Cultra Trail Running

This week, Art is flying solo behind the microphone but has two excellent guests joining him: Matt Twitchell (Twitch) and Benny Danaher.

We're talking Last Person Standing events, backyard ultras, ridiculous mileage, sleep deprivation, and what makes these races such a fascinating part of the ultrarunning world. Be sure to listen to the end as we rave on the Patreons.

Twitch has been spending plenty of time exploring the backyard format, including Last Man Ultra at Pineland Farms and the epic Run Ragged event. Benny has been piling up some serious mountain miles of his own, with Pacing Jigger Johnson, Bloodroot, the Vermont 100K, and the CUT112 among his adventures.

We get into the madness of Run Ragged, the incredible performances at Bubba's Backyard Ultra, and the dynamics of Last Person Standing events. What happens when runners keep going for 24, 48, 72, or even 80-plus hours? How much does speed really matter? And what does it take to keep showing up when the clock keeps resetting?

We also explore the differences between traditional backyard courses and rugged New England trail versions, the importance of pacing, nutrition, preparation, and knowing what you're going to need before you actually need it. If you need it, its too late.

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After forgetting to hit record, AFB and Anna G welcome Brian Vanderheiden of Steep Endurance to talk about the races, people, and ideas shaping the Connecticut trail-running community.

Brian went from running ultras to putting on races in some of Connecticut's best natural spaces. What started as a passion project to share his favorite trails has grown into a busy race calendar featuring a wide range of distances, challenging courses, and events designed to welcome more people into trail running.

We talk about the growth of women's trail running, including the Lake Mohegan women's-only trail race, and why having approachable events can make a difference for runners who are new to the sport. Brian also shares the thinking behind his race calendar, the challenge of creating new events, and his perspective as a race director.

Along the way, we wander through old-school New England trail races, the Nipmuck Marathon, Catskills classics, the legendary Escarpment Trail Run, and the joys of courses that make you actually run when all you want to do is walk.

We also get into the changing economics of ultrarunning, the eye-opening prize money announced for Run Rabbit Run, and the evolving world of UltraSignup and race registration.

And, of course, there's some CUT112 talk. Registration is open, and we're looking for more women to take on the Connecticut Ultra Traverse. You won't be alone out there!

Plus, a special appreciation for the race directors, volunteers, and supporters who keep this whole wonderfully muddy enterprise going.

Cultra remains 112% listener-supported, thanks to the patrons and supporters who keep us out in the woods and behind the microphones. We are pleased to shout out all of our Patreons by name in this episode.

Steep Endurance Website

Blue Blaze Race Series

Bimblers Bluff

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Miles Victors is back on Cultra with a story that goes way beyond running.

In 2022, Miles Victors weighed 450 pounds and needed a cane to walk. A half-mile trip to a pharmacy became the beginning of a transformation that took him from 3,000 steps a day to 100-mile races and eventually to a much deeper realization: he was enough.

Miles talks about his weight-loss journey, addiction, mental health, his Wasatch 100 DNF, the voices in his head, and the powerful experience in the Copper Canyons that changed his perspective on running and his purpose.

Now he's putting that purpose into action. On October 10th, Miles plans to run 420 miles across Utah in seven days, raising $25,000 for Still I Run, an organization that uses running and community to support people struggling with mental health.

We also get into Luna sandals, exposed Utah roads, 55–60 mile days, crew logistics, dirtbag races, Born to Run, wasps, and why sometimes the most important thing you can do is simply keep moving forward. We are so glad to have our long time supporter and number 1 Utah Cultra Personality back on.

You are enough.

Miles Victors' Link Tree to Connect with it all!

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Patreons First, then on to the show: Motherhood, Mindset & the Pursuit of More

What happens when a former collegiate high jumper, coach, mother and lifelong athlete decides to find out just how far she can push herself?

Kat Bright joins Art, Anna G. and Phred to talk about her incredible journey from high-level track and field to ultrarunning—and the very personal path that eventually led her to a supported FKT on the Pennsylvania section of the Appalachian Trail.

Kat covered roughly 230 miles and 31,000 feet of elevation gain in 4 days, 2 hours, 41 minutes and 10 seconds, traveling from the Delaware Water Gap area south toward Maryland.

But the FKT is only part of the story.

