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In this episode, we travel to Ubatuba, Brazil, to catch up with Alex Luna, one of the driving forces behind the UB515 ultra triathlon. As the race enters its 13th year, Alex shares the origin story of how a small group of legends—including Alexandre Ribeiro and Corey Folk—brought the Ultraman distance to Brazil. We dive deep into the "Aloha" spirit that defines the event and discuss the logistical and emotional preparation for the 43 athletes set to take on the 515km challenge.

What you will learn from this episode:

• The Power of "Just Letting it Happen": Alex recounts the advice from Corey Folk that finally launched the race in 2014.
• Course Logistics: A day-by-day walkthrough of the swimming, cycling, and running stages through some of Brazil’s most scenic coastal and mountain roads.
• Community & Legacy: How the race serves as a transformative process for both athletes and staff, fostering lifelong connections.

Athlete Dynamics: A breakdown of the 2026 field, including a record number of female participants and the veterans returning to defend their numbers.

Follow the race on Instagram       UB 515 Website 

Previous appearances by Alex (S4E6) (S5E9)

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• BR145
• Fodaxman 
• IM Brasil

Shout outs and mentions in this episode:

• Alexandre Ribeiro
• Paulo Calil
• Cory Foulk
• Sergio Cordeiro
• Curtis Tyler
• Leslie Tyler
• Steve King 
• Andrius Luna
• Sandro Tanaka
• 75 – Bernardo Tillmann
• 78 – Erick Duarte
• 99 – Aline Luftmann
• 135 – Fabiano Peres
• 147 – Dejalmo Almeida
• 149 – Evandro Dutra
• 169 – Marcelo Noia
• 187 – Juan Armenteros
• 200 – Eduardo Filho
• 208 – Pedro Walfir
• 220 – Igor Maciel
• 225 – Luciano Bressy
• 233 – Rian Tavares
• 236 – Rafael Aragon
• 241 – Rubens Gonçalo
• 244 – Cléber Santos
• 245 – Rodrigo Gregório
• 246 – Diogo Brumm
• 248 – Ana Heide
• 249 – Luiza Machado
• 250 – Marcele Salaverry
• 251 – Diego Vidal
• 252 – Julius Bomfim
• 253 – Kildare Cardoso
• 254 – Juliana Ennes
• 255 – Fabi Silva
• 256 – Tatiana Debiasi
• 257 – Dankar Maridor
• 258 – Rodrigo Arraes
• 259 – Rafael Ruhl
• 260 – Julio Tiliaque
• 261 – Kalleb Potenza
• 262 – Mauro Lima
• 263 – Flavio Santos
• 264 – Gabriel Brás
• 265 – Fernando Oliveira
• 267 – Victor Latarulla
• 269 – João Paulo Morisson
• 270 – Wagner Nishizawa
• 271 – Renan Delavald
• 272 – Pamela Oliveira
• 273 – Roger Barroquello
• 274 – Adriano Bertanha.     

Support the show

Show Contributors:
Host : Larry Ryan
Contributing Raconteur : Steve King
Announcer : Mary Jo Dionne
Production : 5Five Enterprises
Music  :  Run by 331

For show notes and past guests, please visit the Podcast Website: https://515theultrapodcast.buzzsprout.com
Facebook: @515TheUltraPodcast
Insta : @515theultrapodcast
Youtube : @515TheUltraPodcast
Email : [email protected]