Gotta Run Podcast

We are off to Slovenia soon to race the Ultra Trail Vipava Valley UTVV for short on April 27. It will be our first time there and it came on our radar after our chat with Canadian Galen Reynolds in Episode 81 who lives and trains near the capital, Ljubljana. Since we know very little about this part of the world or these trails we figured why not ask someone who has run the course, so we reached out to runner Anze Sobocan who not only has run the race but has completed every distance this event has to offer including several podium finishes. Anze is 39 and a member of Team Salomon Slovenia.  He has racked up quite a few race results in a relatively short period of time including many events in Slovenia and neighbouring countries of Croatia and Austria. We chat about the Istria 100 which has the oldest start line in the world at 3000 years old and the Swiss Ultra Tour Monte Rosa 100 miler his hardest race to date and then of course, Ultra Trail Vipava Valley UTVV. Here is Anze Sobocan… You can follow Anze on Instagram here  - https://www.instagram.com/anze.sobocan/ If you enjoyed our show please leave a rating and review.  We would really appreciate it. Check out GottaRunRacing website here and use promo code GRRPODCAST for discounts - gottarunracing.com Check out our YouTube Channel here - https://youtube.com/@GottaRunRacing Check out GRR Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/gottarunracing/ Check out GRR Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/gottarunracing/ Check out GRR Twitter here: https://twitter.com/gottarun_racing Support us on Patreon here : https://www.patreon.com/gottarunracing

Returning to the podcast is Ihor Verys.  Based in Chilliwack, British Columbia, Ihor is the first Ukranian-Canadian finisher and ultimate winner of the 2024 The Barkley Marathons! Ihor has been very busy since we last spoke to him after his Fat Dog 120 win in 2022 including runner up at Big’s Backyard World Championship running over 715k last year and a win at Hurt 100 this year. We touch on a few key elements from those two races and then dive into The Barkley Marathons.  In a year that saw five finishers in total including the first woman, Jasmin Paris, Ihor was the winner in 58 hours, 44 minutes. After spending just a short time with Ihor virtually, it is obvious to us that he is an incredible human being and true ambassador for ultra running.  We wrap up our chat with a light-hearted rapid-fire segment so be sure to listen to the end.  Here is Ihor Verys… You can follow Ihor on Instagram here  - https://www.instagram.com/ihorverys/ If you enjoyed our show please leave a rating and review.  We would really appreciate it. Check out GottaRunRacing website here and use promo code GRRPODCAST for discounts - gottarunracing.com Check out our YouTube Channel here - https://youtube.com/@GottaRunRacing Check out GRR Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/gottarunracing/ Check out GRR Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/gottarunracing/ Check out GRR Twitter here: https://twitter.com/gottarun_racing Support us on Patreon here : https://www.patreon.com/gottarunracing  

Jonathan Albon is a 34 year old multi-discipline athlete originally from the UK, now living in Norway. Jon has left his mark on many sports including Obstacle Course Racing where he recently took home the largest prize in OCR history by crossing the line first in Saudi Arabia; completing 100 kilometres in 8 hours with 20 obstacles per 10K lap!  He has some equally impressive results in trail and ultra running including top spots at OCC and CCC in recent years as well as 3rd in the short trail distance at the World Mountain and Trail Championships in Thailand in 2022. He has twice won the final ranking of Sky Extreme Series and has once been the overall winner of the Skyrunner World Series. Jon and his wife Henriette, who is also an accomplished professional trail runner, have created a training app, aptly named AlbonApp, for athletes of all levels, incorporating strength training and cardio workouts. Jon will be making his 100 miler debut without obstacles at Western States 100 this summer.   Here is Jon.... You can follow Jon on Instagram here  - https://www.instagram.com/jonalbon/ If you enjoyed our show please leave a rating and review.  We would really appreciate it. Check out GottaRunRacing website here and use promo code GRRPODCAST for discounts - gottarunracing.com Check out our YouTube Channel here - https://youtube.com/@GottaRunRacing Check out GRR Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/gottarunracing/ Check out GRR Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/gottarunracing/ Check out GRR Twitter here: https://twitter.com/gottarun_racing Support us on Patreon here : https://www.patreon.com/gottarunracing