Kat talks openly about two dramatically different pregnancies, including one that required her to spend the entire pregnancy on bed rest before an emergency C-section at 32 weeks. During that period, she used sports-psychology visualization to mentally run the trails and tracks she couldn't physically access.

Running eventually became part of her recovery and a way to reconnect with a body she felt she had lost trust in.

We get into her evolution as an ultrarunner, including a difficult first Eastern States 100 where she finished DFL with only minutes to spare—and how that experience eventually convinced her that she was capable of much more.

Kat explains how she prepared for the Pennsylvania AT while balancing two kids, family responsibilities, a business and all the normal chaos of life. Her training included treadmill work, repeated runs on familiar trails, and deliberately boring sessions designed to prepare her brain for the monotony of hundreds of miles.

Kat also talks about her coaching business, where she works primarily with women 35 and older. Her philosophy is refreshingly realistic: training doesn't have to be perfect to work.

Missed workouts happen. Life happens. Sometimes you only have 10 or 15 minutes.

The goal isn't perfection. It's showing up repeatedly.

She discusses strength training, cardiovascular fitness, mobility, pregnancy and postpartum training, perimenopause and menopause, and why women shouldn't allow age, motherhood or hormones to define what their bodies are capable of.

At the heart of the conversation is a simple idea that applies far beyond running:

You don't have to feel motivated to take the first step.

The voice of doubt never completely disappears. But the more you show up, the quieter it becomes.

And sometimes, when you're standing at the trailhead wondering if you have any business attempting something completely ridiculous, the answer is simply:

Fuck it. Let's go for it.

https://www.instagram.com/milesfromherview

https://www.instagram.com/katfitstrength/

Website: www.kat.fit

Fastest Know Time

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The Cultra crew gets together for a full-on Vermont 100 debrief with Josh Gaetjen, Christian Dockum, Chase Smith and Marc Kelly who all finished the 2026 VT 100 between 18:19 and 20:15.

The conversation covers the highs, lows, suffering and fun of one of the Northeast's classic 100-milers including what happens when your legs fall apart, your stomach quits, and you decide that six ibuprofen during a 100-mile race is a good idea.

Chase Smith joins the conversation just days after his wedding to recap his Vermont 100 experience, including a dramatic mid-race collapse, a comeback up the field, severe stomach problems, and an extremely unpleasant final quarter of the race.

The guys also dig into the crew experience and how seeing familiar faces at aid stations can keep a runner moving when things get ugly. Art and the crew talk about the strange but wonderful relationships that develop between runners, crews and volunteers over the course of a 100-mile race.

There's plenty of discussion about what makes the Vermont 100 special, including its incredible community atmosphere and the fact that it is essentially a world-class 100-mile race in the backyard of many Northeast runners.

Vermont 100

UTMB Bans Painkillers

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At just 21 years old, Kaylee Frederick has already established herself as one of the most exciting young ultrarunners on the East Coast. She ran her first 100 miler at 16 years old, and when she was 18 became the youngest ever finisher of The Badwater 135.

In 2026, she won the Eastern States 100 outright, setting a new women's course record in brutally hot conditions. She also completed the Pennsylvania Triple Crown, finishing as the overall fastest person and Queen of the Mountain.

But Kaylee's story goes well beyond race results.

In this episode, Kaylee talks about discovering running as a kid, finding ultrarunning at 14, losing her father at age six, and how those experiences shaped the person and runner she has become.

She opens up about depression, anxiety, therapy, faith, and learning to deal with the negative voices in her head. We also get deep into her Eastern States race including the moment she realized she was leading the entire field and the wild final miles when she was convinced someone was right behind her.

Most importantly, Kaylee talks about a simple goal that has become central to her life:

She doesn't want to just survive. She wants to actually live.

Eastern States 100 Results

Badwater 135

Kaylee's UltraSignup Results

Follow Kaylee on Instagram

Episode Photo Credit Phil Cuppernell

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This week on Cultra, we're digging into a brutal Eastern States 100, reflecting on our marathon-length conversation with Camille Herron, and looking ahead to one of the most exciting young runners on the East Coast.

