The Gift of Autism Helping Zach Reach His 100 Mile Dreams, With Zach Bates

Zach Bates is a 19-year old ultramarathon runner, who was diagnosed with autism at the age of 4. But despite that, he hasn’t let that diagnosis define who he is or mask the incredible spirit that he shows every single day.

Zach recently achieved his goal of completing a 100-mile race before he hit 20 years old at the Cold Water 100 in Goodyear, Arizona. And what is incredible about that was that he had set that goal when his longest race was only a 5k. Along his journey leading up to the race, he’s completed multiple ultramarathons and trail races, and spent hours on the trail training for his moment.

In this episode, Zach shares his journey into ultramarathons, what his training was like, the recap of his 100 mile race, and a look inside his amazing mindset that helps him pursue his dreams and break through difficulties. This is a truly inspiring episode!

We’re also joined by Nickademus De La Rosa, Zach’s Running Coach and a Barkley Marathon winner, who shares his perspective of what it was like to coach Zach during the entire journey.

Follow Zach on Instagram and TikTok: @running.farther

Zach’s News Feature From Nick King: https://twitter.com/NickKingSports/status/1484272133416972288

Donate to Zach’s documentary production: https://www.holthamilton.com/zachbates.html

Follow Nickademus on Instagram: @ultrademus