Media | Random Forest Runner

2023 Podcasts

2023-12-312024-01-30John Kelly

I didn’t do many podcasts in 2021 or 2022, but with the continued increasing coverage of Barkley and an exciting year there, it was inevitable that there would be many more this year. Given the general inaccessibility of the race, with very few able to participate, crew, spectate, or cover the race each year, I always feel a bit of a responsibility to be as open and accessible as possible regarding my experience there. I hope that some of these discussions can help people feel they’ve experienced a bit of the race themselves.

I also had a few great chats on my other big events this year, the Long Trail FKT and Tor Des Geants.

2022 Podcasts

2022-12-312024-01-20John Kelly

Like 2021, I made a bit of an effort to avoid podcasts to I had more time to focus on family, work, and the actual running that I go on podcasts to talk about. These were great discussions well worth the time, covering my Barkley DNF, Wainwrights record, Hardrock, and beyond.

San Juan Séance

2022-08-082024-01-20John Kelly

The Ultimate Direction team was my crew at Hardrock, where I had some huge highs and lows, including a four hour stop at an aid station with altitude sickness. They created this film along the way.

2021 Podcasts

2021-12-312024-01-20John Kelly

One of my goals in 2021 was to do fewer podcasts and interviews in general, but I had a few great chats on podcasts I’ve joined before. These were mostly around re-taking the record on the Pennine Way.

Wainwrights DNF Video

2021-07-212024-01-20John Kelly

My 2021 Wainwrights attempt unfortunately ended early (I returned in 2022). Matt and Ellie Green, who created Totally FKT, were still able to capture some great footage of my time out there.

2020 Podcasts and Interviews

2020-12-292024-01-20John Kelly

I did a lot of podcasts in 2020. I guess without many races there weren’t as many people to talk to or things to talk about. In the future, I won’t be doing as many. I enjoyed these, and greatly appreciate the opportunity to do them and the time the hosts put into them, but too much time doing podcasts = not enough time to properly prepare for doing the things the podcasts are about. My main 2021 goal is to cut back a bit to focus on the priorities and have time to enjoy life’s day to day moments.

Totally FKT – Breaking the Pennine Way Record

2020-11-222024-01-20John Kelly

Matt and Ellie Green with Summit Fever Media were out chasing both me and Damian around the Pennine Way, and did an incredible job putting together this documentary. It was a pleasure to work with them and see the passion and work they put into capturing the story.

The film is available on Vimeo (linked below) or Amazon video. The free trailer is on Youtube (also linked below). My full written report can be found here: A New Pennine Way Record.

Unfortunately there was no sequel covering my 2021 return to the Pennine Way. 😉

Full film on Vimeo

Trailer:

The Grand Round Documentary

2020-11-192024-01-19John Kelly

When I was first approached about making a film on my 2nd attempt at my Grand Round project, I wasn’t entirely sure how I felt about it. What if I failed again? Or got injured and had to stop on the very first round? This was a personal project, something I was passionate about doing for the adventure and individual challenge. As Covid emerged and escalated, it wasn’t clear that I would be able to do it at all much less whether there would be any available support for a film. In the end, I’m incredibly glad we moved forward with it and that Phil and Jon from PH Balance Photography came out to capture and share the experience. They did a wonderful job and this is something I will always cherish looking back on.

My full report on the adventure can be found here: The Grand Round 2.0.

BBC Breakfast segment on The Pennine Way

2020-07-282024-01-19John Kelly

I’ve gotta admit, I had no idea BBC Breakfast was such a big thing. Before the interview I thought it was going to be on the radio with one of the many regional BBC stations, not a nationally televised morning news show. I’m glad I managed to wake up in time for it after they moved it earlier at the last minute.

Ultrarunning tips at home

2020-04-202024-01-19John Kelly

I don’t know how long I’ll be able to keep up this blistering pace of one video per year but 2020 makes a massive 4 years straight. Here are some non-running ultrarunning things to think about. And some cows and a lawn mower in the background from the Kelly Farm where I’ve been now for over a month.

The No Barkley Barkley

2020-03-232024-01-19John Kelly

When Covid first really started escalating, with lockdowns, race cancellations, and other restrictions rapidly coming into place, I was at my family’s farm back in Tennessee just a few miles from Frozen Head. With Barkley canceled, I went out to Frozen Head for a “No Barkley Barkley” – 5 loops around the park, all on trail within daylight hours, completed within 60 hours. I wore flags on my pack for each of the countries that would have been represented at the race. Jim Matheny from WBIR came out to cover my finish and do a socially distanced interview afterwards for the segment below.

