It's another episode with Taylor, head of the Dirt Division, and this time he goes deep with ultrarunner Seth Ruhling. As part of The North Face team, Seth took on Western States and pulled in a 6th-place finish. This interview took place before the race, so we talk about Seth's upbringing, his training, and obviously his favorite shoes for taking on long challenges.
Merry GRIT-MAS to all who celebrate, it's been good to get some miles with all of you this week. And what a week it was, as Thomas and Taylor and the Dirt Division headed to Western States, while Meg said oui to Paris for the Nike Breaking4 Project. History was made and we were honored to witness it. Watch the Breaking4 recap on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/bivyb7HoeRwSUPPORT OUR SPONSORSLMNTYou already know that LMNT has been getting us through Summer GRIT thanks to its blend of electrolytes and 1000 mg of sodium. It's a summer running necessity, and since you're a listener of The Drop, you get an 8-count LMNT Sample Pack with any purchase: http://drinklmnt.com/thedropINDEX0:00 - Summer GRIT / Pre-recap nonsense18:36 - Nike Breaking4 Recap50:44 - Western States Recap
Thomas chats with Adam Gamble, founder of Nowhere Somewhere, a start-up run apparel brand featuring a range of t-shirts, hats, hoodies, and other apparel.
Check out Nowhere Somewhere: https://www.nowheresomewhere.run/
We recorded this on Monday, but right now Meg is in Paris reliving the excitement of seeing Nike's Breaking4 project with Faith Kipyegon. Thomas and Karl are at Western States, while Robbe is home with George, making margaritas with LMNT mango chili rims. We also recap our fun weekend with Mount to Coast and then talk about Meg's experience in the Brooks Hyperion Elite 5.
Check out all our Western States events: https://www.instagram.com/p/DLPvXYpslu0
Here's the study on hair and wind drag: https://www.theengineer.co.uk/content/news/study-shows-hairstyle-and-clothing-could-cost-athletes-medals/
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS
SWIFTWICK
The best running socks in the game, Swiftwick is made right here in the USA, which means no price increases on account of tariffs. We're always running in their socks and you should be too. The Drop listeners can get 15% off their first purchase with code BELIEVE15. Shop here: https://swiftwick.com/collections/believe
LMNT
NEW FLAVOR ALERT! Squeeze the most out of summer with LMNT’s new limited-time Lemonade Salt — salty, tart, and refreshing, it brings you the best of summer wherever you are. Get your free 8-count LMNT Sample Pack with any purchase: http://drinklmnt.com/thedrop
LAGOON PILLOWS
We use Lagoon to get our best sleep (like we will at the Western States Sleep Station sponsored by Lagoon) and you should too. Featuring super soft covers, Certi-Pur foam and customizable features, they'll help you find the best pillow for your sleeping style. Visit them and use the discount code BELIEVE for 15% off your first order: http://lagoonsleep.com/believe
INDEX
00:00 Intro
01:00 Sorry forgot to index this week
52:30 Brooks Hyperion Elite 5
Thomas sits down with Andrew Dutton, better known online as @ad___sneaks. Dutton is a middle-school teacher in Lehi, Utah, who has earned a devoted following on Instagram through his passion for sneaker photography. Dutton began snapping sneakers during the pandemic and has since evolved into a recognized visual storyteller.
All Thomas wants is a techno song with Gregorian chants, but instead we get Sabrina Carpenter. All Robbe wants is an ultramarathon with tranquilizer darts and Mario Kart red shells, but instead we have the Western States 100. All Meg wants is for all of this nonsense to end. Anyway, we talk about all of that, as well as an in-podcast Between 2 Shoes where we compare the Brooks Hyperion Max 3 and Mizuno Neo Vista 2.
