The Ultra Running Guys

Tara Dower is a thru-hiker turned ultra runner who has proven to be a dominant competitor since she came on the scene just over 18 months ago. With podiums in 11 of her 12 races to date, including a 2nd place finish at the mega-competitive Run Rabbit Run 100 , 2023 is looking to be a promising year. Huge shoutout to our friend and listener Jay Pounds for putting Tara on our radar! Tara was kind en...

Canyon Woodward has been tearing up the Ultra scene with a top 50 finish at UTMB (7th American) and a 3rd place finish at the Bandera 100K this last weekend.  He's no joke.    But as good of a runner as he is, he's an even better human.  We sat and talked with him about his running adventures that included eating dirt, getting caught during a trailside bathroom stop by a p...

Callie Vinson is an expert in setting goals, putting a plan in place, and then taking action to make those goals a reality.  So much so that she was featured in the recently released Born To Run 2: The Ultimate Training Guide by our recent guests, Christopher McDougall and Eric Orton.    In this episode, Callie lays out how she was able to go from someone who was not able to walk to lunch with fri...

When it comes to people who have had massive positive impact on the sport of Ultra, Dean Karnazes makes the short list. We were honored to hang with the Ultraman Man himself to talk running, longevity, joy, and family, among other things. It was so much fun and true to form, he was pure value add! Be sure to follow him on Instagram , check out his website , and if you haven't already, pick up a co...

Since Christopher McDougall released Born To Run in 2009, the story of Caballo Blanco and "The Greatest Race The World Has Never Seen" has become a running culture staple, introducing thousands of runners to the world of ultra and building the case that our bodies are biologically designed to hit the trails.  13 years later, Chris has again teamed up with Eric Orton, the coach that took him f...

Wes Plate is one of 5 people this year to complete The Cocodona 250 and follow it up with The Triple Crown of 200s, consisting of Bigfoot 200, Tahoe 200 and MOAB 240.  In other words, he is as legit as they come.  But Wes will be the first to tell you that he is not talented and that with the right amount of hard work, anyone can tackle a 200 mile race. Be sure to tune in for this inspir...

When we asked for guest suggestions, we had an immediate response from Dylan Scaringelli and he pointed us to Eric Hewell as someone we needed to talk to. Dylan couldn't have been any more right. In 2021, Eric took on the Tuna 200 Mile Relay as a solo runner and broke the solo course record...all without having ever even raced a 50K. He has since become a UESCA certified endurance Coach and recent...

Anderson Dibble is a POWERHOUSE! Not only is she the reigning female champion for both of our races, The Hydra and The Final Countdown, but she just completed the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim (R2R2R) and is gearing up for the JFK 50 Miler . On top of all that, her positive mindset is contagious and the impact is widespread. Tune in to hear all about the lessons she has learned, her go to nutriti...

When Anton Simorov first visited Colorado, it changed his life. And then a year and a half ago, despite having never yet run an ultra, he decided he wanted to find out if he had what it takes to conquer the legendary Leadville 100. He hired a coach, laid out a plan, and on August 21st of this year, he toed the line at Leadville. We sat down to talk with him about his preparation, his mindset, and...

There is so much we could say about Aaron Saft: He is a ridiculously accomplished runner who just nailed the Bigfoot 200. He hosts the MR Running Pains Podcast and provides a ton of value. He has all kinds of letters that come after his name because of all his certifications. But his biggest claim to fame has to be that he is Jeff's coach, and he has yet to fire Jeff which speaks volumes about his...

Owen Thornton ran his first marathon at 15. And then his first 50 Miler at 16. And at 17? He took 1st place in his first 100 mile finish at the Vagabond Endurance Unico 100 last December. Epic. 🤘 And while we are at Unico this year he will be chasing the elites at the Javelina 100 with many of our other previous guests. Tune in, check out his story, and hear how this 18 year old has already snagg...

Meg Landymore is legit.  Not only is she the current female course record holder for both the Georgia Jewel 100 and the Tennessee Mile 40 hour events, but she recently finished logging 2,194 miles to complete the entire Appalachian Trail.  And now that she is done?  She is facing down the Grindstone 100 on September 16th.  We had so much fun getting an inside look into what makes her tick why she...

