Ask ultrarunner and race director, Todd Aydelotte, for a bit of New York City history and he’ll probably tell you to lace up your running shoes. After injury derailed his marathon training a few years back, Todd traded a competitive approach to the sport for a uniquely historical one. Through months of research, he began piecing together ultra-length routes that visited important locations in the lives of historical figures, including Edgar Allen Poe, Teddy Roosevelt, and Walt Whitman. So, we sat down with Todd to hear all about what running has taught him about our past; how he picks his subjects; NYC after dark; and a whole lot more — including, the semi-legal 28-mile road race he created to reenact the 70’s cult film, “The Warriors.”
TOPICS & TIMES:
- What is “historical ultrarunning”? (1:38)
- Chasing after Edgar Allen Poe (6:53)
- How Todd chooses his topics (14:32)
- The NYC Black History 50 (17:52)
- How to use history to hack your running (24:39)
- The Warriors UltraRun (25:24)
- Using crime heat maps to stay safe in cities (31:51)
- NYC after dark (34:18)
- Getting picked up by the New York Times (42:25)
- The story of a truly demonic run (48:35)
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