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS
LMNT
NEW FLAVOR ALERT! Squeeze the most out of summer with LMNT’s new limited-time Lemonade Salt — salty, tart, and refreshing, it brings you the best of summer wherever you are. Get your free 8-count LMNT Sample Pack with any purchase: http://drinklmnt.com/thedrop
LAGOON PILLOWS
We use Lagoon to get our best sleep (like we will at the Western States Sleep Station sponsored by Lagoon) and you should too. Featuring super soft covers, Certi-Pur foam and customizable features, they'll help you find the best pillow for your sleeping style. Visit them and use the discount code BELIEVE for 15% off your first order: http://lagoonsleep.com/believe
PILLAR
Ensuring NN Running athletes continue to take podiums and claim records, PILLAR Performance gets them to start lines in the best condition possible. Recovery is crucial to managing training loads, and adequately preparing for race day. This is why PILLAR's Triple Magnesium provides a high dosage of Magnesium Bisglycinate to boost the recovery score on your wearable.
Enter code BITR on The Feed to receive 15% off your first order, and track the difference yourself: https://thefeed.com/products/pillar-performance
INDEX
0:00 - Intro
13:14 - Fathers' Day Running
18:24 - Local Baltimore Discussions
33:13 - Move Her Mind Event Series / Nike Breaking 4
38:38 - The Return of the Hot Tub Boiz / Gondola Culture
51:26 - Music Talk
54:01 - Back to Western States
56:33 - Best Shoes to Escape Human Hunters
1:02:19 - Altra's New Campaign
1:10:34 - Running Shoe Lingo
1:12:50 - Between 2 Shoes: Brooks Hyperion Max 3 vs. Mizuno Neo Vista 2
Dirt Division leader Taylor, and longtime BITR contributor, Alex, sit down with Adidas Terrex athlete, Dani Moreno. Dani comes by way of Mammoth Lakes, California but grew up in LA where life was much different. They talk about Dani's history with sport, her adventurous hiatus from running, and her aspirations as she comes back from injury which includes trail racing at the highest level of our sport and that hard fought OTQ.
Follow Dani on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dan_yell_a/
Let us all hold hands and gather in a circle as offer up a sacrifice to AI – but before we do, please turn your attention to The Drop, where everything is real and nothing is plagiarized, as evidenced by our conversations on shoes bought on the dark web, trying to figure out Mastercard naming strategies, and the real life questions that come with acquiring a pet dog. Plus, you'll get some authentic shoe talk when we dive into the one-two punch of the Asics Metaspeed Sky and Edge Tokyo.
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!
SWIFTWICK
The best running socks in the game, Swiftwick is made right here in the USA, which means no price increases on account of tariffs. We're always running in their socks and you should be too. The Drop listeners can get 15% off their first purchase with code BELIEVE15.
Shop here: https://swiftwick.com/collections/believe
LMNT
NEW FLAVOR ALERT! Squeeze the most out of summer with LMNT’s new limited-time Lemonade Salt — salty, tart, and refreshing, it brings you the best of summer wherever you are.
Get your free 8-count LMNT Sample Pack with any purchase: http://drinklmnt.com/thedrop
INDEX
0:00 - Intro
1:37 - Global Running Day
6:20 - Mount To Coast x Oberhills
10:39 - The Dark Web
15:44 - Move Her Mind Event Series NYC / Mastercard Mini 10K
31:18 - Futuristic Hotels
33:27 - The Church of AI
42:00 - Running talk
52:50 - George the Dog
1:00:26 - Saying Goodbye to Atreyu Running
1:16:40 - Asics Metaspeed Edge Tokyo
Thomas traveled up the Spotify Studio in NYC where he sat down with Brendan Dunne from Complex. They chat about running culture, the crossover between performance and lifestyle shoes and dive into Brendan’s personal running.
Follow Brendan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brendandunne/?hl=en
Read his stories on Complex: https://www.complex.com/author/brendan-dunne
We've returned from our separate corners of the country and assemble to recap our individual weeks, including time spent in Colorado, Thomas's journey to the Spotify studios in NYC, and Meg's Minnesota sojourn. Plus, we talk about the Mount to Coast T1 and the very good update in the Mizuno Neo Vista 2.
