Stuff your stockings with an extra-long year end episode of the pod! We bring back our hallowed tradition of arguing over whether or not Barkleys is important. And a bunch of other stuff. It’s the Ultrarunner of the Year ballot!!

Buy our book!

Beer for this episode: Goose Island Bourbon Country Vanilla Stout, Alchemist Heady Topper

Intro music: "Fine Line" by the Bloodletters
Outro music: "When I Was Still Young" by Yard Sale

We welcome back returning champion of the pod Jason Green, the founder and head honcho of the Yeti Trail Runners (not a cult!) to talk about the rebuilding efforts in Appalachia in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. A relatively tame version of the Jason Green Drinking Game was performed.

Buy our book!

Links:
Yeti Trail Runners
Help Appalachia rebuild! Feeding Southwest Virginia
Donate to the Virginia Creeper Trail
Our first episode with Jason

Beer for this episode: Other Half Green City, Wicked Weed Freak of Nature

Intro music: "Fine Line" by the Bloodletters
Outro music: "When I Was Still Young" by Yard Sale

Two huge races captured the attention of ultra fans over the past few weeks. In one, a growing multinational entity poised to dominate world ultrarunning hosted one of its flagship events, complete with round-the-clock media coverage and elite athletes redefining what was previously thought possible, even while behind the scenes, there are whispers about whether or not this kind of global expansion is good for the sport.

Also, there was Javelina.

Beer for this episode: Community Beer Works The Snow, Woodstock Brewing Baby Dragon

Intro music: "Fine Line" by the Bloodletters
Outro music: "When I Was Still Young" by Yard Sale

What is the story that forced us to dust off the mics, fire up the sound board, and emerge from a 16-month podcasting hiatus? Is it Katie Schide’s epic summer? Dave Roche’s insane Leadville CR? Damian Hall’s effort to combat greenwashing at the top levels of the sport? Multiple world records at 50 miles or six days? No, of course not. It’s Camille doing stupid Camille shit.

Beer for this episode: Athletic Brewing Free Wave, Drowned Lands Field and Stream

Intro music: "Fine Line" by the Bloodletters
Outro music: "When I Was Still Young" by Yard Sale

There was a reading assignment for this show…naturally, Phil couldn’t be bothered to do any actual work, so I had the great pleasure of speaking with Doug Mayer about his new book, The Race That Changed Running: The Inside Story of UTMB, out TODAY! An American expat living full-time in Chamonix, Doug works as a journalist and runs his own tour guide company, Run the Alps. The new book (his third) grew out of his own personal history with and curiosity about the race that, like it or not, is at the forefront of the world ultra and trail running scene. We talked about many of the issues and controversies around the race and the UTMB series of races, the influence of Ironman, how the book was written, and also Doug’s recent trip to Innsbrouck to cover the World Trail and Mountain Running Championships. This was a really fun conversation that I think people will find very thought-provoking. Plus, the triumphant return of Desert Island Picks!

Links
Order The Race That Changed Running or Doug’s other books
Run the Alps
Doug’s coverage of the World Trail and Mountain Running Championships

Desert Island Picks: The Odyssey, Hot Rocks by the Rolling Stones, Big Mountain Brewing Wild Mountain

Intro music: "Fine Line" by the Bloodletters
Outro music: "When I Was Still Young" by Yard Sale

Rich Lockwood has been a mainstay on the PNW trail-running scene for several years, but he grabbed the national spotlight in 2022 with a string of world-class performances, capped by a win at the uber-competitive Run Rabbit Run 100 and a podium spot an the Doi Inthanon 100K (by UTMB, blah blah blah) in his first international event. We caught up with Rich after last month’s return to racing at the newly-reinvigorated Lake Sonoma 50 mile because we wanted to clarify a bunch of crucial information that hadn’t been shared pubicly before, like what cartoon character he identifies with. Let no one accuse us of not asking the tough questions.

Links:
Follow Rich on IG

Beers for this episode: Best Day Brewing Hazy IPA, Two Way Brewing Confusion Saison, Holy Mountain Throne of Blood

Intro music: "Fine Line" by the Bloodletters
Outro music: "When I Was Still Young" by Yard Sale

Many of you may not know about Chad Lasater, but you should. He’s the current champion of the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning (having finished the GS in both 2021 and 2022) and after a breakthrough performance at Desert Solstice (his first real 24-hour race) he is currently in position for a spot on the US team for the World Championships this fall. We recorded this in late 2022, shortly after Chad’s awesome run at DS, where he narrowly missed Bob Hearn’s 50+ American Record, but I’ve been too busy to release the show until now—which is great, since Chad has an insanely busy year about to start up. In this episode, we reminisce about the good old days in the late 2010s, when Phil and I were still able to kind of keep up with Chad, and we try to figure out The Secret behind his incredible progress in the sport and how he is able to be running huge PRs into his 50s. Then, it’s time for a very entertaining 20 Questions; Chad has raced 25 100s all over the world and has a million stories to share.

Links:
Follow Chad on IG - zero posts so far!

Beer for this episode: Wicked Weed Pernicious

Intro music: "Fine Line" by the Bloodletters
Outro music: "When I Was Still Young" by Yard Sale

Happy New Year! Sneaking in our traditional year-end pod under the wire, my favorite episode every year, debating the Ultrarunners of the Year with recurring guest Jason Mintz, who battled through COVID and came to PLAY! Tons of consensus this year but also some pretty good debate. Phil and I both completely fucked up and somehow both left Matthieu Blanchard out of our top 10, which is a travesty, but otherwise I think we held our own. I had a great time pointing out Phil’s lack of internal consistency which is always fun, and Phil made me defend Camille, which was weird.

Beer for this episode: Wolf Hills Trooper’s Alley, Captain Lawrence Clearwater Kolsch

Links
Laura Kline on the 2017 ballot
Jason Mintz on the 2018 ballot
Rich Heffron on the 2019 ballot for the women and men
Mintz again on the 2021 ballot
My final ballot in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019

Intro music: "Fine Line" by the Bloodletters
Outro music: "When I Was Still Young" by Yard Sale