515 : The Ultra Podcast
515: The Ultra Podcast invites you inside the world of the 515km Ultraman distance. Hosted by Larry Ryan, we go beyond the race results to explore the lives of the remarkable athletes who make up the global Ultra family.
Whether you are an Ironman with aspirations for the 515km distance, a seasoned veteran of Ultratriathlon, or simply looking for inspiring stories to fill your training hours, this show is for you. Join us for deep-dive conversations, epic stories, and practical takeaways for your own bucket list.
For show notes and past guests, please visit the Podcast Website: https://515theultrapodcast.buzzsprout.com
If you like what you hear on the podcast and want to support more content, consider visiting my BUY ME A COFFEE page to show your appreciation :
https://buymeacoffee.com/larryryan
Episodes
115 episodes
S8E9 -- UM Australia 2026 Race Preview with Jeff Morris & Tim Franklin
515 kilometers can sound like a number. In Noosa, it turns into three days of decisions: how you fuel a 10 km ocean swim, how you survive a 276 km bike loop through the Sunshine Coast hinterland, and how you keep moving when the double marathon...
S8E8 -- UB515 Race Preview (2026) with Alex Luna
In this episode, we travel to Ubatuba, Brazil, to catch up with Alex Luna, one of the driving forces behind the UB515 ultra triathlon. As the race enters its 13th year, Alex shares the origin story of how a small group of legends—...
S8E7 -- UMOZ + UMNZ Athlete in Proflie | Brittney Litton
You can learn a lot about an endurance athlete by what they avoid, and Brittney Litton avoids swimming. Then she signs up for Ultraman anyway, including a 10K swim, back-to-back monster bike days, and a double-marathon finish. Brittney j...
S8E6 -- Ohana Guest | Peter Hudson
Start with a last-minute sprint tri in footy shorts and end with a finish line that feels like family—that’s the arc of Peter “Huddo” Hudson. We sit down with the four-time 515 finisher, personal trainer, and stalwart of the UM Austra...
S8E5 -- UM Australia Athlete in Profile | Matthew O’Brien
A flipped boat, a blinking EPIRB, and a helicopter descent into a sunset—Matt O’Brien’s life pivot starts there. From mining shifts and weekend benders to air rescue work, and a growing list of endurance adventures; Matt’s story is a blu...
S8E4 -- Beyond 515: Shanda Hill’s Ultra Triumphs And Farewell
A world record in 225 hours. Stitches on a gym floor. A typhoon, a temple, and a white bucket that might save your race. I sat down with IUTA Hall of Famer, Shanda Hill, to unpack the mindset, methods, and meaning behind one of the most ...
S8E3 -- Ultraman World Champion 2025 | Max Kniazev
A champion’s story doesn’t start at the finish line. Fresh off winning Ultraman Hawaii, Max Kniazev opens up about rebuilding from a collarbone ligament rupture, balancing newborn-dad life, and crafting a pragmatic plan to race smarter i...
S8E2 -- UM Australia Athlete in Profile | Erica Riley
What does it take to chase Ultraman while working 12-hour shifts in emergency care? We sit down with Erica Riley—critical care nurse, coach, and multi-time ultradistance triathlete—to unpack the systems, habits, and mindset that m...
S8E1 -- “The One and Only” Marius Butuc (Trans Sweden Triathlon’s Only Racer)
What if the most important finish line has nothing to do with a podium? We sit down with Romanian ultra-triathlete Marius Butuc, a self-taught swimmer who learned by watching the next lane and never stopped moving forward. From the Ironm...
Season Eight Trailer
Season eight is on the start line, and we’re bringing bigger stories, sharper coverage, and more ways to take you inside the 515 world. After 105 episodes reaching listeners in thousands of cities across 142 countries, we’re doubling down on wh...
S7E13 -- Inside the Ultraman Florida Rift: Disqualification, Licenses Revoked, and What Comes Next
A champion crowned, then stripped. A director ousted. A brand reorganized. We trace the real timeline behind the Ultraman Florida shake-up—starting with a handlebar-mounted, voice-activated camera and ending with revoked licenses, refund confus...
