The Ultra Running Guys

This episode is about you, the listener, and the rest of the Ultra Running Guys family.  And the gratitude that we have for all you have given us, and for allowing us to join forces with you on this epic journey.  Because of you, we have learned so much, met people and built friendships that we never would have otherwise, and somehow managed to eclipse 206,000 downloads over the life of the show. ...

Randi Zuckerberg is our last guest before releasing our farewell episode, and holy crap was she epic! After a 20 year hiatus, Randi returned to running in early 2023, jumped into her first 50 mile ultra in November of 2023 and now, less than a year later, has added two, 200 mile races to her calendar with the Cocodona 250 in May of 2025 and the Bigfoot 200 just 3 months later in August of 2025.  S...

Lisa McFadden is an amazingly accomplished runner with over 100 ultras completed, including twenty 100 milers.  She is also one of only a handful of people on the planet to complete the Triple Crown of the Last Annual Tennessee Journey runs, put on by that evil genius and previous guest Lazarus Lake, which is comprised of the Vol State (314 miles which she has completed twice), The Last annual Hea...

We officially met Chris Sherwood at the recent Loopy Looper where he finished the grueling 100 mile event, overcoming the relentless heat and humidity to cross the finish line in 27:42 minutes.  And while he ran in college at Georgia Southern University where he logged a 28:30 8K (that is a 5:44 per mile pace for just under 5 miles for anyone who can’t convert that quick), life happened and he too...

Chris Rice got his start as an adventure racer and has since racked up more than 90 events on UltraSignup .  We were lucky enough to shake hands with him recently at the Loopy Looper 100 miler where we witnessed his sub 24 hour finish , teaming up with prior guest Michael "Gagz" Gagliardi to tough out the last 3 hours of the race.  And to hint at the grit this guy has, the Loopy Looper w...

After over a year of race spotlights, we must confess. This is the first race spotlight for a race in Iowa. And, we are so grateful that this one was recommended to us as it was flying under the radar, but no more. The Mines of Spain 100 takes place in Dubuque, Iowa in October and sells out each year, so if you want to run this one, you may have to wait until next year. But put it on your watch li...

John Maynard appears to be the perfect combination of ultra experience and positive mindset. On the running side, he figured out pretty early on that he was built for endurance, covering 18 miles in the 5th grade to win a season pass to Great America. And he has continued to develop that endurance to the point that he just toed the starting line of the Angeles Crest 100 , which was his 3rd 100 mil...

REGISTRATION DISCOUNT! We wanted to tell you this first, in case you didn't read all the way to the bottom. If you want to register for the 2024 Rio Del Lago 100m or the 50k, you can get a 15% discount when you register using the code URGRIO and is good through Oct 25, 2024. About the race... the Rio Del Lago 100m starts at Folsom Lake Recreation Area in the Sierra-Nevada Foothills, and travel...

Tasha Swartley , AKA "Thor," probably has the most unique set of skills out of anyone we have ever talked to.  Not only is she a retired Navy Veteran who made a living loading bombs on jets, but she is also a Wilderness certified EMT who specializes in treating foot and other medical issues for ultra trail athletes.  She has made a name for herself as the Destination Trail Races EMT and...

Variety is the name of the game in the ultra world. Located in the town of Lillington NC, which is about an hour outside of Raleigh is the Cape Fear 24 Hour endurance run. The looped course is asphalt paved, flat, with one small incline, measures 0.59 mile and is USATF certified/sanctioned. To get a picture of this location, it will remind you of what you would see in many small towns with a paved...

Rebecca Scott is a fighter!  A quick scan of her UltraSignup will definitely show that she’s tough, with a podium finish in 12 of the 27 listed events, but what it won’t show you are the obstacles that she has had to overcome to get here.  Because the truth is that life is not always fair, and adversity is not evenly distributed, but she is a glaring example that even in the face of overwhelming o...

This is our FIRST race spotlight for a race that takes place outside of the US. This race is the largest trail race, the largest ultra, and the oldest ultra in Canada. And, as of May 2024, the first ever Western States Qualifying race based out of Ontario. The Sulphur Springs Trail race takes place on the trails of the Dundas Valley Conservation area located in Ancaster, Ontario. The event hosts m...

