Borderlands Trail and Ultra Running

Borderlands Trail and Ultra Running

Josh Rosenthal | Ultra Runner

Episodes 306
Avg. Duration 39m
Activity Highly Active
Apple Rating 4.5 (90)
Since Jan 2024
Latest Episode Jun 2026

Outreach Signals

Open to Sponsors

Publishing Details

Schedule
Weekly
Format
Episodic
Consistency
55%
Hosting
feeds.captivate.fm

About This Podcast

Borderlands Trail and Ultra Running is a storytelling podcast for ultra runners who love this sport deeply, the iconic races, the legendary athletes, the gear, and the culture that makes all of it worth caring about. Hosted by Josh Rosenthal, founder of Borderlands Trail Running, this show exists to collect the ultra running stories that define the sport, from spending a day at Laz Lake's home to deep conversations with Scott Jurek, Dean Karnazes, Camille Herron, and the everyday runners doing extraordinary things out on the trails. This podcast covers the full world of ultra and trail running: race coverage and analysis of marquee events including Western States Endurance Run and UTMB, honest trail running shoes reviews and ultra running gear breakdowns from someone who has tested 44 pairs over 6,000 miles, and big conversations about where the sport is headed, including what dirtbag runners bring to a sport that's growing fast. This show gives ultra runners the stories, perspectives, and gear knowledge to go deeper into a sport they already love while celebrating what makes trail and ultra running unlike anything else. We'll answer questions like: - Who is Laz Lake, and why does everyone in ultra running revere him? - What makes the Barkley Marathons the hardest race in the world? - How does Western States Endurance Run work, and why is it so hard to get in? - What are the best trail running shoes and ultra running gear right now? - Who are the greatest ultra runners of all time? - What does dirtbag running culture actually mean? - How is ultra running changing, and is that a good thing? - What does it take to run a 100 mile ultra marathon? - What should ultra runners eat during training and on race day? If you want the stories, the gear, and the culture that make ultra and trail running the most addictive sport on earth, you're in the right place.

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Recent Episodes

S1E304 The Trail Running Sea of Sameness | Nike ACG, Nostalgia, and the Cost of Optimization

Jun 12, 2026 28m

Modern trail running shoes are better than they've ever been. So why do so many runners still find themselves drawn to older designs like the Nike ACG LDV?Josh and Inky use one nostalgic shoe to…

S1E303 Why Western States is America's Most Important Race | More than a Run

Jun 09, 2026 23m

Western States 100 occupies a different place in trail running than almost any other race. Months before the starting gun, runners and fans are already studying the field, imagining the canyons,…

S1E302 Why Trail Running Hides Competition

Jun 04, 2026 17m Transcript

Trail running culture loves winners. That's obvious. The sport builds documentaries about them, fills Instagram feeds with them, and spends months debating who will win Western States. But the more…

S1E301 What Happens When Running Becomes Your Job? | Jacob Puzey

May 25, 2026 19m Transcript

Professional running can quietly turn into pressure, performance, sponsorship obligations, and constant visibility. This episode with Jacob Puzey is for runners who have felt burnout creeping into…

S1E300 The Race That Makes Trail Running Real

May 21, 2026 18m Transcript

Trail running usually becomes real for people at a local ultra, not while watching UTMB or Western States online. The parking lot at 5am with 53 runners, one exhausted race director, and volunteers…

S1E299 What SATISFY Reveals About Trail Running

May 18, 2026 9m

Trail running culture melted down this weekend after a Satisfy x Adidas event triggered accusations of cringe, elitism, rich-kid cosplay, and the death of authenticity. But the backlash revealed…

S1E298 Can Trail Running Stay Human?

May 12, 2026 45m Transcript

Trail running is getting bigger fast. Bigger races, bigger brands, bigger media, and more money entering the sport every year. What happens to trail running culture as all of that growth accelerates?…

S1E297 Can Trail Running Handle Growth?

