10 Things I Couldn't Stop Thinking About After Western States

Only 364 more sleeps until WSER 2027.

After watching nearly every minute of the 2026 Western States 100, these were the ten ideas I couldn’t shake. For the full discussion and context behind each point, listen to this week’s episode of the Borderlands Trail & Ultra Running Podcast.

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Whether by design or circumstance, Dylan Bowman has become the primary narrator of the sport’s biggest race. The question isn’t whether he’s good enough. Thank God he is. The question is what responsibility comes with Freetrail being so intertwined with the institution of WSER.

Technology has largely solved the “where” problem. Storytelling still has to solve the “who” problem. Commentators had issues knowing who was on screen and sometimes they had issues knowing why those on screen mattered.

Hans Troyer running in first was never the story. Hans Troyer emptying himself to change the race was. Places matter because they tell stories inherently. Can we put the effort into telling stories that aren’t as legible on the surface?

Looking back, FreeTrail and Singletrack interviewed five of the six eventual podium finishers. The issue wasn’t who got interviewed. It was how difficult it still is to introduce tomorrow’s protagonists before they become household names.

Thomas Cardin arrived at Western States as a Golden Ticket winner that many English-speaking fans barely knew. Once he became relevant during the race, the broadcast needed his story immediately. Someone has to own that work.

Hans may not have won Western States, but he changed it. His willingness to attack early forced everyone else to make decisions they otherwise might not have made. Great competitors don’t just win races. They change them.

The American men attacked early while many of the Europeans remained patient and disciplined. Francesco Puppi ignored the script, matched the aggression, and somehow had the engine to sustain it. It was one of the most fascinating tactical races we’ve seen.

Covering the men’s and women’s races simultaneously increasingly feels impossible, not because the production is lacking, but because both races deserve full attention. That’s a sign of growth, not failure.

The personalities in the booth matter, but the race should always remain the protagonist. The best commentary helps viewers disappear into the action rather than reminding them who’s holding the microphone.

Billy Yang and Mountain Outpost have fundamentally raised expectations for live production. The next leap won’t come from another drone or another camera angle. It will come from helping fans understand why every moment matters.

Play 8 Bit Trail Running and race like your Slim Tallsley.

"But Zach Miller is not interesting because he is old. He is interesting because he still races like the fight is personal.

At Hardrock, when the day went bad, he still wanted to know where the guys ahead of him were. At Worlds, he still wanted Adam Peterman. Even in a workout in Bend, he joked about not wanting someone to beat him. That part is not gone. Maybe it never goes.

Full article by Bryce Carlson