In Part 2, the origin story. Joe Hardin was once in the pulmonary wing of a hospital, unable to walk 100 yards without supplemental oxygen, dealing with pancreatitis, a collapsed lung, and a drug and alcohol problem that had been building since middle school. On December 1st, 2019, he got sober for the last time. At his first sobriety birthday, his wife suggested a gym membership. He walked on a treadmill at 5 AM for 30 minutes because he was too embarrassed to exercise in public. He found a flyer for a turkey trot. He has not missed that same Turkey Trot in the years since. Part 2 also covers the run commute philosophy (discovered through Harvey Lewis on Instagram; 27 miles a week just getting to work and back; his coworkers pulled up his Vol State live tracker during meetings while he was gone); what the Vol State taught him about his actual limit (he reached the point he'd DNF'd at in 100 milers several times at Vol State and pulled through,concluding that when you think you've hit your limit, you've got about 20% more); Odd Duck Running and the starting line philosophy; RTB Awards; what running across Tennessee renewed in him about human kindness; and a direct message to anyone out there who might be going through something similar.

If you haven't listened to Part 1 yet, start there — it dropped 10 minutes ago.

Show Notes

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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