Allowing Pain and Joy to Coexist: Kristen Soinski on Overcoming Grief Through Ultras

In this episode of the Dirt & Vert Podcast, get ready for a one-on-one conversation with a runner who has been absolutely lighting up the ultra scene over the last couple of years—Kristen Soinski.

Fresh off the Chasing Democracy 250—a massive 250-mile journey run from the Statue of Liberty to Washington D.C. alongside Harvey Lewis and Greg Armstrong—Kristen pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to cover huge point-to-point distances in 90-plus degree heat. We talk about her start in middle school running, taking a five-year break from the sport, and her wild leap into ultras where she dropped a staggering 154 miles at her very first backyard ultra at Ohio's Backyard. Kristen shares how running became a vessel for navigating heavy personal grief, why she refuses to let a bad mile define her day, and the hilarious behind-the-scenes moments of foraging mulberries and accidentally buying sea moss jelly on the road with Greg and Harvey.