Run Your Story Podcast · Allison Gaillard

Adam Williams - "You have to understand yourself"

·1 hr 7 min·2 clips

A mountain goat attacked me on a remote switchback—kicked a boulder into me that fractured my fibula and ripped my knee open.

This episode of the Run Your Story Podcast features host Allison Gillyard interviewing ultrarunner Adam Williams, who completed nine 200-plus mile races in six months. Williams is a seasoned athlete who also teaches yoga and maintains a running streak of at least seven miles every day for over five years. The conversation centers on his extreme endurance feats, a dramatic injury, and his deep connection to the trail running community. Williams explains his entry into ultrarunning began with a relay race, leading to progressively longer distances like a 50K, 100-miler, and eventually 200-mile events such as Bigfoot and Moab. He recounts breaking his leg during a solo Fastest Known Time attempt in Oregon's remote Wallowa Mountains when a mountain goat dislodged a boulder that struck him. Williams had to improvise a tourniquet and hobble 12 miles to self-rescue before a backpacker used a satellite phone to call for help. Following surgery and a subsequent infection, he deferred his races but volunteered at events like Bigfoot, the Divide, and Moab, where he captained an aid station. A key insight is his belief that consistent daily habits, like his running streak and yoga practice, created a fitness base that enabled his rapid recovery and return to racing. Williams argues there is no "quick fix" for major goals, emphasizing that success comes from showing up and doing the work over years. He shares that his first race back was the Monster 300, where he tested his healed leg and discovered it felt different but capable. The runner also reveals he often stays at race finish lines after completing his own run to volunteer, finding joy in witnessing others finish their stories. Williams describes specific races in detail, naming Cocodona 250 for its production value and accessibility, the Moab 240 for its stunning desert-to-mountain geography, and the remote Divide race for its grizzly bear encounters. He admits the goat incident gave him a form of PTSD, causing him to constantly look uphill for falling rocks during runs. His pre-race routine is surprisingly non-rigid, sometimes involving last-minute course uploads, though he relies on a detailed spreadsheet for multi-day pacing and sleep planning. The tone is conversational and inspirational, blending adventure storytelling with practical advice on resilience and community. Listeners who love epic outdoor narratives, ultrarunning culture, or stories of overcoming physical and mental adversity will be captivated. Those seeking a highly structured, technical training discussion or who are unsettled by descriptions of severe injury might find less to hold their interest.

As heard by us

A mountain-running conversation about fear, caution, and the races that keep pulling him back.

The conversation follows a runner through steep ground and the caution that comes with it. The goat encounter on Polaris Pass is the sharpest stretch, and it leads into a plainspoken account of how raw descents and rockfall change the way he reads a trail.

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Why you'd press play

For when you want a mountain-running interview that treats fear and repeat race choices seriously.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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