Loading episode…
Loading episode…

Episode context
Listen here or keep browsing the show and related sport coverage from here.
Karina Andersen is a 23-year-old skyrunner, former University of Colorado track athlete, and holder of the fastest known women's time on the Matterhorn's Lion Ridge, which she ran unsupported from Cervinia in 5:14:53 this August.
In this conversation, Buzz and Karina get into why a 10K on the track might be harder than the Matterhorn, what happened when she walked off her NCAA team and into the Skyrunner World Series two months later, and why she spent three summers learning one mountain before she ran it. They also cover getting chased by a herd of goats on record day, what an underdeveloped prefrontal cortex has to do with alpinism, the double standard on risk for women in the mountains, and her long-game plan to get into France's elite ENSA guide school. Karina also talks with care about her friend Kalie McCrystal, the Canadian skyrunner who was lost on the Matterhorn on September 1 while scouting her own record attempt.
This episode is brought to you by Wahoo KICKR RUN, the treadmill that matches your pace automatically and simulates real terrain from a 3% decline to a 15% incline. Learn more at wahoofitness.com.
The Buzz is part of the UltraSignup Podcast Network.
Next listen
All from The Buzz →
Next listen
Hardrock 100's New Inclusion Policy, Explained by the Board Members Who Wrote It
Listen guide
"Why a Track 10K Is Harder Than the Matterhorn with Karina Andersen" is an episode of The Buzz. Runtime 1 hr 13 min. Published October 6, 2026. Hit play above to stream it here, or open the free Spot Sports app for background play and offline downloads.