Spicy Snacks and Aid Station Laughs | Food Fight Friday at the Aid Station Guest: Evan Birch

Ultra trail running is hard enough Why not make it weird, hilarious, and slightly spicy? On the latest episode of Food Fight Friday at the Aid Station, presented by Seven Summits Snacks, hosts Jason and Adam bring the fun and laughs back to endurance sports. After a brief (okay, four-week) hiatus, they’re back and ready to dig into absurd race-day food choices that will leave your stomach growling and your sides aching from laughter.

This isn’t your typical nutrition chat. It’s eat, toss, or carry where elite endurance strategy meets questionable culinary choices, all in the name of fun.

Meet Evan Birch: Spicy Food, Spicier Race

This week’s guest is Evan Birch, a Calgary-based ultra runner who recently had a spectacularly spicy DNF at the Tahoe 200. After rolling his ankle just 10km into the 200-mile adventure, Evan pulled off an ultra-human feat: limping another 17km to the next aid station before tapping out.

He may not have finished the race, but he earned gold in good humor and endurance grit. Naturally, Evan chose the “Spicy” theme over “Pizza” for this week’s challenge. Because when life gives you DNF, you make jalapeño nachos.

Eat, Toss, or Carry: The D-N-F Edition

The challenge? Choose which of three foods you’ll scarf down immediately, carry 17km to the next aid station, or banish from your race belt forever.

This week’s contenders:
🥟 Kimchi-stuffed dumplings
🌶️ Spicy nachos with extra jalapeños
🔥 Nashville Hot fried chicken

Evan’s logic?

• Eat the nachos because familiarity is less risky than spicy surprise.

• Carry the chicken wings (with a plan to rinse them in a river which is a bold move).

• Toss the dumplings, because kimchi on race day is a gastrointestinal gamble.

Bonus insights: Jalapeños make great trail weapons, and hot sauce is a questionable bear deterrent.

The Real Race-Day Fuel MVP

Evan’s secret weapon isn’t spicy, it’s savory. His go-to race food? Stove Top stuffing balls lovingly prepared by his wife. They’re portable, delicious hot or cold, and according to Evan, a true “game changer.” Move over, gels.

Wag Bags and Wild Strategies

Only ultra runners could turn waste management into a comedy segment. Evan talks about the wag bag requirement at Destination Trail events: a bring-it-with-you setup that forces runners to carry their everything between aid stations for up to 25km.

If you’re wondering how that affects food choices… let’s just say spicy nachos might come with consequences.

What’s Coming Next on Run Tri Bike

• 🍫 Evan’s getting a snack-filled Explorer Bar prize box from Seven Summits Snacks.

• 🥘 Next guest: Alissa Lay from Virginia with a regionally-inspired food challenge (fried green tomatoes, anyone?).

• 🎥 Don’t miss Episode 4 of Crossing Lines dropping midweek, featuring guests from Nolan’s series.

• 🍿 A virtual film screening watch party is also on the horizon, with access open through June 30th.

So, whether you’re prepping for your next ultra, triathlon, or just here for the fun, Food Fight Friday at the Aid Station presented by 7 Summits Snacks proves it doesn’t have to be that serious.

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