Why do people run 100 miles and keep coming back to ultra running even after it hurts, slows them down, and offers no obvious reward? If you’ve ever been curious about ultra running or felt the pull toward doing something hard without fully understanding why, this conversation is for you.

In this episode, Billy Yang helps unpack what draws people into ultra running and what they’re actually searching for out there. It’s less about racing and more about identity, suffering, and the deeper reasons people choose to keep going.

For runners and anyone trying to understand why we choose hard things.

Please give us a follow, rate the podcast, and give a review.

• 00:00 Why Would ANYONE Run 100 Miles
• 05:55 The Journey of the Soul in Ultra Running
• 09:01 The Power of Storytelling in Sports
• 16:08 Exploring the Stories Behind the Sport
• 23:02 Why Do We Keep Going Back to the 100 Mile Starting Line
• 28:11 Reframing Your 'Why'
• 30:30 Ultra Running is the Great Equalizer

• The Why by Billy Yang
• "Nike Boys" Doc
• I Finally Conquered 100 Miles

• Nils Arend, TSP Founder
• Scott Jurek, Has Ultra Running Become too Polished?

Presented by Kiprun.

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Want to run in the Salt Lake area? Check out the Salt Lake Foothills Trail Races happening May 30, 2026.

And if you haven't checked out Wylder yet, it's worth a look. iOS or Android

Trail running culture is starting to look a lot like skateboarding—crews, aesthetics, a more raw identity.

But if you’ve ever wondered whether that comparison actually holds up, this episode breaks it down.

There’s a reason the connection feels right—and a deeper reason it might not be. This isn’t about dismissing what’s happening in running, but trying to understand what it actually is.

This episode is for runners who care about the culture of the sport, not just the miles.

Please give us a follow, rate the podcast, and give a review.

Presented by Kiprun.

• 1:20 Culture and Identity in Trail Running
• 4:19 The Shift from Results to Experience
• 06:41 The Intersection of Trail Running and Authority
• 10:21 The Intersection of Skate Culture and Trail Running

• Tommie Runz | 5 Loops
• SLC PUNK

• Is Ultrarunning Losing Its Charm?
• Is Ultrarunning Changing?

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Find us at Borderlands.cc and sign up for the newsletter.

Want to run in the Salt Lake area? Check out the Salt Lake Foothills Trail Races happening May 30, 2026.

And if you haven't checked out Wylder yet, it's worth a look. iOS or Android

Many runners come to ultrarunning through performance, but what happens when running comes after everything else falls apart? This episode explores how sobriety, loss, and identity shape the path into ultrarunning and what it actually looks like to rebuild a life from the ground up.

Josh sits down with Tommie Runz to trace the arc from heavy drinking and personal collapse to running across the desert from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, and eventually into ultrarunning. The conversation moves through early sobriety, community, and the tension between commitment and loss, including missing his best friend’s funeral during that run revealing how change actually happens over time.

For runners interested in the deeper reasons people come to the sport. Follow the show for more conversations like this.

Please give us a follow, rate the podcast, and give a review.

Presented by Kiprun.

Chapters

1. 00:00 The Impact of Personal Loss on Running
2. 01:19 The Relationship Between Sobriety and Running
3. 02:38 Community Support and Accountability
4. 05:43 Transitioning from Road to Trail Running
5. 06:54 The Experience of Running Javelina
6. 09:31 The Future of Tommy Runs
7. 16:25 The Journey to 100 Miles
8. 18:13 Cutting in Line: The Western States Experience
9. 18:15 Trail Running: A New Era of Competitors
10. 19:02 Training for the Mountains: Strategies and Challenges

Tommie Runz on Instagram

Western States

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Find us at Borderlands.cc and sign up for the newsletter.

Want to run in the Salt Lake area? Check out the Salt Lake Foothills Trail Races happening May 30, 2026.

And if you haven't checked out Wylder yet, it's worth a look. iOS or Android