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.

Cody Taylor returns to the Free Outside Podcast after completing one of the most ambitious unsupported hiking efforts on Vermont’s Long Trail: a complete out-and-back, also known as a Long Trail yo-yo.Cody began near the Canadian border carrying a 51-pound backpack loaded with 16 days of food. He traveled the entire length of the Long Trail to its southern terminus—and then turned around and hiked the whole thing again. With no resupply, Cody covered approximately 550 miles and 135,000 feet of elevation gain in 17 days, 8 hours, and 42 minutes.Having previously pursued an unsupported Fastest Known Time on the Long Trail myself, I know how deceptive this route can be. The mileage only tells a small part of the story. Vermont’s wet rocks, roots, mud, steep climbs, technical descents, and rugged northern mountains make it one of the most relentless long-distance hiking trails in the United States.Cody shares how he planned nearly 4,000 calories per day while keeping his food weight under two pounds a day, why he carried a stove and hot meals, and how running short on food affected his final 30 miles. We also break down his backpacking gear, shelter, sleep system, rain gear, electronics, footwear, and what he would change before attempting another multiweek unsupported adventure.The trip included days of heavy rain, flooded trails, dangerously cold conditions, terrible sleep, and as many as 20 falls per day during the opening section. Cody explains how he recognized the early signs of hypothermia, why he continued moving, and what happened when exhaustion caused him to hallucinate clowns beside the trail.Beyond the gear, nutrition, and Fastest Known Time, this conversation explores the mental side of thru-hiking, fastpacking, ultrarunning, and unsupported endurance challenges. Cody describes how he progressed from experiencing a panic attack during his first major project to feeling calm and grateful on the Long Trail. We discuss training for a 17-day effort, starting conservatively, adapting as the pack becomes lighter, and why it is impossible to prepare perfectly for an adventure of this scale.We also talk about Cody’s relationship with endurance athlete and mentor Ray Zahab, his transition from traditional ultramarathons toward expedition-style projects, and why the experience ultimately matters more than the record.This episode is for anyone interested in the Long Trail, Appalachian Trail, thru-hiking, backpacking, fastpacking, ultrarunning, FKTs, outdoor adventure, endurance training, hiking gear, trail nutrition, and the psychology behind pursuing enormous goals.Follow Cody Taylor Performance and subscribe to the Free Outside Podcast for more conversations about thru-hiking, ultrarunning, Fastest Known Times, endurance, and adventure.

Ben Dhiman is now a UTMB champion, but his path to the top of ultrarunning started long before he considered himself a runner.Ben thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail and Continental Divide Trail, navigated the Hayduke Trail, and pushed into increasingly remote adventures through Nepal and the Himalaya. Those experiences gave him clarity and self-reliance, but they also made returning to ordinary life incredibly difficult. In his words, thru-hiking “totally ruined” him.We talk about the addictive pull of long trails, his years working odd jobs to fund the next adventure, sleeping beside the river in Silverton, stumbling into trail running, and eventually deciding that he could become one of the best in the sport. Ben explains how he forced his way into professional ultrarunning through results, how becoming a father changed his relationship with adventure, and why his thru-hiking background helps him survive the moments when an ultramarathon becomes “apocalyptically” difficult.We also get into his holistic approach to training, the connection between problem-solving and performance, and why he replaces most of his winter running with 15–30 hours of skiing each week.Before the conversation, I share what I learned from a 60-mile fastpacking trip in Montana, whether my body and mind are ready for another FKT, and my best advice for pacing a fixed-time race.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

