For The Long Run: Exploring the Why Behind Running

If you’ve ever considered running a global race series like UTMB, learn from the founders on why it’s so much more than a race.

Jon sits down with Michel and Catherine Poletti, the founders of the UTMB race series. They share their journey of starting and growing UTMB, along with essential business insights for organizing races. You won’t want to miss the philosophy that has been the foundation of their success.

Jon chats with Michel and Catherine about:

Early Challenges and Growth of UTMB

E...

What does it mean to TRULY be grateful for running and life?

Reid Burrows grew up in the small town of Grand Bay-Westfield, New Brunswick, Canada. His endurance background is in the sport of triathlon. Upon leaving the pursuit of triathlon and chasing the Olympic dream, he fell in love with the trails and haven’t looked back since. In February of 2022, Reid quit his full-time job to pursue his dream of becoming a full-time professional trail runner. By the end of 2022, he was picked up by Merrell with his first professional contract. Reid cu...

Let's break down what is so special about trail running and why more people need to experience it.

Vivek Gowri is a Product Manager at NVIDIA, where he leads initiatives in gaming and AI hardware. When he’s not shaping the future of tech, he’s out on the trails as a dedicated runner and advocate for diversity in the outdoor space. He brings a thoughtful perspective to the intersection of technology, endurance sports, and inclusion — bridging innovation with impact on and off the trail.

Jon chats with Vivek about...

Are you laying the right foundation for your nutritional health?

Rachael (Reddy) Wade is a runner, mom of two, and founder of Rx Nutrition. She ran for the University of Alabama, earned gold medals at the Pan American Games and USA Championships, and now helps others fuel for performance and life. As a registered dietitian with a doctoral degree in Public Health, Rachael specializes in sports nutrition, women’s health, and disordered eating. Whether she’s chasing her kids, counseling clients, or training for her next competition, Rachael is all about the long run — litera...

Are you actually prepared for your next outdoor adventure?

Viktor Makarskyy is the Cofounder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of GOES Health where he is responsible for the product and engineering of their outdoor health platform. He is an avid runner living based in Los Angeles, where he’s currently training for a hilly marathon later this year in Japan. He checks the GOES app daily for real-time outdoor risks to help plan his runs, and GOES has helped him personally with everything from muscle cramps to impact injuries while running on trails. 

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No matter where you’re at in your running journey, there’s a path for all of us.

Scott Jurek has been named one of the greatest runners of all time, claiming victories in nearly all of ultrarunning’s elite trail and road events. More than just a champion, Scott is a true student and ambassador of the sport, known to stay at finish lines cheering until the last runner crosses. When not racing, he donates his time to many non profit organizations and is an avid volunteer in the areas of environmental conservation, fitnes...

Having doubts as a runner? Here’s how to reframe them.

Kristen Schindler is a mental performance consultant and endurance coach who helps athletes untangle their relationship with sport, self, and setbacks. She is currently completing her Master’s in Applied Sport and Performance Psychology at the University of Western States and working toward CMPC certification. Kristen’s work is grounded in Acceptance and Commitment Performance Coaching, Narrative Theory, and Cognitive-Behavioral principles with a belief that who we are in sport mirrors who we are in life. Drawing on over two decades of experience as bot...

Want change in the way your races are organized? Then speak up about it!

Libby Jones is the owner and race director for The Active Joe, a race production company out of Dallas, Texas that focuses on the "average joes" out there getting active. She has directed running races for 17 years and currently produces trail and road running events 6 race days a year for The Active Joe. The company has a focus on affordable racing while providing opportunities to get active in a safe and inviting way for communities previously underrepresented in running.

When your motto is “young and fit,” what does it look like to train for Western States?

Hans Troyer is a 25 year old pro ultrarunner who set the course record at the Bandera 100k in 2024 and who finished second at the 2025 Canyons 100k, earning him a Golden Ticket to the Western States 100.

Listen to hear about:

This is a double-header episode hearing from two experienced pacers and crew members: Amelia Boone and Alex Hildebrandt. Both have experience successfully crewing and pacing elite athletes.

This episode was recorded in 2023, but is full of evergreen content!

In this episode we talk about:

-tips for assembling your perfect crew team, starting understanding your crew needs: logistics help, gear and nutrition, cheerleading, pacing, and more

-advice for crew members and things to discuss with your athlete, including logistics and crewing by bike 

-dealing w...

Get an inside look at what it’s like to run Western States!

Adam Peterman is a professional trail runner living in Missoula, Montana who ran for the University of Colorado.

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We’re only a couple of weeks from the Western States Endurance Run, so we caught up with a pro for an inside look at strategizing for it!

Riley Brady is a professional ultra trail runner for Nike Trail living and training in Boulder, CO.

Jon chatted with them about:

Athletes are more than their sport, so Colleen’s working to bring a holistic approach to team running.

Colleen Quigley is an American middle-distance runner, Olympian, entrepreneur, mentor, National Champion, and lover of women's sports.

