Matt Seidel on Racing the Oldest Ultramarathon in the US & His Rookie Year Reflections

After placing 4th at the 60th annual JFK 50 Mile, the oldest ultramarathon in the US, Matt Seidel is taking a break. The 26-year-old former D1 runner has finished in the top 6 at every trail race he’s entered this year, a successful rookie campaign that’s included multiple wins and put the rest of the sport on notice. As the 2022 season comes to a close, we caught up with Matt to talk about what he’s learned from his first year racing as an elite; why more and more road and track athletes are transitioning to the trails; who he wants to model his career after; World Cup predictions; and a whole lot more.

TOPICS & TIMES

• Matt’s post-ultra turkey trot (2:06)
• How he got into trail running (3:50)
• Inside a D1 college track & field program (9:42)
• Who he looks up to in the trail world (12:28)
• Taking bits and pieces from different training styles (16:17)
• What’s on tap for 2023? (17:30)
• Range: keeping things fresh by mixing it up (22:42)
• The JFK 50 Mile (27:13)
• Hardening the mind during a race (42:00)
• “Are you a runner or a real person?” (47:27)
• Mental vs. physical training (51:56)
• Taking up residence in the pain cave (54:52)
• Golden tickets & World Cup predictions (56:49)

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