#119 Sara Duncan | First 100 Miler Lessons, Building Community, & Refusing To Quit

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"Running is such an individual endeavor, but it is absolutely a community sport."

Sara Duncan didn't take the traditional path into running. She wasn't a standout athlete growing up and could barely run a mile when she joined her first run club in her twenties. Fast forward a decade and Sara is a trail runner, community builder, volunteer, and newly minted Hellbender 100 finisher.

In this episode, Sara shares how a canceled 30th birthday party during the pandemic turned into a 30-mile challenge that launched her ultra running journey. From her first half marathon to running the Cruel Jewel 50 as a qualifier, Sara's story is one of persistence, curiosity, and embracing the unknown.

The conversation dives deep into her first 100-mile experience at Hellbender, where a perfect race quickly turned into a masterclass in problem-solving. Foot pain, blisters, shoe issues, and an unexpected reaction to wool socks tested her resolve, but quitting was never on the table. Sara talks openly about leaning on her crew, pacers, volunteers, and the larger trail running community to make it to the finish line.

The episode also explores Sara's passion for community building through SNARC (Sylva and Neighboring Area Run Club), her one-for-one commitment to volunteering for every race she runs, and a fundraising effort supporting Vecinos, an organization serving farm workers and underserved communities in Western North Carolina.

In This Episode

• Going from non-runner to ultramarathoner

• The Yeti 30-for-30 challenge that changed everything

• Running Cruel Jewel 50 to qualify for Hellbender

• Building SNARC from the ground up

• Why welcoming new runners matters

• Lessons learned from a difficult first 100 miler

• The importance of crew, pacers, and volunteers

• Supporting Vecinos through Hellbender fundraising

• Sara's Dirtbag Spinster Substack

Key Takeaway

Sometimes success isn't about having the perfect race. Sometimes success is simply refusing to stop moving forward.

Sara’s Links

IG: @dirtbagspinster

SubStack: https://substack.com/@dirtbagspinster

Relevant Links

• Hellbender 100 – https://www.hellbender100.com

• Cruel Jewel 50 – https://dumassevents.com/cruel-jewel-50

• Trail Sisters – https://trailsisters.net

• Vecinos Farmworker Health Program – https://vecinos.org

• Raritan Valley Road Runners – https://www.rvrrc.org

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Sara Duncan, Hellbender 100, first 100 miler, ultra running, trail running, Cruel Jewel 50, Western North Carolina, SNARC, Sylva and Neighboring Area Run Club, community building, volunteering, pacing, crewing, Trail Sisters, Vecinos, Dirtbag Spinster, Janji, Injinji, blisters, foot care, resilience, ultramarathon, Hellbender race report, mid pack runner, endurance sports, Western Carolina University