Eastern States delivered the kind of race that separates the merely enthusiastic from the completely unreasonable. With hot conditions pushing the DNF rate to roughly 54.5%, only 55 runners made it to the finish. And leading the women and first finisher overall was Kaylee Frederick, who put together an extraordinary 23:09 finish to set a new women's course record and become the first woman to break 24 hours at Eastern States.

Naturally, we need to talk to her. How about next episode?

We're also looking back at our recent three-hour conversation with Camille Herron. What started as an interview turned into a fascinating exploration of competition, neurodiversity, ADHD, hyperfocus, records, rules, and how easily people can misunderstand someone whose brain works differently.

We get into the differences between competition on the track, trails, and at races like Badwaterand why some of Camille's controversial questions about records may have had more substance behind them than people realized.

Plus:

• The Eastern States 100 carnage
• Kaylee Frederick's historic performance
• Kaylee's incredible East Coast résumé
• The youngest finisher at Badwater
• Jigger Johnson and trail-race talk
• Anna's Bald Face Loop adventure
• Art's trail maintenance adventures on the Old Osseo Trail
• Phred's seemingly endless running streak
• Creatine, protein bars, bicarbonate and other ultra-runner science
• Getting older, getting slower, and pretending we're not
• John Kelly's Appalachian Trail attempt
• Colorado heat, smoke and water restrictions

Another episode of the Cultra Trail Running Podcast where somehow we manage to talk about elite ultrarunning, trail maintenance, supplements, aging, technology and Patreon before remembering that we were supposed to be talking about a race.

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World-record holder and ultrarunning legend Camille Herron joins AFB and Anna G for one of her most personal and wide-ranging conversations to date.

This episode is not just a controversial hot take on Facebook, but is a long run in her fast but sometimes troubled shoes. Rather than focusing on splits and statistics, this episode explores the experiences that have shaped Camille both on and off the race course. She shares what it was like receiving a late diagnosis of autism and ADHD, how those discoveries helped explain decades of challenges and successes, and why many of the traits she once struggled with have become strengths in elite ultrarunning events.

Camille also reflects on her Vermont 100 comeback, racing without crew or pacers, evolving her training as she enters her mid-40s, and managing the effects of perimenopause while continuing to compete at the highest level.

The conversation then shifts to several of the sport's biggest topics including race integrity, anti-doping, SafeSport, pacing, record ratification, and what the future of professional ultrarunning might look like.

Whether you know Camille through her world records or the recent headlines, this episode offers a thoughtful, honest look at one of ultrarunning's most accomplished and most outspoken athletes. Life is complicated, and we are all wired in our own unique way. Sometimes it takes three hours to start to understand these differences.

Links for this Episode

• Vermont 100
• Spartathlon
• Comrades Marathon
• Western States 100
• International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU)
• SafeSport
• WADA
• GOMU

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The Cultra Crew is headed north, and Josh is just days away from toeing the line at the legendary Vermont 100. This week is all about race week preparation as the gang dives into crew logistics, pacing strategy, nutrition plans, and the organized chaos that goes into surviving 100 miles.

Anna G, Fred, josh and AFB break down everything from aid station bag organization and hydration bottle swaps to why carrying spare bottle nipples might be the most important piece of gear you'll never think about...until it's too late.

The episode also covers an incredible weekend at Western States, updates from around the Beast Coast trail community, the heartbreaking news of the Hamster Wheel race director's house fire, and a few upcoming adventures that may involve even more questionable decisions.

As always, expect plenty of laughs, tangents, and just enough useful ultrarunning advice to accidentally make you a better runner.

In This Episode

• Josh's Vermont 100 race week strategy
• Crew and pacing logistics
• Fueling 120 grams of carbs per hour
• Western States and the church in the shopping mall
• Hamster Wheel community update
• Erica Nortini's White Mountains adventure
• RIOT and other future ultrarunning stupidity
• Tour de France, World Cup, and the usual Cultra nonsense

Donate to the Conley Family Fire fund

Vermont 100

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Amber Constant, a White Mountains ultrarunner attempting one of the biggest endurance challenges ever undertaken in New England: breaking the all-time annual vertical gain world record joins Cultra Crew this week.

Amber shares how a devastating injury nearly ended her running career, the long road back to the mountains, and why she's spending nearly every day climbing thousands of vertical feet in pursuit of history. Along the way we dive into life as a traveling nurse, adventures that took her across India, the mental and physical toll of relentless climbing, and the incredible community that's formed around her project.