Shop The Meg High Pony Hat ➡ https://shop.believeintherun.com/products/the-meg-fractel-x-believe-edition
Shop the Robbe Raccoon Legionnaire ➡ https://shop.believeintherun.com/products/fractel-x-believe-robbe-raccoon-signature-legionnaire
JOIN US ON THE RUN!
Saturday, June 21 @ 8:00 a.m.
Mount to Coast X BITR Trail Run - June 21, 8am
Location: Patapsco State Park, Soapstone Trail Head (park at Southwest Park and Ride, 1171 S. Rolling Road, Catonsville, MD)
Join us and Mount to Coast for the release of the all-new T1 trail shoe. We'll have 3 and 6.66 mile options followed by burgers from Kooper's food truck and apres run beverages. We'll also have multiple giveaways of Mount to Coast trail shoes!
Cost: FREE
RSVP here: https://mailchi.mp/believeintherun/mounttocoast
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!
SWIFTWICK
The best running socks in the game, Swiftwick is made right here in the USA, which means no price increases on account of tariffs. We're always running in their socks and you should be too. The Drop listeners can get 15% off their first purchase with code BELIEVE15. Shop here: https://swiftwick.com/collections/believe
PILLAR
Ensuring NN Running athletes continue to take podiums and claim records, PILLAR Performance gets them to start lines in the best condition possible. Recovery is crucial to managing training loads, and adequately preparing for race day. This is why PILLAR's Triple Magnesium provides a high dosage of Magnesium Bisglycinate to boost the recovery score on your wearable. Enter code BITR on The Feed to receive 15% off your first order, and track the difference yourself: https://thefeed.com/products/pillar-performance
LMNT
NEW FLAVOR ALERT! Squeeze the most out of summer with LMNT’s new limited-time Lemonade Salt — salty, tart, and refreshing, it brings you the best of summer wherever you are. Get your free 8-count LMNT Sample Pack with any purchase: http://drinklmnt.com/thedrop
INDEX
0:00 - Intro
2:02 - Robbe in Colorado / The REI Situation
17:09 - Celebrity Talk
24:34 - France Banning Outdoor Smoking
27:12 - Move Her Mind Event Series Minneapolis
34:04 - Fractal Collab Hat
37:33 - Thomas's NYC Trip
58:01 - Shoe/apparel talk
1:06:16 - Scott Jurek and David Blaine In The Same Room
1:13:31 - Mizuno Neo Vista 2
1:19:50 - Believe Run Club Presents: Slow Roast Sunday
1:21:07 - Grand Slam Track Philadelphia / Enhanced Games
If you're listening to this episode, you know that running changes lives. If it's changed anyone's life, it's certainly done so for Terence Gerchberg, who used running to help dig him out of a deep pit of gambling addiction. Eventually, it brought him to where he is today as CEO of Back On My Feet, an organization that works with people experiencing homelessness or addiction, empowering them to achieve economic independence through running and community. We talk about his life from past until present (including his experience on the Amazing Race), how running has transformed his life, and how he's using it to change others.
Learn more about Back On My Feet: https://backonmyfeet.org/
Fresh off Memorial Day weekend and all of its misadventures, we accept the impossible mission of talking about running during a running podcast. But first – Summer GRIT is almost sold out, so get in if you still can. We also recap our past week of running, which included lost keys and trail runs in the Mount to Coast T1. Eventually, we talk about the Skechers Aero Spark, a really great trainer coming in at a $130 price point. This message will self destruct in five seconds.
INDEX:
0:00 Intro
4:14 - Pickleball
6:18 - Memorial Day Weekend
26:50 - Mount-To-Coast T1
32:18 - Summer GRIT / Ice Cream Talk
43:49 - GRIT Gamblin'
52:15 - Robbe’s Pup
54:35 - Mission: Impossible / Tom Cruise
1:01:46 - Bolder Boulder
1:02:40 - Skechers Aero Spark
JOIN US ON THE RUN!
