Episode
Sage Canaday on Competition, Content, and the Future of Running
- Podcast
- Free Outside
- Published
- May 29, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 4132
- Processing state
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Summary
Sage Canaday has done a lot in running. A 2:16 marathoner, mountain running champion, Western States golden ticket winner, coach, YouTuber, and one of the few people who can jump into a conversation about track workouts, UTMB, 200 milers, social media, and sports nutrition without it feeling out of place. In this episode, we talk about Sage's "Any Surface. Any Distance." philosophy and how he went from chasing Olympic Trials standards to racing ultras and building one of the longest-running YouTube channels in endurance sports. We also dive into how running has changed over the last decade. The rise of influencers, AI coaching, optimization culture, sports nutrition trends, sponsorships, and the blurry line between being a professional athlete and a content creator. Along the way, Sage shares stories from Western States, his battle with a pulmonary embolism, losing his apartment in a fire, rebuilding his career, and why he still believes there are new challenges worth chasing at age 40. We cover: • Why 100 milers humble fast marathoners • Cocodona and the rise of 200-mile racing • Social media's impact on running culture • AI coaching and the future of training • Sports nutrition, bicarb, and optimization trends • Aging as an athlete • Clean sport and performance-enhancing drugs • Western States bear encounters • Why Sage still wants to keep trying new distances Support our Sponsors: Sawyer: https://sawyerdirect.net/ Janji (code: Freeoutside): https://snp.link/a0bfb726 CS Coffee: CSinstant.coffee Garage Grown Gear: https://snp.link/db1ba8ab Subscribe to Substack: http://freeoutside.substack.com Support this content on patreon: HTTP://patreon.com/freeoutside Buy my book "Free Outside" on Amazon: https://amzn.to/39LpoSF Email me to buy a signed copy o…