Ultra running rewards obsession, but Tara Dower seems wired for something beyond results. She wants to solve hard problems, chase the best competition, run faster, and keep finding out what she’s capable of.

Tara joins me to talk Western States, her planned Pacific Coast Trail attempt, why she hasn’t raced UTMB, learning from Karl Meltzer, and her evolution with Altra from the Lone Peak to the new Vanish Carbon 3. Underneath it all is a bigger question: as Tara becomes one of the defining athletes of modern ultra running, what parts of herself does she want to keep?

For ultra runners interested in the people shaping where the sport goes next.

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This episode is in partnership with Altra for the release of its new super road shoe the Vanish Carbon 3 - a light, responsive, and efficient race day shoe made for PRs.

Topics / Timestamps

00:00 Introduction
02:54 Tara Dower Has Always Been Stubborn
07:07 The Problem Solving Mind of Tara Dower
09:06 Results vs. A Life of Interesting Running
13:38 Why Tara Dower Hasn't Raced UTMB
17:54 The Problem with Pro Trail Running
20:07 Why Ultrarunners Want to Run Fast | Altra Vanish Carbon 3
30:31 What Speedgoat Taught Tara
36:40 What Tara Dower Wants Her Legacy to Be

Resources / Links

Altra Vanish Carbon 3
Tara Dower Lives Between Two Worlds by Bryce Carlson
Salt Lake Foothills Trail Races
Borderlands.cc
Thumbnail Photo by Pete Schreiner

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Ultra Running isn't Just Running

Presented by Kiprun.

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Borderlands explores trail running through culture, media, and the forces shaping it.

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vanish carbon 3