Life is full of seminal moments, the core memories that shape us, but rarely do we recognize them while they’re happening. Most slip by unnoticed until they’re gone. This past weekend, I was lucky to catch one in real time.
To fully appreciate this story requires a brief detour for context. My grandparents are both from Michigan, but found themselves in Duluth, Minnesota in 1960. My grandfather worked at a paper mill, my grandmother was a nurse, and my mom had just been born.
Two years later, the family moved to Green Bay, Wisconsin. They settled into a modest home six blocks from Lambeau Field, where my grandfather walked to watch Packers games during the team’s 1960s dynasty. He eventually became a season-ticket holder and took me to my first game as a kid in the 1990s. I’ve been hooked ever since.
But fandom is a funny thing. I don’t see it as an identity so much as a thread that connects my life today to the one that shaped me. After 16 years in California, the Packers have become a connection to my past. A bridge home to friends, family, and the memories I made as a kid in Wisconsin.
Fast forward to now. My son (6) and daughter (3) have both taken up an affinity for the Packers, mostly because they want to share something with their dad. I’m not complaining.
After years of my son asking when he could “go to the Packers’ stadium”, I finally brought him to Lambeau this past weekend for his first game. The Packers won, but that was beside the point. Watching him walk through the gates with pure giddiness, seeing his face light up when he saw the field, cheering together as the afternoon sun washed the stadium in gold. It felt like being a kid again. A simple, perfect moment I know we’ll remember forever.
A small moment of magic between father and son.
Maybe it’s the approaching Thanksgiving holiday. Maybe it’s the rare pause from work. Whatever it is, it got me thinking about where the sport of trail running is at near the end of 2025. What’s working? What am I grateful for in this sport that we pour so much time and energy into?
The loudest narratives online seem to be about crises. In trail running, it’s easy to focus on race consolidation, doping, and the ways in which the sport is changing. But not all change is bad. Beneath the noise, trail running has made real, meaningful progress this year, even if it’s not obvious on the surface.
The improvements show up as small operational upgrades, cultural shifts, and smarter incentives. The kinds of quiet wins that compound over time. Here are five things the trail world is quietly getting right in 2025.
1. More brands and athletes investing in owned media.
What’s happening
Brands and athletes alike are doubling down on YouTube series, mini-documentaries, and behind-the-scenes storytelling, moving beyond quick social posts to rich, narrative-driven content.
Why it matters
Owned media creates two main advantages:
Reduced dependence on paid ads or marketing expenses.
Stronger loyalty through authentic storytelling that builds brand equity for both athletes and companies.
For athletes, this opens up new monetization lanes. Not just YouTube revenue, but stronger partnerships and affiliate opportunities. For brands, these videos become a soft customer funnel, attracting runners who align with the vibe and eventually convert over time.
A few standout examples from this year:
The Boulder Boys Show — “Year of the Boy Ep. 3 | Never Again, Until Next Time”
Des Linden — “The Next Chapter”
SATISFY — “The Ranch: Tales From the Trail”
Max Jolliffe — “KING OF MOAB”
David Roche — “BREAKABLE: The Western States 100 Mile and the Story Athletes Don’t Tell”
There are many others I’m forgetting. Feel free to drop your favorites in the comments.
What it signals for the future
Trail culture is shifting more toward media-as-marketing, where storytelling replaces broad advertising spend. This shift especially benefits individuals and small brands who can stand out without massive budgets. I’m looking forward to even more creativity and new formats as we head into 2026.
2. Increased transparency in athlete contracts and athlete-brand partnerships.
What’s happening
Across podcasts, newsletters, and social posts, pro trail runners and agents are talking more openly about compensation. The conversation is no longer taboo and transparency around athlete compensation is becoming more normalized.
Why it matters
Greater transparency creates a healthier market:
Athletes gain clarity on baseline comp, bonus structures, and what value they bring to a potential brand partner.
Brands benefit from more informed, aligned, and sustainable partnerships and avoid mismatches in expectations.
Media-led transparency also reveals the ceiling. We know a handful of top athletes earn mid-six figures. While still rare, it demonstrates what’s possible when brands invest and athletes negotiate from an informed position.
Ultimately, transparency helps reduce power imbalances, brings efficiency to negotiations, and helps the sport mature economically.
What it signals for the future
We’re unlikely to see fully public contracts, but the directional trend is clear. More information, more education, more leverage for athletes. As the sport grows and big brands continue allocating real budget to trail, compensation will likely expand. Not just at the top, but across tiers.
Expect a future where athletes understand their value earlier, negotiate smarter, and push the ecosystem toward more standardized norms around pay, bonuses, and long-term incentives. I’m also keen to follow for potential creative structures to athlete compensation, including equity stakes in companies, full- or part-time employment with brands, and more.
3. Nutrition companies moving from flavor-first to performance-first.
What’s happening
Nutrition brands like Neversecond, Precision Fuel & Hydration, and Carbs Fuel (among others) are centering product design around real data and individualized fueling rather than novelty flavors. The market is maturing quickly as athletes become more educated around carb intake and performance fueling needs.
Precision is releasing highly detailed case studies, including many of the sport’s biggest athletes and biggest races. Meanwhile, Carbs Fuel shared industry reports earlier this year mapping out the gel and drink mix landscapes.
Fueling is becoming more quantifiable, predictable, and personalized.
Why it matters
Better inputs = better outputs. Better fueling leads to better performance, which means fewer crashes, less GI distress, and greater trust in a given nutrition brand. Once athletes find something that works, they tend to stick with it.
