Florida Trail Runners Podcast

It was another year for the annual Long Haul 100! Time and time again, this is the place where so many runners take on the 100-mile distance for the first time! On the chat, we have four of those first-time 100 mile finishers! Russ Hartzell, Tina Wolfe, Daisy Weckerly, and Ivi Stangle. Russ Hartzell got it done with a time of 31:19:36! He's done races like the Ocho de Mayhem, Blaze Pioneer Trail, Whispering Pines, and the Wildcat Ultra! Tina Wolfe got her buckle with a time of 31:22:02! She's done races like the Bronze Dragonfly, Vero Beach Octopus, River to Sea, Colt 45, Pinellas Trail Challenge, and the Skunk Ape Night Run. Daisy Weckerly finished with a time of 30:45:55! She's done races like the 50 Miler at the Keys, Three Degrees of Hell, the RunFluent 7-Hour, and the Skunk Ape Night Run prior to coming out to the Long Haul. Ivi Stangle, who one half of RunFluent, she got it done with a time of 29:00:52! She's done races like the Skunk Ape Night Run, Grayson Highlands, the Trident, Wild Florida, Forgotten Florida, and Sweat Swat n Swear!

Starting the 2024 Season off where it all started, the Long Haul 100. Frequent guest Andy "Croom" Mathews returns to the podcast to go in-depth into everything about this race. He's also joined by three-time finisher and 3rd Overall at the 2022 Long Haul 100, Jeff Iosa! Also joining the chat this year is two-time finisher and captain of the Boots or Saddles Aid Station, Andrew Barrett! We analyze the course, answer some questions, talk about what it's going to take to be successful, some tips and tricks, some Long Haul 100 trivia, and yes! We make our predictions for the female and male top finishers for this year! We also chat on who we think is going to have most consistent race, some dark horses, and speculate on some Long Haul 100 rookies. The Long Haul 100 takes place at Colt Creek State Park near Lakeland, Florida and is Florida's only Western States Qualifying Race. Great for first-timers and veterans alike! The course is a 6 x 16.6 mile loops. There are 3 fully manned Aid Stations and access to your drop bags every loop. This race is truly the grand gathering of the Florida ultra and trail scene!  See y'all at Long Haul! 

On the chat, we’ve got a chat with Erin Swanson and Wiatt Bowers on the Orange Belt Trail project that’s been in the works over the past couple of years. Erin is a Pasco County Project Manager and Wiatt is a Consultant Project Manager for the Orange Belt Trail project. The Orange Belt Trail is a proposed multiuse trail spanning approximately 37 miles through Pasco County from Trinity to Trilby. It would provide key connections to the Coast-to-Coast Trail, Starkey Trail, Suncoast Trail, and Withlacoochee Trail as well as link communities such as Trinity, Odessa, Land O’Lakes, Wesley Chapel, and Dade City!   More Info: https://orangebelttrail.com http://orangebelttrail.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/OBT_Workshops_4.2023_update.pdf

The Florida Trail Runners Podcast is back! And for episode #110, the comeback episode… we’ve got Casey Denman and his Across Florida 200! Casey got it done with a time of 81 hours, 19 minutes, and 14 seconds! He's also a two-time finisher of the Long Haul 100! Joe Miller also joins the chat! Him and James Mathis run a Facebook Group dedicated to helping Across Florida 200 runners. This is a course that will take runners from Cedar Key/Inglis area from the Withlacoochee Bay Trail - West End Overlook to St Augustine ending at the St. Johns County Ocean and Fishing Pier. The Across Florida 200 has 100 miles of the beautiful Florida Trail, 20 miles of State Park trails, 45 Miles of dirt roads, 15 miles of Rails to Trails, and only 20 miles of road. It is one EPIC adventure.

This year Greg Bargo became third ever Floridian to ever finish the Hardrock 100, he joins Chris Twiggs and Matt Mahoney in that legendary feat to cross the finish line and kiss the rock. He ran a time of 47:31:42 to finish in the Golden Hour. This was a journey that took Greg 10 years in the making. Greg has also run races like the Western States 100, the DT Stone Anvil, the Grindstone 100, Pine to Palm 100, Pinhoti 100, Rocky Racoon 100, and the Leadville 100.

