About this episode

Kim Gottwald discusses his first loss in a backyard ultra and the personal growth that came from the experience.

He came out of nowhere, tied a backyard ultra, and accidentally built one of running's most compelling brands—all before turning 22. Now Kim Goldwald is back on the show, and this time, he left Texas without the crown. Kim returns to The Running Effect fresh off his second Go One More Ultra, where he finished 58 loops (241.5 miles) in brutal, rain-soaked conditions before his right glute gave out for good. It's the first backyard loss of his career, and he couldn't care less. In this conversation, Kim breaks down what actually changed—not the outcome, but the person who walked off those trails. He talks about the version of himself that "died" at this race: the one who was always sprinting to the next drop, the next event, the next milestone without ever stopping to feel any of it. He opens up about Rappid Run’s explosive growth (from $70k in total revenue before June 2024 to $900k by year's end, and $400k in sales over a single race weekend) and why the numbers aren't the point anymore. The brand's real mission, he says, is simple: inspire people, change lives, mean something. He's 22. He's already different. And he's coming for everybody next time. Tap into the Kim Gottwald…

People in this episode

Host: Dominic Schlueter

Guest: Kim Gottwald

Topics covered

• backyard ultra
• personal growth
• running brand
• loss and resilience
• inspiration

Keywords

• backyard ultra
• Kim Gottwald
• Rappid Run
• personal growth
• running brand
• Go One More Ultra
• inspiration

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Rappid Run

Places: Texas

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