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When Jamieson Hatt started the Ice Age Trail, his pack weighed 70 pounds. That was everything he’d have for the next 1,160 miles: all his food, a second pair of shoes, and a disposable razor he called his luxury item. He set the unsupported FKT in 2025, and I think it might be the FKT of the year for how much further it pushed what’s possible unsupported. We get into whether there’s a limit to how far someone can go unsupported, and whether food is the real limiter or it’s actually shoes. He breaks down how he got 4,100 calories out of 1.75 pounds of food a day, and how he was hungry again 20 minutes after every meal. We talk about the bailout point he set up mid-trail when things got bad, the failures that taught him to never skimp on electrolytes or rain gear, and the idea of doing a “training camp” on trail before an attempt. And yes, a song he’s never once listened to was stuck in his head for a week and a half. Text the Free Outside Hotline at 541-903-8065 with anything you want. This episode answers a listener question about wildlife anxiety on trail. December is the Month of Jeff, so send me your Jeffs. Free Inside with Allison: https://open.spotify.com/show/033Pwij3Why0tydLeZPnMz?si=ac1ec7bef28e4672 Support our Sponsors: Janji: https://snp.link/a0bfb726 use code FREEOUTSIDE for 10% off Garage Grown Gear: https://snp.link/db1ba8ab Free Outside book: text 541-903-8065 for a signed copy Patreon: patreon.com/freeoutside Support this content on patreon: HTTP://patreon.com/freeoutside Buy my book "Free Outside" on Amazon: https://amzn.to/39LpoSF Email me to buy a signed copy of my book, "Free Outside" at [email protected] Watch the movie about setting the record on the Colorado Trail: https://tubitv.com/movies/100019916/free-outside Website: www.Freeoutside.com Instagram: thefreeoutside facebook: www.facebook.com/freeoutside #Trailrunning #Runningnews #Outdoors #Outdooradventure

Dr. Bill Evans once drank so much baking soda before a track workout that he never made it to the track. That tells you a lot about him. He’s an exercise physiologist, professor, coach, and fast miler, and he tests the research on himself. He’s also from western Pennsylvania, and you’ll hear it within about a minute. We sort out what’s worth your time and what isn’t. Bill says bicarb, caffeine, plyometrics, and NRF2 supplements all hold up. For ultras, though, bicarb probably isn’t worth the squeeze. He covers creatine, beetroot juice, and the wilder stuff he won’t try himself. We also get into small things you can do on hard days: a brain game before a workout, a real hard warm-up, and why getting out hard and fading can beat sitting and kicking. Then there’s fueling. He walks through where the 60 g/hour guidance came from, what the evidence says about 90 and above, and whether you can actually train your gut. He also tried to correct my pine cone math on air. It did not go well for him. Stick around to the end for what I think is his best advice for anyone training at any distance. Find Bill: The Endurance Lab (coaching): https://www.endurancelaboratory.com Newsletter: https://thescienceofrunning.beehiiv.com/ The Endurance Lab Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-endurance-lab-podcast/id1875151943 Instagram / YouTube: @doctor_evans_running Coaching: I have one or two spots open. Email [email protected] to set up a free call. Support our Sponsors: Janji (code: Freeoutside): https://snp.link/a0bfb726 CS Coffee: CSinstant.coffee Garage Grown Gear: https://snp.link/db1ba8ab Subscribe to Substack: http://freeoutside.substack.com Support this content on patreon: HTTP://patreon.com/freeoutside

