I Had Western States Backwards
This Week: Obsession, starting over, running culture, and the stories shaping trail running.
For years, I thought the athletes were the reason I cared about Western States. This week I realized I had it backwards.
Trail running talks endlessly about who is racing. But in sports, the events that stay with us tend to be rooted in a place. Augusta. Churchill Downs. Places where history accumulates and every new performance is measured against the ones that came before.
Western States is that. I know where the race unravels. I know where legends can be made. Long before the athletes arrive, the course is already waiting.
How much of what we love about sports is actually about the competitors, and how much is about the stage they’re forced to perform on?
How much of what we love about sports is actually about the competitors, and how much is about the stage they're forced to perform on?
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Molly Seidel, Western States, and the Honest Kind of Starting Over
by Bryce Carlson
The point is that I like stories of reinvention, especially when they are not born out of failure. Sometimes people start over because something went wrong. Sometimes people start over because the old thing worked, and staying there just doesn’t feel like the whole story.
[Photo Essay] The Space Between Mastery and Uncertainty.
Photographer Christian Brecheis spent time with Seidel outside Flagstaff, Arizona, documenting a rare moment in an athlete’s career.
theROCKER: the Most Misunderstood Trail Running Shoe
by Inky Steve
I’m not gonna tell you all it’s the best trail shoe on the market. It’s not. The grip isn’t great. It’s not the lightest thing you’ll ever put on your foot. It’s not gonna give you 5% extra bounce or whatever the spec sheet crowd are obsessing over this season.
LoC by Borderlands
After Mountain Outpost’s 2026 Cocodona 250 coverage, Borderlands released an episode called Cocodona Has a Fan Problem, pointing directly at areas of the live broadcast we believed could improve.
For a while now, we’ve had an idea we believe could better serve commentators, fans, the production team, and the race itself.
This is it and it’s best enjoyed on a computer but built for all devices.
Sincerely,
Josh Rosenthal
Founder