On this episode, we feature 53 year old Jeff Bond, an ultra runner from Manitoba.  He has competed in several ultras including the Canadian Death Race, Epic East Gate in Riding Mountain National Park and the Dead Horse Ultra. He just completed 100 miles on foot at the Yukon Arctic Ultra; a race not for the faint of heart! You can choose your mode of discipline at this event either by foot, cross country skis or mountain bike.   Jeff is a member of The Manitoba Association of Trail Runners which is associated with the Ultimate Trails of Manitoba series or UTofMB for short (we see what ya did there)! He is also the director of a race called Rider vs Runner where runners compete against horse riders over a 40K  course with river crossings, steep climbs and descents with approximately 610 meters of gain/loss.  Here is Jeff.... If you enjoyed our show please leave a rating and review.  We would really appreciate it. Check out GottaRunRacing website here and use promo code GRRPODCAST for discounts - gottarunracing.com Check out our YouTube Channel here - https://youtube.com/@GottaRunRacing Check out GRR Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/gottarunracing/ Check out GRR Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/gottarunracing/ Check out GRR Twitter here: https://twitter.com/gottarun_racing Support us on Patreon here : https://www.patreon.com/gottarunracing

Lauren Puretz is a 40 year old practicing gynecologist in Colorado Springs, CO.  She has been running ultras for a few years now and has always been in the mix of things - 5th at Bandera 2021, 7th at Black Canyon 2022, and 4th at last year's Javelina Jundred.  She is a member of the Colorado Aravaipa running team. Fun fact - she won the Sawatch Ascent 50K in Colorado outright last year and the only other woman to do that was Courtney Dauwalter!  Lauren earned a golden ticket to Western States 100 by placing 3rd at Black Canyon 100 K a couple weeks ago, much to her own surprise! So stick around and let's get to know Lauren more.   Here is Lauren... You can follow Lauren on Instagram here : https://www.instagram.com/lauren1642/ If you enjoyed our show please leave a rating and review.  We would really appreciate it. Check out GottaRunRacing website here and use promo code GRRPODCAST for discounts - gottarunracing.com Check out our YouTube Channel here - https://youtube.com/@GottaRunRacing Check out GRR Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/gottarunracing/ Check out GRR Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/gottarunracing/ Check out GRR Twitter here: https://twitter.com/gottarun_racing Support us on Patreon here : https://www.patreon.com/gottarunracing     

Rachel Drake, 32, resides in Portland, Oregon. She is a new Mom to Lewis, partner to ultrarunner Tyler Green, and has her PhD in medical sciences.  She was the first woman across the line in this years Black Canyon 100K, where she earned ultrarunning's most sought after Golden Ticket to Western States.  Rachel started 2024 off with a win at the Hong Kong 33K, the first World Trail Majors race of the year.  And now with her win at Black Canyon, she will be toeing the line at North America's most illustrious race.   We touch on the issues facing many female athletes post-partum and how important it is to share and learn from each other.   Here is Rachel... You can follow Rachel on Instagram here : https://www.instagram.com/rachelraedrake/ If you enjoyed our show please leave a rating and review.  We would really appreciate it. Check out GottaRunRacing website here and use promo code GRRPODCAST for discounts - gottarunracing.com Check out our YouTube Channel here - https://youtube.com/@GottaRunRacing Check out GRR Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/gottarunracing/ Check out GRR Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/gottarunracing/ Check out GRR Twitter here: https://twitter.com/gottarun_racing Support us on Patreon here : https://www.patreon.com/gottarunracing

