Lindsey Dwyer: The Runner Who Always Chose Longer (And Never Checks Her Watch)
About this episode
Lindsey Dwyer started running before she could remember choosing it. Her mom ran while pregnant with her, and Lindsey was in a stroller on the course not long after. By seventh grade she'd quietly trained for and finished a half marathon without telling anyone until she needed a ride to the start line. By college, marathons felt routine. So she went longer.
Now she's one of the top finishers at Cocodona 250, a point-to-point 253-mile race through Arizona that's become one of the most-watched ultras in the world outside of Western States and UTMB. This year she finished fifth overall, running the final 200 miles with a knee injury that started at mile 50 and never went away.
Jonathan and Lindsey get into what it actually takes to compete across 80-plus hours of racing, how she thinks about crew and pacing at that scale, and why she believes the mental puzzle of ultras is the whole point. They also talk about the role of gratitude when things get hard, what her first 50-mile race recap on Facebook revealed about how little her navigation skills have improved, and how the "gap and the gain" framework applies to an athlete who's been quietly building toward this her whole life.
Lindsey is also heading to Tahoe Rim Trail and Mammoth 200 later this season and is partnered with Precision Fuel & Hydration.
Topics covered:
Growing up running alongside her mom and sneaking into a half marathon at 13
Why she chose longer over faster when marathons stopped feeling like a mystery
What she loves about long runs and why she never looks at her watch
Racing Cocodona 250 twice, finishing 2nd in 2024 and 5th in 2025 seven hours faster
Managing a knee injury from mile 50 through the final 200 miles
How to crew and pace well, and why communication before the race matters more than anything said during it
Using gratitude as a practical tool in a low point
The Gap and the Gain, and why reflecting back matters as much as looking forward
Fueling strategy and how she ended up working with Precision Fuel & Hydration
A very important Facebook post from her first 50-miler, featuring 48 Oreos and 6 bonus miles
Go Brewing
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Boulderthon
Whether you're chasing a PR or looking for an unforgettable race weekend, Boulderthon offers a 5K, 10K, half marathon, full marathon, and kids races in beautiful Boulder, Colorado. Register at Boulderthon.com and use code FTLR2026 to save $20 on your half or full marathon registration.
Precision Fuel & Hydration
Precision Fuel & Hydration's new Watermelon Chew was developed with trail ultrarunner Rachel Entrekin to help athletes combat flavor fatigue while fueling long efforts. Shop at Precision Fuel & Hydration and use code LongRun26 for 15% off your order.
The Rocky Mountain Half and 5K in Estes Park, Colorado this August. Run both and earn the Elk Double. Use code FTLR when you register at vacationraces.com.