286. Ultrarunner Dylan Bowman on What Makes Trail Running Special (and its future)

The Strength Running Podcast

09-02-2023 • 1 hr 4 mins

This week’s guest has played a pivotal role in the trail running community. Dylan Bowman is an elite ultrarunner, podcast host, and leader and cofounder of Freetrail. He began his athletic career as a competitive lacrosse player, but after college discovered his love for the beauty and community of trail running.

Early in his career, Dylan established himself as a force to be reckoned with in the ultra world, with podium finishes at many of the most competitive ultra races including Leadville and Ultra-Trail Mt Fuji. In the last couple of years Dylan has set his sights on a new project - Freetrail - best described as “a community dedicated to the life-changing sport of trail running.”

Dylan and I cover a lot of ground in this podcast, from how he became a trail runner to his newest project and vision for the sport. Some of the topics we discuss include:

  • Why making the leap from lacrosse to trail running was not as random as it seems
  • The importance of finding the things in life that light you up
  • How Dylan’s early love of sports radio impacted his current endeavor
  • The parallels between entrepreneurship and running
  • The evolution and direction of the trail running world
  • Why livestreaming is the lynchpin to growth in the sport

Dylan's genuine love for his running and business are infectious, and you're sure to enjoy all the twists and turns of our conversation.

Links & Resources from the Show:

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