Hot off the Arizona trails is Becca Windell, celebrating not only her podium finish at Black Canyon 100k but capturing one of the elusive golden tickets to Western States 100K. Her passion for wildlife led her down the path to her career as a biologist, studying diseases threatening the fauna in the American west. We also chat about her experience at The Bear 100 in 2021; her only 100 miler to date and what she learned at The Canyons in 2021 that helped her to succeed at this year's Black Canyons. She also shares her dreams of racing in the new World Trail Majors series and her answers to rapid-fire questions about her life, career, and interests add a fun twist to the episode. Here is Becca Windell... You can follow Becca on Instagram here - https://www.instagram.com/beccawindell/ Looking for a running coach? Becca's website here - https://www.beccawindell.com/ About Home Range wildlife research here - https://www.homerange.org/home   If you enjoyed our show please leave a rating and review.  We would really appreciate it. Check out Gotta Run Racing website here and use promo code GRRPODCAST for discounts - gottarunracing.com Check out our YouTube Channel here - https://youtube.com/@GottaRunRacing Check out GRR Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/gottarunracing/ Check out GRR Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/gottarunracing/ Check out GRR Twitter here: https://twitter.com/gottarun_racing Support us on Patreon here : https://www.patreon.com/gottarunracing  

Tania shares a fascinating chronicle of her journey into ultra running, from her initial days of being a non-runner to resolutely training and completing ultra-marathons, over 20 to date.  She details her latest adventure, to race across five deserts (Namibia, Gobi, Jordan, Antarctica, Chile) in 12 months with the aim of raising funds for Indigenous children in Mexico.  Find out why she chose this challenge in particular and what race she ultimately has set her sights on for 2025. We plan to check back in with Tania after each desert race to find out how it went! All this and more so stick around Here is Tania... You can follow Tania on Instagram here : https://www.instagram.com/taniaruns_theworld/ Tania's Coaching/Pod/Charity here : https://www.runstrongcoaching.com/ If you enjoyed our show please leave a rating and review.  We would really appreciate it. Check out GottaRunRacing website here and use promo code GRRPODCAST for discounts - gottarunracing.com Check out our YouTube Channel here - https://youtube.com/@GottaRunRacing Check out GRR Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/gottarunracing/ Check out GRR Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/gottarunracing/ Check out GRR Twitter here: https://twitter.com/gottarun_racing Support us on Patreon here : https://www.patreon.com/gottarunracing

Jakob Herrmann is a Swiss living in California, and an experienced runner who has completed an incredible number of races including seventy-nine marathons, over fifty 50K’s, and twenty-five 100 milers. His first ultra was back in 2005 at the JFK 50 - go big or go home!    Some of his more notable races include Javelina 100, Rio Del Largo 100, and Man vs Horse.  Jakob is also the race director of the Swiss Alps 100 which is a qualifier for three of the biggest North American races - Hardrock, Western States 100, and Badwater 135. It includes over 10,000 metres of climbing in a stunning setting around the Alps. Which means you better sign up early for the Swiss Alps 100 because it will sell out quickly! All this and more so stick around Here is Jakob... You can follow The Swiss Alps 100 on Instagram here : https://www.instagram.com/swissalps100/ If you enjoyed our show please leave a rating and review.  We would really appreciate it. Check out GottaRunRacing website here and use promo code GRRPODCAST for discounts - gottarunracing.com Check out our YouTube Channel here - https://youtube.com/@GottaRunRacing Check out GRR Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/gottarunracing/ Check out GRR Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/gottarunracing/ Check out GRR Twitter here: https://twitter.com/gottarun_racing Support us on Patreon here : https://www.patreon.com/gottarunracing  

