Trail Mix Running Podcast

We get back to basics in episode 36. For the first time since episode 1 it's just Nick and Steven coming to you today with some trail running updates, and some non-trail running updates to go along with them.

Let us know what you think. We're happy to work this in every once in a while if that's what the people want.

Have a great week and we'll see you in November for episode 37!

What a fun episode with our guest, Zach Bitter. Zach holds the US record in the 100-mile with a time of 11:19:13. This record has held for 7 years but he has decided that's long enough, as he is setting out to break his own US record this December at Desert Solstice in Arizona.

We chatted with Zach about his past, his goals, his training, being a coach, living in Texas, and just about everything in between.

Learn more about Zach and his world class coaching at www.zachbitter.com or find him on social at www.instagram.com/zachbitter.

Thanks for giving us a listen! Follows, five-star reviews, and comments all help us grow the show!

See you next week!

Episode 34 is here and we are pumped to bring you a great chat with experienced hiker, and Great Colorado Route creator and first sender, Donovan "Iceman" Rice.

We chat with Donovan about his pre-GCR trail experience, why he thought Colorado needed another route for people to take one, and how his maiden voyage on his new route shook out when he hit the trail.

If you want to support the project you can donate at www.greatcoloradoroute.com/donate and you can find Donovan on Instagram here.

Before the interview starts Nick and Steven recap Steven's recent race at the Canyon de Chelly 55k, Nick's most recent application into the dog bite club, and lots of things going on in the world of ultra and trail running.

If you like what you hear drop a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and leave a comment.

Art hails from the Rio Grande Valley, or RGV, in South Texas and is an absolute force on the trails.

After getting into trail and ultra running later in life, Art dove right in with his "burn the ships" mentality and the results speak for themselves.

With wins, course records, and now is first 200 mile effort under his belt, Art shares what keeps him moving and how he likes to train for tough terrains in possibly the flattest place on earth.

If you enjoyed the episode throw a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on the show and leave a comment.

Thanks and we'll see you next week!

If the Durango Running Club ever starts a podcast they are going to hate the work that we do here.

For this episode of TMRP we are back with another La Plata County legend, Robyn Lesh.

Robyn is a pro runner for Altra who has carved her niche as a middle distance ultra runner with wins and course records at some of the most prestigious races around the world - which is exactly how she likes it.

In this episode we cover Robyn's eccentric background, her down under, trail running roots, how she handles the long racing seasons that have become normalized, and what excites her about the future.

We really enjoyed sharing some time with Robyn and we hope you enjoy the listen. Support her by subscribing to her Substack and giving her a follow on Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/smiles4trails

https://substack.com/@trails4smiles

Thanks so much for stopping by. If you enjoyed the episode do us a favor and drop a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating, and hit that follow button.

Life's short, run far.

In this episode of TMRP comedian, NJ Devil 100 Miler starter, Pine Creek Challenge 100 Miler starter, Leadville 100 starter, FRONT RANGE ULTRA DAYZE 100 MILER FINISHER, Dan LaMorte joins Nick and Steven to talk about comedy, life in his new home in Leadville, and if the path to finishing his first 100 has given him the perspective that he was looking for.

I will take this moment to apologize - this was our first in-person recording and the audio quality missed the mark. Frankly, we do this for fun, and since we had a blast with Dan we checked that box, but we know this isn't what our listeners are looking for from us. We'll learn and do better.

If you're looking for a running metaphor this was not quite a DNF but also definitely not a podium.

There's no way this should stop you from enjoying the episode. Drop a comment of your favorite part (or just to say what's up to Dan) and we'll see you next week!

How do you define someone who just does cool stuff?

Today we're joined by none other than interesting human, Jason Hardrath.

After life as a college runner, Jason started busting out trail races and even made the Ironman 70.3 World Championships until life threw him a curveball.

Not being one to just sit around, Jason used that as an opportunity to get wild with it, and now he has bagged over 120 route fastest known times (FKTs).

For Jason these efforts often include bushwhacking, route finding, scrambling, free soloing, and even some good, old fashioned trail running.

We had a blast talking with Jason, and we're sure you'll have a blast giving it a listen. When that inevitably happens be sure to drop a comment and leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review.

Thanks so much for stopping by, and we'll see you next week!

