Florida Trail Runners Podcast

With with episode 135 of the Florida Trail Runners Podcast we’re back on the trail with this year Lake to Ocean 100k! And, on the chat, we’ve got Jenny Lee Allen who was first for the women and 4th overall with a time of 13:42:00. Shawn Fardink, who came in 12th overall with a time of 17:16:00. Dave Goldstein, who was 18th overall with a time of 17:50:00, Dave will Race Directing the Just Survive 125 next year… so we get to hear all about that! And, Brian Leon, who placed 2nd overall with a time of 13:34:00.And with this year, it really was a special year. just wanted to take a moment to say thank you to Jeff Stephens and Andrea for their years of race directing the Lake to Ocean 100K (L2O). Jeff has always been one of those RD’s I’ve looked up too.  Their hard work and dedication created one of the most rugged, legendary running events Florida has ever seen, all while preserving the spirit of a true old-school ultramarathon.Although I’ve only made it as far as Beeline and have spent time hanging out at the event, L2O remains one of my favorite races of all time. So, thank you, Jeff and Andrea, for everything you’ve done for the Florida ultra community and for building such a special race.With that also comes some exciting news: Leo Acosta will be taking over as Race Director. For those unfamiliar with Leo, he is the Race Director for Death at Dupuis and has done a fantastic job with that event.It’s exciting to see what the future holds for the Lake to Ocean 100K under Leo’s leadership. More importantly, it’s great to know that this race will continue carrying on the tradition of being an old-school ultra classic for years to come.

This year, Annika Buser won the ASUN Conference Championship in the 3,000m Steeplechase with a personal-best time of 10:25.80. The victory capped off an outstanding outdoor track season that included a win at the East Coast Relays, a runner-up finish at the Pepsi Florida Relays, and a victory at the Hampton River Inn Relays in the 3,000m steeplechase. She also had the opportunity to compete at the Bryan Clay Invitational, one of the premier outdoor track meets in the country that attracts many of the nation's top distance runners.Originally from Gerlingen, Germany, Annika came to the United States to compete for the University of North Florida. In the chat, we discuss how she got started in the sport, the club system in Germany, her journey to UNF, and how this year's ASUN Conference Championship went down!

On the chat, we’ve got Ashlyn Poulin, a race walker for Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida. Ashlyn is coming off an incredible performance at the NAIA Outdoor National Championships, where she was the runner-up finish in the 5,000 meter Race Walk!In the chat, we talk everything Race Walking! She breaks down exactly what race walking is, the rules that make it unique, and the technique required…. We talk about how she first got involved in race walking, what it takes to compete at the collegiate level, and the training that goes into mastering such a specialized event.We also recap her experience at this NAIA Outdoor National Championships, how the race went down, what was going through her mind during the competition, and what it meant to stand on the podium as the national runner-up. Whether you're a trail runner, track athlete, or simply curious about one of the most unique events in athletics, this is a fascinating conversation that offers a unique look into a sport that deserves far more attention than it gets.

On the chat we’ve got Tyler Mastello fresh off an incredible performance at the Keys 100! Tyler crossed the finish line with a time of 28:11:58, a massive jump forward from his 34:49:00 finish at the Tampa Bay 100 Mile. We dive into what it took to make that kind of breakthrough happen, the prep and training to the logistics that comes with running the Keys 100 Mile. Tyler also talks about balancing ultrarunning with life as a firefighter, what race day looked and felt like, the highs and lows he experienced out on the course, and how the miles went down from Key Largo to Key West.This episode is packed with stories from the Florida Keys, lessons learned through training and racing, behind-the-scenes moments from race day, and an honest look at the grind of ultra running.

In this episode, we’re diving into John Baughman’s Big Scrub 150 Mile. Recently, John was on the chat as part of Jeff Iosa’s crew… and now he’s got it done! Joining us on the chat is his crew chief Kris Mehlring, Mark Gillman, and Race Director Joe Miller.John has racked up an incredible ultrarunning resume with more than 1,000 miles logged on UltraSignUp such as the Arkansas Traveler, Long Haul 100, Across Florida 200 Virtual, Tunnel Hill 100, and the Potawatomi Trail Races - and if that’s not impressive enough, he’s done it all primarely barefoot.

