Running Culture USA vs UK with Virginia Ultra-Runner John Calabrese
Update: 2025-11-24
Description
This week on the UKRunChat Podcast, we head across the Atlantic to Virginia to chat with ultra-runner John Calabrese.
John started running in 2017 during a difficult period in his life and has since thrown himself into everything from road marathons to some of the toughest trail races in the US, including the legendary Barkley.
We dive into:
- How running became a lifeline during John's divorce
- Moving from road marathon training into the shock of his first trail marathon
- The community spirit of trail running vs road culture
- How he met new lifelong friends on the trail, despite showing up alone
- The quirks of US trail etiquette (including Philly cheesesteaks at aid stations!
- Why failure is essential in ultra running
- Why US races are often expensive
- The logistics and cost behind bucket-list events like Badwater 135
- Free US trail races
- Running culture: USA vs UK
A raw, honest, funny, and insightful conversation about what running gives us, how the culture differs across countries, and why the trail community is changing lives one muddy hill at a time.
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