About the Guest
Joe Hardin is a self-taught mechanical design engineer, ultra-endurance runner, race director, woodworker, and podcaster from Lebanon, Indiana. Seven years sober, he discovered running after getting a gym membership for his first sobriety birthday and found a flyer for a local turkey trot on the door. A Billy Yang video introduced him to trail running, and a friend's suggestion — "maybe you're just not cut out for 100 milers, maybe you should sign up for something longer" — led him to the Vol State 500K. He recently completed that race: 314 miles across Tennessee in July, self-supported, with no crew and no aid stations. He is the founder of Odd Duck Running, which hosts inclusive community races in Boone County, Indiana, and RTB Awards, which makes handcrafted wooden finisher and podium awards for trail races across the country. His podcast is Beyond the Finish Line on the Everyday Athlete Podcast Network. His Instagram handle is @TrailTortoise.
What's Covered in Part 2
Growing Up and Getting Sober
The Recovery and the Turkey Trot
From Turkey Trot to Vol State — Very Quickly
What the Vol State Taught Him About His Limit
Run Commuting — 27 Miles a Week Just Getting To and From Work
What Tennessee Taught Him About People
Odd Duck Running — A Starting Line for Everyone
RTB Awards — Handcrafted Race Awards
Hiking Hack — Bring a Toothbrush
Off the Beaten Path — Ultramarathon Man and Dirty Jar
Pay It Forward — Race to the Finish
To Anyone Listening
Joe's direct message from the transcript: 'I know there's somebody out there that might be going through something like this, and they feel like they're lost and they're alone. You are not, I promise you. I felt the same way, and it is never too late to rewrite your story.' If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, SAMHSA's National Helpline is free, confidential, and available 24/7: 1-800-662-4357.
Links & Resources
- Odd Duck Running — Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oddduckrunning
- RTB Awards — Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rtbawards
- Beyond the Finish Line — Everyday Athlete Podcast Network: https://www.runtrivmag.com
- Vol State 500K — Sign up at UltraSignup. Registration fills quickly.
- Ultramarathon Man — Dean Karnazes. Joe's Off the Beaten Path recommendation.
- Dirty Jar — YouTube. Trail running channel Joe discovered through HTR. Highly recommended.
- Race to the Finish — Joey Metzger's foundation for immigrant visibility in trail running: https://www.racetothefinish.org
- Shake the Frost — Tyler Childers. Joe's go-to song when everything is falling apart.
Connect with Hiker Trash Radio
- Email: mailto:hikertashradio@gmail.com
- Social: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok — search Hiker Trash Radio.
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