Allie McLaughlin is a daily on the Damaged Arrow Skyrace, having raced yearly since 2021. On this interview, our first with Allie, she talks about her prolonged mountain operating profession, what retains her coming again to Damaged Arrow, her return to shorter distance racing after making an attempt just a few 50-kilometer races, and adjustments she’s seen within the occasion within the a few years she’s been part of it. Additionally, particular visitor appearances by four-legged mates Harley and Paha.
For extra on who’s racing, try our in-depth Ascent and 23k previews and observe our dwell race protection of the Ascent on Friday and the 23k on Sunday.
[Editor’s Note: If you are unable to see the video above, click here to access it.]
Allie McLaughlin Pre-2025 Damaged Arrow Skyrace Interview Transcript
iRunFar: Meghan Hicks of iRunFar. I’m with Allie McLaughlin. It’s a day earlier than the Damaged Arrow Ascent and a few days earlier than the 23k. You’re a common right here at this race. I’m the beginner. Hey.
Allie McLaughlin: Hello. Yeah. Thanks for saying that. I do really feel prefer it’s slightly residence turf.
iRunFar: Yeah. You’ve been at this race yearly since 2021?
McLaughlin: Yeah. And yeah. Harley, my canine has been right here for 4 years, after which Paha has been right here final yr and this yr. I did the Triple Crown [of the Ascent, 46k, and 23k events at Broken Arrow] my very first yr and I had by no means run that far. I’d by no means run a 50k and I had by no means run that far in three days. And I got here out like, not injured, which was a giant milestone for me, and so, and identical to the folks right here within the mountains. I undoubtedly fell in love with it. So it’s been a staple ever since.
iRunFar: Superb. I need to again up just a bit bit and speak about your profession with mountain operating and path operating. You’ve been within the sport for over a decade at this level. iRunFar has been form of watching you from afar.
McLaughlin: Oh, thanks.
iRunFar: It’s our first on digital camera interview with you so I’d simply love to listen to, by the best way, we do have a canine state of affairs right here with Ally’s canine Paha and Harley roaming round, so that you would possibly hear slightly little bit of that, nevertheless it’s superior. Yeah. Inform us just a bit bit about your now intensive mountain and path operating profession.
McLaughlin: Yeah. So I began, I graduated from CU Boulder in February 2013.
iRunFar: Okay.
McLaughlin: After which in 2014 was my first path races, with Pikes Peak Ascent, and I made the U.S. group that yr. So, that was my first yr making the basic group after which I made it this yr 11 years later and it’s so particular to have, like, been round that lengthy. Lots of people are mentioning it now which makes me really feel form of previous for a brief distance, however I’m simply, like, making an attempt to keep in mind that I’m not. However, yeah, it’s been so particular to observe particularly seeing shorter distance get extra consideration now. I believe it was, yeah, undoubtedly ultras for a very long time. And I attempted the extremely. I attempted the 50ks and I beloved it. I did okay at it, however I’m undoubtedly, I decided after final yr that I need to return all the way down to, like, marathon and beneath, particularly, like, two hour races are form of, is my candy spot. And, yeah, possibly I’ll return to the 50ks, nevertheless it’s been so cool to observe folks, too, within the sport and watch them, like, yeah. Simply all of us form of develop up collectively. We see the younger children. We see folks nonetheless round and, yeah, it’s loopy to assume it’s been eleven years.
iRunFar: My favourite half about your outcomes is like, a pair occasions you’ve bopped as much as just like the 50k distance, form of like the standard trajectory for an off-road runner. They’re like, okay mountain operating, shorter trails, extremely, after which it simply retains getting longer and longer, however I really feel like you could have crept as much as the 50ks and then you definitely’ve been like, nope. Going again to it.
McLaughlin: Yeah. And you understand, I believe, I imply a part of it was, I believe we get pleasure from what we’re good at and I began to see slightly success early within the 50k, after which after which it received tougher. You assume issues normally, you get higher at them and for some motive it was getting tougher. And you understand, the competitors’s all the time going up too. In order that’s the factor, however I spotted I get pleasure from, like, redlining from the beginning.
iRunFar: And staying redlined.
