2026 Preview: Hard Rock's Dream Field, Prize Money, and the Sport's Personality Problem скачать в хорошем качестве

2026 Preview: Hard Rock's Dream Field, Prize Money, and the Sport's Personality Problem

Buzz previews 2026 with Zoë Rom, coach Scott Johnston, Western States Race Director Craig Thornley, and Allison Mercer of FastestKnownTime.com. The panel digs into the Courtney DeWalter–Katy Schide–Tara Dower showdown at Hard Rock 100 and what the growing competitive depth in women's ultrarunning actually tells us (spoiler: progress is real, but parity isn't here yet). Scott Johnston makes the case for AI and data analysis in elite pacing—and explains why it all goes out the window by mile 80. Craig Thornley shares updates on Western States' multi-year Granite Chief Wilderness trail reroute and weighs in on whether rising prize purses at Broken Arrow and Gorge Waterfalls signal a real shift in how the sport operates. The conversation spans the backyard ultra phenomenon, crossover athletes moving between road and trail, and the grassroots running boom powering the whole thing from below. Zoë asks the pointed question: does ultrarunning have a pipeline for its next generation of stars, or are we five retirements away from a charisma crisis? And what would it take for athletes and media to stop producing what she calls "room temperature vanilla ice cream" content? This episode is brought to you by Arc'teryx and the Norvon 4 Nivalis. Chapters 00:00 – Intro 00:49 – Arc'teryx Norvon 4 Nivalis 01:30 – Zoë Rom on Hard Rock's women's field and competitive depth 07:58 – Scott Johnston on data, AI pacing, and professionalism 13:42 – Craig Thornley on Western States' Granite Chief reroute 18:25 – Prize money trends and grassroots resilience 21:44 – Allison Mercer's 2026 predictions 31:25 – The case for more charismatic megafauna 41:44 – Scott on what professionalism really means 49:43 – Craig's hopes for 2026 54:34 – Closing thoughts