Explore every episode of the podcast Singletrack With Mathias Eichler
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 334: 'And Then The White House Calls', with Alex Rienzie | 24 Nov 2025 | 01:32:02 | |
Almost exactly a year after Alex Rienzie first chatted with me on Singletrack he's back with an update on the legal case that kept the trail running community on perpetual whiplash for the entire year of 2025. Now with a full pardon in hand, Alex can share what really went down behind the scenes of Michelino Sunseri's FKT run on the Grand Teton. This is a story that takes us way beyond the mountains and the trails and into court rooms and board rooms and yes, all the way to the White House. What a bonkers story that makes one feel like up is down and down is up. LINKS
Connect with Singletrack on: Brought to you by Electric Cable Car - your trail and mountain news! | |||
| 333: 'Will 128 Tickets Be Enough?' With Steve Auch | 20 Nov 2025 | 01:02:01 | |
Steve joins the show from Bavaria, Germany and we're taking about the sentiment and response in the German trail running community after the announcement from a couple of weeks ago that Zugspitz Ultra Trail would join the UTMB World Series. Steve shares his personal history with the event and his thoughts and concerns about the future of this beloved annual gathering in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. We also chat about his race City & Trail in Alpenstadt on 16. May 2026. An event that previously was a stop of the German National Series of the Golden Trail Series. But even after losing that partnership the event is still growing, and is still attracting top runners from the region. And finally as it is timely we talk about Steve's long held dream to run Western States. With 128 tickets in the lottery, is it his turn this year? LINKS
Connect with Singletrack on: Brought to you by Electric Cable Car - your trail and mountain news! | |||
| 324: 'The New Generation is Different', with Francesco Puppi | 15 Jan 2025 | 01:01:25 | |
It's the first episode of 2025 and Francesco Puppi, who needs no introduction, joins me for a candid conversation about the state of the trail running media and it's influence on our sport. We also talk about the message behind Nike's ad for the Olympic Games and how a new generation of athletes are redefining what participating and winning in a sport really means. People like Francesco are why our sport is so incredible special. What a way to kick off the new year! LINKS
Connect with Singletrack on: Brought to you by Electric Cable Car - your trail and mountain news!
| |||
| 234: 'Herding Turtles', with Gretchen Ta | 29 Apr 2022 | 00:55:07 | |
Gretchen Ta is back to talk injury recovery, race directing and giving back to the trail community. She shares the origin story of this fun and gnarly race outside Bremerton and what it takes to put on this community celebration at Green Mountain year after year. LINKS
| |||
| 233: 'Lightning Strikes are a Possibility', with Brian Morrison | 22 Apr 2022 | 01:20:16 | |
This week Brian Morrison from Seattle shares some insights into the challenges of running a brick and mortar running store and what it takes to turn the dream of a 100 Mile race in the Teanaway Country into reality. These first few years of this epic race were bumpy, but if you're looking for a truly tough race in a truly beautiful place you gotta check out the Teanaway Country 100. LINKS | |||
| 232: 'Zion 404 File Not Found', with Aum Gandhi | 16 Apr 2022 | 00:39:58 | |
Zion 100 double finisher Aum Gandhi joins Singletrack this week to share what it takes to actually finish this race, why he runs for a higher purpose and how you can support him in raising funds for a cause near and dear to his heart. We also unveil the new Beast of Big Creek race for 2022. Come race Mt. Ellinor with me. LINKS
| |||
| 231: 'Patron of the City', with David Papineau | 11 Apr 2022 | 02:02:33 | |
This week I chat with running legend David Papineau from Vancouver, BC about mask collecting, running every single street, designing logos and running marathons. Oh, and David's Chuckanut 50 story is one for the history books. You're welcome. LINKS | |||
| 230: 'Trail Therapy', with Michael Linscott | 06 Apr 2022 | 00:53:30 | |
Michael Linscott joins Singletrack this week again to share his experience at this year's Badger Mountain Challenge. This time I get to be the sounding board and hear all about the challenges a 100 mile race can throw at your even if you're a seasoned and experienced ultra runner as Michael. But, not all is lost as new plans are already in the works with Lumberjack 100 looming large in the not so distance future. LINKS
Gear
| |||
| 229: 'Not so Bad in the World', With Hannes Namberger | 31 Mar 2022 | 01:03:10 | |
In this episode of Singletrack I meet up with German superstar ultra runner Hannes Namberger from Bavaria. We chat about the differences in support systems for professional athletes, races in Germany and his sponsor Dynafit. We also talk about his Watzmann FKT, his breakout performance at UTMB in 2021, and what's on the horizon for Hannes for this year and beyond. Danke Hannes für's Gespräch! LINKS
+++++ | |||
| 228: 'Beware of the Chair', with Lou D'Onofrio | 28 Mar 2022 | 01:12:08 | |
This week we're traveling east to meet up with Virtual VERT finisher Lou D'Onofrio. Learn about deciduous forests, famously rocky trails and pretzel races. This episodes makes us long for a cross country train ride to the other coast. LINKSEarly Bird Pricing is ending March 31st for Follow Singletrack on Instagram.
