The Hobby Jogger Podcast · Hosted by: WeeViews & Branch Sauce

E39 | The Art of Trail Marketing with Matt Trappe

·50 min·3 clips

Matt argues trail running needs characters, rivalries, and a little shit talk to grow.

1. The Hobby Jogger Podcast episode “E39 | The Art of Trail Marketing with Matt Trappe” centers on trail running, brand storytelling, and athlete marketing. 2. Matt Trappy joins as a brand marketer, creative director, and founder of Autair Sportif, while Casey and Rob Myers steer the conversation. 3. The episode asks how trail running can grow without losing its identity, and how athletes can turn attention into brand value. 4. Matt says he moved out of Ohio and the Cleveland area in 2005 and did not characterize himself as a runner then. 5. He describes himself as a soccer player growing up and says running arrived later, after college and during his time in Chicago. 6. Casey and Rob connect that background to a common pattern in trail running, where former soccer players often transition well into ultras. 7. The discussion turns to trail season and how Matt watches both race outcomes and the industry response to those results. 8. Matt says he is interested in how brands use “cultural moments” and how product and storytelling evolve with the sport. 9. The hosts bring up athlete-led brands like Grayson Murphy’s Paper Company, Dirt Brigade, and Roman Run. 10. Matt says the barrier to entry is lower now because the internet has “democratized” product creation and promotion. 11. He says athlete branding can diversify income and make careers less dependent on a single sponsor. 12. Matt also says some athletes want to run and train only, so brands should help them with YouTube, social media, and training resources. 13. The hosts joke about mainstream sponsorships for Jim Walmsley, Courtney, and Katie Scheid, and Matt says it would not shock him. 14. He points to Cortez-style crossover examples such as Kodiak Cakes and says running is already permeating broader culture. 15. The conversation expands into whether trail running needs more rivalry, character, and visible conflict to attract an audience. 16. Matt compares the sport to poker, wrestling, and the “WWF,” and the hosts say drama and banter can help live streams retain viewers. 17. The tone stays conversational and local, with references to Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Colorado, and a shared running background. 18. The format is a long-form interview with co-host banter, side examples, and repeated back-and-forth rather than a scripted segment. 19. Listeners who like trail running, athlete branding, and sports marketing will get the most from this episode. 20. Listeners who want only race previews and no industry discussion may skip it.

As heard by us

Trail running gets a marketer's-eye treatment without losing the runner-level detail.

The Hobby Jogger treats running and branding as part of the same conversation, with a bigger question underneath: how a niche trail scene turns into something people want to watch, follow, and argue about.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You want runner-to-runner talk that also circles through marketing, Western States, and the sport's rivalries.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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