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The Trailhead

UltraSignup
Trail Running
Ultrasignup
Utmb
Barkley Marathons
Treadmill Training
Jasmin Paris
Adaptive Athletes
Running
Born To Adapt
Courtney Dewalter
Winter Training
Ultra Running
Mental Health
Big Alta Races
Lululemon Further
Six-Day Ultramarathons
Accessibility
Ultra-Running
Mammoth Trailfest
Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness

The Trailhead isn't your typical trail running podcast—we're not dissecting splits or debating race strategies. Instead, hosts Zoë Rom and Brendan Leonard take you straight to the heart (and funny bone) of the sport, celebrating the people, stories, and quirks that make trail running so special. With a mix of humor, heart, and a little irreverence, we explore the personalities, people, artists, an... more

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes89Founded4 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Health & FitnessRunningSports

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Artwork for The Trailhead

Latest Episodes

C. Thi Nguyen is a philosopher at the University of Utah, a former food writer for the Los Angeles Times, a rock climber, and one of the world's leading thinkers on the philosophy of games. His new book, The Score: How to Stop Playing Somebody Else's... more

Pavel Cenkl is a climate writer, ultrarunner, and Dean of Academics at Prescott College who has run hundreds of miles across Iceland, Scandinavia, and the Arctic through his project Climate Run. He grew up in the White Mountains, worked the AMC huts,... more

Christie Aschwanden is a New York Times bestselling author, former lead science writer at FiveThirtyEight, and one of the sharpest science journalists working today. She's also a former elite Nordic skier for Team Rossignol and a national collegiate ... more

Brad Stulberg co-wrote Peak Performance with Steve Magness and has spent over a decade studying what excellence actually requires. He joins Zoë and Brendan to dismantle the myths of hustle culture and explain why genuine excellence isn't about optimi... more

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Recent Guests

Pavel Cenkl
Climate writer, endurance runner, Dean of Academics at Prescott College
Prescott College
Episode: What Running 150 Miles Across Iceland Taught Pavel Cenkl About the Planet
Christie Aschwanden
Freelance journalist, podcaster, author, and speaker.
Grand Mesa Nordic Council
Episode: Science Journalist Christie Aschwanden on What Actually Works for Recovery (And What Doesn't)
Brad Stulberg
Author and coach focused on human flourishing
Episode: Brad Stulberg on How to Be Excellent Without Burning Out
Pat Cade
Cross-country track coach and PhD mathematician.
Lake County High School
Episode: What a PhD Mathematician Learned About Running 100 Miles
Mario Fraoli
Coach who discusses the boundaries of racing in ultramarathons
Episode: Best of 2025: On Insanity, Effort, and Choosing Your Obsessions Wisely
Sabrina Little
Philosopher and ultra runner who explores ethics in athletics
Episode: Best of 2025: On Insanity, Effort, and Choosing Your Obsessions Wisely
Romy Ancona
DJ and community member from the Roaring Fork Valley, passionate about running and music.
Episode: What DJs Know About Getting Runners Through Mile 80
Lindsey Freeman
A sociologist, writer, and lifelong runner.
Simon Fraser University
Episode: A Sociologist Explains Why Running Rituals Matter
Raziq Rauf
Writer at Running Sucks, a newsletter on Substack
Running Sucks
Episode: Raziq Rauf on Running, Belonging, and the Danger of Obsession

Hosts

Zoë Rom
Host of The Trailhead, known for her engaging, curious interviewing style and emphasis on people and community.
Brendan Leonard
Co-host known for thoughtful, approachable conversations and a humor-infused perspective on trail running culture.

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 246 ratings
  • Excellent Interviews

    Humans are cool. This podcast gives some behind the scenes of people doing rad things out in the dirt. I’ve really enjoyed this!!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    megwendy2.0
    United Statesa month ago
  • Worth a listen

    Great interviews that expand beyond trail running in a good way!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Met2026
    United Statesa month ago
  • Great hosts!

