The Freetrail Podcast with Dylan Bowman Tom Evans & Nina Engelhard | #5 Trail Runner of the Year
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Jan 6, 2026 Tom Evans, a professional ultramarathon runner and 2025 UTMB champion, shares insights on balancing family life with elite running while discussing his unconventional training for upcoming races like Hard Rock. Nina Engelhard, a trail and mountain runner who won double gold at the World Championships, talks about her surprising success, mixing cross-training with low mileage, and finding mental recovery in solitude. Both athletes highlight the importance of process in their athletic journeys and discuss their future ambitions.
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Train Your Own Way
- Prepare uniquely for races instead of copying others' builds; train to your strengths and context.
- Tom used creative research (even asking ChatGPT) but plans a different, personalized approach for Hard Rock.
Fix Downhill Weaknesses Directly
- Improve downhill ability by learning from British fell runners and practicing technical descents.
- Tom will do a fell running season to gain downhill speed and confidence for mountain races.
Summer In Chamonix Beat Any Trophy
- Tom's favorite non-running highlight was spending a summer in Chamonix with family, playing board games and living simply.
- That wholesome time helped him enter races happy and resilient, which he values above marginal training tweaks.