Dylan Truesdale served as an Army Ranger before eventually leaving the military. Later, a devastating car crash changed the course of his life. He lost his right eye, suffered lasting damage to his remaining vision, and had to rebuild from a point where even basic movement looked completely different. What followed wasn’t a straight-line comeback. It was a decision to find out what he was still capable of.

That decision eventually led Dylan to ultramarathons, a 3:03 marathon, HYROX, heavy strength training, and a life built around doing difficult things with purpose. In this conversation, he talks about becoming an Army Ranger, the crash and recovery, running his first ultra with limited vision, why he wakes up at 3:30 AM, how he balances strength and endurance, and the mindset behind “nobody’s coming.” Pasted text Pasted text Pasted text

The conversation also turns to the mission behind his next challenge: attempting to ruck 100 miles in 24 hours to raise money for veterans. Dylan opens up about PTSD, his own mental-health crisis after leaving the military, the veterans he has lost, and why carrying that weight has become about far more than completing another endurance event.

Content Note: This episode includes discussions of PTSD, mental health struggles, suicidal thoughts, and suicide loss. Please take care while listening.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, call or text 988 in the U.S. to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Chapters

00:00 Perseverance

01:14 Why He Joined the Army

04:26 Becoming an Army Ranger

14:39 The Crash That Changed Everything

22:22 “The Baddest Motherfer Ever”*

28:03 From Recovery to Ultra Running

35:42 His First Ultra: Heat, Falls & Getting Lost

41:30 “Nobody’s Coming”

43:00 How He Trains, Works & Lives at 3:30 AM

49:05 6'5", 200 Pounds & a 3:03 Marathon

58:40 100 Miles in 24 Hours for Veterans

1:01:16 PTSD, Suicide & Why the Mission Matters

1:08:42 What Comes Next

SUPPORT DYLAN'S 100-MILE RUCK FOR VETERANS

Dylan Truesdale is taking on a 100-mile ruck in under 24 hours, with a goal of raising $100,000 to support veterans.

If you'd like to support his mission or learn more about the fundraiser, you can find the link below.

Donate or learn more: donate.mission22.org/campaign/814545/donate

Follow Dylan:

instagram.com/dylanctruesdale/

The People Run Podcast:

instagram.com/thepeoplerunpodcast/
Music: instagram.com/mech__beats/

What does it really take to become one of the best Marathoners in the world?

Zouhair Talbi joins The People Run Podcast for a conversation about the years of work, belief, sacrifice, and environment behind competing at the highest level of distance running.

Fresh off winning the Great North Run in 59:47, Zouhair reflects on his journey from Morocco to becoming one of America's top distance runners, and why his ambitions now extend far beyond his accomplishments so far.

We talk about the mindset required to compete against the world's best, how training alongside Olympians changed his perspective, and the Boston Marathon performance that helped him see what was possible.

Zouhair also opens up about the difficult years of training alone, the importance of surrounding yourself with the right people, and why his current training is the product of 17 years of consistent work rather than one breakthrough season.

With the New York City Marathon ahead, he shares what he's chasing next, what success means at this stage of his career, and the legacy he hopes to leave for the next generation of runners.

A conversation about running, ambition, and everything that goes into pursuing something bigger.

Every runner has a story.

Chapters

00:00 Winning the Great North Run

06:46 Learning How to Race the World's Best

12:44 From American Elite to World-Class Ambitions

15:26 What Separates the World's Best Runners?

22:13 Boston Marathon: The Fight Through Mile 23

25:00 What Boston Taught Him About Belief

28:28 17 Years Behind a 130-Mile Week

32:00 Consistency, Recovery & Training Around Life

34:42 Why You Need People Around You

36:54 New York City Marathon & the Bigger Picture

44:58 The Legacy He Wants to Leave

Follow Zouhair Talbi:

instagram.com/zouhairathle/

The People Run Podcast:

instagram.com/thepeoplerunpodcast/
Music: instagram.com/mech__beats/

João returns to The People Run after making his half marathon debut at the Copenhagen Half Marathon, running 1:11:58.

We talk about why the race became the hardest effort of his life, fighting through the final kilometers, losing his bib mid-race, finishing second in his age group, and what he learned about himself when things started to hurt.

João also shares what life has been like since moving to the UK to study sports science at St. Mary’s, why he chose recovery over another race, and what comes next as he turns his focus back toward the shorter distances.

Chapters

00:00 Running 1:11:58 in His First Half

03:26 How Long Can I Hurt For?

06:12 The Result and What Made Him Proud

09:54 Losing His Bib & Copenhagen Atmosphere

15:00 Recovery, Restraint & the Next Training Block

18:50 Life at St. Mary’s & What Comes Next

Follow João:

instagram.com/joao._runs/

Follow The People Run Podcast:

instagram.com/thepeoplerunpodcast/
Music: instagram.com/mech__beats/