| |||
| 227: 'Running for Yelm', with Keith Yates | 21 Mar 2022 | 00:56:45 | |
This week I'm sharing miles and the mic with good friend of the show Keith Yates. | |||
| 226: 'Just a Fun Day Out', with Alex Hasenohr | 12 Mar 2022 | 01:14:44 | |
Alex Hasenohr Borsuk brings cabbage noodles, nutrition advice, and rad stories of mountain adventures to this week's episode of Singletrack. She holds multiple massive FKTs in the Pacific Northwest and her adventure lust for big days out in the mountains is intoxicating. Exactly what we need to get the season in the high country kicked off on the right foot. LINKS ALEX'S GRANDMA'S CABBAGE NOODLES:Sauté grated or finely chopped cabbage in butter with some onions. | |||
| 225: 'Fastest Known Time Sells to Outside', with Alex Bond, Ashly Winchester and Jason Hardrath | 12 Mar 2022 | 00:36:48 | |
Breaking news from this morning: Fastest Known Time sells to Outside Interactive. Here's a first commentary by Alex Bond, Ashly Winchester and Jason Hardrath on the possibly exciting changes and the worries for the trail running community. LINKS | |||
| 323: 'First Dig Then Shred', with Tim Tollefson | 28 Nov 2024 | 01:04:38 | |
Tim Tollefson wears many hats and came to Singletrack with important business. Tim is newly on the board of directors for Runners for Public Lands. The environmental organization just recently shared the uncomfortable news that our trails and trail races may be significantly impacted this coming year and beyond by the U.S. Forest Service budget and staffing shortfalls. Luckily for us, Tim is a man with a plan and offers hands on experience, and with that solutions and ideas on how we can get involved. It's high time for trail runners to take action. LINKS
| |||
| 224: 'Oh Man, That's it?', with Thomas Reiss | 04 Mar 2022 | 01:13:30 | |
For this special episode Thomas Reiss returns to Singletrack to share the story of his epic climb of Aconcagua, the highest mountain outside the Himalayas. What a perfect inspiration to chase vert during Virtual VERT Challenge weekend. LINKSThank you Tailwind Nutrition, COROS and Nathan Sports | |||
| 223: 'Focus on Longevity', with Alison Naney | 25 Feb 2022 | 00:47:58 | |
Zooming in from the beautiful Methow Valley Alison Naney is a trail runner, running coach, massage therapist and owner of Cascade Endurance. We chat about running a business and running the Grand Canyon. LINKS | |||
| 222: 'Best of the Island', with Keith Laverty | 21 Feb 2022 | 01:07:59 | |
Keith Laverty is back on the show to talk about his win at last weekend's Fat-Ass style Burt 55K on Bainbridge Island, Washington. We chat about how to build a race and adventure run calendar for the year and we share some fun new gear for 2022. LINKS | |||
| 221: 'Putting Everything Into This One Event', with Krissy Moehl | 14 Feb 2022 | 00:48:05 | |
Trail Legend Krissy Moehl joins Singletrack to talk about circumnavigating Mt. Baker, her upcoming book release and Chuckanut 50. It's Krissy's 20th year directing this classic ultra in the Chuckanut Mountains outside Bellingham, Washington. We chat about the history of the race, the gritty details of permitting and rules during COVID and what this race means to her and the trail community here in the PNW and beyond. LINKS
Cover photo by Glenn Tachiyama. Tailwind Nutrition is sponsoring the Virtual VERT Challenge! | |||
| 220: 'Racing Via Ferrata Style', with Daniel Probst | 07 Feb 2022 | 00:54:48 | |
This week I am chatting with Daniel Probst, race director of the one of a kind Mt. Baker Ultra. After racing Tor De Geants Dan was inspired to bring this race with a 100+ year history back to life. Hear about the challenges and beauty of creating a race route that traverses glaciers, crosses rivers and requires serious mountain expertise by the participants and volunteers alike. LINKSCover photo by Chris Duppenthaler. | |||
| 219: 'No Shortcuts Through Khumbu', with Andrew Hughes | 31 Jan 2022 | 00:53:00 | |
High altitude mountaineer and explorer Andrew Hughes joins us for a very special episode of Singletrack to share his story and journey from growing up in the shadow of Mount Rainier to climbing the Seven Summits. LINKSFirst Ten to the Top – Brand new Singletrack Shirt now available. | |||
| 218: 'Required Snake Bite Compression Kit', with Matt Urbanski | 24 Jan 2022 | 01:09:32 | |
World traveller and running coach Matt Urbanski joins Singletrack this week. He's the co-founder of Team Run Run the popular online marketplace for running coaches. I asked him to try to convince me that I should get myself a running coach for this upcoming year of running. Will he succeeded? LINKSBrought to you by the Virtual VERT Winter Challenge 2022 | |||
