Singletrack

Hans Troyer Delivers, Molly Seidel’s Wild Debut + Historic Women’s Race (Black Canyon Recap)

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 (https://www.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 (https://nordarun.com/) * Raide - Making equipment for efficient human-powered movement in the mountains (https://raideresearch.com/singletrack) * Janji - premium trail running apparel (https://janji.com/pages/singletrack) Follow Singletrack on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runsingletrack/ Subscribe to Singletrack on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/singletrack/id1572382413 Subscribe to Singletrack on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7jAsWCRNSCU8nh81vrAaC2?si=3ac02e4e32b946c4