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“Hope will bring you home—those words rode with me all 100 miles.”
Julio Palma’s path from overwhelmed grad student to two-time Hardrock finisher is a testament to grit, generosity, and believing in second chances. Born in Mexico City, this Penn State chemistry professor first laced up in 2006 to outrun depression. Road marathons led to a JFK 50 debut, then a deep dive into East-coast classics like the Laurel Highlands 70 before joining the “Wild & Tough” fraternity at Hardrock 100, twice.
In this episode listeners will hear:
Hope on the wait-list: how Julio got Ryan’s bib 14 minutes before the 2025 Hardrock start and kissed the rock in 41 hours.
Balancing beakers & big miles: the juggling act of a tenure-track load, family life, and 4 a.m. trail sessions (plus why his wife logs 20-mile treadmill runs).
Community over competition: pandemic fund-raisers, assistant XC coaching, and creating safer spaces for women and BIPOC runners.
Lessons from failure & fog: Western States, a humid slog at Laurel Highlands, and why “balance means choosing what matters most right now.”
Brands & events name-checked: Hardrock, Western States, Laurel Highlands Ultra, JFK 50, Barkley Fall Classic.
Links:
Julio’s IG - @palmajl
Hardrock 100 Endurance Run hardrock100.com
Laurel Highlands 70.5 Ultra REDPOINT PRODUCTIONS
JFK 50 Mile jfk50mile.org
Western States Endurance Run WSER
Barkley Fall Classic UltraSignup
Partner Links:
A big shoutout to our sponsor, Janji!
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Bear Butt Wipes - Bearbuttwipes.com
Portable individually wrapped wipes for when nature calls and a DNF is not an option.
Bear Butt Wipes: Stay wild. Stay clean.
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Use the code MIDPACKER for 10% off your order.
Run Trail Life - https://runtraillife.com/Find Official MPP Merch on RTL!!
Use code: midpackerpod to double the donation from your purchase.
Visit RunTrailLife.com to check out our line of Hats and Organic cotton T's.
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Hardrock 100, Western States 100, Laurel Highlands 70, JFK 50, Barkley Fall Classic, wait-list, inclusion, trail running, ultramarathon, academic balance, family, Pennsylvania trails, Silverton, hope, community, treadmill training