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Borderlands Trail and Ultra Running

Borderlands Trail and Ultra Running

By: Josh Rosenthal | Ultra Runner
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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.All Rights Reserved Borderlands Industries LLC Hygiene & Healthy Living Running & Jogging
Episodes
  • Why Western States is America's Most Important Race | More than a Run

    Why Western States is America's Most Important Race | More than a Run
    Jun 9 2026

    Western States 100 occupies a different place in trail running than almost any other race. Months before the starting gun, runners and fans are already studying the field, imagining the canyons, debating contenders, and wondering what story will emerge from Auburn.

    This episode explores why Western States feels bigger than a race. From Jim Walmsley and Kilian Jornet to Wendell Robie, Rucky Chucky, and the old buckle holders still working aid stations, Josh makes the case that Western States belongs in the same conversation as The Masters and the Kentucky Derby.

    Not because of the sport, but because of what happens when greatness, history, place, and uncertainty all meet in the same event.

    Please give us a follow, rate the podcast, and give a review.

    If you’re new to Borderlands, start here.

    Topics / Timestamps
    • 00:00 The Anticipation of Western States
    • 02:25 The Significance of the Course
    • 04:56 The Elite vs. Participation Experience
    • 07:23 The Course as a Character
    • 08:09 The Legacy of Western States
    • 10:34 The Global Trail Running Scene
    • 13:30 The Importance of Rucky Chucky
    • 16:00 The Dual Nature of the Race
    • 19:16 The Spirit of American Trail Running
    • 22:09 The Unfolding Drama of Race Day

    Resources / Links
    1. 2026 WSER Entrants List
    2. Borderlands.cc
    3. La French Trail

    Related Episodes
    1. Trail Running Loves Winners, Does it Love Competitors?
    2. Ultra Running isn't Just Running

    Presented by Kiprun.

    ----

    Borderlands explores trail running through culture, media, and the forces shaping it.

    Watch on YouTube

    Read on Substack
    Show More Show Less
    24 mins
  • Why Trail Running Hides Competition

    Why Trail Running Hides Competition
    Jun 4 2026

    Trail running culture loves winners. That's obvious. The sport builds documentaries about them, fills Instagram feeds with them, and spends months debating who will win Western States. But the more Josh thinks about it, the more he wonders whether trail running is actually comfortable with the competitive mindset that creates those winners in the first place.

    As Western States season begins, this conversation explores the difference between the participation version of trail running and the elite version, why those two worlds often get conflated, and what we miss when we use the values of one to understand the athletes competing in the other.

    Please give us a follow, rate the podcast, and give a review.

    If you’re new to Borderlands, start here.

    Topics / Timestamps
    • 00:00 Two Sports Sharing One Start Line
    • 02:51 The Values That Make Champions
    • 05:49 Elite, Professional, and Why It Matters
    • 08:38 What Trail Running Rewards
    • 11:26 Telling an Inward Story About an Outward Competition
    • 14:22 Do We Actually Want Competitors?

    Resources / Links
    1. Borderlands.cc
    2. Salt Lake Foothills Trail Races
    3. Josh Rosenthal on IG

    Related Episodes
    1. Ultra Running isn't Just Running

    Presented by Kiprun.

    ----

    Borderlands explores trail running through culture, media, and the forces shaping it.

    Watch on YouTube

    Read on Substack
    Show More Show Less
    18 mins
  • What Happens When Running Becomes Your Job? | Jacob Puzey

    What Happens When Running Becomes Your Job? | Jacob Puzey
    May 25 2026

    Professional running can quietly turn into pressure, performance, sponsorship obligations, and constant visibility. This episode with Jacob Puzey is for runners who have felt burnout creeping into the thing they once loved and want to rediscover simplicity, rhythm, and freedom in running again.

    After twenty years as a professional runner, coach, race director, and sponsored athlete, Jacob reflects on what happened when the pressure finally disappeared. What starts as a conversation about road running slowly becomes something much deeper about identity, aging, social media, routine, and why signing up for hard things still matters even after competition stops mattering.

    Please give us a follow, rate the podcast, and give a review.

    If you’re new to Borderlands, start here.

    Topics / Timestamps

    00:43 Rediscovering the Joy of Running

    07:41 The Journey Back to Running

    11:39 The Transition from Competition to Personal Growth

    14:50 The Journey to Scholarship and Running

    19:20 The Importance of Commitment in Running

    Resources / Links
    2. Salt Lake Foothills Trail Races
    3. Josh Rosenthal on IG
    4. Borderlands.cc
    5. La French Trail
    6. High Tones
    7. Subwhatever

    Related Episodes
    1. Ultra Running isn't Just Running

    Presented by Kiprun.

    ----

    Borderlands explores trail running through culture, media, and the forces shaping it.

    Watch on YouTube

    Read on Substack
    Show More Show Less
    20 mins
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