450 Kilometers, One Step at a Time

What does it take to keep moving when you've been on your feet for seven days, slept only 10 hours, and still have mountains to climb?

Annie Hughes returns to Pushing Horizons: Step by Step to share two extraordinary adventures that pushed her beyond anything she had experienced before.

First, we travel to Nepal, where Annie completed the Everest Marathon, her very first marathon, starting from Everest Base Camp at over 5,000 meters above sea level. We talk about the challenges of running at extreme altitude, climbing Island Peak, and experiencing the beauty of the Himalayas.

Then we head to the Italian Alps for one of the most demanding mountain endurance races in the world: Tor des Glaciers.

450 kilometers. 32,000 meters of elevation gain. 173 hours. Around 10 hours of sleep.

Annie finished sixth among the women, but getting to that finish line was anything but straightforward.

For more than 30 hours, she struggled with severe stomach problems. Painful blisters made walking almost unbearable. Sleep deprivation, difficult navigation, and emotional breakdowns pushed her to some of her lowest moments.

At one point, she found herself crying on a technical descent, struggling to keep her eyes open, with more than 100 miles still remaining.

But rather than giving up, Annie focused on what she could control.

One problem at a time. One mountain at a time. One step at a time.

We also explore how her approach to ultrarunning has evolved, why sleep and nutrition become critical in multi-day races, and how she managed to feel stronger during the final miles than she had earlier in the race.

And after completing 450 kilometers, Annie is already dreaming about even bigger adventures, including PTL and Swiss Peaks 700K.

This conversation goes beyond race results. It's about resilience, patience, managing the unexpected, and discovering that we're often capable of more than we imagine.

Because sometimes, the biggest challenge isn't the distance ahead. It's finding the strength to take the next step.

• Running the Everest Marathon and climbing Island Peak in Nepal.
• Why Annie's first marathon was unlike any other race.
• Taking on Tor des Glaciers: 450 km and 32,000 m of climbing.
• Managing stomach problems for more than 30 hours.
• Sleep deprivation and navigating technical mountain terrain.
• Painful blisters, tears, and the lowest moments of the race.
• Why eating, sleeping, and problem-solving matter as much as fitness.
• How Annie found her strength again with 100 miles remaining.
• Finishing sixth woman after 173 hours.
• What's next: PTL, Swiss Peaks 700K, and more mountain adventures.

Annie Hughes, Pushing Horizons podcast, 450 Kilometers One Step at a Time, Tor des Glaciers, TOR450, Tor des Géants, Everest Marathon, ultrarunning podcast, ultra endurance, mountain ultrarunning, 450km ultramarathon, multi-day ultrarunning, 200 mile races, ultra running motivation, endurance athlete, mental toughness, sleep deprivation ultrarunning, ultramarathon nutrition, trail running, Swiss Peaks 700K, PTL UTMB, women in ultrarunning, endurance mindset, ultra running stories, Pushing Horizons Step by Step.

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Running has never been only about miles for Michelle Doza.

It's a place to think, process life, clear her head, and sometimes think about absolutely nothing. It's something that brings her happiness and grounds her when life feels off. Michelle

Michelle's running journey eventually took her from the 17-mile Imogene Pass Run to six marathons and a pursuit of the elusive sub-four-hour marathon. Her current PR? 4:00:53. Yeah... painfully close. Michelle

Then came the Leadville Trail Marathon.

Starting around 11,000 feet, climbing roughly 6,000 feet and reaching above 13,000 feet at Mosquito Pass, Leadville forced Michelle to change the conversation happening inside her own head. Instead of asking why she was doing it, she reminded herself that she had trained for it, that people were waiting for her, and that she could do hard things. MichelleMichelle

In this episode, we talk about running as therapy, injuries and patience, chasing a sub-four marathon, learning to trust the process, the mental battle of Leadville, finding joy in difficult things, the running community, and her experience co-hosting Runners Like Us.

And after Leadville, another question has started creeping in:

Could an ultramarathon be next?

Michelle says it's firmly on her radar. Michelle

Because sometimes running isn't really about how many miles you've covered.

It's about discovering how much further you're willing to go.

Keywords: Michelle Doza, More Than Miles, Pushing Horizons, Pushing Horizons Step by Step, Runners Like Us, Leadville Trail Marathon, Leadville Marathon, Colorado runner, marathon running, trail running, running podcast, women runners, sub 4 marathon, running motivation, running as therapy, mental health and running, endurance running, running community, ultramarathon, first ultra

The Life He Almost Missed | Eamon Kearney

There was a point when Eamon Kearney didn't believe there was a future worth staying for.

Today, he's sober, a father, a marathon runner, and the author of the upcoming memoir The Long Way Home.

Born in Ireland and now living in the United States, Eamon's story begins long before running. He spent the first part of his life in a mother and baby home before being adopted, grew up with an alcoholic father, joined the Irish Army at 18, immigrated to America, became a father, and eventually faced his own battle with alcohol.

In late 2021, Eamon reached his darkest point.

What followed was a slow rebuilding of his life.

After getting sober in 2022, he returned to running after decades away from the sport. Since then, he has completed numerous half marathons and marathons, including Chicago, Berlin, Boston and the Marine Corps Marathon.

But the finish lines aren't really the story.

In this deeply personal conversation, Eamon talks about adoption and identity, addiction and sobriety, fatherhood, his fractured relationship with his son, finding his biological siblings, therapy, learning to forgive himself, and why running became such an important part of rebuilding his life.

We also talk about The Long Way Home, the memoir he's writing for his children and for anyone who has ever struggled with addiction, shame, identity or the feeling that they don't quite belong.

Because sometimes the most important part of surviving your darkest moment is getting the chance to discover everything that comes after.

Season 3, Episode 31 of Pushing Horizons: Step by Step.

Keywords: Eamon Kearney, The Life He Almost Missed, The Long Way Home, sobriety, addiction recovery, running and sobriety, marathon running, Boston Marathon, Berlin Marathon, Chicago Marathon, Marine Corps Marathon, Irish immigrant, adoption, fatherhood, mental health, recovery, resilience, running podcast, marathon podcast, Pushing Horizons, Pushing Horizons Step by Step