Going the distance!
Featured on the August 28th, 2025 edition of ARIZONA SPOTLIGHT with guest host Tony Paniagua:
- Many people would like to complete a marathon someday as part of a bucket list, but others frequently go way beyond the 26.2 miles required to accomplish that goal. Tucson resident and retired scientist Bruce Gungle is an example. From biking to running or hiking, he has finished multiple challenges in various locations. Among these is the Badwater ultramarathon, a race in California that includes running in Death Valley in the middle of the summer, Cocodona 250 in Arizona, and the Western States Endurance Run which consists of covering 100 miles in one day!
- University of Arizona student Laura Holánszky was born in Hungary, where she discovered swimming at the age of three. By age 16, she had won 11 national championships in her age group. In 2023, Laura joined the University of Arizona women's triathlon team, where she continues to excel as an athlete and a student. The UA women's triathlon team won the national championship in 2024.
- And, most people can live in a city for decades and only explore a percentage of all the possible streets, avenues, lanes, and other roads that can spread like a concrete web over a massive amount of acreage. Tucson takes up more than 200 square miles, which is bigger than some of the smaller countries. For Tucson photographer and University of Arizona associate professor Michael McKisson, this presents a wonderful opportunity to learn and explore. He is on a quest that he calls "Every Street Tucson" attempting to bike every part of every street in Tucson.
Arizona Spotlight airs every Thursday at 8:30 am and 6:00 pm and every Friday at 8:00 pm on NPR 89.1 FM / 1550 AM. You can subscribe to our podcast on Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon Music, or the NPR App. See more from Arizona Spotlight.
Webpage by Sophia Hammer.
Going the distance!