Event Video Production
Way Too Cool 50K Ultramarathon (Updated Event Video)
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Transcript: Way Too Cool 50K Ultramarathon (Updated Event Video)
The Way Too Cool 50K attracts runners from all over the United States to Cool, California for the experience of completing a 50K Ultra Marathon on some of the most epic trails in Northern California.
Presented by NorCals Ultras, over 200 hardworking volunteers and sponsors have made the Way Too Cool one of the most sought after 50K's in the nation.
From local supporters to major industry brands, everyone contributes to the energy and excitement of the race.
The field is a mix of all running the buildings. It's one of the great runners, the first time Ultra Marathoners, and longtime veterans like Phil Finkbiner.
**Phil Finkbiner, Veteran Ultra Marathon Runner:** I've done this every year, starting from the getting so this will be my 31st year. Julie always gives me the number, I've said my number 31. I don't have any planned equipment, so as long as I still can, I still will.
**Participant, Ultra Marathon Runner:** Today was my 6th Way Too Cool. The volunteers are amazing, the venue here, the trails are incredible, they're not too technical, but they are technical, so it's a great first 50K for anyone to run.
**Volunteer:** Our aid station is very happy and proud to be working with Gue on thir new product, Cola Me-Happy. You've got a great themed aid station and it's just a great day for a great product and a great run.
**Participant, Ultra Marathon Runner:** The Way Too Cool was a race that I'd heard about for years. It was a painful day, but it was also an incredible experience, the aid stations were awesome, the energy that was here was fun, and I've been hooked ever since, and so I think this can be my 8th year in a row of doing it.
**Participant, Ultra Marathon Runner:** I loved how the weather turned out. There's no way to cool that happens without all this rain, which is pretty awesome, and it's something that you can't necessarily predict, and I think that's something very unique to ultra running in general, so that's why I love it.
**Volunteer:** The runners love rain, they say it invigorates them, it gets them going.
**Participant, Ultra Marathon Runner:** The rain was great. When it started raining, it was like, "oh yeah, we're at Way Too cCool, because you can never predict the weather.
NorCal Ultras partners with race beneficiaries California Conservation of Trails, and Fit for Girls.
**Participant, Ultra Marathon Runner:** The ultra community, just seeing what's over the next rise, around the next corner, it means freedom to me.
**Volunteer, Participant and Ultra Marathon Runner:** This is the first ultra I ran back into the year 2000. It started in the snow. As you can see it's a little wet today, but everybody does have fun, and we have those famous cupcakes everybody's seen.
Hope to see you out here!
About This Video
This video came from a simple place: the race director saw the original Way Too Cool film and wanted an updated version.
The Way Too Cool 50K, produced by NorCal Ultras, is the kind of race people come back to year after year, and this project followed that same idea. The goal was not to recreate the original video shot for shot. It was to build on what worked, keep the identity of the event intact, and capture what felt different this time around.
This version had its own character. The weather changed, the conditions shifted, and the participant mix brought a different energy to the day. There were longtime runners coming back again, first-time ultramarathoners experiencing it for the first time, and the kind of community support that makes the race feel bigger than just the course itself. From a production standpoint, the challenge was deciding what should stay consistent and what should evolve so the final piece still felt like Way Too Cool, but also felt current to this version of the event.
That is really what makes an updated event video worthwhile. A strong new version should still feel recognizable to people who know the race, but it also has to reflect what was actually true that year. This one was built to do both.
How do you approach filming a new version of an event you have already covered?
The goal is to build on what worked without just repeating it. I start by looking at what made the original video effective, both visually and emotionally, and then I pay attention to what is different this time. That could be weather, participant mix, course conditions, or the overall energy of the day. From there, the coverage shifts so the new film feels connected to the first one, but still stands on its own.
What should change in an updated event video?
Not everything needs to change, but something should. The job is to keep the core identity of the event intact while updating the parts that reflect the current experience. Sometimes that comes from conditions, like rain or trail changes. Sometimes it comes from the people, like first-timers, returning runners, or longtime veterans. A good update keeps the event recognizable while still making it clear that this is a new version of the story.
How do you keep an updated race video from feeling repetitive?
You keep it from feeling repetitive by paying attention to what is actually different instead of forcing change for its own sake. Even when the course and format stay familiar, every race has variables: weather, pacing, runner energy, crowd presence, and the kinds of moments that end up carrying the story. Leaning into those differences is usually what gives the newer video its own identity.
What is the benefit of working with the same videographer again?
There is already a shared understanding of the event and what made the previous video successful. That means more attention can go toward refining the work, deciding what to keep, what to improve, and what to approach differently, instead of starting from zero. It also helps create consistency across multiple years while still allowing each version of the video to reflect its own conditions and atmosphere.
When should an event update its promotional video?
Usually when the current video no longer reflects what the event actually feels like. That can happen when conditions change, participation grows, the tone of the event evolves, or the organizers simply want the marketing to feel more current. Even subtle differences can justify an updated video if they change how the race is experienced and how it should be presented.
Why update a race video if the event is already well established?
Because even established events change from year to year. A race may have a strong identity, but the experience is never completely static. An updated video helps keep the promotional material aligned with what runners will actually encounter, and it shows that the event is active, current, and still worth paying attention to.
