Ultrarunning History
This is a podcast about the history of the sport of ultrarunning. An ultramarathon is generally a race of 50K (31 miles) or more. The sport became popular in the 1980s, but had been in existence since the late 19th century. This podcast will share history and tell stories about ultrarunning history generally before 2000.
- Update frequency
- every 13 days
- Average duration
- 28 minutes
- Episodes
- 179
- Years Active
- 2018 - 2025
138: Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim History – Part 9: Phantom Ranch
In 1906, David Dexter Rust (1874-1963) established a permanent camp near the confluence of Bright Angel Creek and the Colorado River that they name Rust Camp. They dug irrigation ditches and planted …
00:25:22 |
Sun 30 Jul 2023
137: Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim History – Part 8: Kolb Brothers
No Grand Canyon Rim to Rim History can be complete without mentioning the Kolb brothers, who maintained a photo gallery on the South Rim for decades. The two were among the very first to accomplish d…
00:27:00 |
Sun 16 Jul 2023
136: Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim History – Part 7: Prof Cureton
“Prof” Thomas Henry Cureton (1875-1957) of Williams, Arizona, was a significant Grand Canyon rim-to-rim contributor. Through his selfless service in the 1920s, he passed on the love of the inner Gran…
00:26:55 |
Tue 04 Jul 2023
135: Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim History – Part 6: Early Guides
Running the Grand Canyon rim-to-rim and back is one of the ultimate experiences for ultrarunners. Before the Grand Canyon National Park was established in 1919, there were several individuals who hel…
00:25:27 |
Mon 19 Jun 2023
134: Frank Hart – Part 6: Final Years
By late 1892, many of the original six-day professional pedestrians had left the sport, using their winnings to establish other careers, some of them pursuing illegal activities. Frank Hart had anoth…
00:24:43 |
Tue 30 May 2023
133: Frank Hart – Part 5: Declining Running Career
By 1888, Hart had competed in about 30 six-day races in nine years. He had reached 100 miles or more in about 40 races and had so far won at least 30 ultras. Perhaps because of his color, he had not …
00:27:26 |
Mon 08 May 2023
132: Frank Hart Part 4 – Former Champion
Frank Hart’s life in 1883 was at a low point. He had squandered his riches and damaged his reputation as a professional pedestrian. He was viewed as being hot-headed, undisciplined, and a womanizer. …
00:28:16 |
Tue 25 Apr 2023
131: Tom Osler – The Serious Runner
Thomas Joseph Osler (1940-2023) of Camden, New Jersey, was a mathematician, former national champion distance runner, and author. His published running training theories have made a deep impact on di…
00:27:05 |
Sun 02 Apr 2023
130: The 2023 Barkley Marathons
The Barkley Marathons course (thought to be roughly 130 miles and about 63,000 feet of elevation gain) at Frozen Head State Park in Tennessee was conquered for the first time in six years. Laz (Gary …
00:24:48 |
Mon 20 Mar 2023
129: Encore – Birth of the Barkley Marathons
This is an encore episode. The Barkley Marathons, with its historic low finish rate (only 15 runners in 30 years), is perhaps the most difficult ultramarathon trail race in the world. It is held in a…
00:37:07 |
Tue 14 Mar 2023
128: Frank Hart – Part 3: Facing Racial Hatred
In 1880, Frank Hart, age 23, was recognized as one of the top ultrarunners/pedestrians in the world. But after a life-threatening illness, many speculated that he would never return to his dominant f…
00:30:30 |
Tue 28 Feb 2023
127: Frank Hart – Part 2: World Record Holder
In December 1879, Hart went to compete at the next big six-day tournament, the “Great International Six-Day Race” or “Rose Belt” held in Madison Square Garden in New York City. The manager of the rac…
00:29:27 |
Mon 06 Feb 2023
126: Frank Hart – Part 1: First Black Ultrarunning Star
n 1879, just twelve years after the Civil War ended, Frank Hart of Boston, Massachusetts, became the first black running superstar in history, and the most famous black athlete in America. In a sense…
00:28:42 |
Mon 23 Jan 2023
125: Ultrarunning Stranger Things – Part 13: The Strange and Tragic
In 1882 it was declared: “The six-day walking matches are the sickest swindles gamblers have yet invented for defrauding a virtuous public.” Well, many of both the public and the running participants…
00:26:13 |
Mon 09 Jan 2023
124: Ultrarunning Stranger Things – Part 12: George Noremac and Murder
On a summer morning in 1883 in midtown Manhattan, New York City, a young boy ran down 34th Street, getting the attention of a policeman. He cried out, “A man has killed some folks.” Officer John Hug…
00:32:30 |
Mon 26 Dec 2022
123: Dan Brannen – Ultrarunning’s Pioneer Administrator
Dan Brannen (1953-) of Morristown, New Jersey, has made a lifetime contribution to ultrarunning and the running sport in general. His dedicated work, mostly from behind the scenes, helped to establis…
00:27:22 |
Mon 12 Dec 2022
122: Ultrarunning Stranger Things – Part 11: Arrests
Ultrarunners/Pedestrians of the late 1800s were a unique breed of determined and aggressive individuals who were in the sport primarily trying to cash in on the huge prize money potential and to get …
00:22:58 |
Mon 28 Nov 2022
121: Pam Reed – The Desert Ultrarunning Legend
Pam Reed, age 61 in 2022, from Jackson Wyoming, and Scottsdale, Arizona, is a 2022 inductee in the American Ultrarunning Hall of Fame, its 21st member. Over the years she has been a prolific, success…
00:28:19 |
Mon 14 Nov 2022
120: Ultrarunning Stranger Things – Part 10: Richard Lacouse – Scoundrel
The strange story of Richard Lacouse has never been told before. Piecing together his unusual life story was an adventure in itself. He was once a famous, elite, ultrarunner/pedestrian from Boston du…
00:28:55 |
Mon 31 Oct 2022
119: Ultrarunning Stranger Things – Part 9: Corruption and Bribes
With the great success of ultrarunning (known as pedestrianism) in the 1880s, and the millions of dollars of legal wagering involved, corruption raised its ugly head in the sport. “Match Fixing,” was…
00:25:58 |
Mon 17 Oct 2022
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