In this episode, we bring on Erica Rupp—a woman who didn’t pick up trail shoes, but found her place in the ultra community anyway. Her story flips the usual “runner interview” on its head, and it’s rich in meaning.

Guest journey & highlights

Erica is married to a race‑director, which opened her door into the world of trail and ultra running from a different vantage point—supporting, creating, building instead of racing.
On her 42‑acre farm in North Carolina (nestled between Asheville and Charlotte), she homesteads, grows endangered medicinal plants, sews sustainable slow‑fashion pieces, and dives deep into frameworks of wilderness, microbiome, community and true belonging.
Her family’s race event, the Hollis Hills Farm Revival (50 km, 25 k, 5 mile) is part trail run, part community fest, part land‑revival project.
She speaks to how the ultra world (sometimes stereotyped as hyper‑competitive) can actually be profoundly welcoming to non‑runners, volunteers, supporters—the “behind the scenes” humans.
Motivational takeaways: You don’t need to be the person crossing the finish line to belong here. Contribution isn’t always measured in miles. Sustainability, craft, community resilience—these are trail values too.

Links

Key products from the show

Lion Heart
Adaptive Energy
Xtra Strong Muscle Salve

Hollis Hills Farm Revival registration/info

LinkedIn profile for Erica

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