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 makes Mount Marathon technical, including the cliff section where route choice and local knowledge matter, and where a mistake could mean more than a lost minute. From there we pivot to Beast of Big Creek and the Olympic Peninsula, digging into why steep, rooty Washington trails are such a strong skyrunning venue, and why starting closer to sea level can make the racing fairer for international athletes. If you care about mountain running, trail racing, and skyrunning course design, there’s a lot here to sharpen how you think about terrain and competition.

Finally, we talk about the unglamorous side of a stacked season: travel fatigue, quick turnarounds, and the mindset it takes to recover well and keep racing with joy. Jackson shares why he chooses races that genuinely light the fire, how he avoids burnout, and what he has lined up next with a training block and upcoming starts like Whistler 50k and The Rut. If you like the show, subscribe, share it with a running friend, and leave a rating and review so we can keep telling these stories.

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