Athletes to Watch: Josiah Middaugh

Athletes to Watch: Josiah Middaugh


Posted by: Tom Boyd

Josiah Middaugh is a perennial force in the Mountain Games and a 10-time GMC Ultimate Mountain Challenge (UMC) champion. When he’s not running or pedaling up the mountains in and around Vail in rapid succession or overtaking his own records swimming laps, he’s taking his multi-sport prowess around the globe. He earned the status of XTERRA World Champion in 2015 and has nabbed the XTERRA National Champion title a whopping 14 times.

While the UMC is not happening at the Mountain Games in 2021, Middaugh is always a threat in every competition he enters – particularly the grueling Junk Brands Pepi’s Face-Off. In 2019, Middaugh was on the heels of eventual winner Andy Wacker down to the final (sixth) lap – a feat especially impressive considering that racers haul directly up and down Pepi’s Face, a super steep ski slope. To further prove that Middaugh’s endurance and speed are at least partially genetic, his son Sullivan was right behind him in 2019. Both Middaughs ended up on the podium.

The Junk Brands Pepi’s Face-Off returns to the Mountain Games featuring 30 minutes of uphill/downhill running on Vail Mountain for athletes of all abilities.

Share this Story:

Share this Story: