All over the country people are creating outrageous unofficial athletic contests that are equal parts grueling and just plain silly. What’s going on? When did it become a thing to bike into the mountains, swim across a frigid lake, then complete an alpine climb? To investigate the peculiar rise of this new breed of multisport non-events, which have neither sponsors nor aid stations, we spoke with the folks behind The Picnic, a Jackson Hole, Wyoming invention that has become quite competitive, despite the fact that it was supposed to be all about the fun.
The Outside Podcast is made possible by Outside+ subscribers. Learn more about all the benefits of a subscription and subscribe now at outsideonline.com/podplus.

The Strange New World of DIY Sufferfests

Outside’s longstanding literary storytelling tradition comes to life in audio with features that will both entertain and inform listeners. We launched in March 2016 with our first series, Science of Survival, and have since expanded our show and now offer a range of story formats, including reports from our correspondents in the field and interviews with the biggest figures in sports, adventure, and the outdoors.

Sports

Wilderness

When the British Empire finally put boots on top of the world on May 29, 1953, the news was entrusted to a young man named Ten Tsewang Sherpa, who ran 200 miles to Kathmandu. Likely the last piece of world news sent by runner, he delivered the message and died. And his story was lost until now.

See pictures and videos from the original article here.

The Outside Podcast is made possible by Outside+ subscribers. Learn more about all the benefits of a subscription and subscribe now at outsideonline.com/podplus

The 200-Mile Race to Tell the World about Everest

Athletes train for years to overcome pain, exhaustion, and fatigue. But some people take it too far and are never the same again. In this episode from 2019, Outside contributor Meaghan Brown started looking into this strange phenomenon, and found a bunch of frustrated athletes, and confused doctors.

Read Meaghan's original story on Overtraining Syndrome.

The Outside Podcast is made possible by Outside+ subscribers. Learn more about all the benefits of a subscription and subscribe now at outsideonline.com/podplus

The Runners Who Went So Hard They Were Never the Same

When PTSD changed the course of Chad Brown’s life, the subtle art of catch and release fly fishing changed it back. In this episode, the filmmaker, fisherman, soldier, and survivor tells the story of how giving back—to his community, to the river, to the fish—gave him a template for rebuilding his life.

The Outside Podcast is made possible by Outside+ subscribers. Learn more about all the benefits of a subscription and subscribe now at outsideonline.com/podplus

The Subtle Art of Catch and Release

Movies don’t get much better than surfer-heist popcorn flick Point Break (1991). Movies don’t really get much worse than surfer-heist popcorn flick Point Break (2015). What happened? Each week on the movie and culture podcast Captive Audience, regular Outside contributor Alex Ward and his co-hosts break down a classic film that one of them hasn’t seen. This week, they invited Outside Podcast host Peter Frick-Wright to discuss the Keanu Reeves cult classic, and the debacle that is the remake.

The Outside Podcast is made possible by Outside+ subscribers. Learn more about all the benefits of a subscription and subscribe now at outsideonline.com/podplus

Breaking Down Point Break

'Forever Chemicals' keep mud out of your boots, and make rain jackets waterproof, but they’re about to be illegal. Back in 2013, footwear maker Keen decided to try and figure out the formula for keeping everyone dry without poisoning our drinking water and contaminating our soil. Could they make high performance boots and shoes without causing cancer and suppressing the immune system? Would the rest of the outdoor industry follow their lead?

Outside Online: Forever Chemicals are Bad. And Everywhere

The Outside Podcast is made possible by Outside+ subscribers. Learn more about all the benefits of a subscription and subscribe now at outsideonline.com/podplus

The Strange New World of DIY Sufferfests

Download our free app to listen on your phone