Behind Tunnel Hill, Barkley and 20 Years of Race Directing with Steve Durbin
Steve Durbin has spent more than 20 years creating races, welcoming runners, solving problems behind the scenes, and building events that people return to year after year. He started Land Between the Lakes in 2004, when there was only one other active ultra in Kentucky. What began with 90 runners grew into an event Steve describes as a "family reunion" - a philosophy that has carried through his years as a race director. Scott and Steve talk about what runners rarely see behind the scenes, why volunteers are an RD's most important resource, and why reading the pre-race instructions really does matter. They also dig into Steve's long friendship with Laz, his six attempts at the Barkley Marathons, the creation of the Barkley Fall Classic, and what makes that course so brutally difficult. Then there's Tunnel Hill. Steve intentionally designed it as the opposite of the "hardest race" trend. A fast, accessible course where runners could see what they were capable of over 50 or 100 miles. The result became a destination for first-timers and record chasers alike, with multiple world records set on the course. Through all the races and records, Steve keeps coming back to the people - the runners, volunteers, friendships, and memories that have made the sport such a big part of his life. Chapters 00:00 – Meet Steve Durbin 01:35 – Starting Land Between the Lakes4 05:45 – Building races people come back to 08:45 – Steve's own running story 15:35 – Twenty years of race directing 22:35 – What runners don't see behind the scenes 26:45 – Barkley Fall Classic and working with Laz 41:20 – Steve's own Barkley experiences 44:40 – Why Tunnel Hill was built to be fast 48:20 – The people and adventures ultrarunning brought into Steve's life
