Why Skimo Builds Better Mountain Athletes with Max King

Trail running legend and multi-time national champion Max King joins us on Skimo Gold for a wide-ranging conversation about mountain sports, aging as an endurance athlete, and why ski mountaineering might be the ultimate cross-training tool.

Max shares how watching European mountain runners—especially athletes like Kilian Jornet—inspired him to pick up skimo as a winter training strategy. What started as cross-training turned into racing, and he now credits ski mountaineering with elevating his performance in iconic mountain events like the legendary Mount Marathon Race in Seward, Alaska.

We dig into:

• Why skiing uphill builds specific muscular endurance for mountain running
• How Max balances 40–50 miles of running per week while ski training
• The physiology behind skimo as preparation for steep European mountain races
• Training structure: threshold work, VO2 intervals, and race prep on skis
• The role of friendly rivalry in staying sharp

Max also opens up about his evolving perspective as a veteran athlete in a sport now filled with teenagers and 20-somethings—and how experience, strength, and durability shift over time.

Beyond racing, Max is building the future of U.S. skimo. He shares the story behind launching a youth ski mountaineering program in Bend, Oregon—growing from just a few kids to a developing middle school team that’s starting to show up at regional races. It’s grassroots development in action, modeled after programs like Silver Fork, and a glimpse into how the U.S. can continue closing the gap internationally.

We also touch on:

• His return attempt at the brutal Barkley Marathons
• The evolution of skimo in the Olympics
• What it means to see U.S. athletes qualify on the world stage

This episode is about longevity, mountain culture, cross-sport performance, and investing in the next generation.

If you’re a runner curious about skimo, a skier looking to get faster uphill, or a coach building youth programming, this one’s for you.

Let’s go!

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Skimo Gold is produced by Palm Tree Pod Co.