Joe Cooper

Fit Specialist

Favorite place you have raced? Lake Tahoe 100 Miler was my favorite race.  The trails there are a nice mixture of soft, needle dust singletrack with large boulders that must be leaped over or dodged to avoid.  The course is one of the hardest in the country with huge runnable sections that wear you down but also technical climbs (more vertical than Western States) so steep your heels never touch the ground.

Favorite hobby? I have a campervan that I’ve taken all over the country to run and race.  It’s a great home away from home and gets me as close to the trails as possible so I can wake up and start running right away.  I’m a car enthusiast as well and have had over a dozen cars since I started to drive.  Currently I own a Jeep that I love to take offroad.

Favorite restaurant in Austin? La Mancha is probably my favorite cheap place to eat.  It’s a go to tradition before big races.  I also love Uchiko for a fancier night out.

How many running shoes do you usually rotate around? Four.  I usually have a minimal and a maximal pair of shoes for both road and trail.  Typically if I’m on shorter runs I want something that I can feel the ground in.  On long runs or if I’m training for longer distances I typically want something that’s more protective and with a rock plate if I’m on the trail.

Bio: I started running to stay fit after college for shorter distances but couldn’t get excited about anything over a 10K.  It wasn’t until my early 30’s that I really started to run regularly though.  When I moved to Austin I met several trail runners that got me excited about trail and ultra distances.  The long distances in nature are great therapy for my mental health and are helpful to keep me balanced.  In the short time since I started trail running I have raced over 20 ultramarathons/marathons but never on a road more than 10 miles.  I do regularly run on the road as part of my training though.