Wednesday, June 4 @ 6:30 p.m.
Global Run Day Crew Challenge w/ BITR, Charm City Run, and Brooks
Location: Patterson Park at Eastern & Linwood Ave., Baltimore, MD
Bring your crew, run some miles, get some Goodr sunglasses, and have a blast!
Cost: FREE
Register here: https://runsignup.com/Race/MD/Baltimore/GlobalRunningDayChallengePattersonPark
Saturday, June 21 @ 8:00 a.m.
Mount to Coast X BITR Trail Run - June 21, 8am
Location: Patapsco State Park, Soapstone Trail Head (park at Southwest Park and Ride, 1171 S. Rolling Road)
Join us and Mount to Coast for the release of the all-new T1 trail shoe. We'll have 3 and 6.66 mile options followed by burgers from Kooper's food truck and apres run beverages. We'll also have multiple giveaways of Mount to Coast trail shoes!
Cost: FREE
RSVP here: https://mailchi.mp/believeintherun/mounttocoast
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!
LMNT
NEW FLAVOR ALERT! Squeeze the most out of summer with LMNT’s new limited-time Lemonade Salt — salty, tart, and refreshing, it brings you the best of summer wherever you are. Get your free 8-count LMNT Sample Pack with any purchase: http://drinklmnt.com/thedrop
SWIFTWICK
The best running socks in the game, Swiftwick is made right here in the USA, which means no price increases on account of tariffs. We're always running in their socks and you should be too. The Drop listeners can get 15% off their first purchase with code BELIEVE15. Shop here: https://swiftwick.com/collections/believe
LAGOON PILLOWS
We use Lagoon to get our best sleep and you should too. Featuring super soft covers, Certi-Pur foam and customizable features, they'll help you find the best pillow for your sleeping style. Visit them at http://lagoonsleep.com/believe and use the discount code BELIEVE for 15% off your first order.
Thomas chats with Zach Litoff, a San Francisco based artist and designer with a love of athletics who as done work for clients like Hoka, Nike, Endorphins Running, and more.
Follow Zach on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/litoffstudios
We know everyone was concerned, but yes, we did in fact live through the 2025 Baltimore Tornado (though sadly many of the trees in our favorite little park did not). In other news, Summer GRIT registration opens on Monday at 9 a.m. ET! You know the drill, so make sure you get in before it sells out. We also try and figure out how a brand new pair of Jordans are the same price as an entry level running shoe. Speaking of running shoes, we also go more in-depth on the New Balance FuelCell Rebel v5.
Learn more and register for Summer GRIT: https://believeintherun.com/grit
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!
LMNT
NEW FLAVOR ALERT! Squeeze the most out of summer with LMNT’s new limited-time Lemonade Salt — salty, tart, and refreshing, it brings you the best of summer wherever you are.
Get your free 8-count LMNT Sample Pack with any purchase: http://drinklmnt.com/thedrop
SWIFTWICK
The best running socks in the game, Swiftwick is made right here in the USA, which means no price increases on account of tariffs. We're always running in their socks and you should be too. The Drop listeners can get 15% off their first purchase with code BELIEVE15.
Shop here: https://swiftwick.com/collections/believe
PILLAR
Ensuring NN Running athletes continue to take podiums and claim records, PILLAR Performance gets them to start lines in the best condition possible. Recovery is crucial to managing training loads, and adequately preparing for race day. This is why PILLAR's Triple Magnesium provides a high dosage of Magnesium Bisglycinate to boost the recovery score on your wearable.
Enter code BITR on The Feed to receive 15% off your first order, and track the difference yourself:
https://thefeed.com/products/pillar-performance
LAGOON PILLOWS
We use Lagoon to get our best sleep and you should too. Featuring super soft covers, Certi-Pur foam and customizable features, they'll help you find the best pillow for your sleeping style. Visit them at http://lagoonsleep.com/believe and use the discount code BELIEVE for 15% off your first order.
