Borderlands Trail and Ultra Running

296 episodes

Running Culture and Meaning | Why Running Isn’t Just a Sport (Raziq Rauf)
08/04/2026 | 49 mins.
Trail running and running culture go beyond training plans, races, and performance. Raziq Rauf explains why running isn’t just a sport, but a reflection of identity, place, community, and modern running culture.
Raziq is the author of This Is Running and writes the newsletter Running Sucks. In this episode, we talk about running as culture, not just competition: place, community, creativity, solitude, fashion, consumerism, and why a run can change the person who started it. We also get into Haruki Murakami, narrative writing, run clubs, The Speed Project, and the strange modern shift from running as a sport to running as a lifestyle.
This episode is for runners who care about the meaning of the sport, not just the metrics.
Please give us a follow, rate the podcast, and give a review.
Topics / Timestamps
00:00 - The Deeper Meaning of Running
01:12 - The Meaning of Running
15:19 - The Evolution of Running Culture
16:43 - Shifting Perspectives on Running Culture
25:02 - Running as a Radical Act
30:50 - The Intersection of Running and Self-Improvement
43:01 - Exploring Creativity in Running
46:05 - The Solitude of Running and Creativity

Resources / Links
Raz Rauf on IG
Running Sucks
This Is Running, Raz's new book
Thumbnail photo by Carly Palmour
Josh Rosenthal on IG
Borderlands.cc
La French Trail
High Tones
Subwhatever

Related Episodes
Ultra Running isn't Just Running
Why Trail Running Isn't Skateboarding

Presented by Kiprun.
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Find us at Borderlands.cc and sign up for the newsletter.
Want to run in the Salt Lake area? Check out the Salt Lake Foothills Trail Races happening May 30, 2026.
And if you haven't checked out Wylder yet, it's worth a look. iOS or Android
How a Trail Running Brand Reinvented Itself
05/04/2026 | 25 mins.
Kiprun used to feel like an entry-level running brand, not one serious runners would put in the same conversation as the best trail running shoes in the sport. If you’re curious how a brand changes that perception and what it looks like when a running company genuinely reinvents itself this episode is for you.
Josh sits down with Inky Steve to break down the shift they’re seeing at Kiprun through the Kipsummit Max, Kipsummit Race, and the broader portfolio now taking shape under Decathlon. They get into stigma, design, price, performance, and why this feels less like a one-off good shoe and more like a brand returning with a completely different level of intent.
This one’s for runners who care about shoes, design, and where the culture is moving.
Please give us a follow, rate the podcast, and give a review.
Topics / Timestamps
00:00 - The Rise of Kiprun
04:33 - The Transformation of Kiprun Shoes
09:37 - The Evolution of Trail Running Shoes
15:27 - Running Shoes and Innovations
18:58 - Kiprun's Kipsummit Race Shoe
21:06 - The Evolution of Trail Running Shoes

Resources / Links
Kiprun Kipsummit Race
Kiprun Kipsummit Max
Josh Rosenthal on IG
Borderlands.cc
La French Trail
High Tones
Subwhatever

Presented by Kiprun.
----
Find us at Borderlands.cc and sign up for the newsletter.
Want to run in the Salt Lake area? Check out the Salt Lake Foothills Trail Races happening May 30, 2026.
And if you haven't checked out Wylder yet, it's worth a look. iOS or Android
Ultra Running Exposes Who You Really Are (wtih Mike Kratzer)
01/04/2026 | 35 mins.
Ultra running reveals what happens when race plans fail, training falls apart, and things don’t go the way we want. Running helps strip away all the things we distract ourselves with and forces us to stand face to face with them.
In this conversation with Mike Kratzer, a former DJ turned runner, we explore what happens when there’s nothing left to hide. From quitting drinking without rock bottom to rejecting the sameness of modern running culture, this is about what running reveals when you stop trying to be someone and just are.
This one’s for runners who enjoy running culture and thinking about running on a deeper level beyond performance.
Listen, and if this resonates, share it with someone who needs it.
Presented by Kiprun.
Please give us a follow, rate the podcast, and give a review.
Topics / Timestamps
00:15 - Exploring the Essence of Running
06:07 - The Transition from Music to Running
11:18 - The Decision to Quit Drinking
23:26 - Exploring Influencers and Individuality in Running
31:36 - The Evolution of Running and Creativity

Resources / Links
The confusing case of Camille Herron’s alleged Wikipedia edits
Borderlands.cc
Mike Kratzer on IG
Josh Rosenthal on IG
La French Trail
High Tones
Subwhatever

