October brings us to North Georgia and the Georgia Jewel 100, home to Georgia's longest-standing 100-mile trail race and one of the Southeast's most beloved ultrarunning events.

Season 2, Episode 10 — TURD Podcast (Trail Ultrarunning Race Directors Podcast)

This month, host Shalini Bhajjan, Founder and Race Director of Terrain Trail Runners-STL, sits down with Jenny and Franklin Baker, the driving force behind the Georgia Jewel. Together, they've built a race known for its challenging terrain, strong community, and welcoming spirit.

Franklin brings the vision and love of the trails; Jenny brings organization, heart, and a runner-first mindset. We explore the origins of the Georgia Jewel and the people-first philosophy that has helped make it an iconic Southeastern trail running tradition.

September arrived with a promise of fall and a spark of mountain energy. In Idaho’s Salmon River Mountains, that call has a name: the IMTUF 100 — brutal, beautiful, and born from wild country and two directors who know “tough.”

🎙️ Season 2, Episode 9 — TURD Podcast (Trail Ultrarunning Race Directors Podcast)

This month, host Shalini Bhajjan, Founder and Race Director of Terrain Trail Runners–STL, sits down with Brandi & Jeremy Humphrey, the duo behind IMTUF — a once‑scrappy passion project now one of the nation’s most respected mountain hundreds. A race that doesn’t just test runners, it exposes them.

Jeremy brings the big‑vert vision; Brandi brings the backbone and heart. Together, they’ve carved a course out of raw Idaho terrain and built a community that feels like family.

We dig into IMTUF’s wild origins, its 22,000+ feet of mountain truth‑telling, and how the Humphreys blend grit and care to create a 100‑miler runners carry long after the finish.

August came in hot and with it, the buzz around Idaho’s highest trail race—Stand Hope Ultra Challenge, a quad‑crushing, soul‑stretching test woven through the wild Pioneer Mountains. Every summer, this rugged corner of Idaho transforms from quiet high desert to a gathering place for runners chasing altitude, grit, and something deeper than a finish line.

Which means it’s time for another episode of the TURD Podcast (Trail Ultrarunning Race Directors Podcast).

🎙️ Season 2, Episode 8

This month, host Shalini Bhajjan, Founder and Race Director of Terrain Trail Runners–STL, sits down with Mary Martin, the force behind Standhope. A former educator turned software engineer and race director, Mary is reshaping what ultrarunning can look like for women—especially moms—while stewarding a race defined by steep climbs, grassroots charm, and fierce community.

We dig into her journey, the 23,000‑foot beast she directs, and her mission to build a sport where motherhood and mountain running can coexist without compromise.