Joe Baur is a Berlin-based travel, food, and adventure writer and filmmaker who travels to run.

Joe and I met in Okinawa on assignment last Fall, and we immediately connected over our approach to storytelling (some shots of Okinawan awamori rice spirit were potentially had as well).

Born and raised just outside of Cleveland, Joe has now circumvented the globe, hitting the trails as often as possible in search of stories and new ways to torture himself–all of which he documents on his YouTube channel.

Joe's latest run took him to the desert marathon in Oman.

Listen to the Episode

What you’ll hear:

  • How people learn the myth of America, The Greatest
  • Why Joe considers himself an immigrant, not an expat
  • How living in Berlin impacted Joe's views on American life
  • What it’s like running a marathon in the Omani desert
  • Why Joe travels to run
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"When I come back [to the US], I’m always jarred by its commercialism. I like watching my hometown sports teams, and every two seconds, there's a new commercial about buying this massive, obnoxious truck. And after you buy the obnoxious truck, go get this burger squished with fried chicken with bacon on it. It’s back and forth, and it's jarring." – Joe Baur
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Running in the desert

What it's like running in 100F heat

This year, Joe ran a 100-mile ultramarathon in the Omani sands.

The race took five days, stretching over the ancient Bedouin silk trade routes in the vast Wahiba Sands desert in eastern Oman.

Read Joe's story about the race:

The Desert Race That’s Harder Than Marathon des Sables
An expert’s guide to running over 100 miles through endless sand and oppressive heat at the Oman Desert Marathon five-stay stage race.
RUN | Powered by OutsideJoe Baur

Check out our interview on YouTube →

“Having met people around the world who’ve faced things that I can never imagine facing, many of them seem to harbor no ill will toward those who wronged them, and they just want to live their lives in peace. That gives me hope.” – Joe Baur
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