I hope to still be running races when I am in my 60s or 70s, just like today's guest: Ruth Kohstall. She got into running in her 40s when she was playing soccer and decided to challenge herself on the trails by running longer and longer distances. In the last episode we talked with the race director about how Eastern States was cancelled due to flooding and a state of emergency. Ruth was signed up for Eastern States, but then tried to run another 100 mile race a couple weeks later, since she had been training. That race ended up with her needing stitches, so at 70 years old she decided a couple weeks later to go run a "fatass" (unsanctioned & self-supported) race. The running community came out to cheer her on and run some of the night loops with her as she set out to run 100 miles.

No one wants a race to be cancelled, but sometimes mother nature, in this instance named Tropical Storm Debby, has other thoughts. Ben Mazer is the race director with dozens of races under his belt. This year he had his work cut out for him the days leading up to Eastern States 100 mile race. Heavy rain from the storm forced them to make course alterations several times leading up to race day, but ultimately the Governor of Pennsylvania made a declaration of emergency and the race had to be cancelled. The race organizers still tried to make the best of the situation and Ben goes into that. If you are interested in running Eastern States 100 next year, check out their website for more details.

Stephen uses the mentality of "No Take" when it comes to rock climbing and running some tough races. His first 100 mile race was Hellbender, which is one of the toughest races in the Eastern United States. He recounts the crazy weather as he was cresting Mount Mitchell during the race.

Check him out on Instagram, Strava, or his Not Take Mafia climbing adventures on Facebook and Instagram accounts.

Chances are you have come across Laura Green on your social media feeds or one of your running buddies shared one of her hilarious videos with you. Laura took a leap and is fully dedicating her workload to creating fun content for the running realm in a fun and quirky way. Brands have taken note and are teaming up with her and this was a really fun episode to chat with her. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

You can find her on Instagram, YouTube, and Tiktok.

Tara Dower has some huge goals set this year! After winning Run Rabbit Run last year and securing the FKT for the Colorado Trail, she is cranking up the challenge for this year. She is ready to throw it down at Hardrock 100 this year and she is also attempting to go after the Appalachian Trail FKT in August. We talked about her journey getting into ultra running, why she goes by Candy Mama, and her Altra sponsorship.

You can follow along her journeys on Instagram.

Episode image taken by @windingtrailphotography at Ohio's Backyard Ultra.

It would be a safe bet that Ryan Van Duzer has logged more miles on a bike than anyone who listens to this episode. His first big trek was a 4,000 mile ride from Honduras back to his hometown of Boulder, Coloardo after he finished a couple years in the Peace Corps. His book, A Long Way Home, documented his return ride home. He has done many multi-thousand mile trips on a bike and most have been documented on his YouTube channel: DuzerTV. He is not just an ultra-cyclist, but also an ultrarunner. Check out his website or Instagram for more of his adventures.

This was a real treat to catch back up with Ciara Lucas. She worked with me in Columbus at ABC6 and FOX28 and she even had her own workout segment called Good Day Workout. She was heavily involved with the Columbus Westside Running Club. She has moved on and is now doing health and wellness reporting in New York City. She was also recently on the Today Show and just recently completed the London Marathon along with the Big Sur Marathon a week later. Hope you enjoy this episode! Check out her Instagram or Linktree to check out some of her other work.

DeadSkout, or Skout, ran across America in the fall of 2023 from Los Angeles to New York City. It was a solo effort with no crew, so he was very minimalistic with his gear that he carried in his backpack. Skout is an artist and his avatar, for the character he is representing, is a sad panda. So he is running across the country as a character and wearing a motorcycle helmet with a decal of a panda to represent the hardship that the panda character deals with. So the run was dedicated towards mental health and suicide prevention awareness.

Brian Papay ran 5125 miles in 2023, but didn't get serious into running until 2020 when COVID shut down the gyms. He pushes hard with minimal attention or gear. You will often see him running a hundred mile race in shoes, shorts, and a handheld water bottle. He has big goals on the horizon to push himself more.