We also talk about moose encounters, black fly attacks, GPS nerdiness, White Mountain suffering, and why sometimes the biggest victories have nothing to do with setting records.

If you've ever wondered what it takes to climb millions of vertical feet in a single year—or simply need a reminder of what's possible when persistence beats adversity—this is an episode you won't want to miss.

Follow Amber's journey and cheer her on as she chases history, one climb at a time.

Amber's Go Fund Me

Ambers Instagram Link

Gwen Stratton The Woman That I couldn't recall

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This week on Cultra, we sit down with Jillian Ellefson and Cherie Bilbie to talk about the unofficial women's movement that took shape around the Connecticut Ultra Traverse 112 (CUT112). What started with a simple Facebook post quickly grew into a community of 26 women and 16 supporters, all committed to helping each other tackle one of the toughest adventures on the Beast Coast.

Anna G takes the lead as Jillian and Cherie share how they approached training with precision and purpose, spending six months breaking the route into manageable 12-20 mile segments until they had covered—and in many cases repeated—the entire course. Their strategy wasn't just about fitness; it was about learning every rock, climb, and road crossing that CUT112 could throw at them. Now they are looking to replicate their success and get more women lined up for next year's event.

The conversation also explores the emotional side of ultrarunning. Jillian opens up about balancing race preparation while supporting her daughter through a hospitalization for an eating disorder, and how the encouragement and companionship of Cherie helped her continue pursuing what once seemed impossible.

Along the way, the crew dives into:

-Building confidence by training on specific sections of the course.

-Why places like Tariffville deserve your respect before race day.

-The mental game of taking on a 112-mile journey with no hard time cutoffs.

-The power of community and women supporting women in trail running.

-Why sometimes the best training plan is simply showing up for each other.

It's an inspiring conversation about resilience, friendship, and proving that impossible goals become achievable when shared with the right people.

So grab your favorite trail snack, adjust your training bra (or don't), and join us for another gloriously impulsive episode from the belly of the Beast Coast.

Join the CUT112 Womens Training Group Facebook

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#CUT112 #TrailRunning #Ultrarunning #Cultra #BeastCoast #WomenWhoRun #NewEnglandTrail #NoSleepTillGuilford

AFB, Anna-G, Josh and Phred welcome back ultrarunner, hospice nurse, and Vermont mountain crusher Lila Gaudrault back to the Cultra Trail Running Podcast to break down her experience at the legendary Cocodona 250.

Lila takes us deep into the Arizona suffering machine, explaining how she showed up to a 250-mile race with a surprisingly loose game plan, then spent the better part of the first half battling nausea, dehydration, and the reality that 250 miles is a very long way to travel on foot. We talk about sleep deprivation, hallucination-adjacent trail weirdness, crew and pacer support, and the problem-solving mindset required when you're three days into a race and still have mountains to climb.

The conversation explores how Cocodona differs from 100-milers, why the atmosphere at 200+ mile races feels more collaborative than competitive, and what Lila learned about managing fatigue, recovery, and the physical toll of multi-day events. We also dive into the science of gender differences in ultrarunning, pacing strategies, and the unique culture that develops when everyone is equally exhausted.

Along the way, we discuss

* Cocodona 250 race recap

* Sleep strategy and managing fatigue

* Nausea, dehydration, and race-day troubleshooting

* Crew and pacer support in 200+ mile races

* Hallucinations and sleep deprivation

* Gender dynamics in ultrarunning

* Vermont 100 and Backyard Ultras

* Balancing hospice nursing and elite ultrarunning

* Future race plans and FKTs

* The upcoming CUT112 fundraiser for Connecticut Forest & Parks

A four-day journey through the Arizona desert, countless lessons learned, and proof that sometimes the best race plan is figuring it out one aid station at a time.

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Cocodona 250

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357: Take 2 Trail at The Spring Fling 10 Hour

What if we could leave less of a trace, and save some $ at the same time? Jess Parker is the Ultra cool founder of Take 2 Trail, and she has found a way for us all to easily buy and sell used gear. This lowers the cost of entry for trail runners, and helps keep landfills and our closets from getting cluttered with the shoes, packs, and doo-dads that seemed like a good idea at the time.

