2024 was an extraordinary year for the sport of ultra running. FreeTrail’s “Trail runner of the year” winners Katie Schide of The North Face and NNormal brand athlete Elhousine Elazzaoui both boasted wildly successful performances throughout the course of the year, breaking records in the process. Many more records also fell, including Hayden Hawks setting the bar even higher at Black Canyon 100k and the legendary Courtney Dauwalter continuing her dominance by setting a new record at the Hardrock 100. All these achievements are testaments to how much the sport has grown, with new training techniques and technology helping athletes push themselves even further than before. However, one ultra athlete caught and held my attention more than any other in 2024. In fact, I believe what he did this past year is enough to prove to the trail running world that he is the next big thing in ultra racing. If you’re a big fan of the sport, you probably already know I’m talking about Freetrail’s trail runner of the year 4th place winner David Roche, who actually had a rough beginning to his historic year.
Roche resides in beautiful Boulder Colorado with his wife and two kids, and where he coaches athletes to run ultra marathon races while also training to run them himself. Although he began the year with a second place finish at Crown King Scramble 50k in March, he was unfortunately struck by car while biking in April, which launched him 100ft into a fence and dealt him a concussion and broken wrist. He didn’t let this derail him however, and after recovering he went on to win the Silver Rush 50 miler in Leadville Colorado. However, it would be the following month in which he would shock the sport of trail running straight to it’s core, winning the Leadville 100 miler with a time of 15:26:34, shattering Matt Carpenters 19 year record of 15:42:49, a record that was said to be unbeatable. This brutal race is set around ten thousand feet above sea level, and reaches peaks of around 12,600 feet. And finally to cap off his crazy year, Roche punched his ticket to the prestigious Western States Endurance run by winning the Javelina Jundred in October.
Roche’s 2024 achievements are amazing, and are a testament to his hard work, intense training, and abundance of recovery, and these are the reasons why I think he’s gonna solidify himself as the next face of trail running. His training really is something special. “Most unique would be his ability to trust and implement non conventional methods (non conventional for runners).” said my good friend, ultra runner and Run Republic owner Joe Nakamura. “Top ultra marathoners would prioritize total weekly mileage ran for their training, with that mileage being 100 miles or more. David however trusts the aerobic stimulus provided from cross training methods, primarily cycling, to do the job for his lack of weekly mileage on foot.” This training approach keeps David from consistently relying on the constant pounding on the legs caused by running, instead giving him a way to get the same benefits in a different form of activity, which I believe may help support his longevity on the trails. In Scientific Triathlon’s interview with Roche, he stated that he “aimed to be in sub-14 minute 5k shape in altitude”. ERHS varsity cross-country and track and field athlete Daniel Brown was surprised by this training approach saying “…that’s kind of weird to train that intensely when what he’s going to end up running has more volume and less intensity.” I believe many would agree with Daniel, as training with that sort of intensity for such long races seems somewhat confusing, but Roche proves with performances that being at that fitness is in fact translating to his ultras. His insane fueling is also a major point of discussion. On an appearance on The Rich Roll Podcast he admits to training kind of like a professional eater, sometimes drinking large quantities of liquid and even sodium bicarbonate before workouts. This is to prepare his stomach to be able to handle large amounts of food and calories needed in long ultra races. This is no easy way to train and takes extreme dedication, trust me, running with a sloshing stomach is NOT fun. His recovery methods are also fascinating, as he is very recovery orientated. One recovery/race preparation method he has recently discussed was the use of hot baths before races, something that has been commonly viewed as a negative in the running world. He claims he has adapted his body to it and that it leads to a boost for his blood volume.
It seems like everything Roche does he is doing with purpose, a purpose to be the best version of himself. He has become if not one of the most sought after ultra coach in the country. He’s like trail running’s mad scientist, brewing new methods for success in a sport that is no question a war on the body and mind for anyone who takes part. With his sights now set on the Western States 100 (AKA the trail running super bowl) in June, he has one goal: to shock the world, and I wouldn’t at all be surprised if he does once again.
