#119 Sara Duncan | First 100 Miler Lessons, Building Community, & Refusing To Quit

#119 Sara Duncan | First 100 Miler Lessons, Building Community, & Refusing To Quit

From The Midpacker Podcast by Freetrail - Hosted by Troy Meadows

June 5, 2026 · 1h 37m

About this episode

Sara Duncan shares her journey from a novice runner to completing her first 100-mile race, emphasizing community and resilience.

The MidPacker Pod is part of the Freetrail network of Podcasts. Join the Newsletter at: ⁠MidPack Musings SubStack⁠ Support the MidPacker Pod on ⁠Patreon⁠.⁠ Check Out MPP Merch Make sure you leave us a rating and review wherever you get your pods. Looking for 1:1 Ultra Running Coaching? Check out Troy’s Coaching Page Check out the Gear I love HERE on rendezvu.co STOKED TO PARTNER WITH PLAY ON RELIEF - 20% off your first order VACATION RACES - 15% off any Ultra, Half Marathon, or Trailfest USE PROMO CODE MIDPACKER "Running is such an individual endeavor, but it is absolutely a community sport." Sara Duncan didn't take the traditional path into running. She wasn't a standout athlete growing up and could barely run a mile when she joined her first run club in her twenties. Fast forward a decade and Sara is a trail runner, community builder, volunteer, and newly minted Hellbender 100 finisher. In this episode, Sara shares how a canceled 30th birthday party during the pandemic turned into a 30-mile challenge that launched her ultra running journey. From her first half marathon to running the Cruel Jewel 50 as a qualifier, Sara's story is one of persistence, curiosity, and…

People in this episode

Host: Troy Meadows

Guest: Sara Duncan

Topics covered

  • ultra running
  • community building
  • persistence
  • problem-solving
  • personal journey

Keywords

  • ultra running
  • Hellbender 100
  • community
  • persistence
  • running journey
  • problem-solving
  • Sara Duncan

Sponsors

Play On Relief, Vacation Races

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Freetrail

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