Javelina 100 just happened, and it was a strange, muddy, rain-soaked one. I was out there in costume, pacing and crewing. Zach Bitter and Allison Mercer joined me to break down what went on up front. Both races changed leaders on the final loop. Nine of the top ten men were over 30, and women in their 40s swept the podium. Patient racing beat early aggression again. We get into why Javelina is still a Western States golden ticket and how unsponsored runners keep crashing the party. We also talk about whether Hoka regrets letting Carla go. The New York City Marathon kicked off a super-shoe conversation, and we dig into pros versus influencers and how honest sponsored content really is. Then I pitch my idea for 24-hour pace groups at 100-milers, plus a prize for the fastest runner in a costume. Find Zach at zachbitter.com and on the Human Performance Outliers Podcast. I’m on that show too, covering different topics. Text the Free Outside hotline: 541-903-8065 Watch Rewritten, the film about my Appalachian Trail record. Thanks to Janji (code FREEOUTSIDE for 10% off), Garage Grown Gear, and CS Coffee. Chapters 00:00 Intro 00:51 Welcome Zach & Allison 01:10 Javelina in the rain: first impressions 03:34 New names up front & the first-downhill trap 06:03 Over-40 women sweep the podium 08:28 Mud, conditions & Heather Jackson’s late pass 11:36 Positive splits and the case for even pacing 13:43 A rare one: the winner wasn’t leading into loop 5 16:58 Course changes making Javelina faster 19:24 Why is Javelina a golden ticket race? 21:42 The Black Canyon pipeline & pros vs the costume party 23:06 Unsponsored winners: the haves and have-nots 27:17 Does Hoka regret not re-signing Carla? 28:33 Breakout races & surprise brand budgets 31:27 Super shoes, Puma, Nike & the NYC Marathon 39:00 Why aren’t there more one-off race sponsorships? 41:18 Pros vs influencers: who actually sells shoes? 44:36 Loyalty & honesty in sponsored content 47:21 Zach’s race-by-race sponsorship idea 51:51 The pitch: 24-hour pace groups 58:06 Veteran helpers & “team moms” on course 59:35 Online goal groups before race day 1:02:38 A prize for first place in a costume 1:03:44 Where to find Zach & Allison 1:05:11 The comment section 1:07:09 Outro: costumes, Rewritten & the hotline

Cal Calamia has raced all six World Marathon Majors and run a 2:40, but this weekend he’s running his first 100 miler at Javelina. In the desert, on Halloween, and I get to pace the last loop. I recorded this with Cal the Wednesday before the race. We get into how a road marathoner learns to “make friends with 20 miles,” why running a marathon every weekend would have horrified his old marathon self, his 100 grams of carbs per hour plan, and the Black Canyon 100K where the start got pushed two hours and I had to track down a headlamp mid-race. We also cover something I’ve wanted to talk about for a long time. A lot of people, including my aunt, one of the most open people I know, are nervous to ask about pronouns and trans and nonbinary identities. So I asked Cal, who is trans nonbinary and uses he/they pronouns, what it all means and how to make it approachable in your own life. We talk about why last year, after finishing third overall in the Javelina 100K, Cal had to choose between the men’s podium and the nonbinary one, and why that choice exists at all. Plus his first brand deal: a thousand dollars to hold a bottle of wine. Follow Cal: @calcalamia Thanks to our partnersJanji: use code FREEOUTSIDE at janji.comGarage Grown Gear: tell them I sent you Text the Free Outside hotline: 541-903-8065 00:00 Intro02:13 Three days out from a first 10003:13 The trail world’s “so, 100 miler next year?”06:38 How Cal started running, and the gender box on every sign-up form09:45 Third overall, and choosing between the men’s and nonbinary podium11:45 My aunt’s question: trans vs. nonbinary17:17 What he/they pronouns mean19:43 How to ask someone’s pronouns20:52 Coming back to running after college24:58 First brand deal: $1,000 to hold wine26:05 Janji27:27 Going pro: no car, no TV, PT instead30:38 Black Canyon 100K: two-hour delay, mud, and an emergency headlamp33:14 Javelina vs. the NYC Marathon and ultra vs. marathon finish lines37:05 Race plan: pacing and 100 grams of carbs per hour41:50 Making friends with 20 miles47:03 Garage Grown Gear48:06 How many pairs of shoes for a muddy loop course?50:01 Cal’s why51:00 Protecting your headspace before a race52:54 Listener questions: she/they pronouns and nonbinary BQ standards55:21 What I should do at mile 85 (Justin Bieber)57:02 Outro: birthday beer mile and expert episodes coming59:05 Listener question: FKT or a longer race? Chapters

Text or call the Free Outside hotline: 541-903-8065 Allison Mercer, our award-winning correspondent of the year, is back, and we brought some hot takes. We start with the Backyard Ultra team world championship. Can you call it a world championship when every country runs a different course, in different weather, and the rules change mid-race? And why is this format suddenly the most-watched thing in ultrarunning? Then we get serious about the Moab 240 and race safety: what runners should be able to expect from race organizations, Allison’s own scary story from crewing, and why trail ultras could learn a lot from the Boston Marathon. After that, Allison turns the mic on me and my first flat 24-hour at Fat Ox. We also launch the official Rajpaul Pannu fan club and make our Javelina Jundred golden ticket picks. Thanks to the sponsors:Janji: janji.com (check out the new rain kit)Garage Grown Gear: it’s still SoctoberCS CoffeeReadyWise – try my Jeff Garmire Pro Meal Breakfast Skillet Read Free Outside, watch Rewritten, and find my Substack: freeoutside.substack.com

At the time we recorded this, Belgian runners Ivo Steyaert and Merijn Geerts had been running for 123 hours—five days and three hours—and had each covered about 512 miles. They’d just broken the previous backyard ultra world record, and Belgium was the only team with runners still going in the World Team Championship. I’ve done two backyard ultras myself: I won one in 2022 and was the assist in another in 2023. The format is simple: run 4.167 miles every hour, on the hour, and keep going until only one runner is left. In this bonus episode, I check in with Frank “the Tank” live from Belgium. Frank has gone more than 100 yards himself and was part of Belgium’s record-setting team. This year, he’s watching from the other side as a crew member and part of the media team. We talk about how the World Team Championship works, what Ivo and Merijn do in the minutes between loops, how they help each other through rough patches, and why Belgium has become such a force in backyard running. Frank shares stories from the race, including a sleep-deprived runner who thought he was making cash drops, and gives us a close-up look at what it takes to keep going when you’ve already run more than 500 miles. Then I talk about why the backyard format can be such a useful way to pace a long effort—and why the prospect of doing another one is starting to sound pretty tempting. Support our Sponsors: Janji (code: Freeoutside): https://snp.link/a0bfb726 CS Coffee: CSinstant.coffee Garage Grown Gear: https://snp.link/db1ba8ab Subscribe to Substack: http://freeoutside.substack.com Support this content on patreon: HTTP://patreon.com/freeoutside Buy my book "Free Outside" on Amazon: https://amzn.to/39LpoSF Email me to buy a signed copy of my book, "Free Outside" at [email protected] Watch the movie about setting the record on the Colorado Trail: https://tubitv.com/movies/100019916/free-outside Website: www.Freeoutside.com Instagram: thefreeoutside facebook: www.facebook.com/freeoutside #Trailrunning #Runningnews #Outdoors #Outdooradventure

I’ve been spending the last few months trying to become a better runner. After years of long hikes and FKTs, I’ve been doing more speed work—and now I’m taking that fitness into a 24-hour race. I even ran 25 miles around a track recently to start figuring out what that might take. So Meg Eckert was the perfect person to talk to. She recently ran 636 miles in six days, but her running story started with signing up for a 5K and being too afraid to show up. We talk about how she found her way into ultras, what makes fixed-time races so compelling, and how she handles sleep, fueling, caffeine, recovery, and the mental ups and downs of running for days. This conversation is about big mileage, but it’s also about staying flexible, finding joy in the process, and showing up even when you’re nervous.

Pete Deneen is back, and this conversation goes in a lot of directions—in the best way. We talk about what El Niño actually is, what it could mean for the West, and why Pete thinks it’s time to have a serious conversation about Lake Powell and the Glen Canyon Dam. Pete also shares stories from his decade in the Coast Guard, including one wild night intercepting a major cocaine shipment. But the conversation keeps coming back to something bigger: community. Pete tells me how a trail run club grew into a monthly gathering, a way to support local nonprofits, and a group that shows up to protect the places it loves. We also get into purpose, belonging, and the simple practice of journaling. Pete’s advice before my wedding was to take 20 minutes and write. I tried a past, present, future prompt—and it might be a good place for you to start, too. Check out Pete's writing It’s Time to Drain Lake Powell https://gizmodo.com/its-time-to-drain-lake-powell-1848003413 A decade of climate whiplash in Ojai — https://issuu.com/ojaivisitorsguide/docs/ojai_magazine_winter_2024/106 Undeveloped Land Is Not “Vacant” — https://petedeneen.world/undeveloped-land-is-not-vacant/ Chapters 13:07 What El Niño is 47:39 Purpose, belonging, and community 56:23 How a run club became something bigger 1:03:01 Pete’s Coast Guard stories 1:12:00 Lake Powell and the Glen Canyon Dam 1:26:30 Putting people to work restoring the West 1:30:20 Journaling before a big life moment Support our Sponsors: Janji (code: Freeoutside): https://snp.link/a0bfb726 CS Coffee: CSinstant.coffee Garage Grown Gear: https://snp.link/db1ba8ab Subscribe to Substack: http://freeoutside.substack.com Support this content on patreon: HTTP://patreon.com/freeoutside Buy my book "Free Outside" on Amazon: https://amzn.to/39LpoSF Email me to buy a signed copy of my book, "Free Outside" at [email protected] Watch the movie about setting the record on the Colorado Trail: https://tubitv.com/movies/100019916/free-outside Website: www.Freeoutside.com Instagram: thefreeoutside facebook: www.facebook.com/freeoutside #Trailrunning #Runningnews #Outdoors #Outdooradventure

