How Jeffrey Stern Became an Elite Ultrarunner After Skipping Running Entirely as a Kid—And Why He's Still Getting Faster at 39

Jeffrey Stern is an elite ultrarunner, a coach obsessed with keeping athletes happy, and a storyteller inside the sport who understands what it really takes to stay in it for decades, not just seasons. Jeffrey has completed the oldest trail race in America, the Dipsea Race, an astounding 16 consecutive times–and even recorded a personal best in his most recent foray. He’s also set several Fastest Known Times (FKTs), including the Backbone Trail (a 68-mile traverse in the Santa Monica Mountains), and the Los Padres Traverse (42 mile route). These FKTs didn’t appear overnight: he has a history of crushing long-distance races of all kinds. His overall PRs in running include 15:55 for the 5000m, 1:12 for the half marathon, 2:36 for the marathon, 3:22 for the 50k, 6:07 for the 50 mile, 8:29 for the 100k, and 15:35 for the 100 mile. In the summer of 2024, he undertook a challenge to run two mountainous 100-mile races (Cascade Crest 100 and Angeles Crest 100) just two weeks apart. Jeff impacts the sport in many ways beyond just setting impressive long distance times. He serves as an assistant editor and columnist for Ultra Running Magazine, where he writes event recaps and athlete profiles. As a coach he provides customized training plans for endurance athletes. And he is the race director for the Tamalpa Headlands 50K, the same race that originally drew him into ultrarunning. His day job also includes being the Head of Sports Marketing for Suunto. If you care about running well, running long, and running for the right reasons, you don’t want to miss this one. Tap into the Jeffrey Stern Special. If you enjoy the podcast, please consider following us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and giving us a five-star review! I would also appreciate it if you share it with your friend who you think will benefit from it. Comment the word “PODCAST” below and I’ll DM you a link to listen. If this episode blesses you, please share it with a friend! S H O W N O T E S -The Run Down By The Running Effect (our new newsletter!): https://tinyurl.com/mr36s9rs -Our Website: https://therunningeffect.run -THE PODCAST ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClLcLIDAqmJBTHeyWJx_wFQ -My Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/therunningeffect/?hl=en⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -Take our podcast survey: https://tinyurl.com/3ua62ffz