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A two-loop skyrace sounds straightforward until you’re halfway through lap one and realize the real battle is in your head. We sit down with Morgan Elliott just before Whiteface Skyrace in upstate New York, where family is nearby, the terrain is steep, and the season is already packed with travel, racing, and big expectations.

We get into what makes Whiteface different: a double-loop format, ski resort climbing that can feel brutally simple, and the mental math of how hard you can push when you know you have to do it all again. Morgan shares how he thinks about effort management, why he’d rather negative split than go out blazing hot, and how tricky it can be when multiple races start together and the early pack might be running a shorter distance.

From there we zoom out to the US Skyrunning Series and the larger skyrunning world, including how points, finals, and prize purses shape a season without fully defining it. Morgan talks about chasing experiences as much as results, why Alaska’s running community feels more like Europe’s fan culture, and the honest truth that winning without real competition can feel like nothing. We wrap with a fun detour into iconic courses like Quest for the Crest and Broken Arrow, and what great course design really takes.

If you care about skyrunning, trail running strategy, mountain racing culture, and how elite athletes stay motivated, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a training partner, and leave a review with the race you most want to see Morgan take on next.

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