Borderlands Trail and Ultra Running22 Joulu 2025

The Speed Project: The Underground Race Changing Running

The Speed Project is one of the most unusual events in running—an unsanctioned, no-rules relay that sends teams roughly 340 miles from Los Angeles to Las Vegas (and now across Europe from Chamonix to Marseille). Josh sits down with founder Nils Arend on a rugby field in Albi, France at midnight to talk about how TSP began and why it has become something far bigger than a race.

What started as an extreme endurance challenge through desert heat, sleepless nights, and relentless miles has evolved into a powerful community. The conversation explores the origin story of The Speed Project, the transformations it sparks in participants, and how this underground event created a culture and identity that exists outside the traditional ultrarunning world.

For runners fascinated by the stories, people, and ideas pushing the edges of endurance.

Please give us a follow, rate the podcast, and give a review.

Topics / Timestamps

00:00 The Birth of The Speed Project
06:04 Creating Moments Through Running
12:04 The Role of a Curator in Running
19:02 No Rules: A New Approach to Running
25:05 Building a Community Around The Speed Project
32:38 The Evolution of The Speed Project
37:39 Navigating Challenges and Responsibilities
43:57 Nils Would Have Ended TSP without Scotty Crowe
45:57 The Influence of Daniel Dart from Time Again
56:05 Runner's World and TSP

Presented by Kiprun.

----

Find us at Borderlands.cc and sign up for the newsletter.

Want to run in the Salt Lake area? Check out the Salt Lake Foothills Trail Races happening May 30, 2026.

And if you haven't checked out Wylder yet, it's worth a look. iOS or Android

Tämä jakso on lisätty Podme-palveluun avoimen RSS-syötteen kautta eikä se ole Podmen omaa tuotantoa. Siksi jakso saattaa sisältää mainontaa.

Jaksot(305)

Why Western States is America's Most Important Race | More than a Run

Western States 100 occupies a different place in trail running than almost any other race. Months before the starting gun, runners and fans are already studying the field, imagining the canyons, debat...

9 Kesä 23min

Why Trail Running Hides Competition

Trail running culture loves winners. That's obvious. The sport builds documentaries about them, fills Instagram feeds with them, and spends months debating who will win Western States. But the more Jo...

4 Kesä 17min

What Happens When Running Becomes Your Job? | Jacob Puzey

Professional running can quietly turn into pressure, performance, sponsorship obligations, and constant visibility. This episode with Jacob Puzey is for runners who have felt burnout creeping into the...

25 Touko 19min

The Race That Makes Trail Running Real

Trail running usually becomes real for people at a local ultra, not while watching UTMB or Western States online. The parking lot at 5am with 53 runners, one exhausted race director, and volunteers gi...

21 Touko 18min

What SATISFY Reveals About Trail Running

Trail running culture melted down this weekend after a Satisfy x Adidas event triggered accusations of cringe, elitism, rich-kid cosplay, and the death of authenticity. But the backlash revealed somet...

18 Touko 9min

Can Trail Running Stay Human?

Trail running is getting bigger fast. Bigger races, bigger brands, bigger media, and more money entering the sport every year. What happens to trail running culture as all of that growth accelerates? ...

12 Touko 45min

Can Trail Running Handle Growth?

Cocodona 250 exposed something trail running still doesn’t totally want to admit: the audience is already here, but the fan experience still hasn’t caught up. After spending more than 13 hours inside ...

7 Touko 20min

Why Fueling Stops Working During Ultras

Ultra running nutrition is getting more extreme. More carbs, more precision, more pressure to “get it right.” But if you’ve ever had your stomach shut down mid-race, you know something isn’t adding up...

4 Touko 44min