Jess was so much fun to talk to, and we get a chance to hear about her running, and journey in life. And we get a good chance to discuss The Spring Fling 10 hour Race.

Take2Trail

@Take2Trail Instagram

Take2Trail Facebook

CTTrailmixers

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AFB, Anna, and Phred sit down with bestselling author Martin Dugard to talk about his new book The Long Run: Steve Prefontaine, Frank Shorter, Joan Benoit, Greta Waitz, and the Decade That Made the Marathon Cool.

The conversation explores the 1970s running boom, the influence of legends like Steve Prefontaine, Frank Shorter, Joan Benoit Samuelson, and Grete Waitz, and how modern marathon science, shoes, and fueling strategies have transformed the sport—along with a few detours into ultrarunning, trail racing, and the future of endurance events. We also hit on Greece, the Royal Family, and the 1972 Olympics. If you are a runner, this book ties together all of the sport's best stories.

What was it like to work with Bill O'Reilly?

Of course this being Cultra, the conversation eventually wanders into trail running and ultras. Are there too many races? Are 200-milers stealing runners from traditional 100s? And how hard is it to actually staff and direct one of these things?

This is a great book, and this episode ain't too bad either.

Buy The Long Run Here

Buy Martin Dugard's other books here

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Cultra OG Stacey Clark joins AFB for a road trip to Boston to meet up with Episode 280's Jim Kean and The Boston Bulldogs! We record live from the sidelines at mile 22 of The Boston Marathon. But this is not a simple Rah-Rah sideline hot take. We hear how lives are being changed thru combining the principles of a recovery program and running based on the principles of self-leadersip, transparency, and giving back.

Boston Bulldogs

Boston Marathon

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This episode was recorded live at the Traprock 50K in Bloomfield Connecticut home of Penwood State Forest. This race is the first in the 12 race blue blaze series where runners will compete for the overall series prize. This is indirect support of Connecticut Forest & Parks Association, the group that is responsible for protecting and maintaining the over 825 miles of blue blaze trails in the state of Connecticut. If you're not from Connecticut, perhaps you have your own trail stewards and hopefully you were able to support them. Because, after all, SUPPORT is good. During this episode, we get to speak to the gentleman who coordinates all of these races in the Blue Blaze Series, Paul Ladd. We also speak to RD Director, Karen Prado, and the top finishers in the 17 K as well including two fast dudes from Brooklyn, Calvin Cameron, and Greg Cartelli, The Beast Coast's own Kristin Loiko who is good Friends with VT100 RD Amy Ruesecki. As well as Kara Goucher, whoops, I mean Kara Mcknight.

Then we get a talking to the fast cats of the 50k, Matt Pacheco, Ben Niebla and running legend Brian Rusiecki. Speaking of legends, Kehr Davis is back along with young gun 19 year old Maddie Kaplan.

So many Cultra Personalities at this event, and it was great to work the aid station and hang out with this great community. Kudos to The CT Trail Mixers for carrying the great tradition of this rust busting spring race. Speaking of KUDOs, Hundo Joe was also there, as it is typical for him to volunteer, and hang out. After a Patreon roll call we have prepared a very special song in tribute to Hundo Joe's uncanny ability to give and keep track of KUDOS. So please be sure to listen for this at the end of the episode.

Traprock results

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Hundo Joe by Suno

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AFB, Anna, and Phred welcome back ultrarunner, musician, and all-around adventurer Liz Derstine. Liz last appeared on Episode 112 talking about her Appalachian Trail FKT, and this time the conversation is about her PCT FKT attempt and her new film Ridgeline. We drift into the strange and wonderful overlap between running, hiking, and music.

The group talks about balancing creative life with endurance pursuits, from touring with bands to chasing big miles on trails like the Pacific Crest Trail. Liz shares stories from her PCT hike, including desert night hiking, hauling liters of water between sources, and the occasional terrifying snow crossing. Along the way the Cultra crew discusses FKTs, gear organization systems, and the ultrarunning community's habit of generously sharing knowledge with newcomers.

There's also a brief memorial for the dearly departed Cultra Karaoke Hotline (thanks, Google), and a discussion of Liz's current composing projects and newsletter Pink Feathers, where she writes about the intersection of music and endurance adventure.

