Tara Dower and 69ing the LA Marathon

After a short off-season, the boys of between the pines are back with multi-FKT-hoarder and Javelina Jundred CR holder Tara Dower. Plus, they ponder why marathons are getting shorter and ultramarathons are getting longer.   Shoutout to this month's delightful sponsor and personal favorite of BTP, Shokz headphones.

The boys finally landed the big one: runner, podcaster, author, and the most positive person in the world, Sally McRae. Choose strong and endure this delightful chat with the Yellow Runner herself. She debuts her new business venture: Horse Tongs Co. Plus, Dom and Andy plead you to stop DMing them (and their bosses) with your dumb running challenges.  

Well, it's 2026, and the year is off to its dumbest start yet. That's why the boys dragged Jamil Coury of Arid Viper Running back between the pines this month to talk about the global terror that is Burrito League. They also discuss their resolutions for the year as well as address the swirling scandal around the Hardrock lottery.

Dom and guest host Rachel Entrekin kick off the holidays by sorting ultra runners into naughty and nice — because taking your family to an exotic location is great, but not mentioning you're racing and they're crewing is a different vibe entirely. They also run through the gifts no trail runner wants to unwrap, from anti-chafe sticks laced with capsaicin to a lovingly framed photo of you mid-bonk. Then it's time for Lucy Bartholomew, Australian ultrarunning star and the fastest person to complete both the Ironman World Championships and UTMB in a single season. Lucy explains why Aussie Santa wears budgie smugglers, ranks Australian insults from "goose" to "muppet," and reveals that telling ultra runners you kind of like triathlon is harder than telling triathletes that 100-milers are actually worse. The episode wraps with an international slang showdown where Lucy decodes Southern phrases like "cattywampus"  while Dom and Rachel butcher "hard yakka." Merry Christmas, you flaming galahs.

Andy's off somewhere being Andy, so Rachel Entreken steps in to co-host alongside Dom for an episode that somehow manages to be both deeply philosophical and entirely unhinged. First up, Dom and Rachel power through the definitive list of ultrarunning superlatives, covering everything from best hair (Rajpal Pannu and Tim Tollefson, obviously) to who's secretly working for the government. It's chaotic, it's festive, it's mile 90 of 2025 and they're just trying to get to the finish.    Then, Kilian Korth, (not that Kilian), the American one who grew up in England, dresses like an ultrarunning Ken doll, and almost became a politician before realizing he didn't hate himself enough for the job. He talks green jeans, Barbie Halloween costumes, and the glamorous realities of ruining your pants mid-race. 

Ever wonder what ultrarunning, standup comedy, and autistim have in common? Then you'll love this interview with standup comedian Dan Lamorte about his journey from 354 pounds to ultrarunner and more. Plus, for Halloween, the boys count down the scariest things you'll ever see at an ultra. And they dissect David Roche's decision to give away his golden ticket. Get 20% off Fast Pickle juice shots with code BetweenTwoPickles20 at https://fastpickle.com/s/d69c6b. And check out Tantrum packs at http://tantrums.run.

Andy's out running 100 miles, so Dom brings in Rachel Entrekin to co-pilot this month's episode. Together they spiral through a truly unhinged game of "Would You Rather," debating if espresso + Benadryl is a performance enhancer, and why 13,200 Bottles of Beer on the Wall might be the ultimate race soundtrack. Then Jimmy Elam drops by to talk about popping his 200-mile cherry at the Mammoth, haunted belt buckles, and his strategies for mid-run pee breaks. Along the way, we cover mystery pacers, bad juju, and the eternal question: is this all training, or just a really weird kink? Big thanks to Tantrums hydration packs: engineered to haul fluids, fuel, and the consequences of your choices.

Take our listener survey!  Dom and Andy are back with a mind-bending, occasionally stomach-turning episode of Between Two Pines. Dom recounts his very pukey Angeles Crest 100 experience (complete with landscape-mode vomit footage), while Andy reflects on the etiquette of awkward road-path drafting and the fine legal distinctions of fart assault. Then, the guys welcome ultrarunning phenom Rachel Entrekin, fresh off her 18-race winning streak and course-record run at Cocodona 250. Rachel talks training secrets, fueling mishaps, PT superpowers, and why running might just be her way of filling the void. Along the way, the conversation veers into Yelp reviews of trail poops, the Hunter S. Thompson 50-miler, racing turtles (vs. bears), and whether Rachel might one day join the French contingent at Hardrock. Thanks to our sponsors, Janji and Dirtbag Bar!

The Boys are back, and going head to head with Joe Corcione of the Everyday Ultra podcast in an audio Thunderdome to the death.  Dom and Andy do something they've never done before, rip open the listener mailbag and read your letters live on air. From a runner overcoming cancer to toe-losing ultra veterans, to one very mysterious "K. Scheid" who may or may not be transforming into a goat, it's all here. Then, they dive into a meta-analysis of the Western States live coverage, breaking down what worked, what didn't, and why Corinne Malcolm might be the MVP of endurance sports commentary. 

Don't let the title fool you, Max Jolliffe doesn't want to be the king of anything. But the boy sit down with him between the pines this month anyway. Plus, they regale with stories of Utah 115 and preview all the people who will not be running Western States this year. Thanks to Dirtbag Bar and Janji for sponsoring Between two Pines!