In this episode, I sit down with Mark Dowdle; an ultrarunner whose journey through extreme endurance, self-discovery, and unconventional racing will challenge everything you think you know about grit and resilience.

Mark has pushed his body and mind into places most of us only imagine: from Calendar Club challenges where he ran every day as many miles as the date on the calendar to deep, multi-day backyard ultras that test the limits of sleep, strategy, and sheer will.

🏃‍♂️ What We Covered

-How Mark discovered his love for ultra distance running and what continues to drive him beyond traditional racing.

-The Calendar Club 365 challenge, where he matched daily mileage to the calendar date: an epic test of consistency and heart.

-Backyard ultras & last-person-standing races — the brutal mental game, fueling strategies, sleep decisions, and living in the loop with little more than resolve between laps.

-Lessons in mental toughness: Mark opens up about the inner work that endurance running demands, from self-doubt to self-trust.

-Training philosophies and how consistent effort, even on the hard days, compounds into extraordinary outcomes.

-Follow Mark on Instagram to keep up with his runs, insights, and adventures: https://www.instagram.com/mark.dowdle/

About Craig:

Craig’s running journey started as a form of stress relief and quickly grew into a lifelong passion that now includes a decades-long daily run streak, ultramarathon racing, and creating one of Columbus’s most welcoming running communities.

What We Cover in This Episode:

-How running shifted from solo stress relief to a daily ritual and identity anchor.

-The ups and downs of maintaining a run streak spanning thousands of consecutive days.

-Stories from ultra-distance races like The Speed Project and what they taught him about endurance, grit, and mindset.

-The inspiration behind starting German Village Running Club and how a simple conversation over cocktails turned into a thriving, inclusive run community.

-How community and connection can transform your relationship with running and why pace or speed doesn’t matter as much as belonging.

On this week’s Weathering The Run, I sit down with Chris Glover who is a cornerstone of the Columbus running community known for bringing people together, spreading joy in the sport, and building connection one mile at a time. Whether it’s organizing group runs, showing up in a superhero outfit, or simply cheering on fellow runners, Chris’s enthusiasm and servant’s heart define his approach to running and life. He also has his own podcast called Safe Space Running. Follow Chris on Instagram.