INDEX
00:00 INTRO
00:48 - Summer GRIT and Upcoming Events
12:20 - Public Etiquette
18:43 - Brooklyn Half
20:16 - Traction on the Adidas Pro Evo 2
25:31 - Running Shoe Talk
34:18 - Toe Talk
37:28 - Tornado in Baltimore
44:54 - Country Music
48:21 - Move Her Mind Event Series
1:02:17 - Zyn City
1:07:18 - More Running and Shoe Talk
1:13:45 - New Balance Rebel V5
1:30:41 - Miscellaneous Nonsense
Thomas sits town with Taesun Kim, footwear designer at Puma, to chat all about running shoes and his background.
Baltimore is on the rebound and we're doing our best to keep the ball bouncing. Speaking of bouncing, we pinball around from organ donation to Skechers stock, to Meg's very desirable Beanie Babies collection. We also talk about the Brooks Ghost Max 3 and Brooks Ghost 17, since this is a shoe review channel, after all.
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!
LA SPORTIVA
Introducing the Prodigio Pro Running Shoe from La Sportiva—crafted for ultrarunners, trail addicts, or anyone chasing their next big effort. With XFlow Speed, a dual-super critical nitrogen-infused EVA and TPU midsole technology, AND an ultralight Power Wire mesh upper - it’s responsive, durable, and ready for any terrain. Go farther, go faster! Get our full thoughts on one of the best trail shoes of 2025 and pick it up at the link in the review: https://believeintherun.com/shoe-reviews/la-sportiva-prodigio-pro-review/
Shop the La Sportiva Prodigio Pro: https://alnk.to/6mRuqAT
SWIFTWICK
The best running socks in the game, we're always running in the Flite XT and you should be too. The Drop listeners can get 15% off their first purchase with code BELIEVE15. Shop here: https://swiftwick.com/collections/believe
LMNT
NEW FLAVOR ALERT! Just in time for summer, LMNT just dropped an all-new Lemonade Salt flavor and it may be their best one yet. We've been crushing it after every run to restore our salt and electrolyte supplies. Get your free 8-count LMNT Sample Pack with any purchase: http://drinklmnt.com/thedrop
PILLAR
Ensuring NN Running athletes continue to take podiums and claim records, PILLAR Performance gets them to start lines in the best condition possible. Recovery is crucial to managing training loads, and adequately preparing for race day. This is why PILLAR's Triple Magnesium provides a high dosage of Magnesium Bisglycinate to boost the recovery score on your wearable. Enter code BITR on The Feed to receive 15% off your first order, and track the difference yourself: https://thefeed.com/products/pillar-performance
INDEX
00:00 - Intro
4:47 - Meg's trip to NYC with Superfeet / Move Her Mind Ridgefield
13:32 - Move Her Mind Event Series (Meg’s media, )
15:06 - Organ donation
21:50 - Asics Metaspeed Tokyo Edge/Sky
27:55 - Thomas’s weekend trail race
34:17 - Robbe’s weekend in PA
47:25 - Training talk
59:20 - 5 Hour Energies and B-Vitamins
1:03:00 - Skechers Stock and hurricane cash machines
1:07:35 - Princess Diana Beanie Babies
1:17:20 - Shoe talk (Brooks Ghost Max 3, Brook Ghost 17)
1:28:02 - Turnstile's Hometown Gig
Bimma Williams is a Collab Marketing Educator recognized by HYPEBEAST as The Voice of Collabs. With over a decade of experience, he has helped brands like Nike, Yeezy, adidas, and Saucony generate $1.5 billion+ in revenue through strategic collaborations.
His insights have been featured in Forbes, Complex, Business Insider, HYPEBEAST, UPROXX, and VIBE. His viral Instagram series, Collab Lab, has reached 15 million views in 12 months, breaking down what makes brand partnerships successful.