Heading back to the Skunk Ape Night Run with Tina Wolfe, Kimberly Pasienza, Amy Thornton, and James Mathis. Tina has done races like the Bronze Dragonfly, Badwater Cape Fear, River to Sea, the Vero Beach Octopus Ultra, Jacks 50k, and Whispering Pines. Kim, as many may know her from her "Kimspiration Stations" at races. She's done races like the River to Sea, Bronze Dragonfly, and the SWAMP 10k! Amy is the owner of the RunFit running specialty store in Lutz, Florida. She's also done races like the Sweat, Swat, n Swear and the Moon Over Croom. James Mathis has been a huge help volunteering over the years and he has also run the Skunk Ape Night Run many times. He;s done races like the Dark Anchor, River to Sea, the Funest 10k, Wild Florida 12 Miler, and Sweat Swat n Swear.

This was the 50th Year of the Western States 100 that starts in the Olympic Valley and ends at the Placer High School in Auburn. On the chat, we've got three of the four Floridians who took on the course! This year Tyler Peterson, Joseph Pinter, and Zach Hanna crossed that finish line to get that belt buckle. Tyler Peterson has done 100 Milers like the Long Haul 100 here in Florida, the Yeti 100, Burning River 100, Mohican 100, Kettle Moraine 100, Indiana Trail 100, and the Umstead 100. He finished the Western States 100 this year with a time of 25:24:44. Joseph Pinter has done races like the Cruel Jewel 100, Grindstone 100, Massanutten Mountain 100, and the Pinhoti 100. He also ran at the 2019 Western States 100! In 2019, he ran a time of 29:42:39... this year he ran a time of 29:13:11. Zach Hanna has done races like the Hennepin 100, Pinhoti 100, No Business 100, Rio Del Lago 100, and the Umstead 100. He finished the Western States 100 this year with a time of 28:37:16. For almost five decades, the Western States 100 has been home to some of the sport’s most amazing and legendary competitions. It's essentially the Super Bowl of the trail running scene in the United States. With more than 1,500 dedicated volunteers helping to create a once-in-a-lifetime experience, the race has stirred the spirit of runners from all walks of life and from all over the globe.

This year four Floridians traveled to New York for the Great New York 100 Mile Exposition, also known as TGNY. Mark Cudak, Luis Cocco, Amy Rae, and Diane Romero-Lopez all got those belt buckles! The TGNY starts in Times Square and goes through Manhattan, the Bronx, Queens, Rockaway Beach, Coney Island, and the Brooklyn Bridge back to Manhattan and Times Square. Mark Cudak got it done with a time of 22:12:01! He's done races like the Keys 100, Daytona 100, Lake to Ocean 100k, the Long Play, Colt 45, and the Long Haul 100. He's also the head Course Marshall for the Keys 100. Luis Cocco got it done with a time of 25:37:40! He's the Race Director for the Miami 100, Miami 50/50, Ride the Wave 50k, and the Co-RD for the Space Pirate 100. He's done some crazy stuff like completing the Lollipop 240 and his HERO 200 Mile. He's done races like the Daytona 100, Long Haul 100, LOST 118, Lake to Ocean 100k, Badwater Salton Sea, Pier 2 Pier 200k, and the Vero Beach Octopus 100. Amy Rae, the Banana Champ, she placed third overall for the females with a time of 23:04:30! She's done races like the Trident, the Sand Spur, the Barkley Fall Classic, the Keys 100, and the Pinhoti 100. Diane got it done with a time of 29:45:40. She is also the Race Director for the Monroe Cross Trail 50 Mile Ultra in DeBary! She's done races like the Long Haul 100, the LOST 118, Brazos Bend 100, the Yeti 100, the Pinellas Trail Challenge, and the Skunk Ape Night Run.

This year is the 50th year of the Western States 100 in the Olympic Valley. For this episode, we’ve got “Mr. Western States” Andy Jones-Wilkins back for a second time for the "Pre-Western States Chat" with a Florida runner! He's joined by Matt Murphy who got into the race on June 10th, only a two week notice for the Western States 100. They're also joined by Matt's wife, Karen, who will also be out there crewing and pacing! Matt Murphy has done races like the Holcomb Valley 50k, the Long Play, Croom Zoom, the Javelina 100, the San Diego 100, Sweat Swat n Swear, Colt 45, the Black Hills 100, and the Long Haul 100! His wife Karen, not only does she crew and pace, but she's also ran races like the Skunk Ape's Revenge, the Long Play, Angry Tortoise, Croom Zoom, the Vermont 100k, and the 50 Miler at Umstead. AJW has done the Western States 100 ten times, placing 2nd in 2005. Over his ten years he has placed in the Top 10 numerous times. He continues now with parking cars out at Robinson Flat, cheerleading, announcing, and helping make things happen! He also has his own podcast called "Crack a Brew with AJW!" So whether he's out there on the course, chatting it up with Trail Runner Nation, or writing articles on iRunFar... He's always representing the sport of trail and ultra running well!

