The Guy With The Shirt!

UTMB Canyons 25K race report.

On April 24, I ran the UTMB Canyons 25K in Auburn, CA, to kick off my 2026 racing season. And though I fell short of my overall goal, I learned some lessons and accomplished a few things that made me proud.

After more than 20 years of racing, I am used to waking up early for a 6 a.m. start. So for Friday’s race it was strange to wait until 4 p.m. to toe the line. But my pre-race routine was largely the same: coffee and a bagel for breakfast, yoga, stretching, and muscle activation, followed by a short shakeout run. Then, just wait.

About 90 minutes before the race, I drank my Precision Fuel & Hydration 1500mg sodium solution to make sure I started well hydrated, and right before the race I had one 30g gel. In my belt I carried gels, electrolyte capsules, and two 500ml flasks with water. My plan was simple: refuel every 30 minutes and refill water at aid stations.

The race started and finished in downtown Auburn, and the course was essentially an out and back on the Western States trails due east towards Cool. It was sunny and warm, in the high 60s, which felt more like 70s or 80s on the exposed sections at high effort. With about 2,400 ft. of vertical gain, there were only two big climbs, the rest was classic, fairly runnable Northern California trail surfing.

At the start, a group of 20 or so elite runners took off first, then 3 minutes later everyone else funneled through a small gate to avoid congestion at the trail head. Next to me, a runner gave me a fist bump and said, “I like your shirt, brother.” And when the race organizers asked who wanted to go through the funnel first, the same runner pointed at me and yelled, “The guy with the shirt!”

The start was fast. The first section was a short road climb towards Robie Point then downhill to the trails that lead to the legendary No Hands Bridge at mile 3.5, the first aid station. By that point, I had passed a lot of runners, even on narrow trail descents, and was in 7th place overall. This was much speedier than last year, and I felt good about my chances of achieving my goal of finishing in 3 hours.

But the first big climb slowed me down quite a bit. Had I gone out too fast? Hands on knees, I finished the 1 mile climb and made it to the second aid station. Then soaked my feet in the bogs and creek crossings along the 2 mile loop around Cool. After refilling my bottles at mile 8.5 it was time to head back to Auburn. But although I had energy to keep going, my legs felt exhausted.

The downhill towards No Hands Bridge at mile 12.5 was smooth but not as quick as I’ve done before. From there I had only 3 miles to go, mostly uphill. Slowly, with a combo of jogging and walking I made it to Robie Point, and soon heard the cheers of the crowd and music at the finish line. I ran it in, and as I crossed the finish line in 3 hours and 50 minutes the song that was playing made me feel like dancing.

Post-race, I had mixed emotions. I missed my goal of finishing in 3 hours but was happy with my fast, confident start. My body also reminded me to focus on hydrating more during strong efforts. And I finished 8th in my M55-59 age group, which accomplished by B goal of being in the top 10, despite finishing 30 minutes slower than last year. I think Mick Jagger summed it up nicely:

You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometime you'll find
You get what you need 🎵

Throughout the race, I got lots of comments on my race kit, and my shirt, which made me smile and feel proud to be a Precision Fuel & Hydration ambassador. So, I am happy that my race season has started, and that I showed up and tried to really race. Now, to recover, start a new training block, and get ready for my next race!