Professional skier, mountaineer, endurance athlete, activist, and former U.S. Senate candidate Caroline Gleich joins Jon for a wide-ranging conversation about sport, advocacy, and having the courage to stand for something.

Caroline shares how running became part of her life after a major ankle injury, how she built an unconventional career as a professional athlete, and why endurance sport has given her the confidence and self-belief to take on challenges far beyond the mountains. She reflects on running for U.S. Senate in Utah, the grit she gained from the campaign, and what she learned about speaking up, finding common ground, and staying true to her values even when there are consequences.

Jon and Caroline also talk about the responsibility athletes have to use their platforms, navigating brand partnerships while being outspoken, the role of sport in building resilience, supporting a partner with equally big goals, and her concerns about AI, data centers, and the future of creators.

At the heart of the conversation is a simple idea: doing hard things in sport can teach us how to show up for the hard things that matter outside of it, too.

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Boulderthon

Whether you're chasing a PR or looking for an unforgettable race weekend, Boulderthon offers a 5K, 10K, half marathon, full marathon, and kids races in beautiful Boulder, Colorado. Register at Boulderthon.com and use code FTLR2026 to save $20 on your half or full marathon registration.

Kila

Kila makes custom 3D-printed insoles out of super shoe foams, built to your exact feet and shipped straight to your door. Head to kilarun.com and use code FTLR for $50 off your first order.

Tifosi Optics

From bright sunshine to overcast mornings, Tifosi offers performance eyewear designed for every running condition, with prescription options available as well. Shop at TifosiOptics.com and use code FTLR2026 to save 20% on your order.

Ben Dhiman won UTMB. One of the most competitive ultra trail races in the world, and he won it. This conversation was recorded not long after, when the dust had barely settled and he was still figuring out what it all meant.

Ben talks about the race itself, what the final miles felt like, the weight of expectation that came with being a contender, what winning actually gave him versus what he thought it would, and who he is when he's not running.

Joe Corcione returns to talk through his Western States race, why he considers it his best race ever despite missing his time goal, and how he defines success through process and effort rather than placement or pace. He also breaks down the mindset tools he used late in the race, the role of sober living and personal growth in his why, and the bigger mission behind Everyday Ultra.

This is an interview centered on performance, identity, and purpose, with strong crossover into coaching, business, and community-building. Joe shares the practical and mental framework he uses for racing and for running a business that he believes should change lives, not just improve times.

Support our Sponsors:

Boulderthon

Whether you're chasing a PR or looking for an unforgettable race weekend, Boulderthon offers a 5K, 10K, half marathon, full marathon, and kids races in beautiful Boulder, Colorado. Register at Boulderthon.com and use code FTLR2026 to save $20 on your half or full marathon registration.

Go Brewing

This episode is brought to you by Go Brewing, a small family-run brewery outside Chicago making non-alcoholic IPAs, lagers, and hazies that actually taste like beer, with most cans under 60 calories and no added sugar, so try favorites like the Jab Jab Grapefruit IPA, New School Sour Berry, or Baller Melon at gobrewing.com and use code FTLR2026 for 20% off your first order.

Daniel Berk was 32 years old, about 50 pounds overweight, and hadn't sprinted since college when he posted a tweet saying he was going to become a runner. He didn't know what he was doing. His first 5K took 50 minutes. He described himself as a blubbery, slow, out-of-breath whale. And then he just kept going.

Two and a half years later he's lost 50 pounds, run four half marathons, and is sixteen weeks out from his first full marathon at Chicago. He's also an entrepreneur, a content creator, a father of two with a third on the way, and someone who thinks about running and business in almost exactly the same terms.

This conversation is about what happens when you show up publicly with a goal you're not sure you can achieve — and what that does for you in every other part of life.

Topics covered:

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Training Peaks

The coaches behind UTMB winners and the athletes you've heard on this show are all using the same platform — and that's not a coincidence. Get 20% off Training Peaks premium with code FTLR here!

Boulderthon

Whether you're hunting for a PR or just looking for an excuse to visit Colorado in early fall, Boulderthon has a race for you. Register at Boulderthon.org and use code FTLR2026 for $20 off the Half or the Full.

Kila makes custom 3D-printed insoles out of super shoe foams, built to your exact feet and shipped straight to your door. Head to kilarun.com and use code FTLR for $50 off your first order.

