Borderlands Trail and Ultra Running23 Maalis

How Do You Rebuild a Life? Tommie Runz on Sobriety, Loss, and Running

Many runners come to ultrarunning through performance, but what happens when running comes after everything else falls apart? This episode explores how sobriety, loss, and identity shape the path into ultrarunning and what it actually looks like to rebuild a life from the ground up.

Josh sits down with Tommie Runz to trace the arc from heavy drinking and personal collapse to running across the desert from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, and eventually into ultrarunning. The conversation moves through early sobriety, community, and the tension between commitment and loss, including missing his best friend’s funeral during that run revealing how change actually happens over time.

For runners interested in the deeper reasons people come to the sport. Follow the show for more conversations like this.

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

Presented by Kiprun.

Topics / Timestamps

Chapters

00:00 The Impact of Personal Loss on Running
01:19 The Relationship Between Sobriety and Running
02:38 Community Support and Accountability
05:43 Transitioning from Road to Trail Running
06:54 The Experience of Running Javelina
09:31 The Future of Tommy Runs
16:25 The Journey to 100 Miles
18:13 Cutting in Line: The Western States Experience
18:15 Trail Running: A New Era of Competitors
19:02 Training for the Mountains: Strategies and Challenges

Resources / Links

Tommie Runz on Instagram

Western States

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

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