Welcome back or welcome to the Single Track Podcast.

I'm your host, Finn Melanson, and in this episode, we're joined by Craig Thornley,

the race director of the Western States 100 ahead of this Saturday's race.

Before we get started, though, this episode is brought to you by Hoka, Rabbit, Morton, and Features.

Head to the show notes page of this episode for discount codes and new product releases from each of these four sponsors.

With that, let's get started.

Craig Thornley, it is an absolute pleasure to have you on the single track podcast. How are you doing?

Pretty good. Thanks for having me, Finn.

First question, and I'm not sure you've ever been asked us on a podcast. Maybe you haven't. I didn't do my homework.

But what is the story behind the name Lord Balls that you go by on social media?

Actually, it has been discussed.

When I first got this job, the Auburn Journal contacted me.

And they were a little bit hesitant to ask me, why is your

Twitter handle Lord Balls? You know, they were expecting some perverse meaning, which would

not be out of character with my personality and who am. But it's actually not a perverse

meaning at all.

My step-grandmother was in her final years or final weeks of life, and she had moved to Auburn.

My parents lived in Cool.

And she moved into a home in Auburn.

I didn't know her that well.

She came to Western States,

Forest Hill in 20, did 2004. And I was, I was racing top 10, you know, trying to get top 10. And I ended up puking right out, right after the aid station. I ate all this food. And I

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