From her high school days on the cross country and track teams, to her collegiate career and Florida State, and all throughout her professional career running for brands like lululemon, Nike, WHOOP, ROKA, and more, community has always been a top priority. 

Colleen aims to bring that value of community to life with a new professional track team cal...

There are a million and one ways to train for running. But the best way? To Makena, it’s whatever gives you the most fun.

Makena Morley is a long distance runner living in Bozeman, MT and running for ASICS. She graduated from University of Colorado in 2020 and now coaches via RunDoyen.

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We love in-person events. If you missed this one at Fleet Feet in Boulder in April 2025, you can catch up with this recording!

Caitlyn Miller is a 26 year old business owner and marathon runner. Caitlyn’s business, Expntl Athletics, specializes in activewear for distance runners.

She joined Jon live at Fleet Feet for this live discussion and audience Q+A.

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What does it mean to show up with joy even in the midst of the hardest seasons?

Annie Kalter is a 15-time Boston Marathoner, a mom, a school culture professional, and a woman with an extraordinary story of resilience. After surviving a heart attack that required her to be revived four times, Annie defied the odds to complete her 15th Boston Marathon just five months later.

Listen to hear about:

Annie’s entry into running and how she unexpectedly discovered the marathon was her distance

Building a 15-year Boston streak and wh...

Hoping to make time for your goals even when you have a million obligations to manage?

Allison Baca is a professional trail runner for HOKA. She juggles parenting a 3-year-old and working full time in finance while squeezing in training to compete in big mountain races.

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Trigger Warning: This episode discusses eating disorders. 

Athletes face a lot of mental and physical pressure around fueling, so we need to break taboos.

Kate Ringwood is a licensed therapist that specializes in eating disorders in athletes. Kate's personal experience navigating her own recovery while competing in cross country and track influenced her passion in helping others.

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This runner took a scary setback and turned it into a message of hope.

Dom Fusco is a health and wellness creator, coach, endurance athlete, and community builder based in Austin, Texas.

After surviving a sudden cardiac arrest in 2023, Dom made it his mission to help others strengthen their bodies, sharpen their minds, and deepen their faith to live healthier, stronger, and more purposeful lives.

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Royi Metser is the founder and CEO of Avelo, the company behind the world's first smart running shoe.

Running changed Royi’s life in 2021 after a blood test was the kick in the butt he needed to make a change. Three days later he signed up for his first marathon.

It was through his personal mission to improve at running that he decided to build a product to measure force and form and use the data to help runners improve performance and reduce risk of injury.

Want to build your mental strength and confidence before your next race?

Neal Palles is an ultrarunning coach and a psychotherapist and Certified Mental Performance Consultant.

Through his private practice, Colorado Psychotherapy and Sport Performance, he works with athletes who are struggling with anxiety, depression, or a performance related issue to help them focus on what matters.

Listen to hear about:

Boston is coming up next week, and to celebrate, we have a special bonus episode with you to give you the complete guide to the Boston Marathon experience with George Woodward.

George Woodward is a father, data scientist, runner, and certified coach who came to running and racing late in life. Boston 2025 will be Marathon number 21 and Boston number nine. 

He runs with the Somerville Road Runners in USATF events and runs for fun with November Project and the Heartbreakers. Running has allowed him to meet many fantastic people and has added richness to his l...

Family life in an athletic family can be a balancing act.

Jenny Jurek is an avid runner and adventure seeker sharing her passion of the outdoors with her two young children and husband, Scott Jurek.

After twenty years designing sustainable outdoor apparel, she recently launched her own business, “Always Up”, which offers performance products that empower parents to stay active during pregnancy and beyond.

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What does it take to build a passion-based activewear line?

Caitlyn Miller is a 26 year old business owner and marathon runner. Caitlyn’s business, Expntl Athletics, specializes in activewear for distance runners. 

Listen to hear about:

Stay conn...

Golfing might help your running more than you’d think.

Scott Stallings is a 3x PGA Tour winner who earned the reputation as "The Fittest on Tour" due to his fitness-first lifestyle.

In April, Scott will be participating in the 2025 Boston Marathon - his first-ever Marathon - while raising funds for and supporting Golf Fights Cancer, a non-profit organization that raises funds for cancer-related organizations and families living with the disease.

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Elite athletes deal with many of the same challenges that recreational runners do.

Adam Vadeboncoeur’s been running for over 20 years but is now finding his stride in his mid 30’s. Over the past few years, he’s gained his first Team USA spot for 50km World Championships, a 100k road national title, and a sub 2:18 marathon.

Listen to hear about:

Stay c...

The Marathon Project is back and bigger than ever.

Ben Rosario spent two years as a member of the Hansons Brooks Distance Project, was the special events director for the GO! Saint Louis Marathon, founded the Northern Arizona Elite professional team, and co-founded a specialty running store--Big River Running Company.

Now, Ben’s the CEO of The Marathon Project, an annual event in Chandler, Arizona that features an amateur and a professional marathon in one weekend.

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In a world of diet culture, nutrition for running can feel complex and exhausting– but it shouldn’t be.