2019 Podcast Round-up

2019-12-292024-07-14John Kelly

I got a bit behind this year on posting podcasts and other interviews I did, so then I stopped trying entirely. I decided I’d try to pull together the ones I could find or remember and give a full run-down here. All of them hit a number of topics but the main focuses are Barkley and The Grand Round.

FastRunnning: Exploring Human Potential Through Sport

2019-10-182024-01-19John Kelly

Shortly after Kipchoge achieved his remarkable sub 2 run I shared a thought on Twitter that was not planned, fully formed, and I thought innocent enough (just the kind of things I thought Twitter should be good for).

John Kelly on Twitter
Don’t get me wrong, what @EliudKipchoge did was incredible and historic, but why draw the line where it was w/ external aids? Why not downhill with a tailwind? Or on a treadmill with a harness that gives extra recoil to each stride (oh, right, the Vaporflys already do that).

It turns out that was a mistake, and most things said in only 280 characters can pretty much be taken whatever direction anyone wants.

2018 Podcasts and Interviews

2018-12-172024-05-03John Kelly

Recap of some of the podcasts and other interviews from the year, with a bit of Barkley, a bit of triathlon, and some conversations on training and life.

The Tennessean: Op-ed on the Land & Water Conservation Fund

2018-12-122024-01-20John Kelly

When a group contacted me to write a piece for my home state’s biggest newspaper to support the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which expired on September 30, I was thrilled with the opportunity to be able to use my voice for an important cause.

Update: The fund was permanently reauthorized on March 12, 2018!

https://www.tennessean.com/story/opinion/2018/12/12/land-and-water-conservation-fund-needs-congress-renew-now-opinion/2207625002/

Barkley 2018 race footage

2018-03-282024-01-19John Kelly

Some on-course footage, pictures, and commentary from my time crewing and acting as a random course checkpoint at the 2018 Barkley Marathons. The video and audio quality are pretty horrible, but this is what I got so it’s this or nothing. And maybe grainy, noisy footage is appropriate for “on-course” Barkley coverage. 😉 Thank you to James DeFilippi for loaning me his camera for the weekend.

La Barkley sans pitie

2018-03-212024-01-20John Kelly

This one was nearly a year in the making, starting with the incredible photos that Alexis Berg & Aurélien Delfosse took at the 2017 Barkley Marathons and then adding interviews with me, Gary, and laz. The editing and production here is incredible, and the result is a 20 minute film with portions that get me to relive the experience more than anything else I’ve seen to this point. (English with French subtitles)

https://www.lequipe.fr/explore-video/020-la-barkley-sans-pitie/

2017 Podcasts and Interviews

2017-12-192024-07-11John Kelly

As might be expected, these are mostly on Barkley. But there are a few on Kona thrown in too.

SportsCenter Segment on the 2017 Barkley Marathons

2017-04-152024-01-19John Kelly

I gave up dreams of being on SportsCenter about 20 years ago, and those dreams had me as a pitcher for the Texas Rangers. It was an awesome, fun experience getting to do this, and even the rundown they had on the side was perfect. LeBron’s birthday is shortly after mine so I get an annual reminder that I’m older than him. But here, he had to wait. 🙂

This was also the first time in my life I’d ever worn makeup. I figured I should make the best of it so Jessi and I went out on a date after it was recorded. I certainly looked better than a few days earlier at least.

The flag they showed next to my name during the clip was MD, but if you look closely that’s a TN flag t-shirt I have on.

Watch on Vimeo

Run Steep Get High – Barkley Number Fifteen

2017-04-032024-01-20John Kelly

Awesome video of the 2017 Barkley Marathons finish from Jamil Coury at Run Steep Get High

Pre Barkley Podcasts and Interviews

2017-03-172024-01-25John Kelly

It turns out that I did actually do a few things before finishing Barkley, but… most of those things were failing at Barkley.

Barkley 2015 after Loop 3

2015-04-022024-01-19John Kelly

After Jamil and I completed a Fun Run, I crashed pretty hard. The people feverishly trying to help me in this video when I’m at my lowest of lows are my wife and dad, and then two people I had never even met before the race but have since become close friends: Jodi and Karine.