Marcus Kjellberg is an ultra runner with diabetes and content creator from Sweden.  We came across one of his YouTube videos that he created about the Val D’Aran race in Spain last year - it’s an event put on by UTMB and some say the 100 miler is equal to or harder than the UTMB’s 100 miler. During his Val D'Aran experience it turned into a lightning show and the race was stopped,  what happened next?  We also chat with Marcus about some of his other YT videos such as his UTMB and Kullamannen 100 races.     Here is Marcus...   You can follow Marcus on Instagram here : https://www.instagram.com/marcus.kjellberg/ Marcus YouTube Chanel link here : https://www.youtube.com/@MarcusKjellberg   If you enjoyed our show please leave a rating and review.  We would really appreciate it.   Check out GottaRunRacing website here and use promo code GRRPODCAST for discounts - gottarunracing.com Check out our YouTube Channel here - https://youtube.com/@GottaRunRacing Check out GRR Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/gottarunracing/ Check out GRR Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/gottarunracing/ Check out GRR Twitter here: https://twitter.com/gottarun_racing Support us on Patreon here : https://www.patreon.com/gottarunracing  

Wow Wow Wow !! What a year 2023 has been, we hit 100 episodes and chatted with amazing ultra athletes. The 4 events in our Gotta Run Racing series were a success and we have added more content on our YouTube Channel with new virtual runs, our running adventures and Podcast chats.  Head on over to our Youtube channel and subscribe to not miss any uploaded videos. If you enjoy our show, please leave a rating and review.  We would really appreciate it. Check out GottaRunRacing website here and use promo code GRRPODCAST for discounts - gottarunracing.com Check out our YouTube Channel here - https://youtube.com/@GottaRunRacing Check out GRR Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/gottarunracing/ Check out GRR Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/gottarunracing/ Check out GRR Twitter here: https://twitter.com/gottarun_racing Support us on Patreon here : https://www.patreon.com/gottarunracing

Holly Grahn is an ultra runner, certified registered Hypnotherapist and Life Coach living in British Columbia. She has conquered some of Canada's epic ultra races finishing the Canadian Death Race 4xs as well as Fat Dog 120 and Squamish 50 just to name a few,  through her coaching, she specializes in helping runners change their mindset, reduce stress, improve focus and visualize success!  In our chat with Holly we will discuss her ultra running journey and how hypnotherapy helped her succeed and could possibly help you in your running journey.    Here is Holly... You can follow Holly on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/leadingedgehypno/ Holly Grahn's Website https://leadingedgehypno.com/    The link for scheduling:  Please click on the link below to book an appointment: https://SchedulewithCoachHolly.as.me/ * 15% off + one free Hypnosis session*  Promo code: GottaRunRacing15   Holly's YouTube Chanel. Here’s the link:  https://youtube.com/@Hypno_Holly?si=vj2ikp2rkL3YAe7N   If you enjoyed our show please leave a rating and review.  We would really appreciate it. Check out GottaRunRacing website here and use promo code GRRPODCAST for discounts - gottarunracing.com Check out our YouTube Channel here - https://youtube.com/@GottaRunRacing Check out GRR Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/gottarunracing/ Check out GRR Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/gottarunracing/ Check out GRR Twitter here: https://twitter.com/gottarun_racing Support us on Patreon here : https://www.patreon.com/gottarunracing

On this episode, we, have Dr. Claire Heslop, an emergency physician in our home city of Toronto. We became aware of Claire after her amazing performance at Ultra Trail Du Mont Blanc as the top Canadian in 2021. She has competed in some pretty amazing races including the Ultra Mirage in Tunisia, MIUT Madeira, Bigfoot 200, Moab 240 and The Track in Australia - 520KM stage race in 2017. 2023 has been a big year for her, racing at Transgrancanaria (for the fourth time), UTMB (also for the 4th time finishing 11th) and recently finishing Kullamannen 100 in Sweden.   We chat about all this and her view on being a sponsored ultra runner in this sport. Here is Claire... You can follow Claire on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/shinesonit/ If you enjoyed our show please leave a rating and review.  We would really appreciate it. Check out GottaRunRacing website here and use promo code GRRPODCAST for discounts - gottarunracing.com Check out our YouTube Channel here - https://youtube.com/@GottaRunRacing Check out GRR Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/gottarunracing/ Check out GRR Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/gottarunracing/ Check out GRR Twitter here: https://twitter.com/gottarun_racing Support us on Patreon here : https://www.patreon.com/gottarunracing

