Advocacy, Identity & Inclusive Trails with Julianna Coughlin

In this episode of Pain Cave to Power, we sit down with runner, storyteller, and advocate Julianna Coughlin who is a marathoner and trail runner reshaping what strength, representation, and inclusivity look like in the running world.Julianna brings a powerful blend of lived experience and professional insight as a registered dietitian, content creator, and host of the Runnah podcast. Living with chronic biomechanical and neurological challenges, she opens up about navigating the running world through a lens that often goes unseen, and the barriers, biases, and breakthroughs that come with it.Together, we explore how identity intersects with movement, how athletes with disabilities and female-identifying runners experience both visible and invisible challenges, and what it means to build communities where all athletes feel safe, welcomed, and celebrated.In this episode:Julianna’s journey into running and storytellingAdvocacy for disabled athletes and female-identifying runnersThe emotional landscape of running with chronic conditionsInclusivity gaps in trail and ultra communitiesWhat true safety and representation should look likeHow community leaders can reshape running cultureThis conversation is heartfelt, honest, and full of the kind of truth-telling that empowers endurance athletes everywhere. Julianna’s story is a reminder that the pain cave isn’t just physical and that power comes from claiming our whole selves, not just the miles we run.Listen now and step into a deeper, more inclusive understanding of what it means to be an athlete.Recorded December 20, 2025