Can Suffering Lead to Something Greater? Wes Plate on Community & Cocodona | Flagstaff Bound Ep. 20 @AravaipaRunning
Can Suffering Lead to Something Greater? Wes Plate on Community & Cocodona | Flagstaff Bound Ep. 20  @AravaipaRunning
Uploaded May 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
Welcome to Flagstaff Bound, a special series from the Distance to Empty Podcast, hosted by 3-time Cocodona finisher Kevin Goldberg and 1-time Cocodona finisher Peter Noyes. This series explores the journeys, training, and motivations of runners gearing up for the 2025 Cocodona 250, offering a deep dive into the world of endurance trail running.

In this episode of Flagstaff Bound, we sit down with Wes Plate, an ultrarunner, filmmaker, and deeply connected member of the Cocodona community.

For Wes, Cocodona is about far more than crossing the finish line. It's about the people he meets, the stories he tells, and the personal growth he experiences through the suffering. From documenting his very first 100-mile race on video to now sharing his multi-day journeys with the world, Wes reflects on how capturing these moments has given his running—and his life—greater meaning.

He shares how each step on the Cocodona course is a reminder of resilience, and why even the most brutal miles are worth enduring when they connect you to something bigger: a community, a purpose, and a story worth telling.

Catch new episodes right here on the Aravaipa Running YouTube channel, or listen to the Distance to Empty Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

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🌍 More information on Cocodona 250: cocodona.com

Follow Wes on Instagram: instagram.com/midpackelite

#Cocodona250 #FlagstaffBound #DistanceToEmpty #TrailRunning #UltraRunning #EnduranceForAll

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From music to wood fired pizza, beer gardens, meeting new friends, beautiful trails to stunning sunrises and star filled nights, having fun is easy.
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Can Suffering Lead to Something Greater? Wes Plate on Community & Cocodona | Flagstaff Bound Ep. 20

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