Show Notes
I sat down with George Rickwood to break down the Last Soul Ultra, the backyard ultra that took over the internet. We cover Mark Dowdle's last-minute private jet dash across Europe to complete 94 laps, Ello's heartbreaking collapse in the final stretch, and the biggest moments, controversies, and characters from one of the most-watched ultrarunning events ever. We also dive into George's own Backyard Ultra disqualification drama, the debate around live coverage in ultrarunning, sleep deprivation and race-day mind games, and George's next big challenge: a 24-hour track ultra.
George's first appearance: https://open.spotify.com/episode/380ch5ewRbfsCP8tXo7lJ3?si=e57d9544cf9b483b Follow George: https://www.instagram.com/georgerickwood_/?hl=en Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@motionalintelligencepod Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/motionalintelligencepod Calum's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/calumgoddard/ Calum's TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@calumgoddard YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@UC4g2mhwrlRBzXhAsyXVWz4A Contact: [email protected] 00:00 Intro & Last Soul Ultra Overview 02:17 Meet the Founder & the Team Behind the Race 03:52 Backyard Ultra Format & Why It's So Popular 07:46 The Elite Field & How the Race Got Global Coverage 10:11 Mark Dowdle's Private Jet Sprint to the Start Line 13:20 How Mark Dowdle Went Viral During the Race 15:17 Backyard Ultra Coverage vs. Badwater 135 Debate 17:54 Max Jaluf's Badwater Controversy & Course Record 19:07 Mark Dowdle's Wild 94-Lap Finish 20:50 The Infamous Loop 87 Mind Games 21:04 Elo's Emotional Second-Place Collapse 23:19 Mark Dowdle vs. Harvey Lewis: Contrasting Mindsets 28:19 Sleep Deprivation, Hallucinations & Caffeine Strategy 30:35 Phil Gore's Project 168 Solo Backyard Ultra 32:38 Personal Relationships & Pacing in Ultra Running 36:00 Live Call With International Commentator Bryony 46:04 George's Suffolk Backyard Ultra Disqualification Story 50:31 The Russia Backyard Ultra Disqualification Scandal 54:31 George's Next Challenge: 24-Hour Track Ultra 58:46 Room 101: Ultra Running Pet Peeves 1:06:34 Goggins vs. Dowdle: Comparing Ultra Running Mindsets 1:09:01 George's Career Change & Move Into YouTube 1:13:28 Could Cal Qualify for the Olympics? 1:17:12 Injury Prevention: Sleep, Strength & Nutrition 1:20:00 Marathon du Médoc & Closing Thoughts 1:21:00 Outro & Next Week's Elo Interview
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