Quick note before you press play. This conversation with Des Linden first aired on Long Run Labs, my podcast about the business of endurance and the outdoor industry. Des is one of the most thoughtful people in running when it comes to how athletes can build something lasting beyond their competitive years, so I figured her story was worth putting in front of the For the Long Run audience too.

Des Linden won the 2018 Boston Marathon in one of the most iconic performances in the history of the race. But this conversation is not about that day. It is about what she has built since and how she thinks about the next chapter.

Des and Jon chat about:

Support our sponsors:

Training Peaks

The coaches behind UTMB winners and the athletes you've heard on this show are all using the same platform — and that's not a coincidence. Get 20% off Training Peaks premium with code FTLR here!

Boulderthon

Whether you're hunting for a PR or just looking for an excuse to visit Colorado in early fall, Boulderthon has a race for you. Register at Boulderthon.org and use code FTLR2026 for $20 off the Half or the Full.

Tifosi Optics

From bright sunshine to overcast mornings, Tifosi offers performance eyewear designed for every running condition, with prescription options available as well. Shop at TifosiOptics.com and use code FTLR2026 to save 20% on your order.

Kila makes custom 3D-printed insoles out of super shoe foams, built to your exact feet and shipped straight to your door. Head to kilarun.com and use code FTLR for $50 off your first order.

Kelsey Walla is a CPA by day and a triathlete, runner, and community builder by everything else. She grew up hating running, never touched a weight until college, and didn't get on a bike until she found one at a garage sale for twenty bucks. Then she had a serious skiing accident that took away her ability to walk, and everything changed.

This is a conversation about what happens when your body forces you to stop — and what you do when it lets you go again.

Topics covered:

Stay connected:

Kelsey on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wallakelseyy/?hl=en

Support our sponsors:

Training Peaks

The coaches behind UTMB winners and the athletes you've heard on this show are all using the same platform — and that's not a coincidence. Get 20% off Training Peaks premium with code FTLR here!

Boulderthon

Whether you're hunting for a PR or just looking for an excuse to visit Colorado in early fall, Boulderthon has a race for you. Register at Boulderthon.org and use code FTLR2026 for $20 off the Half or the Full.

Tifosi Optics

From bright sunshine to overcast mornings, Tifosi offers performance eyewear designed for every running condition, with prescription options available as well. Shop at TifosiOptics.com and use code FTLR2026 to save 20% on your order.

Kila makes custom 3D-printed insoles out of super shoe foams, built to your exact feet and shipped straight to your door. Head to kilarun.com and use code FTLR for $50 off your first order.

Molly Seidel was running well at Western States. In the top ten for the first fifty-ish miles, racing where she knew she belonged. Then by mile sixty-two she was ready to quit, in pain, angry at herself, with thirty-eight miles left and nothing to race for competitively.

She ran them anyway.

This is a conversation about what those last twelve hours taught her that the first fifty never could have — about trail running, about herself, and about why finishing a race you're no longer competing in can be more meaningful than winning one.

Topics covered:

Stay connected:

Molly on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bygolly.molly/

Support our sponsors:

Training Peaks

The coaches behind UTMB winners and the athletes you've heard on this show are all using the same platform — and that's not a coincidence. Get 20% off Training Peaks premium with code FTLR here!

Boulderthon

Whether you're hunting for a PR or just looking for an excuse to visit Colorado in early fall, Boulderthon has a race for you. Register at Boulderthon.org and use code FTLR2026 for $20 off the Half or the Full.

Precision Fuel & Hydration

Precision Fuel & Hydration's new Watermelon Chew was developed with trail ultrarunner Rachel Entrekin to help athletes combat flavor fatigue while fueling long efforts. Shop at Precision Fuel & Hydration and use code LongRun26 for 15% off your order at precisionhydration.com

Go Brewing

This episode is brought to you by Go Brewing, a small family-run brewery outside Chicago making non-alcoholic IPAs, lagers, and hazies that actually taste like beer, with most cans under 60 calories and no added sugar, so try favorites like the Jab Jab Grapefruit IPA, New School Sour Berry, or Baller Melon at gobrewing.com and use code FTLR2026 for 20% off your first order.

Hildee Weiss is a wife, mother of five, grandmother, freelance writer, and runner. She started running at age 46 with a hand injury, a trainer named Jeff who believed in her before she believed in herself, and a head full of reasons why she couldn't do it. Twelve years later she has run 5Ks, 10Ks, half marathons, Spartan races, and trail runs. She has broken bones, had surgery, lost her motivation, and found it again. And she just wrote a book about all of it.