S7E12 -- Inaugural Ultraman Mexico with Van Sanchez
The countdown to Ultraman Mexico is on—and the mountains are calling. We sit down with race director and former teenage Ultraman finisher, Van Sanchez, to map out exactly what athletes and crews will face across three days at alti...
S7E11 -- Details on the new 515 Race | UM New Zealand
News of the UM brand's expansion into New Zealand broke earlier this year during the UM Australia Livestream event, hosted by 515. Remarkably, the new event sold out immediately—even before athletes knew any details about the cour...
S7E10 -- Ohana Guest | Acyr Da Luz
The decision to change often comes at our lowest moments. For Acyr Da Luz, it wasn't a missed promotion that defined him—it was his response to it. "I'm going to change myself," he declared, setting in motion a transformation from 120kg ...
S7E9 -- Shane Kent from UM Champion 2021 to Arch to Arc 2025
Get ready to be inspired! On today's show, we're diving deep with Shane Kent, the 2021 UM Australia champion, who's about to take on a challenge often called 'The toughest triathlon in the world': Arch to Arc. You'll hear h...
S7E8 -- Ohana Guests | Mary and Randy Latza
Get ready for an inspiring conversation with Mary and Randy Latza! Hailing from Pennsburg, Pennsylvania, this power couple has an astonishing 32 Ultraman events under their belts either racing or crewing. They'll share invalu...
S7E7 -- Ohana Guest | John Domandl (3X World Record Holder)
Join us for an inspiring conversation with John Domandl, whose triathlon career spans over 40 years and includes more than 150 events, along with four World Championships. In 1988, John proudly represented Australia ...
S7E6 -- Ohana Guest | Beñat Oliveira
The 2025 UM Australia created a star in the man who was behind the camera for the Live stream. Beñat Oliveira is a former competitor from 2023 who returned to help out the Dream Team make more dreams come true.
S7E5 -- 2025 UM Australia Race Review with Champions Tim Belstead and Kirsty Sheehan
UM Australia 2025 celebrated the 10th anniversary of the event this year. We were a part of it by creating a Live Stream of all 36 hours. In this episode we speak to the champions of 2025, Tim Belstead and Kirsty Sh...
S7E4 -- UM Australia 2025 Race Preview
UM Australia race director, Jeff Morris, joins me to present the field 41 athletes who are toeing the line of the 10th anniversary race. Trying to highlight this many athletes is tough work, so we also recruited the knowledg...
S7E3 -- Ohana Guest : Fernando Lopez (Marathon Des Sables finisher)
Get ready to be inspired! We're sitting down with Fernando Lopez, an Ironman Gold All World Athlete and a true titan of endurance sports. With over 200 races under his belt, including 26 World Championships (and multiple podium...
S7E2 -- Age-Less at Ultraman Florida and UMAZ Athlete in Profile: Andy Yergler
Part one of this episode is a Ultraman Florida recap. First, I am joined by the youngest ever competitor to complete Ultraman Florida, Jacob Beldick. Followed by the newest 60-69 age group world record holder, Dougin Walk...
S7E1 -- Ohana Guest : Billy Rickards
Billy RIckards is a veteran 515 racer that helps others to get to the finish line as an amazing crew person. He lives Aloha, Ohana, Kokua within the Ultra Fam. As a person who has chosen to call Hawaii home; it only makes sen...
S6E13 -- Ultraman Florida 2025 Preview + Athlete in Profile (Nick Gillombardo)
Jen McVeay joins me in this episode to preview the field of athletes toeing the line at 2025 Ultraman Florida, February 14-16th. We are joined by to 2 time Ultraman Champion Steve Keller.Steve offers ...
S6E12 -- Triathlon Legend : Bob Babbitt (Breakfast with Bob!)
On today's episode of 515 The Ultra Podcast, we're joined by a true legend. Bob Babbitt is the voice behind one of the most celebrated radio programs and podcasts in endurance sports – Competitor Radio and Breakfast with ...