Ultramarathon Daily News | Halloween Edition

Canadian Running: Does Maurten really work? What does the science show?

Want to see XC in the Olympic Games? Here’s why we probably never will. Nice and thorough article.

Speaking of XC, this HS girl has a great approach to racing and conquering adversity. Hope to see her on the trails one day…she’s got a great attitude. And top five scorers in the top ten…dang!

SCMP: Who knew that a Turkish trail runner had more YouTube subscribers than any trail runner in North America?

HOKA named presenting sponsor of Western States Endurance Run. I sure hope no crazy people lodge spurious racial claims against any volunteers.

Gear Junkie: Heli-trail running. Hell yes.

Golden Tickets: Surprised to see the list unchanged from last year.

Interesting discussion: Why are Jamaicans the fastest runners in the world? But there’s no other reason? Really?

iRunFar: Powerful essay about running with Leukemia. Time for my pity party to end.

Ever wanted to be a professional backpacking guide? Now’s your chance.

Podium Runner: Ryan Hall talks about Sarah’s success in the marathon. Stay for the passive aggressive comment about the shoes.

I posted an early release of my interview with Sabrina Stanley to $5+ Patrons yesterday and will release it to everyone else tomorrow. What a story she’s got!

21 Responses to "Ultramarathon Daily News | Halloween Edition"

Alex says:

October 31, 2019 at 7:33 am

Ryan’s comments on the shoes are odd, considering the Asics prototypes Sara has been racing in have a carbon plate–at least, they do when others use them. So unless she specifically asked for a version with no plate–which is possible–he’s either ignorant or lying. And it’s weird, since no one would fault her for keeping up in the arms race.

Regardless, it’s cool to see Sara racing so often, and so well. The women’s OT marathon is going to be amazing. (And Des, Huddle, Hasay, et al., will all have plates.)

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Todd says:

October 31, 2019 at 8:55 am

In any other sport, athletes (and teams were applicable) hold equipment in the highest of regard.
Shoe development is no different.
Take a wild hair & a waffle iron, and you’re light years ahead of the competition
If anything, carbon fiber in running shoes is far behind other sports, but the next logical step
OT’s should be a flat out drag race

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Mike Bonnell says:

October 31, 2019 at 8:56 am

WSER…Hoka…claims of bias?
I must have missed something somewhere in a news cycle. What’s that all about?

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1. eric schranz says:
  
  October 31, 2019 at 10:31 am
  
  HOKA pulled its sponsorship of San Diego 100 after some race-baiters made some spurious accusations against an aid station. (Here’s the response from the a/s captain.)
  They then went after the race permits and finally got HOKA to pull their support.
  It was a shameful decision by HOKA that showed how much they truly (don’t) support the MUT scene.
  
  Reply
Mike2 says:

October 31, 2019 at 10:02 am

1. If there are racist volunteers, will they “often be wearing Hoka shoes?”
2. Where may I throw out my gum?

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Mike Bonnell says:

October 31, 2019 at 12:31 pm

Thanks – I was dying of curiosity. Read both. Although I wasn’t there, I shouldn’t attest to who said what to whom. But as an Ultrarunner, I find it very very hard to believe that somebody that volunteers at an aid station would be hurtful to somebody walking past. Yes, I have overheard some aid station folks snap curtly at crew trying to take food from stations that had just enough for the runners. But this reaction was due to the fact that there were signs that said, “Food for Runners Only” and because aid station folks really want to take care of those ‘silly/stupid’ people trying to cover 100 miles.

There is some very real major racism and bigotry going on in the world. Methinks folks need to focus on the bigger stuff.

Thanks Eric

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1. eric schranz says:
  
  October 31, 2019 at 1:37 pm
  
  Right. I wasn’t there either, though I’ve decided to believe the volunteers’ version over that of the couple who finds a racial element to every aspect to life.
  But that’s not really the point.
  My complaint is that HOKA decided to pull its sponsorship out from below a well-established race with a solid pedigree because of a threat from some ridiculous activists, and that speaks volumes about the company’s backbone and focus.
  
  Reply
Dan F says:

October 31, 2019 at 12:32 pm

Wonder the reasoning behind Sean O’Brien not getting their Golden Ticket status back since the race resumed? I loved running it, and the timing is far better. Canyons is a touch too close to the Big Dance IMO.

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1. eric schranz says:
  
  October 31, 2019 at 1:34 pm
  
  Not sure, though I can’t imagine a more appropriate qualifying race than Canyons. Sure, it’s close, but that makes it exciting, right?
  
  Reply
Mallory says:

October 31, 2019 at 2:19 pm

Referring to Myriam Gurba and Geoff Cordner as “crazy people” seems like it should be a violation of your own Comments Policy (https://ultrarunnerpodcast.com/comments-policy/). Yes, I realize that you disliked Gurba’s article: as ultrarunners, we love our volunteers and we know that races often depend on sponsorship. But let’s keep it classy. I don’t want us to shy away from talking about race and inclusion in ultrarunning. I’d say more, but I don’t want to find out what colourful labels my opinions will earn me.

