Ep 38 / When Art Meets Running with Rickey Gates
The conceptual runner talks about his most famous projects like Transamericana and in-progress project 50 Classic Trails of America.
“I had the good fortune of being born in the mountains and brought up interacting with this planet in a manner that has brought me both joy and understanding - about myself, my fellow humans and this delicate spaceship that we share.” - Rickey Gates
I think Rickey Gates is one of the most interesting people on the planet.
Back in 2020, I listened to his episode of
’s podcast at least a handful of times. I knew a bit about Rickey’s story prior to that episode owing to my interest in trail running, but once you get a chance to get to know the man, you realize he’s not your average trail runner.Identifying with the term “conceptual runner”, Rickey bends the conventional notion of what it means to be a professional runner. Going “beyond the bib” as he calls it in our episode, Rickey pursues running as an intentional experience that is about way more than just Fastest Known Times and Strava segments.
A few of his projects include:
Transamericana - A 3,700 mile unsupported trek across the United States that involved a lot of running and a little bit of paddle-boarding to get a unique perspective of America and himself. He wrote an amazing book filled with his photographs and made a fantastic documentary about the trek.
Every Single Street - Based in San Francisco at the time, Rickey wondered how he could get to know where he lived and rack up some serious mileage in the process. He decided to run every single street in the city of San Francisco.
Fifty Classic Trails of America - An in-progress book project to document and recommend 50 of the best trails available to trail runners and hikers in America with a dose of history and ecology.
Through these projects he’s managed to prolong his career as a professional runner without focusing on races and flex his creative muscles. Each project giving him a chance to create a new film, write a new story and pull out his camera.
The result is a professional running career and relationship with place that’s unlike any you’ve seen from a runner before. As much artist as athlete.
In the episode, we dig into these projects and more. It’s one of my favorite episodes and I think you’ll dig it even if you’ve never laced up a pair of running shoes. Just make sure to listen to the end so you can hear about the one unusual thing that Rickey still brings back from his adventures.
Thanks for listening -
Rick
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