Zoë Rom is a writer and journalist based in Carbondale, CO. Kylee Van Horn is the founder of sports nutrition business Flynutrition, which helps runners, triathletes, cyclists, and skiers to learn not only the ‘why’ but the ‘how’ behind fueling for performance.

Together, Zoë and Kylee host the podcast Your Diet Sucks.

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Fueling your sports can be a lot simpler than you may think.

Aaron Gouw and Gabe Multer co-founded Carbs Fuel, an emerging brand in the endurance sports nutrition space.

Carbs Fuel believes that fueling shouldn’t be reserved to the affluent minority. Their flagship product is their Original 50g Energy Gel.

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This chat with a coach will have you reworking your running goals to be even more impactful.

Tucker Grose is an endurance athlete and coach who enjoys competing over a variety of distances and surfaces.

In 2024 alone, he completed events from 800m on the track to 100k on the trails.

Tucker’s helped over 100 athletes incorporate running into their lives in a sustainable and health focused way.

Listen to hear about:

Managing your own running while also coaching others

Using curiosity as a driver toward goals

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Runners tend to overcomplicate nutrition, so let’s talk about both mindset and science.

Claire Shorenstein (MS, RD, CSSD) is a board-certified Sports Dietitian working with teenage and adult athletes from the recreational to elite level. 

Her virtual private practice, Eat for Endurance, helps busy, active people learn how to fuel themselves for health and performance while navigating the challenges of everyday life.

Claire’s a longtime distance runner herself and hosts The Eat for Endurance Podcast.

Listen to hear about:

Claire’s mental shifts from overachieving to process-oriented

Di...

Want a realistic look at how parents can spend meaningful time with their kids while also working toward running goals?

Adam Merry is a professional dad and former pro runner living in Belfast, Maine. He loves the process of self-discovery and improvement through training and race trail and ultra marathons.

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For The Long Run’s podcast consultant is here to pull back the veil on everything from production to brand partnerships!

Emily Holland is the co-founder of Wild Poppy Creative Consulting, working with creators and small business owners to maximize their impact on the world. She’s worked with Jon for 3 years now and she joins the pod to break down everything For The Long Run in a real way. 

She's a trail runner, rock climber, beginner skier, and overall outdoor enthusiast based in Boulder with her partner and weird...

Ever thought about starting a run club or event of your own? Listen up!

Alexandra Weissner is the co-founder of Brunch Running, a community-focused run club and event series based in Denver.

With years of experience producing events like The bRUNch Run and the Steamboat Marathon, Alexandra has built a vibrant community that celebrates running, connection, and post-run brunches.

Want to run the Steamboat Marathon? Use code FTLR15 for 15% off your race entry of any distance!

Listen to hear...

How do you stay motivated after a big setback or injury?

Fiona O'Keeffe is a professional runner with the PUMA Elite team based in North Carolina. After graduating from Stanford in 2020, she made the move to the East Coast and found success on the roads under the guidance of Alistair and Amy Cragg.

Listen to hear about:

- Balancing competition and community

- Process goals and setbacks as opportunities for growth

- PUMA’s support and how they value their at...

Get tips from a coach who’s run over 250 marathons and ultras on 5 continents!

Ian Sharman is the founder of Sharman Ultra Coaching, a team of elite coaches. He got a marathon PR of 2:21 at age 43, and a half marathon PR of 1:03 at age 44. He's won over 50 marathon+ races with at least one win every year for 19 (and counting) consecutive years.

Ian also holds the fastest time in a trail 100-mile race by a Brit (12h44m), the record for the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning (69h49m), has won th...

This sprinter came from humble beginnings and is now one of the fastest people on Earth.

Julien Alfred is a Saint Lucian sprinter and PUMA athlete who won the gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics 100-meter event, setting a new national record of 10.72s in the final. 

Her medal was the first-ever Olympic medal for Saint Lucia, and then won a silver in the 200 meters.

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Print media is still alive, and it’s shaping running culture, too.

Simon Freeman is a runner and co-founder of Like the Wind magazine, an indie running publication telling stories that inspire, motivate and move runners.

He and his wife Julie also co-founded Freestak, an influencer platform for endurance sports brands which they sold in 2023.

Simon lives in Switzerland, enjoying the mountain life and building the Like the Wind media business.  

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Laura Jorgensen took a "short" break from her finance job that turned into a seven-year pro cycling career, earning over 50 podiums and a spot on the U.S. National Team.

Along the way, she and her teammate-turned-cofounder Courteney Lowe built The RunnerBox and The RiderBox into top-ranked subscription boxes.

In 2024, tired of the sports nutrition industry’s tendency to be overwhelming, uninviting, and, well, stale, Laura and Courteney launched Fuel Goods—an e-commerce marketplace making sports nutrition simple, accessible, and fun.

Listen to hear abou...

Raz says that running sucks, but we should do it anyway.

Raziq Rauf is an NCTJ-trained journalist (writer) and USATF-certified running coach (runner). 

Raz interviews interesting people from the running world, and writes about their impact on running culture and the people around them in his weekly newsletter, Running Sucks.

Listen to hear about: