{"podcast":{"title":"Borderlands Trail and Ultra Running","slug":"borderlands-trail-and-ultra-running-6921910","podcast_index_feed_id":6921910,"rss_url":"https://feeds.captivate.fm/borderlands/","website_url":"https://www.borderlands.cc","image_url":"https://artwork.captivate.fm/e17f1889-0716-4cd0-8b1f-5d7d3545d2d3/Podcast-Art-March-2025.jpg","author":"Josh Rosenthal | Ultra Runner","episode_count":305,"summary":"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…","last_synced_at":"2026-06-09T18:18:03.198356+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/borderlands-trail-and-ultra-running-6921910"},"episode":{"title":"The Race That Makes Trail Running Real","slug":"the-race-that-makes-trail-running-real","published_at":"2026-05-21T08:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/borderlands-trail-and-ultra-running-6921910/the-race-that-makes-trail-running-real","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/borderlands-trail-and-ultra-running-6921910","url":"https://www.borderlands.cc/recent-podcast-episodes/the-race-that-built-trail-running-is-being-forgotten","audio_url":"https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/329f8c83-6381-49f8-94b5-5fd472cd46bd.mp3","summary":"Trail running usually becomes real for people at a local ultra, not while watching UTMB or Western States online. The parking lot at 5am with 53 runners, one exhausted race director, and volunteers giving up their Saturday to help strangers keep moving is still the clearest entry point into the sport. This episode is for the runners who believe the soul of trail running still lives there. Josh explores why the local 50K may be the most important layer in trail running, how participation precedes fandom in ultra culture, why authenticity in trail running still feels earned instead of performed, and why the small grassroots races that built the sport are becoming increasingly fragile in the modern era of spectacle, prestige, and professionalization. Please give us a follow, rate the podcast, and give a review. If you’re new to Borderlands, start here . Topics / Timestamps 02:52 The Turning Point of the Race 03:57 The Ecosystem of Trail Running 07:45 The Local Ultra: An Introduction to Trail Running Culture 11:22 The Challenges of Local Trail Races 18:00 The Importance of Local Races in Trail Running Resources / Links Salt Lake Foothills Trail Races Josh Rosenthal on IG Borderlands.cc La French Trail High Tones Subwhatever Related Episodes 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","meta_description":"Trail running usually becomes real for people at a local ultra, not while watching UTMB or Western States online. The parking lot at 5am with 53 runners,…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1122,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/borderlands-trail-and-ultra-running-6921910/episodes/the-race-that-makes-trail-running-real/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/borderlands-trail-and-ultra-running-6921910/the-race-that-makes-trail-running-real.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}