East Coast Ultra Running Podcast
We're here to help you become a smarter runner, run further, and fall in love with trail running. At East Coast Ultra Running Magazine, we're about the community. We want to share your stories of success, overcoming failure, training, and tales of the trails. Along the way, we want to give you as much FREE advice as we can. We want YOU to become a better ultra, trail and road runner.
Have a story to tell? Someone you think we should feature? Training and race day advice that you want to know more about? Reach out and let us know at info@runbumtours.com
~Bend, Don't Break
East Coast Ultra Running Podcast
026 - Surviving GDR 2025 - Tails from the Trail
Surviving GDR 2025 - Tails from the Trail with Amy Johnson & Stephen Ball
In this episode of the East Coast Ultra Running Podcast, Runbum and Scottapants sit down with Georgia Death Race 2025 participants Amy Johnson and Stephen Ball to break down their wild and unforgettable experiences on one of the East Coast’s most grueling ultra courses.
🏆 Amy Johnson took first place female, proving that a love for the journey and a strong mindset can overcome any obstacle. From training with a double stroller to forgetting her headlamp at the start of the race, Amy’s story is a testament to embracing the unexpected, relying on community support, and just going for it. She also shares her thoughts on encouraging more fast runners to tackle the GDR and how her husband’s unwavering support made all the difference.
🤢 Stephen Ball might not have finished first, but his journey was just as inspiring. Balancing a demanding nursing career with race training, Stephen recounts the ups and downs of the GDR, from mental strategies to keep moving, to gastrointestinal struggles that almost derailed his race. With humor and resilience, Stephen talks about breaking the course into mental segments, overtraining on climbs, and the brutal reality of the descents.
Both runners reflect on what they learned from GDR 2025, the importance of community support, and their future goals – including Stephen’s determination to crack a sub-20 next time.
Whether you’re training for your first ultra or eyeing the Georgia Death Race yourself, this conversation is packed with inspiration, practical advice, and the gritty reality of what it takes to conquer the course.
Check out the newest issue of East Coast Ultra Running Magazine!
https://www.eastcoastultrarunning.com/
Episode Sponsored by
Leroy's House of Ribs
Sparta TN
Trailhead Recreation Co.
"We're just here for the trailhead"
https://www.trailheadrecreation.co/
Podcast produced, edited and all wizardly techy things by
Looking Glass Designs, LLC
https://www.lgdesigns.me/
@LGDesigns.me