Amber Constant is attempting to climb 3.65 million vertical feet in a single year and claim the overall vertical world record.Rave Cave Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4Cqam0r2k1OpuD2fTc4XBJ?si=0fc10ab6187348a9She took the year off and made the project her full-time job: wake up, climb thousands of feet, recover, eat, sleep, and do it again. What began with 8,000-foot days and a weekly rest day eventually evolved into climbing every day, with some individual days reaching as high as 30,000 feet. Amber joins me from her car in Vermont to talk about what a year-long endurance project actually looks like from the inside. We get into the logistics of finding the most efficient mountains, living out of her car, eating up to 10,000 calories a day, recovery, motivation, loneliness, and the grassroots community that has formed around the attempt. She estimates she's doing roughly 80% of the project alone and says the social isolation has become one of its hardest parts. And then there are the things she couldn't plan for: brutal New England winter conditions, deep post-holing, black flies that sent her to urgent care after 167 bites, bears, coyotes, a moose collision, and a house with a bizarre connection to an unsolved murder. But underneath all of the wild stories is a fascinating look at what happens when someone commits an entire year to a single goal—and keeps going long after the honeymoon phase is over.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

My Appalachian Trail record film, Rewritten, is finally out in the world. In this episode, I take you behind the scenes of the documentary and share part of the six-hour interview process that helped shape the final film. You’ll hear some of the deeper reflections, uncomfortable moments, absurd jokes, and stories that did not make the final cut.I also talk about a huge moment in the fastest known time world. Nick Fowler has broken the overall Pacific Crest Trail record, making the fastest known time on the PCT self-supported once again.This episode also includes a more difficult update about ultrarunning legend Jeff Browning following his heart attack. Jeff has been an incredibly generous and positive part of the ultrarunning community for decades. I share a clip from one of our previous conversations that captures his energy, perspective, love for his family, and willingness to support everyone in the sport.Finally, I recap running nine “9 to 5Ks” in honor of Dolly Parton and what I learned about her generosity and legacy along the way.Rewritten follows my return to the Appalachian Trail nine years after my original thru-hike to chase the self-supported overall record. You can now watch the full documentary for free on the Free Outside YouTube channel.

For years, there was one goal I wasn't sure I was good enough to accomplish: breaking the self-supported Appalachian Trail record.I planned to try in 2020. It never happened. And for the next five years, the goal sat there.In this episode, I talk about why we're so afraid to say our biggest goals out loud, why I finally decided I would rather fail than never find out, and what happened when I went all-in on the Appalachian Trail in 2025.I also share a preview of Rewritten, the new film about the record and the much longer journey that led back to the AT.Rewritten premieres in Bozeman August 27 and on the Free Outside YouTube channel August 28.If you enjoy the film, share it with someone who has a goal they've been afraid to chase.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

What does an Appalachian Trail record attempt look like from the perspective of the person watching from home?Check out the substack on eating an entire Costco Pizza: https://freeoutside.substack.com/p/what-a-costco-pizza-taught-me-about?Allison Powell shares the untold story behind Jeff Garmire’s 45-day self-supported Appalachian Trail FKT, including planning resupply stops, managing logistics, decoding sleep-deprived messages, two left shoes, a discarded food box, lost battery banks, panic attacks, and the secret proposal waiting at Springer Mountain.Jeff and Allison also discuss producing Rewritten, their new Appalachian Trail documentary premiering free on YouTube August 28, and why this record deserves more attention. Meanwhile, Jeff attempts a different kind of endurance challenge by eating an entire Costco pizza during the episode.A funny and honest conversation about thru-hiking, ultrarunning, relationships, resilience, Fastest Known Times, and everything that happens behind the scenes of a 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail record.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

Derrick Lytle has spent the year filming some of the best ultrarunners in the world at Western States, Hardrock, Speedgoat, Black Canyon, and beyond. After watching elite athletes train, race, recover, and work with their coaches, what does he think actually separates them from everyone else?We talk about why consistency and race-specific training matter more than expensive supplements and recovery gadgets, what happens inside elite training camps, the dangers of comparing your training on Strava, and why there may be no shortcut to becoming a better runner.Derrick also shares what he has learned while preparing for his first 100-miler at Wasatch, his thoughts on AI replacing human creativity and coaching, and his answers to some of ultrarunning Reddit’s strangest questions.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