For Episode 130 of the Florida Trail Runners Podcast we’ve got Rylee Blade! Recently, she took the meet record in her debut for the 10,000 meters at the ACC Championships with a time of 32:35.72 and she also recently set the new program record in the women's 5,000-meters with a time of 15:29.45 for Florida State University.Before arriving at FSU, Rylee established herself as one of the most dominant high school distance runners in the country. A California state champion, national record holder, and one of the few American high school athletes ever to break 15:20 for 5K, she’s been redefining what’s possible at every level of the sport.

For episode 129 of the Florida Trail Runners Podcast, we've got Carl Gilley and the Tick! This year, Carl came out to the Tick and took first place overall with a time of 12:06:48 on the 57 1/2 Mile course. In the episode, we talk about his background, his races, and a whole new perspective of racing that Carl has learned from an attempt at the Skunk Ape 50 Mile leading into his Tick 57.5! The Tick is one of those old school ultras in the heart of the Ocala National Forest, following the Florida National Scenic Trail from Alexander Springs to the far end of the Rodman Reservoir Dam. The start and finish of this race actually alternates direction every year.

For episode 128 of the Florida Trail Runners Podcast we've got Grant Bonatz, Scott Brady, Shane Potter, and Robbie Manoogian as they share they experiences and thoughts about the Skunk Ape 50 Mile! This year, Grant came out and set a new course record for the 50 Mile, becoming the first athlete to break the Sub-9 barrier on the Skunk Ape 50 course with an incredible time of 8:57:19. He also breaks down how his race unfolded—and how the sub-9 almost slipped away in the final stretch.Scott’s journey was one of redemption. After a DNF on this course in 2025, he came back determined to finish what he started. This year, he did exactly that, crossing the line in 21:44:36.Robbie and Shane both tackled the 50 Mile distance for the first time and both successfully made it to the finish. Robbie completed his race in 12:18:57 and even shares the memorable story of the “hat man” along the way. Shane had a standout debut as well, finishing 8th overall with an impressive time of 10:34:24.

Welcome to Episode 127 of the Florida Trail Runners Podcast! On this episode, we’re joined by Eric Kalina, Ary Rochon, and Chris Terzian to recap an incredible Skunk Ape 100 Mile Endurance Run.Eric Kalina claimed the overall win in dominant fashion, setting a new course record with a blazing 20:21:32, taking 1:24:33 off the previous mark of 21:46:05 set by Shae Frederick. Right behind him was Ary Rochon, who delivered an outstanding performance for 2nd place in 20:27:38, keeping the race tight from start to finish.We also hear from Chris Terzian, whose story is all about persistence and coming back stronger. After dropping down to the 50 Mile race last year and finishing in 14:43:28, Chris returned with unfinished business and crossed the line in 33:00:03 for his first-ever 100-mile finish.From course-record speed to grit, perseverance, and breakthrough moments, this episode has everything that makes trail running special. Big efforts, big stories, and plenty to talk about on this one.

In this episode, we sit down with Quentin Berghmans whorecently finished his first 100 Miler at the Skunk Ape 100 Mile Endurance Run. He’s a former Belgian Special Forces operator, bodybuilder, coach, entrepreneur, and ultra runner for a conversation that goes way beyond fitness. We talk about his journey from joining the Belgian military at 18 and deploying to Afghanistan and Lebanon, to transitioning into body building, coaching high-level athletes, and eventually stepping into the world of ultra enduranceracing. Along the way, we dive into discipline, mental toughness, suffering, masculinity, identity, healing, faith, purpose, and the psychology behind pushing the human body to its limits. We also get into old-school vs modern bodybuilding, trainingphilosophy, and of course, running the Skunk Ape 100 through the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenways trails and sand. This episode is about transformation, resilience, and what it really means to rebuild yourself through struggle.