Kaylee Frederick woke up at 3:30 this morning to get her run in before the interview. The interview started at 5 AM New Zealand time. She is 21. She is double-majoring, minoring in chemistry, working four jobs, is forklift certified (she considers this an important distinction and would like everyone to know) and is calling in from a semester abroad in New Zealand. In Part 1, she and Doc cover her Hiking Poll score of 27, the youngest-ever Badwater 135 finish at 18, what heat training actually looks like in Pennsylvania humidity, how she won the Eastern States 100 outright without knowing she was in first place until mile 63, and the low point that defined her relationship with the pain cave: lying on the trail at mile 93 of her first hundred, at 16 years old, crying for 30 miles and getting up anyway. Her brain, she says, is her greatest strength and her greatest weakness. She is figuring out how to manage that.

Show Notes

About the Guest


Kaylee Frederick is a 21-year-old elite ultra-endurance athlete from Pennsylvania, currently studying biology and secondary education at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown (with a minor in chemistry, an ESL certification, and a STEM endorsement) while working four part-time jobs including forklift operator, assistant manager at a frozen custard shop, CrossFit coach, and tutor. At 18 she became the youngest person ever to finish the Badwater 135. She recently won the Eastern States 100 outright — first woman ever, first to break 24 hours, finishing 90+ minutes ahead of second place. She finished 12th female in the world at the 24-Hour World Championship in France. She trains with coach Eric Kosik. She ran a five-mile warmup before this interview at 4 AM New Zealand time. Her mom hiked the Appalachian Trail in 99 days.

What's Covered in Part 1


Trail Name — (Expired)

Trailblazer's Toolkit — Mount Coast T1 Trail Shoes


The Hiking Poll — Score: 27


Badwater 135 — First Time, Age 18


Heat Training in Pennsylvania


Eastern States 100 — Finding Out She Was Leading at Mile 63


The Pain Cave — Mile 93, Age 16


Links & Resources



  • Kaylee Frederick — Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frederick.kaylee

  • The Line — Billy Yang documentary on Badwater 135: https://www.youtube.com/@billyyang

  • Eastern States Trail Endurance Alliance/Association: https://www.easternstates100.com

  • Mount Coast T1 trail shoes — Kaylee's race shoe of choice. Recently also testing the lighter, more responsive M1.

  • Eric Kosik — Kaylee's coach since January 2024.


Connect with Hiker Trash Radio



  • Email: mailto:hikertashradio@gmail.com

  • Social: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok — search Hiker Trash Radio.


Part 2 drops in 10 minutes. Leave a review on Apple Podcasts — it takes 60 seconds and makes a real difference.

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