In this episode of Run Long After 60, I speak with Kevin Fleeger — a 2x Cocodona 250 finisher and one of the most deliberate athletes I’ve met — about what it means to get smarter with age.

Kevin didn’t begin ultrarunning until 59. In May 2025, fourteen runners started Cocodona 250 in the 60–69 age group. Only three finished. Kevin was the first finisher in that division.

But this conversation isn’t about drama. It’s about judgment.

Kevin shares what he learned from stepping off the mountain at Moab 240 by choice. From a mile 192 DNF at Southern States 200. From managing sleep, nutrition, and multi-day effort without ego.

He builds systems. He laminates spreadsheets. He eliminates idle time at aid stations. And at 66, he has eleven races on the calendar for 2026 — including Arizona Monster 300.

We talk about:

• Discovering trail running at 59
• Building toward 200- and 250-mile races
• DNFs as information, not failure
• Sleep strategy and race efficiency
• Planning 1100 race miles in a single year
• Why experience can be an advantage after 60

Kevin isn’t reckless.
He isn’t loud.
He is calculating.

If you’ve followed last year’s Cocodona 60–69 division, you’ll recognize the two other finishers who’ve joined this podcast: Stephanie Irving (Episode 1) and Paul James Johnson (Episode 14). It’s an honor to have all three represented here.

Whether you’re chasing your first ultra or simply trying to stay adaptable with age, this conversation is about staying in the game — intelligently.

Run Long After 60 is produced as a video-first podcast.

If you’re listening on audio, this episode includes visual elements that deepen the storytelling. You can watch the full video version on YouTube at Run Long After 60.

🎧 Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart, or Amazon to follow the journey.

📍 Hosted by Mark Vega

In this episode of Run Long After 60, I speak with Miriam Gilbert — known to many as “UltraMiriam” — about what it means to run healing miles in your late 60s.

Miriam’s story begins long before the trails. As a child, she faced serious health challenges. As an adult, she became a caregiver. Running didn’t enter her life as competition — it entered as restoration. Over time, endurance became both therapy and testimony.

At 67, Miriam is not chasing podiums. She’s chasing wholeness. Her miles carry memory, resilience, and a quiet strength that doesn’t need to announce itself.

We talk about:

• Starting and continuing ultrarunning later in life
• Caregiving, survival, and identity beyond the label
• Running as emotional and physical healing
• Mental endurance vs. physical endurance
• Why movement can be medicine
• Aging as sharpening — not shrinking

Whether you’re navigating recovery, supporting someone you love, or wondering if it’s too late to start again, this conversation will meet you where you are.

🎥 Run Long After 60 is produced as a video-first podcast.
If you’re listening on audio, this episode includes visual elements that deepen the storytelling. You can watch the full video version on YouTube at Run Long After 60.

🎧 Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart, or Amazon to follow the journey.
📍 Hosted by Mark Vega

In this episode, Troy shares how endurance sport reshaped his life after major health setbacks, Achilles reconstruction, and doctors telling him to stop running. We discuss DNF lessons, 70,000-calorie races, fueling strategy, faith, aging, and why choosing to live like an athlete changes everything.

Troy also opens up about mediating billion-dollar disputes involving Native Nations and how ultrarunning has made him better under pressure.

This is a conversation about durability, humility, identity, and staying in the game long after 60.

🎧 New episodes weekly
📍 Hosted by Mark Vega