The Freetrail Podcast with Dylan Bowman

Welcome to Rest Day, Freetrail's occasional news pod covering the latest happenings in trail running. This week we're joined by Tim Tollefson to talk through the following topics:


 
Trail Runner of the Year voting process, results recap & stats
Interpreting the results and what we can learn
Confronting TROY criticism
Free agency news: Hans Troyer, Will Murray, Theo Detienne, Ben Dhiman, etc.
Road to trail news: Molly Seidel, Des Linden, & Shelby Houlihan
Tim's Transcendent Truth
A lot more!
 
Chapters
 
03:26 – Introduction and Overview of Trail Runner of the Year 06:30 – Voting Process and Community Engagement 09:12 – Nationality Diversity in Rankings 11:52 – Distance Dynamics: Long, Short, and Mid-Distance Athletes 14:46 – Significance of Major Races and Championships 18:03 – The Rise of 200-Mile Racing and Its Recognition 20:58 – Criticism and Community Feedback on Rankings 42:19 – The Rise of 200-Mile Races 44:39 – Criticism and Integrity in Trail Running 47:00 – The Fragmentation of Trail Running 50:34 – Free Agency News and Athlete Transfers 59:51 – Emerging Athletes and New Partnerships 01:03:04 – The Complexities of Doping in Sports 01:09:35 – Tim's Transcendent Truth
 
CHECK OUT MAMMOTH TRAILFEST


 
REGISTER FOR THE BIG ALTA
 
REGISTER FOR GORGE WATERFALLS

 
Sponsors:

 
Grab a trail running pack from Osprey
Use code FREETRAIL25 for 25% off your first order of NEVERSECOND nutrition at never2.com
Go to ketone.com/freetrail30 for 30% off a subscription of Ketone IQ
 
Freetrail Links: Website | Freetrail Pro | Patreon | Instagram | YouTube | Freetrail Experts

 
Dylan Links: Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | Strava

Will Murray is a pro trail runner living in Bellingham, WA. He was one of the breakout stars of the 2025 season, finishing 2nd at the Black Canyon 100k and winning the Javelina Jundred in a new course record time. Entering the 2026 season in partnership with Brooks, Will is poised to continue the momentum into a new year and towards the Western States 100 - his main goal for the season. This is his first time on the podcast.

 
Chapters:


04:15 – Introduction and Personal Insights 06:59 – Recognition as #8 Ultra Runner of the Year 09:40 – Athletic Roots and Trail Running Discovery 12:26 – Mathematical Mindset in Running 14:59 – Cultivating Clarity in High-Pressure Situations 20:52 – Psychological Strength and Self-Talk 23:25 – Relationship with Social Media 26:01 – Injury Just Before Western States 33:08 – Training Evolution and Strategies 36:51 – Mindset and Preparation for Javelina 39:37 – Race Dynamics and Internal Dialogue 42:48 – Celebrating Success and Future Aspirations 45:58 – Joining Brooks and Team Dynamics 50:44 – Future Goals and Upcoming Races
 
Follow Will on Strava
 
REGISTER FOR THE BIG ALTA
 
REGISTER FOR GORGE WATERFALLS

 
Sponsors:

 
Grab a trail running pack from Osprey
Use code FREETRAIL25 for 25% off your first order of NEVERSECOND nutrition at never2.com
Go to ketone.com/freetrail30 for 30% off a subscription of Ketone IQ
 
Freetrail Links: Website | Freetrail Pro | Patreon | Instagram | YouTube | Freetrail Experts

 
Dylan Links: Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | Strava

Today we welcome the #1 Trail Runners of the Year, Jim Walmsley and Katie Schide, both Americans who currently reside in France. This is the second time each has won our prestigious award and they've both been featured all four years of TROY's existence.

 
 
Jim's season was anything but straight forward. He started with a big win at Chianti by UTMB in the spring before an injury prevented him from defending his win at the Western States 100. Luckily, he bounced back in a big way, winning OCC in August and then the Long Trail World Championship in September - the second individual gold medal of his career.
 
 
 
 
On the other hand, Katie is crowned TROY for the second year in a row. She started with a win at Madeira Island Ultra Trail before winning and setting a new course record at the Hardrock 100 in July. Only three weeks later she was second at Sierre-Zinal before winning the Long Trail World Championship in September. 
 
 
This episode is part of Freetrail's annual Trail Runner of the Year Rollout -- an opportunity to reflect on the 2025 season and celebrate the athletes who performed the best according to the global trail running community. We're proud to partner with All Conditions Gear to bring the awards to life. 

 
REGISTER FOR THE BIG ALTA

   

REGISTER FOR GORGE WATERFALLS


 
Sponsors:

Grab a trail running pack from Osprey
Use code FREETRAIL25 for 25% off your first order of NEVERSECOND nutrition at never2.com
Go to ketone.com/freetrail30 for 30% off a subscription of Ketone IQ
Freetrail Links: Website | Freetrail Pro | Patreon | Instagram | YouTube | Freetrail Experts
 
Dylan Links: Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | Strava

Today we welcome the #2 Trail Runners of the Year, Ruth Croft of New Zealand and Francesco Puppi of Italy. 

 
 
We start with Ruth who is unquestionably one of the best to ever do it. This season, she started with a huge victory at Tarawera, another at the MaXi Race 60k, all building towards UTMB where she won in what felt like a flawlessly executed performance. In doing so, Ruth became only the second person to win all three of the UTMB world final events, showing her career-long consistency and range across distances.
 
 
 
 
Francesco Puppi posted the best season of his career. Nine races with six victories including impressive wins at both the Canyons 100k in April and CCC in August — the two best 100k performances of the year in the only to 100k races of his career. 
 
 
This episode is part of Freetrail's annual Trail Runner of the Year Rollout -- an opportunity to reflect on the 2025 season and celebrate the athletes who performed the best according to the global trail running community. We're proud to partner with All Conditions Gear to bring the awards to life. 

 
REGISTER FOR THE BIG ALTA
 
REGISTER FOR GORGE WATERFALLS

 
Sponsors:
Grab a trail running pack from Osprey
Use code FREETRAIL25 for 25% off your first order of NEVERSECOND nutrition at never2.com
Go to ketone.com/freetrail30 for 30% off a subscription of Ketone IQ
Freetrail Links: Website | Freetrail Pro | Patreon | Instagram | YouTube | Freetrail Experts
 
Dylan Links: Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn | Strava