The Next Aid Station Hayden Hawks’ protégé, Coleman Cragun
What happens when a rookie ultra runner shows up to the biggest races… and starts beating pros?
In this episode of Next Aid Station, we sit down in St. George with Coleman Cragun, one of the fastest rising names in trail running and ultrarunning. In his first year as an ultra runner, Coleman finished top 10 at major races like Canyons 50K, Broken Arrow, Speedgoat, Kodiak, and Chiang Mai… all while working a full-time job and training 20–30 hours a week.
We break down his insane rookie season, what it’s like racing against the best in the world, and why he still doesn’t have a sponsor.
In this episode:
- How Coleman Cragun went from SUU walk-on to elite trail runner
- Training with Hayden Hawks in Utah
- Losing all his gels at the start of a race… and still finishing top 5
- His first 100K experience at Black Canyon
- Why most ultra runners still have full-time jobs
- The truth about sponsorships in trail running
- Strategy shifts from surviving races to competing for podiums
If you’re into trail running, ultramarathons, UTMB, 50K and 100K racing, or want to understand what it takes to compete at the highest level, this episode delivers.