| 217: 'Flip the FKT Statistic', with Marta Fisher | 17 Jan 2022 | 01:15:08 | |
When I stumbled upon the 'Women who FKT' project I got super excited and needed to know more. Instigator Marta Fisher is here to tell her story, the inspiration behind the project and the call to action. Here's to a summer filled with adventure, and FKT chasing. LINKSBrought to you by the Virtual VERT Winter Challenge 2022 | |||
| 216: 'Generally the Course Sucks and Everything is Tough', with Jason Reathaford | 10 Jan 2022 | 01:12:11 | |
Jason Reathaford joins us from the other side of the state to share his story into ultra running, from conquering 100 milers himself to becoming the race director for the Badger Mountain Challenge in Richland, WA. | |||
| 215: 'Encouraging Diverse Perspectives', with Trent Banks | 04 Jan 2022 | 00:57:32 | |
Trent Banks of the Trail Film Festival and Aspire Adventure Running joins our first episode of the year. The Winter Edition 2022 of the Virtual Trailrunning Film Festival is coming up and you should get your ticket – the lineup of films looks absolutely stellar. | |||
| 322: 'Racing the Snowman Trek', with Thomas Reiss | 23 Nov 2024 | 00:46:05 | |
Thomas Reiss is back on Singletrack and back from Bhutan where he supported the runners and race organization of the famous and grueling Snowman Race. We chat about the event, the mission that inspired its founding, and mostly the people and how connecting with other cultures makes us better human beings. Climate change affects us all and we really one have that one rock floating in space we
| |||
| 214: 'The Balance of Humility and Hubris', with Alex Bond | 24 Dec 2021 | 01:30:40 | |
Happy Christmas everyone. It's this special time of the year and you know what that means? Holiday movie review time! Alex Bond and I take a dive into the big screen sensation The Alpinist. A climbing movie that follows the story of Canadian Marc-André Leclerc. Sit back, grab some eggnog and don't forget to hug your loves ones. LINKS NEED GEAR FOR THE NEW YEAR? | |||
| 213: 'Life is Like One Big Ultra', with Gretchen Walla | 15 Dec 2021 | 01:31:29 | |
Gretchen Walla joins the show to share what makes the trail running community so special in her hometown Bellingham, Washington. We also talk about the challenges of hosting trail races in this, yes, still pandemic times, and what we hope 2022 will bring for us trail runners and racers. LINKS HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE | |||
| 212: 'The Navigator's Mindset', with Stephen Johnson | 08 Dec 2021 | 01:14:21 | |
This week I'm joined by longtime friend of the show Stephen Johnson, creator of the popular app Topo Maps +. We talk about the origins of his business Glacier Peak Studios, how to navigate in the backcountry, and to use maps to smartly plan your summer adventure projects. LINKS
| |||
| 211: 'Off-season Apple Pie', with Elisa Laverty | 03 Dec 2021 | 01:02:46 | |
Baker and mountain athlete Elisa Laverty joins us this week to talk about her off season plans including pie baking and her casual solstice event at Mt. Walker. Who's ready to chase some vert in the Olympics? LINKS HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE | |||
| 210: 'Weekend Warriors', with Viktor Marohnic | 29 Nov 2021 | 00:40:55 | |
This week I am joined by Viktor Marohnic, founder of 57Hours. The startup that invites you to 'own your weekend' and make the most of the these magical 57 hours between Friday afternoon and Monday morning. Get out there and explore. After the interview I share with you my thoughts on the Coros Apex Pro GPS sports watch. LINKS HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE | |||
| 209: 'The Pourquoi of Running', with Steph Decker | 18 Nov 2021 | 01:15:10 | |
Steph joins the show again to follow up on her injury that sidelined her summer project. We talk about traveling to France, visiting family and drinking wine. NEW SHIRTS: Get your Singletrack shirt and support the show. LINKS HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE | |||
| 208: 'Schinken, Eier und Nudeln', with Thomas Reiss | 09 Nov 2021 | 01:19:48 | |
This week Thomas Reiss joins Singletrack to share a glimpse into his epic journey from a small town in Germany to opening a design shop in Californian wine country. We talk about running Western States, hiking to Everest Basecamp, and punk music and great German food. Delicious. LINKS HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE | |||