Related Episodes
Ultra Running isn't Just Running
Mike Kratzer + Tom Reynolds at UTMB
20 Minutes with Mike Kratzer
Nils Arend, TSP Founder

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Find us at Borderlands.cc and sign up for the newsletter.
Want to run in the Salt Lake area? Check out the Salt Lake Foothills Trail Races happening May 30, 2026.
And if you haven't checked out Wylder yet, it's worth a look. iOS or Android
Why People Run 100 Miles (with Billy Yang)
30/03/2026 | 32 mins.
Why do people run 100 miles and keep coming back to ultra running even after it hurts, slows them down, and offers no obvious reward? If you’ve ever been curious about ultra running or felt the pull toward doing something hard without fully understanding why, this conversation is for you.
In this episode, Billy Yang helps unpack what draws people into ultra running and what they’re actually searching for out there. It’s less about racing and more about identity, suffering, and the deeper reasons people choose to keep going.
For runners and anyone trying to understand why we choose hard things.
Please give us a follow, rate the podcast, and give a review.
Topics / Timestamps
00:00 Why Would ANYONE Run 100 Miles
05:55 The Journey of the Soul in Ultra Running
09:01 The Power of Storytelling in Sports
16:08 Exploring the Stories Behind the Sport
23:02 Why Do We Keep Going Back to the 100 Mile Starting Line
28:11 Reframing Your 'Why'
30:30 Ultra Running is the Great Equalizer

Resources / Links
The Why by Billy Yang
"Nike Boys" Doc
I Finally Conquered 100 Miles

Related Episodes
Nils Arend, TSP Founder
Scott Jurek, Has Ultra Running Become too Polished?

Presented by Kiprun.
----
Find us at Borderlands.cc and sign up for the newsletter.
Want to run in the Salt Lake area? Check out the Salt Lake Foothills Trail Races happening May 30, 2026.
And if you haven't checked out Wylder yet, it's worth a look. iOS or Android
Why Trail Running Feels Like Skateboarding but Isn't
27/03/2026 | 10 mins.
Trail running culture is starting to look a lot like skateboarding—crews, aesthetics, a more raw identity.
But if you’ve ever wondered whether that comparison actually holds up, this episode breaks it down.
There’s a reason the connection feels right—and a deeper reason it might not be. This isn’t about dismissing what’s happening in running, but trying to understand what it actually is.
This episode is for runners who care about the culture of the sport, not just the miles.
Please give us a follow, rate the podcast, and give a review.
Presented by Kiprun.
Topics / Timestamps
1:20 Culture and Identity in Trail Running
4:19 The Shift from Results to Experience
06:41 The Intersection of Trail Running and Authority
10:21 The Intersection of Skate Culture and Trail Running

Resources / Links
Tommie Runz | 5 Loops
SLC PUNK

Related Episodes
Is Ultrarunning Losing Its Charm?
Is Ultrarunning Changing?

----
Find us at Borderlands.cc and sign up for the newsletter.
Want to run in the Salt Lake area? Check out the Salt Lake Foothills Trail Races happening May 30, 2026.
And if you haven't checked out Wylder yet, it's worth a look. iOS or Android

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About Borderlands Trail and Ultra Running

Borderlands Trail and Ultra Running is a storytelling podcast for ultra runners who love this sport deeply, the iconic races, the legendary athletes, the gear, and the culture that makes all of it worth caring about. Hosted by Josh Rosenthal, founder of Borderlands Trail Running, this show exists to collect the ultra running stories that define the sport, from spending a day at Laz Lake's home to deep conversations with Scott Jurek, Dean Karnazes, Camille Herron, and the everyday runners doing extraordinary things out on the trails. This podcast covers the full world of ultra and trail running: race coverage and analysis of marquee events including Western States Endurance Run and UTMB, honest trail running shoes reviews and ultra running gear breakdowns from someone who has tested 44 pairs over 6,000 miles, and big conversations about where the sport is headed, including what dirtbag runners bring to a sport that's growing fast. This show gives ultra runners the stories, perspectives, and gear knowledge to go deeper into a sport they already love while celebrating what makes trail and ultra running unlike anything else. We'll answer questions like: - Who is Laz Lake, and why does everyone in ultra running revere him? - What makes the Barkley Marathons the hardest race in the world? - How does Western States Endurance Run work, and why is it so hard to get in? - What are the best trail running shoes and ultra running gear right now? - Who are the greatest ultra runners of all time? - What does dirtbag running culture actually mean? - How is ultra running changing, and is that a good thing? - What does it take to run a 100 mile ultra marathon? - What should ultra runners eat during training and on race day? If you want the stories, the gear, and the culture that make ultra and trail running the most addictive sport on earth, you're in the right place.

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