Why Tara Dower Isn't Like Other Ultrarunners

Tara Dower has become one of the most compelling athletes in ultra running, but what drives her goes beyond winning races. We get into the stubbornness and problem-solving instinct behind her Appalachian Trail FKT, why she wants another shot at Western States, her planned Pacific Coast Trail attempt, and the complicated reason she expects to eventually race UTMB.

We also talk about speed and road racing, Tara’s long relationship with Altra starting with the Lone Peak 3, what she’s learned from Karl Meltzer, and whether she might actually be an old-school ultrarunner succeeding in a modern, increasingly optimized sport. We finish with what Tara wants to preserve as her career grows, the legacy she hopes to leave, and why she insists there is absolutely no strategy behind the way she shows up online.

This episode is in partnership with Altra for the release of its new super road shoe the Vanish Carbon 3 (bit.ly/3U2hSiB) - a light, responsive, and efficient race day shoe made for PRs.

Chapters
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

Presented by Kiprun bit.ly/kiprun_yt

Thumbnail Photo by Pete Schreiner

Read: Tara Dower Lives Between Two Worlds by Bryce Carlson borderlands.cc/essays/tara-dower-western-states
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