In this episode of Run Long After 60, I speak with ultrarunner Gail Leedy — a 72-year-old trail runner who has spent decades in endurance sports, completing more than 100 races and continuing to show up year after year.

But Gail’s running life is built around something even more fundamental than ultramarathons:

consistency over time.

She didn’t grow up with access to running or organized sports. Like many women of her generation, those opportunities simply weren’t there.

Instead, Gail found running later in life — and eventually found the trails after moving to Wyoming. That shift changed everything.

She never went back.

This conversation came together through the running community.

After speaking with search and rescue expert and ultrarunner Cliff Matthews, the idea of connecting with Gail came up. Cliff reached out, and that introduction led to this episode.

We talk about:

• Starting running later in life and building long-term consistency
• Transitioning from road marathons to trail ultramarathons
• How running changes with age — physically and mentally
• Why 50K races have become her preferred distance
• Staying active and connected in the running community after 70
• Balancing performance, longevity, and enjoyment in endurance sports
• A search and rescue accident that led to her current broken foot injury

Gail’s story highlights something unique about aging athletes and long-distance runners.

It’s not about speed or results — it’s about resilience, identity, and the ability to keep moving forward over time.

It’s also about perspective — and recognizing how lucky you are to still be able to do it.

There’s a quiet strength in that kind of consistency.

And Gail embodies it.

Run Long After 60 is a video-first podcast focused on running after 60, ultrarunning, longevity, and staying active later in life.

If you'd like to watch the full conversation, including moments that don’t always translate to audio, you can find the video version on the Run Long After 60 YouTube channel.

🎧 Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart, or Amazon Music to follow the journey.

📍 Hosted by Mark Vega