26 Comments
User's avatar
Peter Bromka's avatar

Holy moly, this is so well stated! Not coming in hot, arriving with thoughtful reflection and context. Beautifully said! Thanks

Howie Goldklang's avatar

Thank you , really appreciate it. Hopefully certain people in Germany and France do too?

Daniel Shemesh's avatar

Is your point that this race/show/event was a failure of running’s values because satisfy is cringe and doesn’t belong in the scene?

Howie Goldklang's avatar

No there is room for everyone in the run community but if you plod on, unchecked, shit like this is gonna happen.

Daniel Shemesh's avatar

You wrote that it seemed like harmless fun for the people that went so maybe it’s a good thing stuff like this happens but to each their own.

Howie Goldklang's avatar

100% and lean heavy on the “maybe” part 😂

Daniel Shemesh's avatar

Lol it just clicked for me. This isn’t about values. You just a little bummed you weren’t invited to the thing 😂 I feel that

Howie Goldklang's avatar

Haha not at all but I get why you’d think that

Chris Z's avatar

This is so much on point. Probably the best piece about this causa I've read so far.

Howie Goldklang's avatar

Thank you , you should play next time. Just not with satisfy.

Hannah Singleton's avatar

I'm super interested in this entire topic (not on a side at all just reading perspectives), but this whole piece is giving the sorta tryna be insider energy you seem repelled by? You don't offer any examples or give enough details for people just joining in on this to really understand what's going on? Was this really an environmental nightmare? If so, how?

Howie Goldklang's avatar

I hear you. I’m a generalist here, not an insider. The piece was a reaction to a cultural moment, not a reported investigation for dateline. On the environmental thing , the only reference I made was to Satisfy’s great stewardship work over the years, so not sure if that’s what you’re referencing? And yea I like reading the perspectives too. Interesting what comes up for people

Hannah Singleton's avatar

Maybe I misunderstood but it seems like you're saying this event seemed misaligned from the environmental stewardship they're building, and I was curious how?

Howie Goldklang's avatar

Ohhh got it. Just making a point if anybody is gonna cut them slack and point out the good work they’ve done with environmental leadership earlier in their brand story, things like this desert party ruin that quickly.

Theodore Joel's avatar

bro snapped on this one. well said!

Howie Goldklang's avatar

Ha. I’m quite unsnapped. I have a feeling people defending the event are the ones who gonna snap

Max's avatar

On point. I find the backlash quite refreshing. It shows that running has become a bit more self-aware, which feels like another step toward a culture that no longer relies on borrowed aesthetics.

Howie Goldklang's avatar

Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts

Maxwell E's avatar

There is an epidemic of AI prose in trail running Substack, although I agree with your main points.

Howie Goldklang's avatar

Nah b and the irony is that the most AI sounding prose in running right now is coming from the brands I wrote about 😂

Grace Cook's avatar

lol I have no vested interest. I was simply in attendance, unlike the rest of the internet.

Howie Goldklang's avatar

You’re right. Thanks for the clarification. Updated it.

Howie Goldklang's avatar

Serious q: you flew yourself there, paid for all your meals and left with no free swag?

Grace Cook's avatar

This question is irrelevant in the context of a a vested interest. A vested interest implies I stand to gain or lose based on public perception of the event. I’m a journalist and this was a work trip, just like lots of other work trips I go on. Nothing more and nothing less.

Not that it’s any of your business (!), but I paid for myself to stay in Arizona for 3 nights prior (expensive), and I did pay for some meals and coffee. My friend also spent $300 on a car to drive us there. Please don’t make assumptions to fit a narrative about something and someone you know very little about.

Raziq Rauf's avatar

Let's get matching neck tats (go for a run along Fletcher) next month.