Watch Liz's film Ridgeline

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Closing music by Suno

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Anna, Fred, Josh, and AFB sit down with Amy Rusiecki, the longtime race director of the legendary Vermont 100 Endurance Run. Amy shares the behind-the-scenes realities of directing one of the oldest 100-mile races in the country and how she ended up becoming one of the most respected organizers in the sport. If you love a great story, you've stumbled into a whole pasture of them, like opening the gate and finding the World's Largest Cow waiting for you.

Amy talks about her early days in endurance sports, how she transitioned from competitive XC skier and ultrarunner to race director, and the complicated logistics of managing hundreds of runners, horses, volunteers, and aid stations across rural Vermont. The group dives into the balancing act of preserving the history and culture of the Vermont 100 while adapting to the modern ultrarunning world. So many great stories!

The conversation also covers the volunteer ecosystem that keeps ultras alive, the unique runner-horse dynamic at VT100, how races survive in an era of permits and land management challenges, and why community is still the heart of the sport.

Amy shares how The Vermont 100 Endurance Run has long supported Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports, a nonprofit that provides year-round sports and recreation opportunities for people with disabilities. Proceeds from the race help fund adaptive programs like skiing, cycling, paddling, and trail running throughout Vermont.

Of course, it wouldn't be Cultra without some tangents along the way, gear talk, race directing war stories, and the usual Northeast trail running chaos.

Amy also reflects on what makes the Vermont 100 special, what runners often don't see behind the curtain, and why the race continues to matter to so many people in the ultrarunning community.

If you've ever run, volunteered at, or dreamed about the Vermont 100, this episode pulls back the curtain on one of the most iconic races in the sport, and the origin story of Cultra

Learn more about how to support Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sport

Vermont 100

Beast Coast Trail Running

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Intro music by Nick Byram

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Art and Phred dive into treadmill survival strategies, including Phred's classic 1:05 reset method, the magic of a 15% incline, and the universal truth that starting too fast indoors is a bad life choice. Art is eyeing a March 15 return to running, sharing some winter miles at Lincoln Woods and the awkward reality of snowshoeing.

The conversation rolls into the chaos of the Umstead 100—a brutally simple crushed gravel grind with a registration process that sells out in minutes and legends like Mike Smith stacking up finishes. Music talk hits peak Cultra with Grateful Dead vibes and "Time Warp" from The Rocky Horror Picture Show landing right in the cadence sweet spot. Cultra Bot drops some Barber shop…

As always, the show is powered 112% by listeners, with Patreon support helping upgrade the audio. Support is good.

Umstead 100

Get your official Cultra Clothes and other Cultra TRP PodSwag at our store!

Outro music by Nick Byram

Become a Cultra Crew Patreon Supporter basic licker. If you lick us, we will most likely lick you right back

Cultra Facebook Fan Page Go here to talk shit and complain and give us advice that we wont follow

Cultra Trail Running Instagram Don't watch this with your kids

Sign up for a race at Live Loud Running and feel better

Buy Fred's Book Running Home

More Information on the #CUT112

This week the Cultra Crew AFB and Anna G. talk with Josh Sprague — founder of Orange Mud — about building gear, starting businesses, and adventure racing.

Josh grew up on a Kansas farm selling rubber band guns and raising 4-H pigs before working at Walmart and Goodyear. In 2012 he started Orange Mud after getting frustrated with hydration packs that didn't work for runners. By 2014 he quit corporate life and went all in.

We also talk adventure racing, the multi-sport sufferfest of running, biking, paddling, and navigating with map and compass plus gear design, heat management, and why Josh only creates products when they're actually better.

Josh also runs 7 Clay and Anvil and Acre, all while keeping Orange Mud independently owned.

Adventure, entrepreneurship, gear nerdery, and the usual Cultra nonsense.

Orange Mud

US Adventure Racing Association USARA

Get your official Cultra Clothes and other Cultra TRP PodSwag at our store!

Outro music by Nick Byram

Become a Cultra Crew Patreon Supporter basic licker. If you lick us, we will most likely lick you right back

Cultra Facebook Fan Page Go here to talk shit and complain and give us advice that we wont follow

Cultra Trail Running Instagram Don't watch this with your kids

Sign up for a race at Live Loud Running and feel better

Buy Fred's Book Running Home

More Information on the #CUT112