| 207: 'Tailwind into the Metaverse', with Jeff Vierling | 04 Nov 2021 | 00:55:35 | |
One of my favorite outdoor companies redesigns their logo and overhauls their brand and I had to hear the story behind it all. Jeff Vierling, co-founder of Tailwind Nutrition joins Singletrack to share the process, the design decisions, and the challenges to keep all the various pieces of a undertaking like this moving. The designer in me loves stuff like this. The runner in me loves their endurance fuel and recover mix. NEW SHIRTS: Get your Singletrack shirt and support the show. LINKS HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE | |||
| 206: 'Of Cows and Cheese', with Maria Dalzot | 01 Nov 2021 | 01:14:44 | |
While the rain and cold is embracing the Pacific Northwest, Maria Dalzot joins Singletrack to talk about summer and sunshine, cows and cheese in Switzerland. We chat about racing along steep alpine trails through cow pastures and cute mountain villages. We reminisce about the incredible food and discuss what races to pick when dreaming of running in the Alps. Thank you Maria for taking me back one more time to this glorious summer. NEW SHIRTS: Get your Singletrack shirt and support the show. LINKS HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE | |||
| 205: 'Podcasting on Trails', with Emily Holland | 25 Oct 2021 | 01:12:37 | |
Podcast producer, host, and trail runner Emily Holland joins this week's episode of Singletrack from Boulder Colorado. We talk about the peace, adventure, and community trail running brings us. In the second half of the show we dive into a meta conversation around the future of podcasting. Also: the Singletrack Holiday Gift Guide is live, go check it out. LINKS
| |||
| 321: 'Backstage on Grand Teton', with Alex Rienzie | 13 Nov 2024 | 01:26:21 | |
On September 2, 2024 Michelino Sunseri set a new speed record on Grand Teton in 2h 50m 50s. It was supposed to be a new FKT, beating an old record that has stood for over 12 years. What ensued afterwards turned an epic run into a much talked about news story, a social media fire storm, and an eventual lawsuit. Friend of Michelino, Alex Rienzie was out on the trails that day and shares his observations and some background info on all of it. Alex joined Singletrack on his own initiative and any views expressed are his alone. LINKS
Connect with Singletrack on: Brought to you by Electric Cable Car - your trail and mountain news! | |||
| 204: 'Top FKTs in Washington for 2021', with Alex Bond | 18 Oct 2021 | 01:27:15 | |
Alex Bond and I are taking a look at the best mountain running performances in Washington State submitted to Fastest Known Time for the year 2021. And wow, there are some inspirational efforts put up by incredible runners. From Alex Borsuk's blistering run up Glacier Peak to Alex King's dethroning of Uli Steidl's long-held FKT at Mt. Rainier. And yes, we found some cool runs in the Olympics as well. What's up with all the Alexes in this episode? Links
| |||
| 203: 'Quick Pole Practice Session', with Keith Laverty | 12 Oct 2021 | 01:03:42 | |
The challenges of the last 1/4 at Squamish 50, the joys of the flat interurban trail at Chuckanut, the relentless heat at R2R2R and the brutal beauty of Teanaway Country 100. This and more with PNW running legend and coach Keith Laverty, who finally made it on the show. Links:
| |||
| 202: 'Inspired to Adventure', with Abram Dickerson | 01 Oct 2021 | 00:56:39 | |
Aspire Adventure Running's Abram Dickerson joins the show to share a glimpse into his jam-packed summer. Gathering trail runners in stunning scenery, feeding them delicious food and showing them unique places all over the West Coast is what Aspire does best and Abram is the mastermind behind it all. Links:
Check out the new website at singletrack.fm | |||
| 201: 'Washington Bulgers', With Jason Hardrath | 22 Sep 2021 | 01:12:25 | |
Mountain Goat and otherworldly human being Jason Hardrath joins the show to share his little summer project. No stranger to crazy mountain adventures, for his 100th FKT attempt Jason picked the insane idea of climbing all 100 peaks of the Washington Bulgers list. We bushwhack, asleep on trails and traverse crevasse-filled glaciers. Links: | |||
| 200: 'The Race Director Appreciated That', with Michael Linscott | 14 Sep 2021 | 01:19:57 | |
After an incredible year of running Michael Linscott joins a very special episode of Singletrack to talk about his fabulous fifth finish at Cascade Crest. We also of course dissect my UTMR 100K DNF and talk about what makes racing in the Alps so special. Links:
| |||
| 199: 'My Gear For UTMR' | 18 Aug 2021 | 00:15:01 | |
In this brief summer intermission show Mathias shares his travel stress and gear choices for his upcoming trip to the Alps and his 100K race at Ultra Tour Monte Rosa around the mountains of Grächen, Switzerland. Hello Alps, baby! Links to all the gear at outdoor-society.com | |||
| 198: 'Overnight On Copper', with Tabatha Collins and Mary Flinders | 06 Aug 2021 | 01:18:13 | |
Friend of the show Tabatha Collins is back and she brought her trail running partner and fellow mountain slayer Mary Flinders with her. They were the first folks who attempted my epic Cushman Six route in the Staircase region of Olympic National Forest/Park. Links:
| |||
| 197: 'Five Times is Enough', with Mike Ehredt | 28 Jul 2021 | 00:56:08 | |
Fresh off his 5th Hardrock100 finish Mike Ehredt is back on the show to share his latest adventures in the San Juans. The veteran Hardrocker reflects on this beautiful route and what it takes to successfully complete this extreme race as a back of the pack runner. We dive into what makes this community special and what the future holds for him in Silverton. Mike's also a race director, and so of course we talk about the challenges and joys of organizing a trail race. Links: | |||
| 196: 'Getting Loopy in the Olympics', with Steph Decker | 22 Jul 2021 | 01:26:57 | |
Mountain goat Steph Decker joins the show to talk about the latest adventure project she's been working on. Inspired by ultra uber runner Christof Teuscher she's working on a variation of his "Olympic Loops" in Olympic National Park. The project is a beast and while rendering somewhat speechless is inspiring me hugely to dream of new adventures. And of course, no conversation about massive adventures would be complete without a good conversation around shoes and gear. Links:
| |||
| 195: 'Orienteering along the Loowit Trail', With Alex Bond | 15 Jul 2021 | 01:24:45 | |
Alex Bond returns to the show to share his experience with orienteering races, how it helps him on big mountain adventures and why he won't run the Barkley Marathons. We talk about the romance and despair of circumnavigating volcanoes in the Cascades and what's on the adventure docket for the remainder of the summer before the smoke rolls in, or are we already too late for that? Links: | |||
| 320: 'Road Soda, Let's Go!', with Troy Meadows | 08 Nov 2024 | 01:33:37 | |
| 194: 'Shooting Myself Into the Sunset' | 09 Jul 2021 | 01:25:20 | |
Lots is going on this week: An update on our hosting server changes, summer break announcements and talks about challenges in gateway communities. Orientation runs for LBA are happening and mountains are climbed. We're continuing our training for summer races and UTMR announces a big change to the route which will have a bigger effect on Mathias' summer plans. But, we're excited. Let's get after it. Links: | |||
| 193: 'Hot is the New Summer' | 01 Jul 2021 | 01:27:18 | |
(Sorry, had some issues with the audio file... you know.. that new podcasting server and stuff... anyway, this episode should be 1:27 long. If your podcast player shows only a 59min show, please re-download the file.) This week's episode takes us from the inevitable weather talk to the impact heat waves have on our training plans. There are lots of thoughts on Western States, especially in comparison to UTMB, because of course. We're NOT talking about the abysmal performance by the German National Soccer team but wonder what our favorite race distances are and for what race we'd be willing to travel for? Like for LBA, come travel to Olympia and race with us! Links: | |||
| 192: 'Night Running Deserves a Quiet Night' | 26 Jun 2021 | 01:11:10 | |
It's good to be a fan right now. RedBull Alps is happening, Euro 2020, Lavaredo just kicked off and it's Western States weekend. So much going on. Perfect time to flee the heat and follow along some incredible events online. Doug and Mathias als talk about their shenanigans of the last week which included night running, and setting up an aid station in the middle of Capitol Forest at 2am, hosting the first orientation run for the upcoming Little Backyard Adventure race and so so so much more. Important housekeeping note: Even though the intro message says we're on a new podcast hosting platform, we are in fact not yet. Stay tuned for more backend work, that hopefully doesn't impact you at all. Thanks for listening and following us wherever we may go! | |||