How Tejas Trails Built a Texas Trail Running Legacy with Chris McWatters and David Smithey

Chris McWatters and David Smithey of Tejas Trails join the Happy Cast to talk about the races that have become Texas trail-running institutions—and the stories behind keeping them alive. From Rocky Raccoon and Bandera to the beautifully brutal Cactus Rose, Chris and Dave share what makes these events special, why self-sufficiency is part of the culture, and what it takes behind the scenes when Mother Nature decides to completely wreck the plan. There are cows eating course markers, emergency race relocations and, naturally, Andrew providing medical assistance while dressed as a chicken.

Then we get into Tejas Trails’ newest experiment: the Frio Trio Zero Edition. Taking over the Frio Valley for a weekend, the event brings together night trail running, gravel biking, traditional trail racing, river floating and a full weekend built around the outdoor community. Chris and Dave explain how the idea grew out of an invitation from the communities around Leakey, Concan and Garner State Park—and why they decided to make the inaugural edition intentionally affordable while encouraging racers to spend their money with local businesses.

We also talk about what makes a race worth creating when the calendar is already packed, the nerves that come with producing something completely new, and why the best adventures usually involve accepting that something is probably going to go wrong. Plus, Stephanie enters another school year surrounded by teenage drivers, Chris discovers the limitations of simultaneously having busted toes and a bad shoulder, Dave can't stop thinking about a chicken-fried steak, and Andrew mysteriously disappears from his own podcast exactly as everyone predicted.

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Have a topic you'd like to hear discussed in depth, or a guest you'd like to nominate? Email us at info@happyendingstc.org