    Chatty, upbeat, interesting stories! I’m always intrigued to see who they’ll speak with and they ask really good questions!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Heathervdh
    Canada2 months ago
  • Great interviews!

    Brendan and Zoe are great interviewers that highlight the unique spirit and motivations of endurance athletes. A must-listen for ultra runners or fans of endurance running.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Runner gal79
    United States2 months ago
  • Immediate listen

    The Trailhead is an immediate first listen whenever it pops up on my feed. Zoe and Brendan bring the perfect blend of lightheartedness, joy, and smart thinking to a topic that very often becomes one dimensional. I love their dynamic and always enjoy the show.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Bpg459
    United States2 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners praise the interviews for depth and variety in guests.
Fans appreciate the hosts' curiosity and engaging dynamic.
Audience values authenticity, humor, and inclusive discussion.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#22
United States/Sports/Running
Apple Podcasts
#51
Canada/Sports/Running
Apple Podcasts
#156
United Kingdom/Sports/Running
Apple Podcasts
#106
Australia/Sports/Running
Apple Podcasts
#155
Germany/Sports/Running
Apple Podcasts
#172
Italy/Sports/Running

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

What Running 150 Miles Across Iceland Taught Pavel Cenkl About the Planet
Q: How can listeners translate these ideas into their own running practice?
Listeners can treat running as a practice that supports deeper connection to place, engage with local communities and environmental groups, and use endurance experiences to inspire conversations and practical actions in everyday life.
What Running 150 Miles Across Iceland Taught Pavel Cenkl About the Planet
Q: What is the core idea behind resilience over resistance in your framework?
Resilience over resistance emphasizes building adaptive, relational relationships with the environment and focusing on leverage points that change systems and mindsets, rather than simply trying to resist climate change through consumer or infrastructural fixes.
What Running 150 Miles Across Iceland Taught Pavel Cenkl About the Planet
Q: How did Iceland influence your perspective on climate action beyond consumer choices?
The Iceland run shifted the focus from individual gear choices to relational engagement with the environment, using embodied experience to illustrate climate change and prompting discussions about leverage points beyond mere consumption.
What Running 150 Miles Across Iceland Taught Pavel Cenkl About the Planet
Q: What is Climate Run and what are you trying to do with it?
Climate Run began as an extension of field courses and field-based education to physically engage with landscapes impacted by climate change, using long runs as a way to communicate science, resilience, and place-based learning to students and broader audiences.
Brad Stulberg on How to Be Excellent Without Burning Out
Q: Can you define zombie burnout?
Zombie burnout is when people are not engaging in enough fulfilling activities and life feels like a slog, rather than being overly busy.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About The Trailhead

What is The Trailhead about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show centers on the people, stories, and personalities that make trail running unique, blending humor with thoughtful conversations about culture, community, and the sport's broader meaning. Episodes feature runners, coaches, scientists, writers, and creators who illuminate the human side of endurance—travel, resilience, aging in sport, and the amateur-to-elite spectrum. A standout quality is the hosts' ability to pair levity with real curiosity, inviting guests who offer diverse perspectives beyond performance metrics. Listeners often come away inspired by the community ethos, inclusivity, and the inspirational journeys of athletes, organizers, and educators who shape trail running's culture.

Where can I find podcast stats for The Trailhead?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Trailhead. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to The Trailhead and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The Trailhead get?

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What are the audience demographics for The Trailhead?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for The Trailhead, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does The Trailhead have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Trailhead has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The Trailhead?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Trailhead:

1. Choose Strong
2. The Buzz
3. The Strength Running Podcast
4. Between Two Pines
5. Crack A Brew With AJW

How many episodes of The Trailhead are there?

The Trailhead launched 4 years ago and published 89 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Trailhead?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The Trailhead?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Trailhead from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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What guests have appeared on The Trailhead?

Recent guests on The Trailhead include:

1. Pavel Cenkl
2. Christie Aschwanden
3. Brad Stulberg
4. Pat Cade
5. Mario Fraoli
6. Sabrina Little
7. Romy Ancona
8. Lindsey Freeman

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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