The Moab 240 was canceled after flash flooding hit the course, leaving runners and volunteers at Bridger Jack Aid Station overnight. Scott was running the race, and Jacqueline was crewing him. They join me to walk through the timeline: the weather turning, the call to head back, the long night at the aid station, and the eventual trip out. We also talk about the uncertainty, the volunteers, the drop bags, and why they believe canceling the race was the right decision. Follow Jacqueline on social media https://www.instagram.com/jacquelinetburnett Follow Scott on social media https://www.instagram.com/scooterhughleyofficial Support our Sponsors: Janji (code: Freeoutside): https://snp.link/a0bfb726 CS Coffee: CSinstant.coffee Garage Grown Gear: https://snp.link/db1ba8ab Subscribe to Substack: http://freeoutside.substack.com Support this content on patreon: HTTP://patreon.com/freeoutside Buy my book "Free Outside" on Amazon: https://amzn.to/39LpoSF Email me to buy a signed copy of my book, "Free Outside" at [email protected] Watch the movie about setting the record on the Colorado Trail: https://tubitv.com/movies/100019916/free-outside Website: www.Freeoutside.com Instagram: thefreeoutside facebook: www.facebook.com/freeoutside #Trailrunning #Runningnews #Outdoors #Outdooradventure

Joe “Stringbean” McConaughy recently set the supported fastest known time on the John Muir Trail. Somehow, he did it on only 38 minutes of sleep—and felt better on the third day than he expected.Joe and I have been intertwined through FKTs for years. I’ve taken some of his records, he’s demolished some of mine, and he thoroughly beat me at Cocodona. In this conversation, we dig into what finally worked on the JMT, including sleep strategy, caffeine, hydration, sodium, fueling, altitude, and why this attempt felt so much more controlled than his previous efforts.We also compare our hallucinations, talk about coaching athletes through situations that cannot be perfectly planned, and discuss Joe’s move from corporate life into professional running, coaching, and race directing.Most importantly, we finally investigate the rumor that Joe was a sub-four-minute miler. He actually ran 4:09—but the legend continues to improve.Topics include:• Joe’s supported John Muir Trail record • Sleeping only 38 minutes • Hallucinations and extreme sleep deprivation • Saving caffeine for the final night • Changing his hydration and sodium strategy • Science versus intuition in multi-day events • Becoming an ultrarunning coach • Building community-focused trail races • The truth about Joe’s “sub-four” mile Subscribe for more conversations about ultrarunning, thru-hiking, FKTs, endurance, and the strange decisions we make outside.Support our Sponsors: Janji (code: Freeoutside): https://snp.link/a0bfb726CS Coffee: CSinstant.coffeeGarage Grown Gear: https://snp.link/db1ba8abSubscribe to Substack: http://freeoutside.substack.comSupport this content on patreon: HTTP://patreon.com/freeoutsideBuy my book "Free Outside" on Amazon: https://amzn.to/39LpoSFEmail me to buy a signed copy of my book, "Free Outside" at [email protected] the movie about setting the record on the Colorado Trail: https://tubitv.com/movies/100019916/free-outsideWebsite: www.Freeoutside.comInstagram: thefreeoutsidefacebook: www.facebook.com/freeoutside#Trailrunning #Runningnews #Outdoors #Outdooradventure

The John Muir Trail is back in the FKT spotlight, so I dug up the story of one of the wildest things I have ever done. In 2022, I started in Yosemite carrying everything I would need to cover 223 miles unsupported and chase the John Muir Trail record. Over the next three days, I peed brown, stopped eating enough, hallucinated a safari guide, broke both straps on my backpack, fell asleep while moving, and woke up face-down on the trail. With the record slipping away, I took a 12-minute nap, climbed Mount Whitney through the night, and ran the final switchbacks hard enough that stopping to pee was no longer an option. I finished in 3 days, 47 minutes, and 56 seconds—breaking the record by less than 13 minutes. This is the full story of the highs, lows, questionable decisions, and tiny mental tricks that somehow got me to Whitney Portal in time.