We are back with the 2023 Lake to Ocean 100k, this is one of my favorite races in the state of Florida! I'm always fascinated on how each runner takes on the course. On the chat, we've got Sarah Flowers, Bailey Freer, and Scott Hoover! All three of them absolutely crushed it out there on the course that takes you from Lake Okeechobee to the ocean at Hobe Sound Beach. Sarah has done races like Death at DuPuis and the Dunes 50k. She's been taking the trail and ultra scene head on! Ofcourse, that makes sense when Leo Acosta could talk about anyone into trying out the trails! Bailey has done races like the Quest for the Crest, Croom Fools Run, the Croom Zoom, Forgotten Florida, and the Georgia Jewel 50 Miler. Now for Scott Hoover, don't his let mellow tone fool ya! He has done races like the Trident, Skunk Ape Night Run, the Long Haul 100, the Pinellas Trail Challenge, Skunk Ape's Revenge, Quest for the Crest, and Colt 45. He's also taken first place male at the Sand Spur 50k and won overall at the SWAMP 50k, and a third-place finish at the Skunk Ape's Revenge 60k. He's also the Co-Race Director for the Tick Tock and the Funest 50k! He's an all-around great guy that is always willing to help! Shout-out to Jeff Stephens and Andrea Moxely who make this race possible; as well to Lulu Yun-Pelz for also being out there for all of the hours! So many people from Susan Anger and the Florida Trail Association with endless support and trail maintenance over the years. Without the Florida Trail Assocation, there is no trail for us to enjoy.

On the chat for the Sweat Swat n Swear, we've got three runners who ran their first ever 50k! Brandy Krisher, Derek Adler, and Britta Devitt. They all got it done with a time of 5:41:30, 6:31:18, and 7:37:56! Also on the chat is your Womens Champion for this year's race, Ivi Stangle! She took it home with a time of 5:28:44! Brandy also placed Second Overall for this year's race! She's done races like the Skunk Ape's Revenge and has volunteered at races like the Forgotten Florida, and she also takes some amazing photos! Derek Adler is new to the sport, he's done stuff like the Spartan Race, but this was her very first official trail race! Britta, she's done races like the Long Play, Withlacoochee River Run, the Skunk Ape Night Run, and Whispering Pines! Ivi has done races like the Grayson Highlands, Skunk Ape Night Run, the Trident, Wild Florida 50k, and the Forgotten Florida 50 Miler. She is also the wife of Chris Stangle, as many may know from RunFluent. Ivi is the nutritional half of the RunFluent Team with Fulwise! Fulwise is all things nutrition, from a healthy day to day diet for those that are looking to get the most out of their bodies, as well as, in-race and post-race fueling.

It was another year for the Keys 100 from Key Largo to Key West. On this year's Keys 100 chat we’ve got JD Mcgee, Ty Aronson, Sarah Raaymakers, and Vivianne Zerquera! At the Keys 100, this group got it done and got those belt buckles! JD got it done with a time of 30:53:42 and he’s even got an awesome new Keys 100 tattoo! He's done races like the Pinellas Trail Challenge, the Toxic Trail, Colt 45, Long Play, Sweat Swat n' Swear, and the Monroe Cross Trail 50 Mile Ultra. This dude has also been a tremendous help with volunteering at so many races like the Skunk Ape Night Run and he has also been a huge help crewing at races like the Lake to Ocean 100k. Ty Aronson got it done with a time of 30:08:46! He's done races like the Daytona 100, the Long Haul 100, Tunnel Hill, and last year he ran at the Keys 100 with a time of 31:38:57! So it was awesome to see him comeback for a new personal record for the Keys 100 course. Sarah Raaymakers placed 12th overall with a time 23:27:42! She's done races like the Pinellas Trail Challenge, the Clearwater Distance Classic 50k, and she ran the 50k at last year's Keys 100... talk about coming back for more! Viviane crossed that finish line with a time 27:31:37 and!  At the end of her race, she was surprised by a huge proposal that you’ll hear all about! what an amazing end so something already so special. She's done races like the Daytona 100 in the 50 Miler event and the Marine Corp Marathon in the 50k event! Such an iconic and legendary Florida race! From the Race Director Bob Becker to all the volunteers, the Course Marshalls, Mark Cudak, the runners, the crews, the county, and everyone else involved does an amazing job year after year!

