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Episode Notes
Zach Hauer went from collegiate track athlete to entrepreneur, Open Fuel co-founder, Javelina 100 runner, and now Cocodona 250 finisher.
In this conversation, we dive into Zach's first experience at the 250-mile distance, the highs and lows of Cocodona, sleep deprivation, aid station mistakes, and why he immediately wanted to come back after finishing. We also discuss building Open Fuel, modern endurance sports marketing, trail running culture, the balance between optimization and fun, and why Zach carried a Walkman during one of the biggest races in ultrarunning.
Topics include:
-Cocodona 250
-Javelina 100
-Open Fuel
-Building a nutrition company
-Sleep deprivation and racing
-Trail running culture
-Social media and marketing
-The future of ultrarunning
-Why people become obsessed with 200-mile races
-Walkmans, unicycles, and bad business ideas
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"The Walkman, The Startup, and Cocodona 250" is an episode of Free Outside. Runtime 1 hr 9 min. Published June 19, 2026. Hit play above to stream it here, or open the free Spot Sports app for background play and offline downloads.
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Quick FAQ
- When was this episode published?
- June 19, 2026.
- How long is this episode?
- 1 hr 9 min.
- What podcast is this from?
- Free Outside. Browse the full back catalog on the show page.
- What does this episode cover?
- Free Outside covers running. This episode runs on the show's regular cadence.
