Anthony Costales on Smashing Course Records, Chasing States, & Sharpening His Competitive Edge

The Black Canyon 100k in Arizona is one of the most competitive ultras in the US. As the penultimate Hoka Golden Ticket Race promising automatic entry into this year’s Western States 100 to the top two female and male finishers, its elite field runs deep, meaning finishing times are often blisteringly fast. The men’s course record, set all the way back in 2016, was considered among the stoutest in the sport, that is until Anthony Costales, clad in his college singlet and sun hat, dropped it by a dizzying 19 minutes just a few weeks ago. So, we caught up with Anthony to recap his race; learn how he changed his preparation after finishing 5th at the BC100k last year; chat about how he’s approaching Western States; and a whole lot more.

TOPICS & TIMES

• The ultra learning curve (3:35)
• ‘Which is harder to recover from, a road marathon or a trail race?’ (4:29)
• Taper tantrums! (7:08)
• Thoughts on having a coach vs. being self-coached (7:51)
• Chico State, a pipeline to the trails? (9:35)
• Balancing running with his job as a PE teacher (16:05)
• Transitioning to the trails after college (17:56)
• The ups and downs of increasing distance (22:01)
• Black Canyon 100k race recap (24:17)
• Aid station lemon pound cake (27:30)
• Racing for the love of competition (29:59)
• Preparing for Western States ’23 (36:22)
• What he learned from his debut 100-miler (39:44)
• Race livestreams & drone footage galore (41:27)

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