A couple months ago I (Sean) noticed a perfectly curated, simple instagram post recapping all the major ultra running events from the previous weekend. A couple clicks later I found myself on Substack reading the full edition of The Ultra Minute, a newsletter written and curated by Ken Seals. Ken was gracious enough to join us for a conversation about creating an audience, capturing the past present and future of ultra running, his experience hiking the AT and being a fringe fan of the sport for over 20 years, to taking a career break to help raise his kids, and taking a chance on diving headfirst into the world of trail and ultra running news. A Virginia native, Ken now lives in Austin with his wife and kids, and continues to cover ultra news primarily through his Substack.

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Chapters

02:12 The Birth of the Ultra Minute

06:34 Transitioning from Tech to Trail Running

10:24 The Challenge of Covering Ultra Running

14:19 Finding Balance in Content Creation

18:32 Exploring Ken's Background and Journey

22:21 Growing up on the James River

28:10 Ken's Accidental Ultralight Thru Hike

33:34 Thru Hiker Confidence

42:08 The Future of Ultra Running: Community and Cultural Events

56:49 Ken's Interest in the FKT Scene

01:00:05 Balancing Personal Interest and Audience Engagement in Ultra Running

01:06:48 The Future of Ultra Running Media and Technology

01:17:50 Spotlight on Emerging Athletes and Their Stories

01:25:21 Hot Takes

The Ultra Minute, trail running, content creation, entrepreneurship, Ken Seals, podcasting, Substack, ultra running news, balancing family and work, trail running, ultra running, Appalachian Trail, thru-hiking, ultralight gear, endurance sports, outdoor adventure, Ultra Running, FKT, Race Coverage, Audience Engagement, Technology in Sports, Ken's Journey, Hans Troyer, race strategy, performance analysis, media in sports, trail running, David Roche, Western States