Follow Bimma on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bimmawilliams
Back to Baltimore, which means more running and more package thieves coming after the summer 2025 Saucony collection. We recap our saga of tracking down shoes, while running in some sizzling heaters for the summer, including the Brooks Hyperion Max 3, Nike Streakfly 2, and Adidas Adios Pro Evo 2. Karl also wraps up his London experience.
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS
LA SPORTIVA
Introducing the Prodigio Pro running shoe from La Sportiva—crafted for ultrarunners, trail addicts, or anyone chasing their next big effort. With XFlow Speed, a dual-super critical nitrogen-infused EVA and TPU midsole technology, AND an ultralight Power Wire mesh upper - it’s responsive, durable, and ready for any terrain. Go farther, go faster!
Get our full thoughts on one of the best trail shoes of 2025: https://believeintherun.com/shoe-reviews/la-sportiva-prodigio-pro-review/
Shop the La Sportiva Prodigio Pro: https://alnk.to/6mRuqAT
SWIFTWICK
The best running socks in the game, we're always running in the Flite XT and you should be too. The Drop listeners can get 15% off their first purchase with code BELIEVE15.
Shop here: https://swiftwick.com/collections/believe
LMNT
NEW FLAVOR ALERT! Just in time for summer, LMNT just dropped an all-new Lemonade Salt flavor and it may be their best one yet. We've been crushing it after every run to restore our salt and electrolyte supplies. Get your free 8-count LMNT Sample Pack with any purchase: http://drinklmnt.com/thedrop
INDEX
00:00 - Intro
1:55 - Shoe theft
20:08 - Old school tech talk
28:48 - Epic Water Filters
43:00 - Shoe talk
1:01:00 - Karl’s London Trip
1:09:00 - TV's and Movies, Max Discovery
1:20:00 - Protein chips and Snow Cones
Robbe chats with Henry Abbott, basketball expert and former ESPN journalist, about his new book "Ballistic: The New Science of Injury-Free Athletic Performance," which explores groundbreaking new approaches to athletic training, injury prevention, and enhancing performance using “ballistic” movements. The book reveals a surprising takeaway: The explosive moves and ground impacts we often avoid in everyday workouts might provide the secret to an injury-free athletic life. As you can imagine, we talk about injury, prevention, and what it looks like to reimagine how we assess injury.
Pick up "Ballistic: The New Science of Injury-Free Athletic Performance": https://www.amazon.com/Ballistic-Science-Injury-Free-Athletic-Performance/dp/1324050136
Subscribe to Henry's True Hoop Substack: https://www.truehoop.com/
(Sorry about Robbe's audio on this one, lost the original and had to use the backup.)
Spring marathon season comes to a close, as Thomas and Meaghan run the London Marathon and barely make it back across the Atlantic alive as you'll see in this episode. It's been a real limp to the finish, but we're back and we're ready to relax ...oh wait, Meg heads out on the Move Her Mind tour with ASICS next week and Summer GRIT registration is just around the corner (Memorial Day). Anyway, buckle up and strap on the oxygen mask, you're gonna need it.
SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS!
SWIFTWICK
We love Swiftwick socks for their longevity, comfort and performance (Meg and Thomas ran London in them, Robbe never takes them off because he's like that). The Flite XT Crew is a personal favorite, but the Maxus Zero Tab is a can't miss as well.
Try them now and get 15% off by using code BELIEVE15: https://swiftwick.com/collections/believe
PILLAR
Ensuring NN Running athletes continue to take podiums and claim records, PILLAR Performance gets them to start lines in the best condition possible. Recovery is crucial to managing training loads, and adequately preparing for race day. This is why PILLAR's Triple Magnesium provides a high dosage of Magnesium Bisglycinate to boost the recovery score on your wearable.
Enter code BITR on The Feed to receive 15% off your first order, and track the difference yourself: https://thefeed.com/products/pillar-performance