There’s also an economic angle. I recently chatted with Gabe Multer (CEO and Co-Founder of Carbs Fuel) who mentioned that artificial flavoring is one of the most expensive ingredients in energy gels. It also happens to be one of the leading causes of gut issues. By eliminating unnecessary flavor loads, Carbs Fuel can offer products that are:
Simpler
Easier on the stomach
Lower cost-per-carb than many competitors
This combination of low cost + high performance is a win-win for brands and athletes.
What it signals for the future
Nutrition is becoming one of the hottest and most competitive markets in trail running. I’m looking to brands to keep innovating on the most efficient ways to adequately fuel athletes, while keeping the process simple and cost-per-carb low. The brands that can do this the best will be the ones that rise to the top.
4. Customization and modularity in packs and vests.
What’s happening
Gear companies are increasingly designing systems that let runners fine-tune fit, capacity, and load distribution. Customizable fit systems, modular storage options, and intentional design are becoming more common across gear categories, especially vests and waist belts.
Two standout examples of this shift:
Raide Research’s TrailTech System — A lightweight, no-bounce hydration solution that helps you fuel for an effort without needing to carry a large pack.
Tantrums Outdoor’s Crest 6 Hydration Pack — A race-oriented vest that fits like a second skin, eliminates bounce, and uses smart storage layouts for fast access during races.
What’s emerging here is a philosophy built around systems vs. single products.
Why it matters
These innovations reduce the need for excess gear, improve fit, and create new revenue models and brands. Overall, innovation in the gear space is nothing but a net positive for athletes, with increased options and competition ensuring quality remains high across the board.
What it signals for the future
Trail gear is moving towards smarter systems vs. full products. As Matt Trappe nailed in his A Matter of Brand post titled "Vests vs. Belts on the Adoption Curve”, this shift from vest to belt to modular system is a natural continuation of the pack-to-vest evolution.
The future is likely a hybrid setup where runners mix and match to optimize for:
Minimalism during racing
Load distribution for long, sustained efforts
Quick-access fueling in competitive settings
And because modern racing increasingly rewards micro-efficiencies, shaving seconds by making gear easier to access or lighter to carry really can be the difference between a breakthrough result and just a solid day.
5. Continuous improvement and innovation in live race coverage.
What’s happening
It was only six years ago, in 2019, when I followed Western States entirely via Twitter updates from iRunFar. This year, I watched the entire race unfold on my living room TV. And it’s not just Western States. UTMB, Golden Trail World Series, JFK 50-Mile, and others are rapidly leveling up their livestream production.
Mountain Outpost deserves huge credit for pushing this forward over the years. Each season brings better quality, more drone footage, higher-quality commentary, live splits, and real-time storytelling that increasingly resembles mainstream sports broadcasts.
Why it matters
Coverage fuels fandom. Fandom drives the brand interest and sponsorship dollars that fuel the growth of the sport. Better livestreams create richer narratives, help fans connect with athletes, and bring new people into the ecosystem. They also signal that the sport is maturing, while becoming more professional and more commercially viable.
What it signals for the future
There’s no doubt trail running has become a spectator sport. With tens of thousands of fans tuning in live for each major race, continued innovation in live coverage will help fuel the next wave of commercial growth for the sport.
✴️ Call for Curiosity ✴️
These aren’t the flashiest changes, but they signal a sport that is growing, evolving, and maturing. Progress in each of these areas all points to a more professional and sustainable trail running ecosystem.
What else stands out to you?
What recent developments are you grateful for?
What are you watching closely as we head into 2026?
The Aid Station
Miscellaneous quick hits. Trail style. Actionable, digestible, essential.
🏅 Exciting Results at the JFK 50 Mile
Several readers pointed out after last week’s article that the JFK 50 Mile already functions as a de facto “end-of-season championship”. It’s hard to disagree, even if I’m admittedly biased towards the Marin Headlands.
This year’s start list was stacked, and I followed along as best I could while traveling back to Wisconsin for Thanksgiving. Jade Belzberg and Hans Troyer ensured an Altra sweep by winning the race (coincidentally, Altra was the presenting sponsor of the race). Kudos to both the men’s and women’s podiums, including for running scorching fast times:
Women’s
Jade Belzberg (4th fastest time ever!)
Shea Aquilano
Hannah Allgood
Men’s
Hans Troyer (2nd fastest time ever!)
David Sinclair (defending champion)
Stephen Kersh
Also, major shoutout to my former Strava colleague Jeanne Mack for finishing 5th place woman in her 50-mile debut! She jumped from road marathons to trail ultras earlier this year and is already ripping. An absolute crusher.
👟 Gorge Waterfalls x Nike ACG
Freetrail x Daybreak Racing announced a major multi-year partnership with Nike ACG for Gorge Waterfalls, headlined by a massive $75,000 prize purse across all distances.
This kind of investment will attract deeper fields and elevate Gorge into one of the premier early-season events. Between this announcement and Big Alta 100K launching in 2026, the Freetrail x Daybreak crew is clearly building out a top-tier events portfolio.
What I’m most curious about is what this signals about ACG’s broader strategy. After the rebrand from Nike Trail, is this the first of several race partnerships? Time will tell, but it’s a strong first move.
#LFGorge, indeed.
Thanks for the Tantrums shoutout! I love your substack! Keep on stacking!
Dropping Singletrack’s doc about Jasmin Paris and her Barkley Marathon into the media lineup! Link below:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PgTEsybXw-4