Ultra Running and Setting FKTs with Anton Krupicka

Wild Ideas Worth Living

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4.7 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 13 January 2026

⏱️ 29 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Anton Krupicka is one of the most iconic ultrarunners and long-distance trail athletes in the U.S. Known for his minimalist approach—shirtless miles, long hair, and a bushy beard—he became a defining figure in the sport. Over nearly three decades, Anton has won the Leadville 100 twice and earned podium finishes at ultramarathons around the world. Beyond racing, he’s set 28 fastest known time (FKT) records on notable routes, solidifying his reputation in endurance running.

Transcript

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0:00.0	To me, running requires this level of like focus and intention that then like turns on all those like happy brain chemicals and those moments of clarity and those moments of flow.
0:14.5	I think connecting to nature, the outdoors, getting outside at all in any form is a positive thing, but running's
0:22.5	like an elevated version of it.
0:27.1	Anton Kupitschka is one of the most iconic long-distance trail runners in the U.S.
0:32.8	During the peak of his career, he was known for his minimalist approach to the sport.
0:37.4	He often
0:38.0	raced shirtless, with long hair and a bushy beard, a look that made him instantly
0:42.4	recognizable on the trail. Antaunt has been chasing big mountains, long miles, and complicated
0:48.3	routes for nearly 30 years. Over the course of his career, he's won the legendary Leadbill 100 race twice, along with many other wins and podiums it races around the world.
0:59.7	Outside of the competition circuit, Enda has also racked up 28 fastest known time records or FKTs.
1:07.1	I'm Shelby Stanger, and this is Wild Ideas Worth Living, an RIA Co-Op Studios production
1:13.4	presented by Capital One and the REI Co-Op MasterCard.
1:21.4	Anton Kupichka, welcome to Wild Ideas Worth Living. We're so excited to talk to you.
1:27.2	Cool. Yeah, thanks for inviting me on,
1:29.2	Shelby. So you're in Boulder, Colorado. Yep. That's a great place to be a trail runner.
1:35.5	It is. I mean, I suppose that's why I live here. I moved here 17 years ago for grad school and never left.. I mean, it is an excellent spot for
1:48.5	trail running. There's a, there's a very large and I don't know, passionate community of
1:55.8	trail runners in Boulder. But there's lots of good trail running at the Mountain West. But I would say what's kept me in Boulder is probably the access to the rock climbing.
2:03.8	It's just it's one of the few spots that has so many different types of rock within, you know,
2:10.1	anything from five minutes to an hour drive from town.
2:13.7	So yeah, it's good.
2:15.5	I'm curious.
	...

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