The DEF CON Run Tradition with Shepard and Panda
Shepard and Panda join Silk to share the origins, history, and community camaraderie behind the unofficial DEF CON morning run.
Summary
In this high-spirited community feature from DEF CON 33, host Hal Vetagoth chats with Shepard and Panda about the enduring hacker tradition of morning distance running down the Las Vegas Strip. Opening at 00:00, the guests describe running through the desert heat and detail the various organized running routes, including an ambitious run that visits every historic hotel venue that has hosted DEF CON since its inception.
At 01:02, Shepard and Panda explain how online connections in infosec Discord servers blossomed into annual real-life traditions, bringing together remote friends to share a house and experience DEF CON in person each year.
Closing at 02:03, the runners share their conference highlights, celebrating how the welcoming convention atmosphere allows natural introverts to feel comfortable socializing. They highlight discovering unexpected domains like hardware hacking and competing late into the night in intense capture-the-flag competitions. (AI summary — Gemini Flash)
Related talks
Village Interviews·2 min
The Gibson
The DEF CON Video Team catches up with The Gibson to explore Hackers.town and fediverse community building for hackers.
Village Interviews·10 min
Cliff Stoll
The DEF CON Video Team sits down for an animated after-hours conversation with astronomer, hacker-hunter, and author Cliff Stoll.
Village Interviews·1 min
Guzi Media
The DEF CON Video Team and Guzi Media ask the red-shirted Goon staff what it takes to organize, protect, and run DEF CON.