McLaughlin: Yeah. Yeah. And you’ll’t do this essentially and run effectively in a 50k. I imply, possibly we will, with the best, like, I don’t know. With the best coaching and the best day however, yeah. Undoubtedly coming again to the shorter stuff. And once more, I believe with the discuss within the sport it’s. It’s like whenever you become old you lose pace and you need to go up, and which may occur, and I’m positive it’ll at a degree, however I don’t need to let it occur but.
iRunFar: You’re prepared to stick with the shorter and quicker stuff.
McLaughlin: Yeah, completely. And it’s solely getting quicker, which is form of scary, but additionally tremendous cool.
iRunFar: You might be maintaining simply positive.
McLaughlin: Oh, thanks.
iRunFar: It was simply three weekends in the past that was the 2025 U.S. Mountain Operating Championships. You had been on the ladies’s podium there. You certified for group USA to signify The USA at one other World Mountain Operating Championships. You might be maintaining simply positive.
McLaughlin: Yeah. Thanks for the reminder. [laughs] Yeah. That was a brilliant enjoyable race. Realizing Anna [Gibson] and Lauren [Gregory].
iRunFar: That is wonderful. [remarking about the dogs]
McLaughlin: Anna and Lauren. I’ve identified Lauren for a really very long time. I’ve seen her form of develop up within the sport, and to know the way quick they’re on the monitor. I by no means actually received to essentially dwell out my monitor years. I used to be injured so much in faculty, after which I got here straight into path operating and so I by no means received to see what I may have carried out on the monitor, and so to see them have these blazing occasions, Olympic Trials qualifying, and to have the ability to sustain with them, like that’s sufficient for me to love, really feel assured and funky in my skills. I’m like, yeah. If they will do this on the monitor, I simply yeah. It’s superior to maintain up with them on the mountains.
iRunFar: You retain coming again to Damaged Arrow. Like, you do numerous completely different races. There’s a pair completely different ones that you simply form of prefer to repeat. Like, I see Pikes Peak Ascent.
McLaughlin: Yeah.
iRunFar: Ally Mac there. That’s your private home turf. You reside in Colorado Springs.
McLaughlin: Completely.
iRunFar: After which there’s this race that you simply maintain coming again to, too. What’s the draw?
McLaughlin: What’s it? Yeah. Like I mentioned, it was so particular my first yr doing the Triple Crown. It was only a euphoric weekend. After which I received Harley just a few months after that race after which she got here the following yr and completed with me, and it was simply once more one other euphoric expertise. And yeah, simply the folks. I like the course. I like the village. It’s rising in such an superior method, however this yr with it like, you understand, I imply I begin to really feel previous once I’m like, oh, I don’t know if I prefer it as a lot. There’s like an excessive amount of, like, too many individuals and issues happening, however I do know with,
iRunFar: My candy, candy race is rising up. Turning into a youngster.
McLaughlin: [laughs] Completely. Completely. However I couldn’t be happier for the race administrators. They’ve been so supportive and candy to me since day one and yeah. And it’s a particular place. Northern California is all the time enjoyable to go to and I don’t have a direct reply, however it’s. It’s one among my staples. That and Pikes Peak and doubtless the Moab Path Marathon are in all probability my high three. Like, truthfully, I prefer it greater than, far more than UTMB.
iRunFar: Yeah.
McLaughlin: You understand? And the UTMB is so particular in its personal method, however these are, I really feel extra at residence at these races.
iRunFar: They’re simply completely different.
McLaughlin: Yeah.
iRunFar: Yeah. So let’s speak about this weekend particularly. Tomorrow’s race is the Ascent.
McLaughlin: Sure.
iRunFar: It’s a Mountain Operating World Cup race, however possibly extra importantly, it’s a qualifier for Workforce USA within the uphill self-discipline to signify the U.S. on the world championships this fall. I’m positive you’re right here to chase after a group spot.
McLaughlin: Completely. I made the basic group three weeks in the past, and I used to be having hip points and nearly didn’t race. And my fiance Dylan was like, he’d remind me, he’s like, effectively, you could have Damaged Arrow. The uphill is your favourite. And in that second, I’m like, no, I just like the basic. After which, after which after that race, all the things went effectively and stuff, however now I’m like, wait, no. The VK is my favourite.
iRunFar: I modified my thoughts once more.
McLaughlin: I do know. However I’m oddly nervous. The course is shortened due to wind. It’s two miles, which is so quick. And I like to coach on the incline, which is simply a mile. And so I’ve that, like, 20-minute coaching block of, like, simply going laborious for twenty minutes, however I simply assume I don’t have fairly the like, leg energy of numerous the women. Like, I believe they’ve, they could have some pace on me.
iRunFar: TBD.
