Welcome back or welcome to the single track podcast. I'm your host, Finn Melanson, and in this

episode we're talking with Paul Huddle, the senior director of global trail running operations

for the Ironman Group. Beyond that, Paul is a former elite triathlete. He got a silver buckle at the

1997 Western States 100. He's been a race director, and he's worked extensively in endurance sports media.

In this conversation, we talk about the ongoing controversy surrounding one of the Ironman

group's newest races, that being UTNB Whistler. We talk about Iron Man Group's impression over the last

two years on the North American trail running community. and we also generally talk about the directions

our sport might be headed in the years to come. With that, let's get started. Paul Huddle,

thank you so much for joining the Single Track podcast. How are you doing today?

I'm doing great, Finn. Thanks for having me. Appreciate it. Well, first off, yeah, I appreciate you being here,

and I told you that I was probably going to monologue a little bit before we get started. And

before I get into kind of all the questions I have for you about UTMB Whistler and the direction

of our sport, I think it's important just to say a couple things to the audience

and the people that are listening and watching. First, I want to note that it was me that

sought you out and not the other way around. Like in the same way that I reached out to Gary Robbins

for a similar conversation, I've been wanting to talk with you for about five

months. So this, yeah, this comes from a place of genuine interest in the direction of our sport.

And then, you know, second, and you know this from listening to recent episodes, but I certainly

fall in the camp of trail runners who are sympathetic to what Gary

went through and what Corinne Malcolm went through and some of the other issues that have

that have cropped up for pro athletes navigating this new UTMB Ironman Partnership.

But that said, even if there are people, myself included, who don't change their

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