He went back for the books, but he found so much more in the mud of Tennessee. 🌲📖
Laura Briggs sits down with TGR co-founder Damian Hall fresh from his “Last Man Standing” performance at the 2026 Barkley Marathons.
This isn’t just a race report about 40+ hours of sleep deprivation, “bog bothering,” and navigating by compass through the frozen woods… it’s a deep dive into the messy reality of being a professional athlete in a climate crisis.
Damo opens up about:
- The Barkley Madness: What it’s like to be the final runner on the course, hunting for book pages while the mind starts to play tricks.
- The “Climate Hypocrite” Paradox: Addressing the 4,000-mile flight head-on and why he believes “imperfect activism” is more powerful than staying silent.
- The Carbon Shadow: How we can use our platforms to change the system, even when we aren’t perfect.
Watch the full interview below or take it on your next run!
🎧 Listen on Spotify: If you enjoy the episode, please take a second to rate us 5 stars. It’s the single best way to help the algorithm push the TGR mission to more runners across the globe!
Photos © David Miller