This conversation is about what happens when you finally decide to do something for yourself after years of doing everything for everyone else. It's about identity, self-belief, the difference between I have to run and I get to run, and why it's never too late to start.

Topics covered:

Stay connected:

Hildee's book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Embracing-My-Inner-Athlete/Hildee-Weiss/9798894410326

Hildee on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/momoffive68/

Support our Sponsors:

Boulderthon

Whether you're chasing a PR or looking for an unforgettable race weekend, Boulderthon offers a 5K, 10K, half marathon, full marathon, and kids races in beautiful Boulder, Colorado. Register at Boulderthon.com and use code FTLR2026 to save $20 on your half or full marathon registration.

Precision Fuel & Hydration

Precision Fuel & Hydration's new Watermelon Chew was developed with trail ultrarunner Rachel Entrekin to help athletes combat flavor fatigue while fueling long efforts. Shop at Precision Fuel & Hydration and use code LongRun26 for 15% off your order at precisionhydration.com

Tifosi Optics

From bright sunshine to overcast mornings, Tifosi offers performance eyewear designed for every running condition, with prescription options available as well. Shop at TifosiOptics.com and use code FTLR2026 to save 20% on your order.

Go Brewing

This episode is brought to you by Go Brewing, a small family-run brewery outside Chicago making non-alcoholic IPAs, lagers, and hazies that actually taste like beer, with most cans under 60 calories and no added sugar, so try favorites like the Jab Jab Grapefruit IPA, New School Sour Berry, or Baller Melon at gobrewing.com and use code FTLR2026 for 20% off your first order.

Shad Mika has been running ultras for over twenty years. He went from two hundred and forty pounds and a divorce to a duathlon, to Leadville, to Hardrock — and he's still going. He DNF'd his first two hundred mile attempts before he finally figured out it was supposed to hurt that bad. He's paced friends through Cocodona, volunteered at Hardrock for twelve years before he ever got in, and left his dog's ashes on top of Handies Peak. He blogs about it all at a site he's kept going since 2006 and has no plans to stop.

This conversation was recorded the week before Hardrock with wildfires burning near Ouray and real uncertainty around whether the race would happen. He showed up anyway.

Topics covered:

Support our Sponsors:

Boulderthon

Whether you're chasing a PR or looking for an unforgettable race weekend, Boulderthon offers a 5K, 10K, half marathon, full marathon, and kids races in beautiful Boulder, Colorado. Register at Boulderthon.com and use code FTLR2026 to save $20 on your half or full marathon registration.

Precision Fuel & Hydration

Precision Fuel & Hydration's new Watermelon Chew was developed with trail ultrarunner Rachel Entrekin to help athletes combat flavor fatigue while fueling long efforts. Shop at Precision Fuel & Hydration and use code LongRun26 for 15% off your order at precisionhydration.com

Tifosi Optics

From bright sunshine to overcast mornings, Tifosi offers performance eyewear designed for every running condition, with prescription options available as well. Shop at TifosiOptics.com and use code FTLR2026 to save 20% on your order.

Go Brewing

This episode is brought to you by Go Brewing, a small family-run brewery outside Chicago making non-alcoholic IPAs, lagers, and hazies that actually taste like beer, with most cans under 60 calories and no added sugar, so try favorites like the Jab Jab Grapefruit IPA, New School Sour Berry, or Baller Melon at gobrewing.com and use code FTLR2026 for 20% off your first order.

This one is a little different. Jon hosted a live panel in Boulder with three people who between them have worked with Olympic athletes, NBA teams, professional runners, and tens of thousands of recreational athletes. The topic was fueling, strength training, and the fundamentals that most runners are still getting wrong.

Charlie Sweeney is a professional marathoner who has lived the training load most people only read about — 140 miles a week, two sessions a day five days a week, and 110 grams of carbohydrate per hour at Boston this year. Dr. Marc Bubbs is the founder of ProBio, a performance nutritionist, and author who has spent his career in elite sport locker rooms translating research into what athletes actually do every day — from Canada Basketball to NBA and NHL teams to Olympic track clubs. Jason Fitzgerald has been coaching runners since 2010 and works primarily with adult recreational athletes.

The conversation is practical, honest, and occasionally funny. There's pizza involved.

Topics covered:

No sponsors on this one. If For The Long Run is a show you look forward to, you can support it directly at forthelong.run/subscribe — $8 a month or $80 for the year. The goal is fewer ads over time, and eventually none at all. That happens with your help.