For this episode, I sat down in person at TrailCon with Kristina Randrup—an ultrarunner, wildlife ecologist, and PhD student at the University of Washington studying blue whale populations. Kristina joined me just after winning the 18K at Broken Arrow Skyrace to talk about her lifelong relationship with ecology, her early start in ultrarunning, and what it means to split your life between rigorous academic research and long days in the mountains.
We discussed growing up on the East Bay trails, the future of large cetaceans and what it means to defend public lands not just as a user, but as a scientist. Kristina is the kind of guest who’s equally comfortable talking about Bayesian modeling as she is about the finish-line chaos of major ultra races. Whether she’s running 100K races or analyzing blue whale population assessments, she brings a level of curiosity and humility that feels especially rare - and especially needed - in both science and sport.
We talk about:
What it’s like to grow up running ultras - and having her mom sign her up for her first 50K
Why she almost didn't get into her PhD program—and how she ended up studying blue whales (and why it’s important to study them!)
Why data modeling is powerful, but not everything—and how Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) is finally being taken seriously
The case for embracing multiple ways of being outdoors, without hierarchy or gatekeeping
The connection between running, science and place
Links
Kristina’s paper about natural climate solutions for Washington
Dr. Trevor Branch – UW School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences
Can you tell I interviewed a PhD researcher? Links galore! :)
Keywords:
climate science, marine mammals, trail running, ultrarunning, blue whales, public lands, outdoor equity, environmental science, PhD student, GIS, Bayesian modeling, natural climate solutions, whale conservation, University of Washington, outdoor community, Indigenous knowledge, traditional ecological knowledge, land sovereignty, recreation access, seal overpopulation, Broken Arrow, Brooks Trail Team, science communication