Nolan McKenna currently holds the Top Performance in North America in 2024 for the 50K distance with an astounding finish time of 2:58:54, which equates to a mind boggling average pace of about 5:46 a mile for 31 miles. And we were super excited to talk with him about his first 100 mile attempt at the Kettle Moraine 100 , as well as find out what pulled him into the ultra scene in the first place....

We are heading down to Florida for this one. The Long Haul 100 miler consists of 6, 16.7 mile loops and runners have 32 hours to complete the race. However, this race is also a Western States qualifier, so if you finish this race in under 30 hours, you also earn your ticket to the Western States lottery. The race takes place in January each year, so for those looking to get that States lottery tic...

Jeff Browning is currently ranked 2nd in the world for most 100 mile career wins, having competed in over 200 ultras and standing at the top of the Podium for races like Hardrock, Bighorn 100, HURT 100, and so many more. He has been named in the top 10 ultra runners of the year an astounding 8 times, and at age 52, is the oldest male to ever be ranked. And he just keeps getting better. He took the...

It is not often that you stumble across the first of anything these days. But through the course of this episode, we learned a fun fact. This race was the first 100k race distance to be held in the state of Alabama. In the Heat of the Night 100k takes place in the Talladega Forest, in Anniston, Alabama. Not only is the first 100k in Alabama, but, as the name implies, what sets this 100k apart from...

On May 18, we took on the grueling Cruel Jewel 50 miler, which is actually a 57.5 mile trek through the Georgia mountains with 17K feet of climbing! It was beautiful, it was awesome, and it was tough! And as it turned out for both of us, our race ended just past the 50K mark. Check out the full episode to hear how we prepared, what went well, and what ultimately led to the decision to pull the plu...

We all know that Ultras come in a variety of shapes and sizes. There is only one common denominator, an ultra, by definition is any race over 26.2 miles. In our race spotlights over the past year, we have never covered a race like this one. We first heard about this race from our good friend Michelle Goldberg who connected us with the race director and we are grateful to have runners in the commun...

Aaron Stacy is a certified badass. And while he is probably likely to get mistaken for a muscle and fitness model vs a trail and ultra runner, there is no question that this guy is a monster on the course. But it wasn’t always that way. As a lifelong law enforcement officer, running was not part of the picture until 2016, when, following the loss of 50 lbs so that he could train with his daughter,...

We LOVE episode recommendations for race spotlights or for guests on the show. And that is how we first heard of this race out of Nebraska. The Cowboy 200 was recommended by our friend Tyler (@crimsontyler88). On to the race, the Cowboy 200 is a point-to-point 200-mile footrace along the Cowboy Trail in Nebraska. This is a rails-to-trails course and is run on a non-technical, 100% runnable, crushe...

Melissa Londry ran her first 50K back in 2015, but it was during COVID that she really got warmed up, knocking out her first 100 miler as a virtual race and then completing an astounding 45 UltraSignup events since Feb of 2020, which doesn’t even include other monster efforts such as the 240 mile Tridge to Bridge which is an unofficial and unsupported race in Michigan that she completed in 2023. ...

The DAYTONA 100 is a point to point race that starts from Jacksonville Beach and goes south to Ponce Inlet, which is about 10 miles south of Daytona. The course is flat and is a solid choice for a first ultra or to set a PR. The race is run on pavement, so this is not a 100 miles of running on the sand down the coast.  If you hear Florida and think, oh man, that is going to be real hot and humid f...

For today's race spotlight, we are heading to Memphis, Tennessee to take a look at the Mamba 100. The race is run mostly on single track with minimal elevation gain, which should make for a relatively faster course for the 100 mile distance. The course is a looped course with each loop being 14.3 miles. For everyone doing trail math right now, that would be 7 loops for the 100 miler. To top it...

Trey Morrison has been on quite the journey.  After a high school injury ended his sports aspirations, he found himself in a deep dark hole fueled by drugs, alcohol, and self hatred.  And then, after losing his brother a few years ago, he hit rock bottom, and decided he only had 2 options.  Suicide, or faith.  Luckily for us, he chose faith and in December of 2022 his new path led him to his first...

For ultra runners that are history buffs, this is the perfect combo. A race event that has a 50 mile and 100 mile option that allows runners to travel back in time to run along a portion of the historic Pony Express trail. The race takes place in Western Utah along a course that is very remote. The course is 100% dirt road and only has about 3000 feet of elevation gain/loss. Runners have 30 hours...