Owner of Grit and Granite

Austin began endurance running in the 3rd grade. Although his first love was wrestling, he spent most of the off season increasing his endurance by running. After running his first marathons out of high school and competing in Ironman triathlons, he found the world of mountain running during undergrad and it really took off while getting his masters in geology at the University of Washington. Since then, he has competed at a high level in some of the toughest mountain ultramarathons in the lower 48 but his true love is travelling in the North Cascades, somewhere far off a trail and high in the alpine with his dog Leo. During the winter, he will often swap trail running shoes for skis on weekends.

Austin has coached high school XC, wrestling, and rock climbing. His coaching style blends a science-backed, data-driven training approach with a supportive, athlete-first philosophy. He also uses proven endurance physiology, HR-based training, structured progression, and long-term development principles, but pairs it with encouragement, positivity, and a belief that joy, confidence, and consistency are the core drivers of performance.

When not in the mountains, Austin is teaching 8th grade science, playing the guitar, or enjoying his local Costco.

Notable Adventures

While not a comprehensive list of every major outing I’ve had (Mainly in the North Cascades), this list is comprised of some of my most memorable ones that are at the very least a 50k in length. Repeats of routes are not listed.

UltraSignup Race Results

Ptarmigan Traverse 2024 (32.5 miles, 14.3k ft gain, 21.5 hours)

North Cascades Traverse 2024 (163 miles, 47k ft gain, 134 hours)

Outlaw Traverse 2023 (98 miles, 29.5k ft gain, 75.5 hours)

Mount Olympus C2C 2022 (44 miles, 10k ft gain, 13.5 hours)

Hart’s Pass —> Cascade Pass 2020 (61 miles, 9.1k ft gain, 16 hours)

Glacier Peak C2C 2020 (34.5 miles, 10.7k ft gain, 12 hours)

Enchantments Enchainment 2019 (34 miles, 15k ft gain, 20.5 hours)

Mountain Adams Traverse FKT 2019 (31.5 miles, 10.5 hours)

Grand Canyon R2R2R 2019 (50 miles, 10k ft gain, 15 hours)

Spider Gap —> Buck Pass Loop 2018 (38 miles, 9.2k ft gain, 12.5 hours)

The Heart and Soul of Grit and Granite

Leo has 13 years of experience in traveling through the mountains. Since he was a wee lad, his #1 love has been spending time outside. Some of his most notable accomplishments include scaling some of the tallest peaks in the Cascades, running Section J of the PCT in just over a day, and completing a long list of ultra marathon routes in the North Cascades with his own four feet. He retired from long distance trail running in 2021 but still enjoys backpacking, hiking, and an occasional short run on the trails!

At just 10 pounds, he is proof that it’s not about the size of the dog, but about the size of the fight in the dog. He is the embodiment of what Grit and Granite is about.

Leo is always working behind the scenes in supporting Grit and Granite. Without him, none of this would be possible!

Notable Adventures

PCT Section J 2020 (75 miles, 15.5k ft gain, 36 hours)

Goat Rocks 2020 (18 miles, 4.8 ft gain, 5 hours)

Mount Maude 2019 (17 miles, 7.3 ft gain, 9 hours)

La Bohn Traverse 2019 (33 miles, 9.6k ft gain, 8 hours)

Summer Solstass 25k 2019 (16.5 miles, 4.1k ft gain, 3.5 hours)

Tomlike Mountain 2019 (23 miles, 5.2 ft gain, 5.5 hours)

Buck Mountain Circumnavigation 2018 (34 miles, 8.6k ft gain, 13 hours)

Tower Mountain Out and Back 2018 (27.5 miles, 6.5k ft gain, 9.5 hours)

Chinidere Mountain Loop 2018 (24.5 miles, 6.3k ft gain, 5.5 hours)