Randy Van Dusen just finished his tenth 100 mile race at the 2022 Western States Endurance Run.  But to get there, he has had to overcome cancer, a pulmonary embolism, and even an on duty shooting that nearly killed his police dog partner, Bodie.  But you won't find a more positive runner on the trails.  We talked about his running, his family, and even learned what NOT to do during your first ult...

Nick Pappas was the winner of our "100 Miles Or Bust" Giveaway and we had an absolute blast getting to know him!   We chatted about his previous races, his real thoughts on getting us as his crew, and how he is preparing for the upcoming Unico 100 put on by our friends over at Vagabond Endurance.   Take us along during your Saturday long run so you can get to know Nick as well.  And be sure to giv...

Vinny Crispino is quite literally an expert in pain.  A young, gifted athlete, Vinny's life changed drastically when he broke his back not once, but twice, and learned to live with debilitating pain until a chance meeting changed everything.   After becoming the master of his own body and ridding himself of the pain that held him captive, he now teaches others to do the same.   Riveted by his stor...

Can you all believe we made it to Episode 50!?  And to celebrate, we are taking it back to where it all began.  Steve Epifano continues to set the example in so many way and we had an absolute blast catching up with him about all the things he has been up to since we first launched the show.  Topics include his tips for success, launching the Robin Ames Foundation Ultra, and taking on the Cocodona...

Mike Wardian has to be one of the most interesting people on the planet.  In addition to having piled up a mind blowing list of running accomplishments, to include multiple Guinness World Records, his other hobbies include bee keeping, pickleball, chess and CrossFit.  And on top of all that, his current "Running Home" project has him running across the country to raise $100,000 and suppo...

Jeff and Catie Wilson have used a run / walk strategy to race their way to multiple sub-24 100 mile buckles. And what's more fascinating is that they have completed most of their 100 mile efforts completely together, every step of the way.  Tune in to hear their story, their tips, and why they choose to tackle most of their major events together.  Enjoy the episode!

Justin Hamilton is an aspiring professional ultrarunner and a major hopeful for the upcoming Mid-State Mile.  He trains like a madman, has the strictest of personal standards on the course, and uses the mountains to "run the quit out" of his life.  But when he first made the decision to pursue his new path, he was an overweight alcoholic police detective who had just been arrested for DUI.    Tune...

We first met Agnes Huff a handful of weeks ago because she flew all the way from Santa Cruz, CA to North Carolina to run our race, The Hydra 50K.  And she did it alone, without any ties to the area.  Yes, she is a badass.  Agnes immediately made an impact on us and after watching her power through the race, including some tears shed at the finish line, we knew we wanted her on the show.  We talked...

Lindsay Walter is kind, tough, and one heck of a runner.  We sat down to chat with her about growing up with alopecia, how it has helped her become a better athlete, and then dug into her recent 160+ mile win at the Country Mile 48hr event.  Do yourself a favor and don't miss this episode.  Be sure to follow Lindsay on IG at https://www.instagram.com/lindsayhannah3/ and keep an eye...

Chris Varnadoe is all grit.  The only person to complete the East Coast Triple Crown of 200 milers, Chris is most at home plowing through the swamp in the most miserable conditions imaginable (think lots of snakes).  And with a sub-16 hour finish at the Yeti 100 in 2021, it's clear that Chris is still just warming up.  Tune in to hear all about his training methods, why he likes the tough races, a...

Wes Claytor is the real deal.  And we can all learn from him.  Jeremy first met Wes while sharing miles at the Southern Tour Last Man Standing and it was immediately clear that there is something special about him.  Following the death of his son in 2018, Wes turned to running, and ultimately a solo 100 mile effort, to reframe the loss that had threatened to destroy him and his fami...

Kevin Hoegler ran his first 10K trail race in early 2020. By the end of that year, he had completed the Daytona 100 and has continued to test his limits, using MAF training, nutrition, and a killer mindset as foundational tools.  If all of that is not impressive enough, Kevin was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis 9 years ago at the age of 18. He embodies the idea that a diagnosis will not define h...

Dale Garland is the race director behind the iconic Hardrock 100 and we were lucky enough to pick his brain about what he has witnessed over the past 30 years.   Dale is kind, genuine, and has just about seen it all.  Plug in and be sure to check out https://www.hardrock100.com/ if you are not yet familiar with what is arguably one of the toughest 100 mile endurance events in the country.  Enjoy t...