Sarah June didn't grow up a runner. She grew up a gymnast — until doctors thought she'd broken her back and the pain took the fun out of it. After college, she traded cigarettes and late nights for running shoes: every time she craved a smoke, she went for a run instead. Her first goal was a two-mile loop around a lake in Rochester, Minnesota. It took months. Then she accidentally signed up for a trail 5K, placed second without knowing races had places, and got hooked.

In this episode of the Dirt and Vert podcast, David and Matt dig into Sarah's evolution from reluctant runner to ultramarathon coach, strength coach, and FKT holder. She opens up about the races that broke her — a Black Canyon 100K DNF in a snowstorm at 47 miles, freezing in 30-degree wind while her watch auto-paused because she was moving too slow to register, and a Mogollon Monster 100 DNF at mile 70 after sitting in an aid station for two and a half hours, out of sodium, spiraling mentally until she called her husband and told him she was broken.

But this isn't a sob story. It's a masterclass in the endurance athlete mindset. Sarah talks about the race she's proudest of — Saddles 100, where she pulled herself out of mental lows, battled heat exhaustion, and walked the final ten miles to the finish — and her life-changing 247-mile Maricopa Loop FKT, completed in 84 hours and 17 minutes with an umbrella in 95-degree heat and a crew that never left her side. She breaks down the unsexy details that decide 100-mile races: ultra running nutrition, remembering your sodium capsules, changing your shoes before your feet turn into sausages, lining up pacers early, and why crewing an ultra well matters as much as training for one.

Whether you're deep into ultramarathon training, chasing your first FKT, or just trying to understand why anyone runs 100 miles through the mountains, Sarah's story is proof that the outcome you want isn't always the experience you need — and that the experience is what makes you dangerous next time.

In this episode of the Dirt & Vert Podcast, David, Matt, & Mary are joined by our good friend, fellow race director, and the creative force behind Yeti Trail Runners, Jason Green.

With the first-ever joint ECA and Yeti event—the Smoky Mountain 24 Hour Challenge—just around the corner, we sit down to talk about how a shared love for the Appalachian spirit and Dolly Parton sparked the creation of this massive new race.

The core of this episode is a complete masterclass in ultra crewing. Drawing from decades of combined experience as both runners and race directors, we break down exactly what not to do when crewing a 100-miler. We talk about the dangers of overloading a fatigued runner with choices, the importance of preloading GPS maps, and why giving your runner too much empathy at mile 80 can end their race. We also dive into the emotional side of the sport, sharing our personal "whys," how hitting rock bottom led us to the trails, and why the ultra community's relentless support is the ultimate antidote to a disconnected world.

In this episode of the Dirt & Vert trail running podcast, we sit down with ultra runner Joey Patoray to talk about his unbelievable journey into endurance sports. If you are searching for ultramarathon motivation, mindset strategies for overcoming trauma, or tips on running 100-mile races, this episode delivers.

After a traumatic construction accident left him fighting for his life in the hospital for 31 days with six surgeries and twelve blood transfusions, Joey went from being unable to walk to the parking lot to finishing the legendary Leadville 100 ultramarathon in under 24 hours. We dive deep into his gritty mindset for endurance training and how he leverages extreme trail running challenges to unplug from life and build resilience. Joey shares the raw reality of pushing the human body to its absolute limit, including running the Georgia Death Race on a fractured foot, surviving the brutal humidity of the Cherokee 130K with three hernias, and crushing a 171-mile PR at a 48-hour timed race. Discover what it takes to stop making excuses and tackle the hardest backyard ultras and point-to-point endurance events on the East Coast and beyond.

Inside the Episode, We Break Down:

• 🏥 The Comeback: Fighting back from near-death to running 100-milers and refusing to settle for mediocrity.

• 🏔️ Leadville vs. Cherokee: Why the brutal humidity, slick rocks, and running with three hernias at the Cherokee 130K made Leadville feel like a breeze.

• 🦴 Running on Broken Bones: Grinding out 51 miles of the Georgia Death Race on a fractured foot because quitting wasn't an option.

• ⏱️ Backyard Mindset: Overriding a blown plantar fascia by digging a massage gun into his heel every 4 miles to hit 108 miles—just in time to make it to his kid's birthday party.