauriello

Follow the Steep Stuff Podcast on IG - @steepstuff_pod

Send us Fan Mail

Big Alta didn’t just crown winners, it showed how quickly short trail racing in the U.S. is leveling up. Rachel & James break down a heat-impacted weekend where the 28K delivered a course record and the 50K produced tight battles that came down to execution. Rachel shares what the Big Alta course feels like at speed, why the exposure changes everything late, and how she approached racing while pregnant, chasing smart goals and still competing hard.

From there, we go global with skyrunning and the World Skyrunner Series, starting with the Trans Gran Canaria Marathon and then jumping to Rachel’s trip to Chile for the Andes Mountain Sky Race. We talk real logistics and real terrain: travel delays, mandatory kit, high-altitude starts around 9,000 feet, and a mountain environment that turns “only 35K” into an all-day effort. We also dig into why South American athletes deserve more spotlight and how these races reveal a different skill set than fast, smooth trail formats.

We wrap with a packed preview of Calamoro and the Gorge Waterfalls 30K and 50K start lists, then pivot to trail running sponsorship moves that made waves. Salomon’s additions of Grayson Murphy and Tove Alexandersson, plus Arc’teryx signing Jane Maus and Kyle Richardson, spark a broader conversation about what brands value and how the sport treats athletes through life changes. Finally, we get into Sierre-Zinal separating men’s and women’s starts and why that small shift could dramatically improve fairness and flow on singletrack.

If you like smart race recaps, skyrunning results, and the behind-the-scenes forces shaping trail running, subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave us a review.

Follow Rachel on IG - @rachrunsworld

Follow James on IG - @jameslauriello

Follow the Steep Stuff Podcast on IG - @steepstuff_pod

Send us Fan Mail

Breaking news with a human pulse: we sit down with Kyle Richardson to unpack his move to Arc’teryx and what it means for the future of mountain running, creative projects, and the gear we trust on steep ground. From FKTs to film, Kyle’s vision thrives where art meets endurance, and this partnership gives him the tools, team, and runway to make it real.

We dive into why the fit works beyond logos. Kyle describes a culture where designers, marketers, and athletes are climbers, skiers, and runners first—people who obsess over fabrics, construction, and performance in wild weather. He shares how he’ll help shape the running line from the ground up: daily-driver Norvans, faster Silence models, and winter-ready platforms, plus ideas that bridge running, scrambling, and approach use. Think precise materials, durable builds, and lugs that make sense at pace. Pinnacle gear, built for the real mountains.

Kyle also opens up about a training shift that balances steep strength with run economy. Expect more flat, faster work, smarter fueling, and strength sessions that target stability and coordination under a coach’s eye. The goal is durability and range—being able to race hard when it matters while keeping space for long creative projects. He teases an early-season bike linkup in Tuscany, a Scotland traverse that stitches peaks by pedal and foot, and a fall project with a strong artistic lens, possibly in Japan. The throughline is clear: process over outcome. The daily craft—photos, notes, metronome miles—builds a body and mind ready for both podiums and poems.

If you love mountain running, product design, or the creative life that sits between them, this conversation delivers depth and direction. Hit play, then tell us what you want to see Kyle build or attempt next. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves steep stuff, and leave a quick review—it helps more curious runners find the show.

Follow James on IG - @jameslauriello

Follow the Steep Stuff Podcast on IG - @steepstuff_pod