Divine Madness

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

Divine Madness Running Club boasted some spectacular results in ultramarathons around the turn of the century and became known for their excellent support teams and low-impact style of running. But the Boulder, Colorado based group was also notorious for their strange ways, whereby members were expected to follow the directions of their teacher in all aspects of their lives. That teacher, a man who called himself ‘Yo’, claimed that he could kill his own sperm with his mind.

This episode includes an interview with LTAS composer Joe Gould about his upcoming soundtrack album, 'Nobody Joins a Cult'. You can pre-order the album here.

UPDATE: Deru Youmans had a more recent experience with Marc Tizer (Yo), through a listing for 'The Retreat' they came across on the WWOOF (Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms) website. They shared their experience here, and unfortunately, it seems like things haven't changed a great deal.

EPISODE LINKS

• A Leader's Long, Strange Trip — by Jere Longman, The New York Times, 28 July 1997

• The Long, Strange Trip of a Running Guru — by Bruce Schoenfeld, Sports Illustrated, 4 August 2003

• A Divine Madness? — by Andrew Murr, Newsweek, 17 August 1997

• Community or Cult? — by Clay Evans, Daily Camera, 5 October 1997

• My spiritual odyssey: A work in progress — blog by Alexander Cassady, undated

• Run Ragged — by Clay Evans, Daily Camera, 7 March 2004

• 42 Miles to Enlightenment — by Daniel Glick, Women Outside, Fall 1999

• Running Like Hell — by Michael Finkel, Women's Sports and Fitness, Nov/Dec 1999

• A Running Club Is 100 Miles Outside of the Mainstream — by Jere Longman, The New York Times, 28 July 1997

• ULTRARUNNING; Runner's Death Places Sport Under Scrutiny — by Jere Longman, The New York Times, 7 March 2004

• A Spiritual Community in Reserve Is Also An Ultramarathon Powerhouse — by Leslie Linthicum, Albuquerque Journal, 21 May 2006

• Hearings, Reports and Prints of the House Committee on Internal Security — articles from The Hatchet, Washington State University’s student newspaper, 1968

• Survivor! — by Eric Dexheimer, Westword, 21 September 2000

• Born Again Bodies: Flesh and Spirit in American Christianity — by R. Marie Griffith, University of California Press, 2004

• Business Database Search — Colorado Secretary of State

• The Corporation for the Dissemination of Teachings of Value Trademarks — Justia search, April 2023

• Corporation for the Dissemination of Teachings of Value — Cause IQ listing, accessed April 2023

• Homestar — Cause IQ listing, accessed April 2023

• Homestar Children’s Center — website About page, accessed April 2023

• Highland Intentional Community — listing on ic.org, accessed April 2023

• Tips for Going Uphill — Bridger Ridge Run blog post, 14 June 2011