Based out of San Francisco, California, 30 year old Anna Kacius is an endurance athlete with an impressive resume, including qualifying for the Olympic marathon Trials in 2020 and competing for Team USA at the 100K World Championships in Berlin 2022. Anna placed 4th at Black Canyon 100K this year, and recently won the Javelina Jundred 100K breaking the course record by 25 mins with a time of 8:13! She was 2nd overall. We chat with Anna about all this and more including her plans for next year which include a WSER golden ticket attempt at Black Canyons. Here is Anna... You can follow Anna on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/akacius/ If you enjoyed our show please leave a rating and review.  We would really appreciate it. Check out GottaRunRacing website here and use promo code GRRPODCAST for discounts - gottarunracing.com Check out our YouTube Channel here - https://youtube.com/@GottaRunRacing Check out GRR Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/gottarunracing/ Check out GRR Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/gottarunracing/ Check out GRR Twitter here: https://twitter.com/gottarun_racing Support us on Patreon here : https://www.patreon.com/gottarunracing

Jon Rea, fresh off his Javelina Jundred record breaking win with a time of 12:43, earned his third golden ticket to Western States. We chat about his very first ultra - the Golden Gate Dirty 30 50K back in 2015 and Desert Rats 100k (50k) which earned him a spot at CCC this past summer.  He also shares his thoughts on the UTMB/WAM controversy and going back to WSER in 2024. All this and more! Here is Jonathan...   You can follow Jon on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/jonrea_sayray/   If you enjoyed our show please leave a rating and review.  We would really appreciate it.   Check out GottaRunRacing website here and use promo code GRRPODCAST for discounts - gottarunracing.com Check out our YouTube Channel here - https://youtube.com/@GottaRunRacing Check out GRR Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/gottarunracing/ Check out GRR Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/gottarunracing/ Check out GRR Twitter here: https://twitter.com/gottarun_racing Support us on Patreon here : https://www.patreon.com/gottarunracing

Blake Slattengren of Seattle, Washington had a great performance in his debut 100 miler at Javelina Jundred this year, coming in second and snagging his first Golden Ticket to Western States 100. We chat with Blake about how he started in the ultra scene with his first race in New Zealand the Old Ghost Ultra - 85K in 2021 then went on to win the next 5 out of his 7 ultras. We chat about the ultra scene in and around Seattle and his battle for 2nd place and Golden Ticket at Javelina 100! All this and more. Here is Blake... You can follow Blake on Instagram here : https://www.instagram.com/blakeslat/   If you enjoyed our show please leave a rating and review.  We would really appreciate it.   Check out GottaRunRacing website here and use promo code GRRPODCAST for discounts - gottarunracing.com Check out our YouTube Channel here - https://youtube.com/@GottaRunRacing Check out GRR Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/gottarunracing/ Check out GRR Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/gottarunracing/ Check out GRR Twitter here: https://twitter.com/gottarun_racing Support us on Patreon here : https://www.patreon.com/gottarunracing

Ragna Debats of the Netherlands (living in Spain) put in a stellar performance at the 2023 Javelina 100, placing 2nd and punching her golden ticket for the 2024 Western States Endurance Run. Ragna will be returning to Auburn next June to try and better her current masters record of 17:41 where she places 3rd in 2021. She has won some pretty incredible races around the world including Istria 100, Transgrancanaria and Marathon Des Sables but we were particularly intrigued with an epic journey she took with her family a couple of years ago called Rolling Mountains. You can check out their journey, which included racing and training all around the world, on YouTube - it is both inspiring and motivational - https://www.youtube.com/@rollingmountains3868 We chat about all this and more. Here is Ragna... You can follow Ragna on Instagram here : https://www.instagram.com/debatsragna/   If you enjoyed our show please leave a rating and review.  We would really appreciate it.   Check out GottaRunRacing website here and use promo code GRRPODCAST for discounts - gottarunracing.com Check out our YouTube Channel here - https://youtube.com/@GottaRunRacing Check out GRR Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/gottarunracing/ Check out GRR Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/gottarunracing/ Check out GRR Twitter here: https://twitter.com/gottarun_racing Support us on Patreon here : https://www.patreon.com/gottarunracing