This year was the third for the Cocodona 250 put on Aravaipa Running in Arizona. When it comes to Florida, our state had eight runners taking on the challenge of 250 miles across the Sonoran Desert with soaring temps both hot and cold, broken-down RV's, cold plunges into creeks, and more... For this part-one episode we have Justin Davis, Seth Talalla, Kevin Coughlin, and Derek Kirkman! Justin Davis crossed that finish line with a time of 105:32:45 placing 57th overall this year. He's done races like the Pine Creek Challenge, Legacy Trail 60k, Whispering Pines and the Bryce Canyon 100! He crossed the finish line with Kevin Coughlin! Kevin has done races like the JFK 50 Miler, Manchester 2 Monadnock, and the Traprock 50k! These two dudes pushed and helped each other for miles, it was amazing to see them cross that finish line together. Seth Talalla got it done with a time of 112:48:10 and placed 97th overall. He's done races like the Moab 240, Pinhoti 100, the Keys 100, the Long Haul 100, Forgotten Florida 100, the Georgia Jewel 100, and gathered up 167 miles at Merrills Mile! Derek Kirkman took the DNF this year at Cocodona, but he took home a massive distance PR! He's done races like the Long Haul 100, Daytona 100, Javelina 100, the Pinellas Trail Challenge, and the LOST 118!

Luis Cocco has done it again with another 200+ mile feat, from last year's HERO 200 in his dojang to now the Lollipop 240! Luis officially finished the Lollipop 240 in 4 Days, 8 Hours, and 32 minutes! A journey took from the beach at Hobe Sound onto the Ocean to Lake Trail, circumnavigating Lake Okeechobee and back onto the Ocean to Lake Trail and back to where it all started on the beach at Hobe Sound. Luis battled the elements from thunderstorms to racing a prescribed burn! Regardless of what was thrown at him, he got it done! Luis has a lot of 100-mile experience having done the Daytona 100, Iron Horse 100, Keys 100, the Pier-to-Pier 200k, the Long Haul 100, the Lost 118, and the Vero Octopus 100! He's also done Badwater Salton Sea and the Lake to Ocean 100 (Winter Edition), as well as his 200 miles at Hero Martial Arts running 9,696 laps (48.5 laps per Mile) on his 108.9167 foot course.  Another big factor into this Lollipop 240 was raising money for the Cypress Creek Bridge Restoration Project. The Loxahatchee Chapter of the Florida Trail Association built and continues to maintain this 61-mile trail in Southeast Florida. Due to flooding this past fall the Cypress Creek Bridge is in dire need of rehabilitation. To date of posting, he has raised $10,026 to help rebuild the bridge out there! So THANK YOU to everyone who donated!

Here we are for episode 99! This was the inaugural year for the Funest 50k out at the Loyce Harpe Park in Lakeland, Florida and it was awesome! On the chat, we've got your 50k Champion, Mike Alberts! He crossed the finish line with a time of 5:15:16! We've also got your Female Champion, Kate Morgan. She's a Lakeland local and this course is truly her home course. She got it done with a time of 6:54:26! Then, we've got your DFL for the inaugural year, Anna Schermerhorn! She got it done with a time of 10:11:35! Then, we've got Brandon Holmes.. and this dude, let me tell ya. Normally people tend to drop down in a race when given the opportunity, not Brandon! He moved up from the 30k into the 50k during the race! He crushed that 50k with a time of 8:32:27!

Last year we covered the 50 miler out at the JW Corbett, so this year we are chatting about the 50k! And on the chat, we've got Chris Stevens, Brenda Lips, and Mark Cudak. This group did amazing! Chris Stevens came out and got First Overall with a time of 5:35. He followed up by Second Overall and the first lady to cross that finish line, Brenda Lips! She finished with a time of 5:38! They were both then followed by Mark Cudak who crossed the finish line with a time of 5:47 to take second for the men and Third Overall! This group has talent! Chris Stevens has done races like the Summer Slam which includes the Vero Beach Octopus, the Skunk Ape Night Run, and the Trident! He's also done races like the Just Survive 125, the Sand Spur, the Miami 100, the Lake to Ocean 100k, the Swamp 50k, and Vol State! Brenda has done races like the Trident, the Iron Horse 100k, and she even placed Second Overall at the Long Haul 100! Mark Cudak, not only is the Course Marshall for the Keys 100... but he's done races like the Lake to Ocean 100k, Iron Horse 100, Daytona 100, Fort Clinch 100, and the Long Haul 100!

