Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
What a wild weekend in the Arizona desert. Brett Hornig and Leah Yingling return to the show to break down everything that unfolded at the 2026 Black Canyon 100K. We dive into course-record performances from Hans Troyer and Jennifer Lichter, Anne Flower’s front-running strength, Anthony Costales’ return to form, the drama of Molly Seidel’s 100K debut, and one of the deepest Golden Ticket distributions in recent memory.
Chapters
00:00 Opening + On-the-Ground Experience (Livestream, Aid Stations, 50K PR)
04:34 “Course Records Are Contagious” - Women’s Race Explodes
06:47 Anne Flower’s No-Cooling Strategy + Heat Management Debate
10:18 Is This the Most Competitive Women’s Western States Field Ever?
11:14 Hans Troyer’s Course Record + Race Dynamics
13:06 Golden Ticket Chaos in the Men’s Field
16:20 Depth vs. Density - Are Fields Actually Getting Tighter?
16:47 Split Analysis: Men vs. Women Slowdown Percentages
22:49 Molly Seidel’s Mid-Race Mistakes + “Controlled Micro Fade”
26:49 Is Gloriana - Deep Canyon the Most Dangerous Section?
29:50 “Random Ballers” + No Intimidation at the Start Line
33:59 How Many Guys Could’ve Run Sub-7:30?
36:07 Fantasy Picks + Predictions (Sub-8 Call)
37:33 Underrated Performances: Tracen Knopp, Hans’ Next-Gen Status
43:00 Tara Dower Interview + Emotional Finish Line Moments
49:39 Anthony Costales Is Back
50:47 Francesco Puppi’s Fall + What It Means for Western States
53:29 Gear Talk + 50K Pace Explosion
55:29 Golden Ticket Impact on Western States 2026
58:28 Who Still Needs a Ticket? (Chianti / Canyons)
1:00:10 Final Thoughts - Media, Molly’s Impact, The Women’s Depth
Partners:
* Precision Fuel and Hydration - use code SINGLETRACK at checkout for 15% off your next order (precisionhydration.com/planner/?utm_source=partner&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=singletrack)
* Norda - check out the 005: the lightest, fastest, most stable trail racing shoe ever made (nordarun.com/)
* Raide - Making equipment for efficient human-powered movement in the mountains (raideresearch.com/singletrack)
* Janji - premium trail running apparel (janji.com/pages/singletrack)
Follow Singletrack on Instagram:
instagram.com/runsingletrack
Subscribe to Singletrack on Apple:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/singletrack/id1572382413
Subscribe to Singletrack on Spotify:
open.spotify.com/show/7jAsWCRNSCU8nh81vrAaC2?si=3ac02e4e32b946c4
What a wild weekend in the Arizona desert. Brett Hornig and Leah Yingling return to the show to break down everything that unfolded at the 2026 Black Canyon 100K. We dive into course-record performances from Hans Troyer and Jennifer Lichter, Anne Flower’s front-running strength, Anthony Costales’ return to form, the drama of Molly Seidel’s 100K debut, and one of the deepest Golden Ticket distributions in recent memory.
Chapters
00:00 Opening + On-the-Ground Experience (Livestream, Aid Stations, 50K PR)
04:34 “Course Records Are Contagious” - Women’s Race Explodes
06:47 Anne Flower’s No-Cooling Strategy + Heat Management Debate
10:18 Is This the Most Competitive Women’s Western States Field Ever?
11:14 Hans Troyer’s Course Record + Race Dynamics
13:06 Golden Ticket Chaos in the Men’s Field
16:20 Depth vs. Density - Are Fields Actually Getting Tighter?
16:47 Split Analysis: Men vs. Women Slowdown Percentages
22:49 Molly Seidel’s Mid-Race Mistakes + “Controlled Micro Fade”
26:49 Is Gloriana - Deep Canyon the Most Dangerous Section?
29:50 “Random Ballers” + No Intimidation at the Start Line
33:59 How Many Guys Could’ve Run Sub-7:30?
36:07 Fantasy Picks + Predictions (Sub-8 Call)
37:33 Underrated Performances: Tracen Knopp, Hans’ Next-Gen Status
43:00 Tara Dower Interview + Emotional Finish Line Moments
49:39 Anthony Costales Is Back
50:47 Francesco Puppi’s Fall + What It Means for Western States
53:29 Gear Talk + 50K Pace Explosion
55:29 Golden Ticket Impact on Western States 2026
58:28 Who Still Needs a Ticket? (Chianti / Canyons)
1:00:10 Final Thoughts - Media, Molly’s Impact, The Women’s Depth
Partners:
* Precision Fuel and Hydration - use code SINGLETRACK at checkout for 15% off your next order (precisionhydration.com/planner/?utm_source=partner&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=singletrack)
* Norda - check out the 005: the lightest, fastest, most stable trail racing shoe ever made (nordarun.com/)
* Raide - Making equipment for efficient human-powered movement in the mountains (raideresearch.com/singletrack)
* Janji - premium trail running apparel (janji.com/pages/singletrack)
Follow Singletrack on Instagram:
instagram.com/runsingletrack
Subscribe to Singletrack on Apple:
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/singletrack/id1572382413
Subscribe to Singletrack on Spotify:
open.spotify.com/show/7jAsWCRNSCU8nh81vrAaC2?si=3ac02e4e32b946c4