While pretty fresh on the ultra trail scene, Ethan Peters has achieved quite the string of impression wins. He started running ultras in 2018 by completing his first ever ultra the Haliburton 100 in his home province of Ontario. After that he finished first at the Canadian Death Race and Black Spur, both Sinister Sports events. He was the fastest Canadian at this years Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc with a time of just over 25 hours. Ethan earned his spot at the big show but placing 4th at Canyons 100 Mile this past Spring. We chat about all this and more. Here is Ethan... You can follow Ethan on Instagram here : https://www.instagram.com/run__ethan/   If you enjoyed our show please leave a rating and review.  We would really appreciate it.   Check out GottaRunRacing website here and use promo code GRRPODCAST for discounts - gottarunracing.com Check out our YouTube Channel here - https://youtube.com/@GottaRunRacing Check out GRR Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/gottarunracing/ Check out GRR Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/gottarunracing/ Check out GRR Twitter here: https://twitter.com/gottarun_racing Support us on Patreon here : https://www.patreon.com/gottarunracing

We came across Aaron's profile on Instagram @irunovermountains and it peaked our interest; he's a content creator, ex-pat from Northern Ireland spending his time between London and Chamonix and he's addicted to mountain running! Aaron has competed in several UTMB series events including TDS, CCC and of course the iconic 100 mile distance UTMB twice. This past August, he took on the Swiss Alps 100 and then headed over to Chamonix during UTMB race week to capture all of the hype and excitement. Be sure to check out his channel which includes his destination races, gear reviews and much more! Here is Aaron... You can follow Aaron on Instagram here : https://www.instagram.com/irunovermountains/ Be sure to check out Aarons Youtube channel here : https://www.youtube.com/@irunovermountains If you enjoyed our show please leave a rating and review.  We would really appreciate it.   Check out GottaRunRacing website here and use promo code GRRPODCAST for discounts - gottarunracing.com Check out our YouTube Channel here - https://youtube.com/@GottaRunRacing Check out GRR Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/gottarunracing/ Check out GRR Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/gottarunracing/ Check out GRR Twitter here: https://twitter.com/gottarun_racing Support us on Patreon here : https://www.patreon.com/gottarunracing  

Jocelyn Briggs is a personal trainer, coach and ultrarunner living in Whitby, Ontario. We met her when she volunteered at our Fiddle50 event this past June and learned that she would soon be taking on the iconic Hardrock 100 miler after earning her final ticket (after several years of trying) at the Bigfoot 200. After the highs and lows of Hardrock 100, she had a secret 200 race planned in her back pocket; the inaugural The Divide 200 taking place in September in the Canadian Rockies. Jocelyn describes how her love for running and goal setting has evolved after going through many changes to her body, mindset and training strategies. What's next on her bucket list? Tune in to find out! We chat about all this and more. Here is Jocelyn... You can follow Jocelyn on Instagram here : https://www.instagram.com/jocelyncbriggs/ Jocelyn Youtube here: https://www.youtube.com/@jocelynbriggs Jocelyn website: https://thinkwhatyouwant.ca/ If you enjoyed our show please leave a rating and review.  We would really appreciate it.   Check out GottaRunRacing website here and use promo code GRRPODCAST for discounts - gottarunracing.com Check out our YouTube Channel here - https://youtube.com/@GottaRunRacing Check out GRR Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/gottarunracing/ Check out GRR Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/gottarunracing/ Check out GRR Twitter here: https://twitter.com/gottarun_racing Support us on Patreon here : https://www.patreon.com/gottarunracing