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1. eric schranz says:
  
  October 31, 2019 at 2:57 pm
  
  There are exceptions to all rules, and “crazy people” is hardly an offensive term.
  
  Reply
Sharon Schaller says:

October 31, 2019 at 3:45 pm

I’m glad you had the courage to say what you did about Hoka. You had to have known that someone would jump on you about it but went there anyway. Some things need to be said.

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Nicolas says:

October 31, 2019 at 8:38 pm

Here’s what I think, but I could be wrong. If Hoka really did pull out because of the alleged racist brouhaha, then the incident is probably more significant than you think. If it really is not significant, as you seem to think, then Hoka probably pulled out for other reasons. In other words, that Hoka pulled out either “speaks volumes” about the actual incident or it’s just corporate decisions that we don’t understand and that we shouldn’t over-think. Hoka is smarter than this so your story can’t be right, it seems to me. My two cents.

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Mike Bonnell says:

October 31, 2019 at 9:06 pm

Nicolas:

Did you read the two accounts, as offered by Eric? The aid station captain is…very credible. Whilst the ‘injured party’ clearly lied.

This was a zero sum game for Hoka. In this day and age, with the power of social media and the like, it’s extremely possible that there was little or nothing to the accusation but the company decided to withdraw anyways. Companies have no incentive to stay in a situation that has become embroiled in controversy – even if said controversy is based on fallacies. In other words, Hoka pulling out doesn’t mean that the accusations were credible. There are a lot of races to sponsor – so, ciao-bye to this one, and lets go sponsor another one instead. The problem as I see it, is just how easy it is for a few people to cause a lot of trouble – and all they need is a small Twitter/YouTube/FB following. And if these people are either unscrupulous or simply mistaken – then it can become a bit of a tragedy.

Losing a sponsor in such a way can have highly deleterious effects on a race. So when you say that folks ought not ‘over think’ Hoka’s decisions – well, that’s a bit easy, don’t you think? Sure it doesn’t affect you directly, but how about the race itself? How about the aid station volunteers that have been poorly / wrongly portrayed? What effect can that have on other folks that might say, “screw it, I’m not gonna bother volunteering ’cause trouble seems to find you.”

I understand Hoka’s decisions in what they might have perceived as a lose-lose situation. On a personal level I’m bummed that two people that had nothing to do with the event – have been able to disrupt it completely.

Read the accounts.

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Nicolas says:

October 31, 2019 at 9:16 pm

Mike, you’re making a lot of assumptions. I read the accounts. But that’s not my point. She said, she said, it’s not going to get us anywhere. But a big sponsor pulling out of a race is, as you rightly point out, a momentous decision. So it’s fair to assume
Hoka had good reasons to do it. I’m pretty sure they’re well aware of all the impacts you describe, which makes it all the more plausible they had really good reason to pull out—likely not just the surface of the online controversy. When I say don’t overthink it I mean we just don’t know enough; it’s corporate decision-making that’s not worth speculating about.

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Dillon R Gotshall says:

November 1, 2019 at 6:07 am

Heli-trail running? Gross.

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1. eric schranz says:
  
  November 1, 2019 at 6:40 am
  
  How is that much different than flying to a race?
  
  Reply
Dillon R Gotshall says:

November 1, 2019 at 7:00 am

It’s just needles excess. Could just buy a jeep and drive up them mountains.

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1. eric schranz says:
  
  November 1, 2019 at 7:10 am
  
  I dunno. I went heli-skiing years ago and it was incredible. Hit some slopes totally inaccessible to the rest of the world.
  
  Reply
Mike Bonnell says:

November 1, 2019 at 8:04 am

Nicolas – having read the accounts, you understood that a hispanic woman and her hispanic family (photos attached) were in charge of an aid station. This group were accused by another woman of hispanic heritage of; being white and of treating her harshly allegedly because she was of hispanic heritage. You’ll also have read that the alleged victim had lied about her reason for being on the trail and despite race rules, returned to an aid station to encourage a runner after being asked not to do so.

Now, I understand that you don’t want to get into a ‘she said, she said’. But in this case it’s somewhat relevant and quite telling, what each ‘she said’ actually said.

Seeing as you don’t find the aforementioned relevant, let’s just agree to let that go. Your point, I believe is that we can’t really know what else might have contributed to Hoka’s decision making process and as such should just let that go as well. I’ll concede that you’re right about this.

None of this changes the fact that fans of that race in particular and of Ultra’s generally can be alarmed by the decision. Without further comment by Hoka to explain their decision we’ve little else to go on, little more to presume, that that this affair might have precipitated their withdrawal. Rather than just shrugging our shoulders and saying that Hoka knows best, I believe it’s okay for us to voice our disappointment.

Respectfully.

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Dillon says:

November 1, 2019 at 10:52 am

Gotta get yourself an AT setup. You’ll be in the hinterlands shredding gnar in no time 😄

Reply

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