Barkley Marathons is famous for suffering, but Max King explains the part most people miss: it’s a puzzle that rewards cooperation as much as fitness. We talk about why he’s drawn to deep-woods, off-trail navigation, how the old-school “tear a page from a hidden book” checkpoints actually make sense, and what it takes to build the kind of year-to-year knowledge that can move you from survival to real progress. If you’ve ever wondered why even elite runners struggle there, Max makes it painfully clear.
We also get into a major career shift: after a long run with Salomon, Max joins Kylas Fuga and breaks down what he wanted from a sponsor at this stage of his career. We talk trail running shoes in the details that matter, including durability, outsole grip, and why he’s leaning into more cushioning as he gets older. He shares what he’s using now, what he still wants for more aggressive terrain, and how he hopes the brand will reach the American trail running market through better distribution and hands-on demos.
From there, we zoom out to longevity, recovery, and the realities of coming back from injury. Max walks through his meniscus tear, what helped him return, and why rebuilding true world-championship fitness can take longer than simply running again. We also tackle the growth of trail running, the pull between UTMB-style races and World Championships, and Max’s blunt take on anti-doping: when someone cheats, it doesn’t feel theoretical, it feels like stealing from friends.
If you like smart, honest conversations about ultrarunning, adventure racing, and the future of the sport, subscribe, share this with a training partner, and leave a rating and review so more people can find the show.
Follow Max on IG - @maxkingor
Use code SteepStuff for 20% your cart on Sidas.us
Follow James on IG - @jameslauriello
Follow the Steep Stuff Podcast on IG - @steepstuff_pod
Follow Sidas USA on IG - @sidas_usa