Nine days before our wedding, Allison Powell and I sit down to settle the truly important details: whether I can ride a unicycle into the ceremony, where Ted will sit and how many wedding plans I have completely forgotten. Then we get into Allison’s unsupported Tahoe-to-Yosemite FKT—the longest unsupported effort she has ever attempted. She started with a goal of finishing in 72 hours, but almost no real sleep, cold nights, no sleeping pad and a questionable commitment to calorie-dense nuts eventually turned the final miles into a fight against exhaustion. We talk about what she would change, why sleep can matter more than pack weight, the problem with choosing food entirely by calories per ounce and why every multi-day effort needs an emergency supply of Skittles. But the biggest lesson wasn’t about gear, pacing or nutrition. Somewhere along the trail, Allison realized that almost nobody knew what she was doing—and it didn’t matter. She was still giving everything she had to a goal that belonged entirely to her. We also dig into the pressure to perform, wanting to be taken seriously without wanting to become a professional athlete, adjusting goals during a race and why fueling may be the most overlooked part of ultrarunning and FKT preparation. This one starts with wedding chaos and ends up becoming a pretty honest conversation about ambition, recognition and learning how to do hard things for yourself. Send questions, comments or voicemails to the Free Outside hotline: 541-903-8065. This episode is supported by Janji. Use code FREEOUTSIDE for 10% off at Janji.com. It is also supported by Garage Grown Gear, where you can find ultralight gear—and a sleeping pad so you can sleep better than Allison did.

Nine days before the 2026 IAU 100K World Championships, Allison Mercer sprained her ankle and wondered whether she would even reach the starting line. She ultimately ran, finishing 15th in the world and third in the masters competition. Allison returns to Free Outside to take us inside the entire experience: the frantic ankle rehabilitation, racing 100 kilometers in extreme heat, her fueling and cooling strategy, Courtney Olsen’s late charge to the world title, Charlie Lawrence’s victory and the U.S. men capturing team gold by only 44 seconds. She also explains the sacrifices—and surprising out-of-pocket costs—required to represent Team USA. Then we discuss Joe “Stringbean” McConaughy’s record-setting John Muir Trail run, their friendly FKT rivalries, ultrarunning’s latest OnlyFans controversy, and why road ultras might be the sport’s most underrated events. Call or text the Free Outside Hotline with your questions, comments and ideas: 541-903-8065. Support Free Outside at patreon.com/freeoutside.

Andy Jones-Wilkins has been part of ultrarunning for more than 30 years. He remembers when races felt like secret societies, runners learned through stories around campfires, trail shoes barely existed and signing up the day before a race was completely normal. In this episode, AJW and I trace the evolution of ultrarunning through four distinct periods: the campfire era, the golden age of running blogs, the sport’s explosion into the mainstream and its current era of professional athletes, coaches, livestreams and full-time media. We talk about Anton Krupicka posting 200-mile weeks before Strava, the influence of Born to Run and Unbreakable, Gunhild Swanson’s iconic Western States finish, the resentment surrounding Dean Karnazes’ rise to fame and the transition from mentors offering advice to athletes hiring professional coaches. AJW also tells the emotional story behind his Cocodona 250 finish. After his friend Rob Martin died unexpectedly, AJW entered the race intending to run the first 125 miles for himself and the second 125 for Rob. During the final miles, he remembered something his father once told him: some things in life are only meant to be done once. We finish with some wonderfully strange ultrarunning history: syrup bottles used as handhelds, sewn-on shorts pockets, gummy bears melted into a hockey puck, Little Debbie fueling and an $800 pair of custom insoles that injured AJW while he was preparing to win Western States. This is a wide-ranging conversation about where ultrarunning came from, how it became a professional sport and what we need to protect as it continues growing.

We protect our money like it’s our most valuable resource, but we’re surprisingly careless with something we can never make more of: time. In this solo episode of the Free Outside Podcast, I’m thinking through impending doom, uncertainty about the future, and why maybe being a little worried about what comes next can actually be useful. We spend so much of life saying “someday”—someday I’ll take the trip, run the race, quit the job, learn the thing, or finally chase the goal. But someday isn’t guaranteed. I also get into something I’ve wrestled with throughout my life in thru-hiking, ultrarunning, and chasing FKTs: when does pursuing your dreams become selfish? There’s a difference between self-interest and selfishness, and I think a lot of it comes down to understanding the cost our goals have on the people around us. I talk about quitting my old career, losing pieces of my old community, traveling through Europe, getting older, building a life with other people, and trying to balance big goals with the relationships and community I want to have. Plus, I read some incredible marriage advice from the Free Outside Hotline, share some outtakes from recording my audiobook, rant about people declaring Ultrarunner and FKT of the Year when it’s only September, and talk about what’s coming next on Free Outside. Maybe the world is uncertain. Maybe that’s not a reason to wait. Your money can come back. Your time can’t.