"The man who enjoys thru-hiking will go further than the man who enjoys the destination."

- Scott Benerofe, probably

Today we're joined by none other than Scott Benerofe for the fourth installment in our Local Legend series.

Scott is of the trail and as we learn, he is drawn towards arduous efforts in wild places with harsh conditions.

Scott's roots in the Northeast have pulled him all over the Whites, the AT, the Long Trail, the Adirondacks, and most likely any hills you've driven over between Canada and Virginia.

We had a blast sharing some time with Scott. If you had a blast listening, do us a favor and follow the show + add a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating.

https://www.instagram.com/scottbenerofe/

What a pro.

For this episode, (the final installment of our Four Pillars of Ultrarunning series) of TMRP, Nick and Steven share some time with lifelong ultrarunning coach, Jason Koop.

Koop has seen it all and has the chops to prove it.

The trio dives into both sides of the coach/athlete relationship, and this episode leaves listeners with actionable insights to walk...or run away with by the time they're done.

https://trainright.com/coaches/jason-koop/
https://www.instagram.com/jasonkoop

Before the interview starts, Episode 28 begins with the guys talking about what they've been up to lately before they dive into happenings in the world of racing at home and abroad.

As always, five-star reviews and comments are currency. If you're enjoying the show, share it with some running buddies.

We'll see you next week.

Life's short, run far.

Hello again!

This week we're pumped to bring you a great conversation with Shane Asbury, owner and race director at Wanderlust Running.

Wanderlust Running puts on 14 races every year across New Mexico and the surrounding areas.

Shane is passionate about putting on immersive experiences and it definitely shows.

We hope you have as much fun listening as we did chatting it up.

We would love a five star review.

Leave a comment of who you would like to hear on Trail Mix next.

You can find WR’s site and IG below.

https://wanderlust.run/

https://instagram.com/wanderlustrunningunlimited

What’s the saying? Most overnight successes are years in the making?

For ultrarunner Becca Bramley, that definitely rings true.

After a second-place finish at the 2025 Run Rabbit Run 100-miler and breaking the women’s course record at the 2026 High Lonesome 100—her first two 100-mile finishes—she seemingly burst onto the scene. But in this episode, Nick and Steven talk with Becca about what her road to becoming one of the top female runners in the sport has looked like so far.

You can find Becca on Instagram at http://instagram.com/bec_bram and on Strava under Becca Bramley.

As always, 5-star reviews and comments are gold around here.

Thanks for listening!

Sometimes we talk to a person who has taken on a physical task that draws attention.

Today we're joined by someone a little different, Bryant Baker. A runner and adventurer in his own right, Bryant is forging his path as the Director of Advocacy and Education for Runners For Public Lands, an amazing nonprofit that aims to empower trail and ultra runners as stewards of the land that they utilize.

Nick, Steven, and Bryant share some time talking about what Runners For Public Lands' mission is, what issues are most pressing in 2026, and how racers and races, alike, can do their part to leave things, and policies, better than they found them.

To support Runners For Public Lands find them at

- www.runnersforpubliclands.org

- https://www.instagram.com/runners4publiclands

Finally, you can find Bryant on Instagram at:

- https://www.instagram.com/bryant.the.shrublander/

As always, five star ratings and comments are always appreciated.

See you next week!

What a gem of a human.

In this episode of TMRP, Nick and Steven share some time with trail aficionado, Jeff Garmire.

If there's something that you can do on a trail, Jeff has probably done it and done it well. From FKT's and through hikes, to single and multi-day ultramarathon events, Jeff has experience with all of it.

The trio talks about Jeff's past, how his personality reflects his on-trail style, what keeps him motivated while he's out there, and how lucrative his Free Outside empire really is, among other things.

The episode also dives into Jeff's specific adventures, including the Calendar Year Triple Crown (Appalachian Trail, Continental Divide Trail, and Pacific Crest Trail), Cocodona, and his recent adventures on Trail du Mont Blanc.

To support Jeff check him out and sign up for coaching at www.freeoutside.com, and find him on Instagram at instagram.com/freeoutside.

Thanks for stopping by! We hope you enjoyed the show.

As always, comments and five-star reviews please our robot overlords and are greatly appreciated.

Life's short. Run far.

Let's be honest, with no disrespect to any Local Legends that have joined us so far, Nick is pushing the boundaries of what a guest for this type of episode represents.

