10th Mayors' International Bike Ride brings community together
More than 500 cyclists rode from Yuma, Arizona, across the U.S.-Mexico border into San Luis, Mexico.
Bonus Smiles
Hosted by Public Radio Runner
Bonus Smiles is a narrative music show about the miles and stories runners share on trail, from Cocodona to local runs, told through runners and their playlists.
Saturdays 5am (Arizona) · Full schedule
Fresh off the trail
Latest episodes
Your host
Meet Public Radio Runner
Public Radio Runner is the veteran trash panda who calls the dumpster behind his local public radio station home. He hosts and produces Bonus Smiles, on the radio and as a podcast, and he's an alum of the Association of Independents in Radio (AIR) New Voices Fellowship.
He loves snacks, running distances people hate driving, and above all the trail, ultra, and public radio communities. The friend, family member, or rando cheering you on at the Mile 77 aid station is the same kind of person who supports local public radio. They both show up for their community when it hurts.
When he's not on the trail, he's volunteering at the station with good vibes, snacks, and a camera or two. Before starting his media production company, he taught writing and journalism in higher education. Alongside the station's News Director, he co-founded a student newsroom that is now award-winning! The Student Newsroom produces two shows: The Hot Spot (in English) and Siendo Primero (in Spanish).
Field reports
Public Media Reporting
Runners for Public Lands
A feature on trail runners and public lands, aired in KAWC's weekly newsmagazine Arizona Edition.
Dave's Edition: Celebrating Dave Riek on his retirement
Public Radio Runner takes over Arizona Edition for a look back at KAWC General Manager Dave Riek's career, from his early days at KNAU in the '80s to KAWC and KOFA Border Radio.
Race check-in
Be a guest on Bonus Smiles
It's a narrative music show
That means we focus on your story. This isn't an interview show, so it's okay to take a detour and come back, pause for a long time, or make a mistake! Most of the work happens in post. I'll cut and rearrange your detours so they sound like one continuous story :)
The runner guide describes the show, maps out the radio broadcast, and has a few tips.
The playlist
We're looking for 10–12 songs (about 40–45 minutes) from your playlist. No pressure to narrow it down before we meet. Working through it together can be part of the fun! Super type A and want to share yours ahead of time? Here's my Spotify profile.
Heads up: cutting a 20-hour playlist down to 10–12 songs is hard! I believe in you! Dig deep for the teenage you who made mixtapes by holding a cassette recorder up to the speakers. Or maybe your boombox had a built-in tape deck? Burned CDs of songs from LimeWire and Napster? Great, see, you've got this!
A Thank You Gift
You'll get a digital bib to commemorate the "race." You pick the bib number and name. Want to go elite with just your first name? Done! A trail name? Absolutely! Have fun with it!
For physical swag, we need a physical address 😊 Please include a shipping address if you want it. Otherwise, you'll receive digital swag only.
Gear check
- Headphones
- Mic (external or wired headset preferred)
- A quiet environment
- Your playlist! (10–12 songs for broadcast)
Apply
Tell us a little about you! Only takes a few minutes.
Apply to be a guest →Book
If you're a good fit, you'll receive a separate booking invite.
Editorial independence
Our ethics & sponsorship policy
Bonus Smiles is first and foremost a public radio program. That means it's by the people, for the people. We take public media standards, ethics, and transparency seriously. Sponsors and underwriters have zero influence on editorial judgment.
We carry these values into the podcast version too.
Current supporter: UltrAspire
- Sponsors don't shape stories. Sponsors or underwriters never see, approve, or influence episodes, guests, or editing.
- Clearly labeled. Underwriting credits are always identified as such and kept separate from a guest's story.
- Host-read credits, public radio style. On the podcast, Public Radio Runner reads short credits himself, like “Support for the show comes from UltrAspire.” They follow public radio underwriting style: no endorsements, no sales pitches, and no influence on the episode. On KOFA, underwriting follows KAWC's guidelines.
- Same rules for everyone. If a sponsor becomes part of a story, we cover them as we would anyone else: fairly, accurately, and with context, and we tell you they're a supporter.
- Guests' stories are theirs. Guests aren't paid to appear and don't pay to appear. We edit for flow, never to change what you meant.
- Vetted partners. We vet sponsors and underwriters to make sure they don't conflict with our mission or our community.
Say hi
Work with us
Be a guest
Got a trail story and a playlist that carried you through it? Start with the application.
How to applySponsor & underwrite
Support community-powered audio. Read our ethics policy first, then reach out.
Get in touch