May 07, 2026 20m Transcript

Cocodona 250 exposed something trail running still doesn’t totally want to admit: the audience is already here, but the fan experience still hasn’t caught up. After spending more than 13 hours inside…

S1E296 Why Fueling Stops Working During Ultras

May 04, 2026 44m Transcript

Ultra running nutrition is getting more extreme. More carbs, more precision, more pressure to “get it right.” But if you’ve ever had your stomach shut down mid-race, you know something isn’t adding…

S1E295 Why Ultrarunning Feels Necessary

Apr 27, 2026 20m

Ultra running promises performance, progress, and control. But for a lot of people, it’s filling a gap that normal life doesn’t. This episode explores what ultra running actually gives people and why…

S1E294 Why Ultrarunners Keep Going When Their Body Says Stop | Matt Johnson

Apr 20, 2026 26m Transcript

Why do some people keep going when everything says stop? If you’ve ever hit a breaking point in endurance sports and wondered what actually determines whether you quit or keep moving, this…

S1E293 How People Become Ultrarunners (No Clear Path)

Apr 14, 2026 38m Transcript

Nobody plans to become an ultra runner. There’s no clear path into the sport, no obvious starting point, and most people don’t grow up anywhere near it. So how do people actually find their way…

S1E292 The Problem With Professional Trail and Ultra Running

Apr 10, 2026 11m Transcript

Trail running is growing fast, but is it actually scaling? If you’ve ever felt like the sport looks bigger than it is, or struggled to follow it as a fan, this episode breaks down why. This is for run…

S1E291 Why Running Changes You (It’s Not Just Fitness) with Raz Rauf

Apr 08, 2026 49m Transcript

Trail running and running culture go beyond training plans, races, and performance. Raziq Rauf explains why running isn’t just a sport, but a reflection of identity, place, community, and modern runni…

S1E290 A Risk Most Running Brands Wouldn’t Take

Apr 05, 2026 25m Transcript

Kiprun used to feel like an entry-level running brand, not one serious runners would put in the same conversation as the best trail running shoes in the sport. If you’re curious how a brand changes…

S1E289 Ultra Running Exposes Who You Really Are (wtih Mike Kratzer)

Apr 01, 2026 35m Transcript

Ultra running reveals what happens when race plans fail, training falls apart, and things don’t go the way we want. Running helps strip away all the things we distract ourselves with and forces us to…

S1E288 Why People Run 100 Miles (with Billy Yang)

Mar 30, 2026 32m Transcript

Why do people run 100 miles and keep coming back to ultra running even after it hurts, slows them down, and offers no obvious reward? If you’ve ever been curious about ultra running or felt the pull t…

S1E287 Why Trail Running Feels Like Skateboarding but Isn't

Mar 27, 2026 10m Transcript

Trail running culture is starting to look a lot like skateboarding—crews, aesthetics, a more raw identity.But if you’ve ever wondered whether that comparison actually holds up, this episode breaks it…

S1E286 How Do You Rebuild a Life? Tommie Runz on Sobriety, Loss, and Running

Mar 23, 2026 21m

Many runners come to ultrarunning through performance, but what happens when running comes after everything else falls apart? This episode explores how sobriety, loss, and identity shape the path…

S1E285 Is Ultrarunning Losing Its Charm?

Mar 19, 2026 25m Transcript

Ultrarunning is evolving and growing fast and with that growth, ultra running feels different. Josh digs into how the sport is changing as it becomes more competitive, more visible, and more…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Borderlands Trail and Ultra Running have?

Borderlands Trail and Ultra Running has published 306 episodes since January 2024, covering topics in Health & Fitness, Running.

Is Borderlands Trail and Ultra Running still active?

Borderlands Trail and Ultra Running is currently highly active with new episodes weekly. Average episode length is 39m.

How do I contact Borderlands Trail and Ultra Running for sponsorship or guest appearances?

Sign up on Grep.FM to access contact details for Borderlands Trail and Ultra Running, including email and social media links.

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