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The Western States Revenge Game
Published 4 months ago • 6 min read
Rest Day Live is back tonight to with Tim Tollefson in the co-host chair. We'll be joined at the top by Tyler Andrews, fresh off his FKT ascent of Mt. Everest!
Run of show:
Tyler Andrews Everest FKT Interview
Kilian's Zegama report
Jeff Mogavero's Western States training block
OCC course change
Xavier Thevenard's comeback
Strava File of the Week
Bonus Miles: The Enhanced Games shenanigans (Join Freetrail Pro to access)
We'll be LIVE on YouTube starting at 5pm PT tonight.
Among sporting fans and commentators, there's a popular concept to describe an athlete or team carrying a psychological edge into a contest: The Revenge Game.
A revenge game narrative can take many shapes. The star quarterback who gets traded and faces his former team/coach for the first time. The team who competes angrily in the game following a humiliating loss. The athlete searching for redemption after a high-profile public failure.
Revenge games are colored by emotion, evolving competition from games of technical skill to games of overcoming and transformation. Revenge games have depth and fans connect with an athlete's desire to settle a score, prove someone wrong, or rewrite a painful chapter.
It's officially June, which means I've begun my annual process of ingesting and synthesizing copious amounts of historical Western States information - re-reading articles, watching old interviews, pouring over results, and analyzing start lists. I never tire of this yearly immersion in the magic of our sport's most legendary event. As I was contemplating things this week, it dawned on me that there will be a significant revenge game narrative in the 2026 edition.
Some examples:
Adam Peterman - The 2022 champion who fell apart in the canyons in 2025, still gutting out a proud, though disappointing, 23 hour finish.
Tara Dower - The pre-race favorite in 2025 who succumbed to a horribly timed illness in the days leading up to the race, ultimately relenting to DNF.
Jim Walmsley - The 2024 champion who was unable to redeem his M1 bib due to injury in 2025, witnessing his remarkable course record challenged seriously for the first time.
Riley Brady - The long-course super star who hasn't been able to get it right in two previous attempts - 14th in 2023, DNF in 2025 - returning after securing one of the final Golden Tickets, hoping that third time's a charm.
Hayden Hawks - A DNS due to injury in 2025, the two-time podium finisher returns to cougar hunt after securing the final Golden Ticket in 2026.
Will Murray - The rising star and Javelina course record holder finally makes his Western States debut after a horribly timed ankle injury forced a late scratch in 2025.
As the sport matures, the most competitive races are won on the margins. In those situations, an athlete's motivation level and emotional profile can make the difference between winning and losing. Each of the above contenders will enter the 2026 race with a desire advantage over the field based on prior disappointments, potentially creating a deeper emotional reservoir to draw from as fatigue accumulates and competition heats up.
My theory is that embracing a Revenge Game attitude will put one of these heroic athletes over the top in 2026. Who will it be?
The other reason revenge games were in my head this week has nothing to do with trail running, but I feel compelled to share it here anyway.
A good friend of my brother and I, Michael Preysman, is the founder of Everlane - a revolutionary direct-to-consumer fashion brand who pioneered the idea of radical transparency in pricing and supply chain. Michael left the company a few years ago and last week it was announced Everlane is being acquired by Shein - the fast fashion, factory-direct brand from China. The news was met with uproar from the fashion community and surprised Michael himself. Worried the new owner represents the antithesis of the original mission of the brand, Michael was motivated to get off the sidelines and back in the game himself.
Last week he put up a landing page that signaled his intentions.
I started Everlane in 2011. Last week, the current management team sold it to Shein. So we’re starting over. Same principles, but a new take. And this time: no venture capital, no private equity. Sign up is required. I’ll email you. - Michael Preysman, founder of Everlane
This is the business equivalent of a revenge game and I'm so excited to see what Michael does as a result of his renewed motivation.
When I saw the news, I sent a note of congratulations to Michael, communicating my desire to be involved. He responded simply: "One last job."*
Love,
DBo
*this makes sense only to regular newsletter readers 😉
Patagonia Capilene® Cool Sun Hoody
Introducing Patagonia's fastest-wicking tech tee ever, with 40+ UPF knit right in. The Capilene® Cool Sun Hoody recently became the most versatile and useful piece in my shred wardrobe. A true 12-month garment, it's kept me warm on cool spring mornings, and looking ahead towards summer in the alpine, it's the perfect option to stay cool and protected from intense UV exposure.
The Capilene® Cool Sun Hoody was the first thing I threw in my luggage when headed to Taos for my Hardrock camp. Sun protection, warp-speed wicking, and lightweight material make it the perfect all-arounder. In line with the Patagonia ethos - own fewer things and use them often.
Design features:
Buttoned hood closure
Thumbholes on the sleeve
Zippered pocket that doubles as a stuff sack
It's high-output breathability with UPF that won't wash out. This thing will live on my body or in my hydration vest all summer long.
+ Tyler Andrews successfully completed a years long project, setting a new oxygen-assisted ascent FKT on Mt. Everest. Tyler is coming on the show tonight to talk about it, but iRunFar wrote an article on the effort that is well worth reading.
+ We're playing fantasy for both the European Off-Road Championships and Sunapee Scramble this weekend. The Euro champs fields are loaded across disciplines - Uphill, Trail (52k), and Classic (13k). Meanwhile some of North America's best short-course specialists are tangling at Sunapee, which has a $30k prize purse in 2026! Go pick five-deep across all for races!
+ The TrailConschedule was released on Friday, sharing much of the 2026 programming. We're very excited to welcome some of the sport's most influential voices to share their hard earned wisdom with TrailCon attendees! Free registration is still open, go reserve your spot now.
+ I just learned that Jeff Mogavero has a Substack. Oh hell yeah, instant subscribe. Last week, the fastest Western States debutant in history, and returning M4, documented a huge training week he enjoyed on the course with Jenn Lichter, Will Murray, and their coach John Fitzgerald. Can't wait to talk about this tonight.
+ Speaking of Substack, Kilian Jornet also set up an account. In his first post, the GOAT shares a bit about his return to Zegama two weeks ago, focusing on the special vibe and history of the event and the knee issue that led to a sub-optimal performance. Anxiously standing by for the foreshadowed part 2 post...
+ Last week, UTMB announced a course change for OCC - the world final for the 50k distance. The course became roughly 5k longer with similar total vertical, and a faster finish. We'll talk about how this might impact the competitive dynamic on the show tonight.
+ Three-time UTMB champion and all-time legend, Xavier Thevenard appears to be BACK. According to a post from the wildly entertaining LES GENOUX DANS LE GIF, Xavier is registered to take part in the Mont Blanc 90k. Great news for trail fans and great news for Xavier who has been public about dealing with Lyme disease in recent years.
+ After securing the top-2 positions in the UTMB men's race in 2025, ASICS appears to be doubling down. The Japanese brand announced the ASICS Basecamp in Les Houches, a village just down the road from Chamonix, where their athletes will be able to live and train in style while preparing for late summer goals.
+ There was some fast racing over the weekend highlighted by the MaXi Race in Annecy and Twisted Fork in Park City, UT. iRunFar summarized all the action well in their weekly Monday article.
Emelie Forsberg Pod
ICYMI, last week we put up a pod with all-time legend Emelie Frosberg about her remarakable career and reprioritization of high-level racing. That project started recently with an amazing 3rd place performance at Transvulcania.
Registration is still open for TrailCon, a three-day festival taking place June 22-24th in Palisade Tahoe. Secure your FREE spot to see superstar speakers including Rich Roll, Katie Schide, Travis Tygart, Sally McRae, Rachel Entrekin, and more!
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