Death by 5k: A Back-of-the-Pack Survival Story

S4E59 - Death by 5k: A Back-of-the-Pack Survival Story

Published: May 18, 2026

Duration: 1:12:49

This week on The Back of the Pack Podcast, we head to Waterloo, Iowa for an event that sounds simple until the clock starts laughing at you: Death by 5k. The concept is one 5k every two and a half hours for 24 hours, totaling ten separate races and 31 miles through George Wyth State Park. What started with pancakes, cool morning air, and a smart conservative pace slowly turned into a battle against heat, humidity, mosquitoes, storms, sleep deprivation, and one surprisingly bold raccoon. We talk through each round, from the early confidence of race one to the brutal darkness of...