Back of the Pack Podcast

This week on The Back of the Pack Podcast, we take you with us to the Outpacing Melanoma 5K, where the podcast set up on-site for a morning of racing, conversations, interviews, and community connection. After previously having the race team on the show to talk about the mission behind the event, we had the chance to be there in person, meet the people behind the cause, and hear directly from those impacted by melanoma and skin cancer. Throughout the morning, we spoke with dermatologists, doctors, nurses, survivors, supporters, runners, and families who all brought their own perspective to why this race matters. We also caught up with Jenny from 106.5 The Wolf, the race director, and plenty of runners who were brave enough, curious enough, or just chaotic enough to step up to the microphone. This episode is less of a traditional race review and more of a race-day field trip into the heart of a community fighting for awareness, prevention, treatment, and hope. For runners, the message hits especially close to home, because hours spent training in the sun can come with real risks if we are not taking care of our skin. We talk about the energy of the event, the people who made it meaningful, and the reminder that every start line can carry a bigger purpose than just miles and finish times. Join us as we share the voices, stories, and mission from a powerful morning at the Outpacing Melanoma 5K.

This week on The Back of the Pack Podcast, we were supposed to be reviewing the Clinton Historic Half Marathon, but severe storms, lightning, heavy rain, and flooding had other plans. After the half marathon was cancelled on race morning, we turned a missing race review into a much-needed conversation about runners, weather, and knowing when toughness crosses the line into bad decision-making. We talk about the difference between uncomfortable weather and dangerous weather, because a little rain is one thing, but thunder, lightning, flooding, tornado warnings, and falling tree limbs are a whole different beast. From there, we dig into why lightning should end the conversation immediately, what actually counts as safe shelter, and why a picnic shelter, dugout, tree, tent, or set of metal bleachers may not protect you the way you think. We also look at how runners can quickly read the skies, from darkening clouds and greenish storm light to sudden wind shifts, shelf clouds, rotating clouds, and that eerie calm before things get ugly. Since flooding helped cancel Clinton, we spend time on why water over roads, trails, underpasses, bridges, and creek crossings is not just an inconvenience, it can become a serious danger for runners and race directors alike. We also cover tornado watches versus warnings, what runners should do if caught outside, and why race directors have to consider not just runners, but volunteers, spectators, police, EMS, course access, and everyone else involved in race day. It may not be the race recap we planned, but it is a practical weather-safety episode for every runner who has ever looked at the radar and thought, “I can probably squeeze this in.”

This week, we head to Liberty, Missouri for a full recap of the 10th anniversary Run Liberty Half Marathon, a race that continues to carve out a special place in our running calendar. We talk about the community feel that makes this event more than just another stop on the race schedule, from the expo to race morning to the people behind it all. We break down the course mile by mile, including the sneaky climbs, the glorious downhills, and the hills that seem personally offended by our existence. We also get into the weather drama, after a freeze advisory tried to scare everyone silly before giving way to a much more runnable morning. Along the way, we share what it is about Run Liberty that keeps bringing us back, even when the course is out there throwing haymakers. We spend time talking about the little things that matter too, like indoor staging at William Jewell, familiar faces at the expo, and the heart that race leadership pours into the event. This episode is part race review, part love letter to a hometown event that keeps showing up for runners year after year. We also revisit the late-race battle to stay ahead of the 2:45 pacer and how that turned into one of the more satisfying finishes we have had on this course. And because sometimes the running gods have a sense of humor, we celebrate the wild coincidence of completing half marathon number 88 while wearing bib number 88. If you love race recaps, course talk, Midwest running culture, and the strange magic that keeps us lacing up, this one is for you.