McLaughlin: I’ve combined emotions concerning the shorter course, but additionally as a result of my hip form of bothers me, I’m like, oh, shorter is best there. And Dylan’s going to have the ability to journey his bike to the highest. There’s numerous professionals after which the precise race, like, oh, it’s going to be quick.
iRunFar: An additional lengthy heat up tomorrow morning.
McLaughlin: Completely. Sure.
iRunFar: The shorter the race the longer the nice and cozy up.
McLaughlin: Completely. I don’t heat up for 50ks actually, however like a VK, sure.
iRunFar: You’ve, triple topped Damaged Arrow earlier than.
McLaughlin: Sure.
iRunFar: And a number of occasions you’ve carried out each the Ascent, had a break day, after which additionally carried out the 23k on Sunday, which is what you’re doing this weekend. The 23k is, for the second time, a extremely attention-grabbing race in that they’re combining the Mountain Operating World Cup and Golden Path World Collection collectively.
McLaughlin: Sure.
iRunFar: So it’s simply combining expertise and mixing competitors. Plus there’s a bunch of like, nationwide stage kind runners from across the U.S. and Canada who’re becoming a member of the occasion too. Are you, I assume what I’m making an attempt to say is, like, the 23k goes to be fairly rattling aggressive on Sunday, however like, tomorrow, are you going to be pondering solely of tomorrow?
McLaughlin: No. Yeah. Nice query. As a result of like, I do give it some thought slightly bit as a result of I observed, particularly this yr, there’s a handful I really feel like a pair years in the past, that’s what everybody did. You do the VK and 23k. For those who’re not doing the triple crown, or in the event you both do these two or the 50k. And so, I observed this yr there’s lots of people not doing the VK.
iRunFar: They’re like, oh, you guys are rested.
McLaughlin: Yeah. And so like however truthfully, like, no. That is what I do. I do the VK and that, like, if I’m slightly. I did discover one yr, it was 2022. It was windy. Even we did go all the best way to the highest, however the tram was closed as a result of it was windy, so we needed to stroll down. Oh. And that 4 mile stroll down, like, I imply, we’re all athletes. We are able to do it. However,
iRunFar: You bought destroyed by it.
McLaughlin: I really feel like I keep in mind pondering in the course of the 23k, I simply was like, sore in bizarre spots and I’m like, I believe that was having to stroll down. And so we’re going to should stroll down tomorrow. It’s solely half the space, however I would attempt to persuade somebody to journey a motorbike up for me so I can journey again down. [laughs]
iRunFar: So you may simply cruise down and relaxation your legs.
McLaughlin: Yeah. I imply, it sounds so lazy, however I’ve realized. I’m like, I why would I do the identical factor that I do know I felt from earlier than? However, yeah. I nearly really feel higher doing each. I really feel like tomorrow form of breaks the nerves.
iRunFar: Yeah. Oh, that’s a great way to,
McLaughlin: And to return again to your level that it’s Golden Path World Collection, when I discovered that out, Golden Path World Collection is one other one among my like, I simply assume the quick distance, the competitors, I, yeah. I simply assume it’s so cool that Damaged Arrow received it, as a U.S. race. And I consider UTMB. If UTMB is the Olympics of our sport, the Golden Path Collection is the X Video games.
iRunFar: Ooh. Good metaphor.
McLaughlin: Yeah. And that pumps me up a lot, simply because I like operating. I like path operating. But when I may have been like, actually good at like, free snowboarding or one thing, I like, I believe that might have been extra, yeah. Simply extra cooler. After which seeing the place shorter path distance operating has gone. It’s so technical, it’s so intense. It’s wild, and I believe Golden Path Collection has carried out a extremely good job of showcasing that, and making it even cooler, and so to have my two favourite issues mixed is de facto particular. And yeah, I need to rip the 23k, however we’ll see. Yeah. We’ll see.
iRunFar: I believe that’s an excellent place to finish it. Your entire favorites mixed into Sunday’s race.
McLaughlin: Completely. Yeah.
iRunFar: Better of luck to you tomorrow on the Ascent. Better of luck on Sunday.
McLaughlin: Thanks.
iRunFar: Better of luck in your bid for a second spot on group USA on the world champs.
McLaughlin: Thanks.