As we get to in the first minute of the episode, Nick was technically nominated as a LL from a previous guest, but his resume, and prowess on the trails make hima threat to win any race he signs up for.

Nick is fresh off of a win at the Ode to Laz Backyard Ultra where he ran a whopping 262.5 miles. This year has also included wins at the Rocky Raccoon 100 and Grasslands 100, as well.

Catch Nick in action next (after a quick training run at the Berlin Marathon) at the 2026 Backyard Ultra World Championships where he will represent Team USA, and for the love of all things holy, if you work for a running company, or Noosa, please sponsor this man.

Nick's Instagram

Nick's Strava

Be sure to like, follow and comment to help grow the show!

See everyone next week!

We're back with episode 22 of the Trail Mix Running Podcast.

In this episode the guys cover everything going on in the world of running from backyard ultras, High Lonesome and Vermont 100s, and other, equally as important nonsense that happened in the past week. Also, congratulations to Nick whose family grew by four legs when they adopted WIlson.

For this week's interview, Nick and Steven talked to Nickademus de la Rosa. Nickademus has his MS in Sports Psychology and is a very accomplished ultra runner in his own right. These days he focuses on helping athletes thrive under the external and self imposed pressures of performing at their best.

This is the third installment of our Four Pillars of Ultra Running and we know you'll love it.

If you like what you hear drop a 5-star review and be sure to follow/subscribe to the show.

See you next week!

Nickademus on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ultrademus/

Imperfect Mental Performance - https://imperfectmentalperformance.com/

Are we ever ready to turn the page? After two episodes about Hardrock 100 this recap will be our last piece on it for 2026.

Sad.

Luckily we're joined by none other than Brooke Parsons who (along with Nick and about 10 others) crewed Tara Dower at Hardrock. We talk about the race and then get the inside scoop from Brooke and Nick about what it's like being on the other side of the rope with an elite runner at one of America's most prestigious trail ultras.

If you enjoy the episode drop a five star rating, and leave us a comment about who you would like us to have on as a guest in the coming months.

Life is short, run far.

Holy Moly EPISODE 20!!

We celebrate this momentous occasion with none other than Careth Arnold. We shared some time while she was at her final training camp before the Hardrock 100.

For those that don't know, Careth Arnold, is an elite trail runner who has made her name at some of the toughest, fastest, and most prestigious ultramarathons around the world.

We cover life as a professional mother and trail runner, her training philosophies, what keeps her pushing forward, and everything in between.

If you enjoyed this episode drop us a 5-star rating wherever you're listening and be sure to follow so you never miss a thing!

Thanks!

• Careth on Instagram
• Return to Run Podcast

What is up everyone?

We are back with episode 19 of Trail Mix Running Podcast with our THIRD Local Legend, Arleigh Atkinson.

Arleigh is an accomplished ultramarathoner who has been putting it down on trails across the US for over a decade.

We cover some of Arleigh's memorable moments on the trails and what keeps her going; from her local 'gaggle' of running friends, to the strength she finds in accomplishing difficult goals that she sets for herself.

If you like this episode (obviously) throw a 5-star rating wherever you listen.

Do you know someone who is a Local Legend? Nominate them to be a guest on TMRP here.

Okay, first things first - we went long with the intro. While we do think you'll love it - if you want to get to the Howie interview it starts at 42:05.

In episode 18 of Trail Mix Running Podcast Nick and Steven cover Steven's dog bite situation, Nick's recent travels, and all the news about Broken Arrow Skyrace, Tahoe 200, and Western States.

Then, for the interview the guys talk to endurance athlete, Silverton local, photographer, and Hardrocker, Howie Stern.

If you like what you hear drop us a 5-star rating, and throw a comment about who you would like to hear us talk to next!

See you next week. 🤘

In this weeks episode we share some time with Rachel Bambrick, founder and Executive Director of Women In Ultrarunning.

We cover Rachel's start in running and what she saw that made her want to advocate for women by starting WIU. We also cover the impact that WIU is aiming to make in the sport, what an equitable landscape looks like, and how anyone can help advocate for the cause.

Be sure to drop a comment on the episode, and the most helpful things you can do is to leave a 5-star rating and follow the show.

Thanks so much and we'll see you next week!