Here we are with episode 97! On the chat, we've the Robert Sterba! He's a coach, an athlete, and he recently took on the Zion 100 Mile out near Apple Valley, Utah! This is a race put on Vacation Races and its terrain covers Mesa's, deserts, and some beautiful trails. I think I saw somewhere the total gain/loss floats around 11,114/11,115 with 4 climbs of at least 1,000-1,500 feet each and 6 climbs of 250 feet each. Neverless, Robert got it done with a time of 23:44:24 to place 14th Overall! Robert has done races like the SWAMP 50k, Run the Rut, Bandera, and the Long Haul 100! With his coaching background, we chat a lot of training and different methodolgies from the heart rate to nutrition, to the sweat drip! We also jump into running shoes and finding the right fit... and of course, how his race went down!

On this episode we head up to Georgia for the inaugural year of the Canebreak 200 by Jason Green's Yeti Trail Runners! On the chat, we've got two Floridians who got it done...Rex Stinnett and Robyn Abrasley. They absolutely crushed it out there! Rex got it done with a time of 83:05:32 and Robin got it done with a time of 81:14:32! While this was Rex's first 200 miler, he's done races like the Dark Anchor, the Wildcat Ultras, Bear Bait, and Lake Martin! Likewise for Robyn, this was also her first time for the 200 mile distance! She's done races like the Wildcat Ultras, Bear Bait, the Yeti 100, and the Destin Beach Ultra! The Canebreak 200 runs past the ruins of the New Manchester Manufacturing Company textile mill, through movie locations like The Hunger Games, and wilderness just outside of Atlanta at Sweetwater Creek State Park. The course consists of a 5 mile loop followed by a 10 mile outer loop!

This was the inaugural year for Mikey Bee's Hungryland 100 out at the Hungryland Slough! Man, what a year it was! The finisher rate this year was a whopping 27%, as compared to Mikey Bee's 5 Trails at 50% and the Ridge to Nowhere at 35%. But! This was an awesome year for those seeking to conquer the 100 mile distance for the first time and on the chat, we've four 100 mile first timers! We've got your overall champion, Jon Kier! He won this year's Hungryland 100 with a time of 22:24:45. He's done races like the Whispering Pines, the Durty B-ee-rr-un, Southern Discomfort, and the Brokentrack 12-Hour! Also on the chat is Nate King from Wisconsin! He was third overall with a time of 24:23:01. He's done races like the North Face Challenge but has also come down to Florida before for the JW Corbett! Talk about a difference in race dynamics between Hungryland and Corbett! Then we've got Nick Urena! He crossed that finish line with a time of 32:24:08! Nick rode with me out to the Hungryland 100, so it was awesome to see him get that belt buckle! He's done races like the Skunk Ape Night Run, Skunk Ape's Revenge, the Blue Ridge Ultra 50k, and Legacy Trail 60k. Corey Setterlund also joins the chat! She got that first belt buckle with a time of 32:30:05! She's helped pace and crew for many 100 milers, but this time she got it done! She's done races like the Gate2Gate, the Dunes 50 Miler, the Osprey, the Angry Tortoise, and Whispering Pines! So don't let her fool you she doesn't secretly love the trails!

The Georgia Death Race is one of those legendary races on the East Coast, it's a point-to-point 70ish mile race through the North Georgia mountains. On the chat, we've got Matthew Johnson from Georgia, Josh Lockwood, and Mr. Pizza Gut himself... Neil Murphy. Matthew Johnson is a guy who I've ran against before and these North Georgia mountains are his home terf. He's done races like the FATS 50k, the Sky to Summit, Sweet H2O, and the Quest for the Crest. Josh Lockwood was done races like the Long Haul 100, the Pinellas Trail Challenge, Whispering Pines, and Death at Depuis! Neil Murphy has now been out to the Georgia Death Race 8 times between volunteering and racing! His 2017 go at the race left him famous for the Pizza Gut meme. Whether know him has the Pizza Gut Guy, or not... He's done races like the Vermont Spartan Ultra Beast, Forgotten Florida 100, Spartan Death Race, and the No Business 100! The Georgia Death Race is a 74ish mile point-to-point race from Byron Herbert Reece Farm in Blairsville, Ga to Amicalola Falls State Park. The race has 16,000 ft of climbing and 16,000 ft of descent. It is relentless.