Dirt Church Radio Trail Running

Kia ora e te whānau. You can learn a bit about a person from standing on a finish line with them through the night, and we were super lucky to have had that experience at TUM with Martin Gaffuri.  We are so unbelievably stoked to bring you this conversation. It’s been a minute in the making and is well worth the wait. We spoke to Martin on the shore of Lake Hāwea, in the cradle of the mountains, with a man who is a veteran of our sport on both sides of the tape, being intimately involved in the highest echelons of trail running in performance and business. We learn about Martin’s history, the intricacies of just what it takes to put on a little race like UTMB, how Martin lost and found his love of the sport, the mental game of ultrarunning both from the performance and contractual side, with a side bonus of what his old mate R. Croft of Stillwater, West Coast, is up to. Uplifting, wise, and informative, Martin is the real deal. Enjoy.Episode Links Martin Gaffuri Instagram Martin Gaffuri TwitterVert.Run  SCOTT Running Summit CoffeeOUT TRAILSJulbo Eyewear UltrAspireirunfarGivealitle for Kerry’s Rehab Dirt Church Radio on InstagramDirt Church Radio on Twitter Dirt Church Radio on Facebook Dirt Church Radio on PatreonCieleFurther Faster New Zealand

Kia ora e te whānau. Not to gush, but if Eugene and Matt did ever start a DCR book club, the first book in the curriculum would be Feet In The Clouds by Richard Askwith. For years we discussed inviting Richard on, but never had the courage to do so, until by happy chance we were prompted by a DCR listener. As well as being an author, Richard is a runner, journalist, and writer. He’s most famous for Feet in the Clouds, a gorgeous book about the fell-running scene in the United Kingdom, but he’s published so much brilliant writing on running - Today We Die a Little about Zatopek is one of Eugene’s favourite books of all time. His latest book is The Race Against Time, about ageing and running. Eugene and Matt caught up with him at his home where he was quite bemused about the fact a trail running podcast down here would want to chat with him.   Enjoy.Episode Links Richard Askwith SCOTT Running Summit CoffeeOUT TRAILSJulbo Eyewear UltrAspireirunfarGivealitle for Kerry’s Rehab Dirt Church Radio on InstagramDirt Church Radio on Twitter Dirt Church Radio on Facebook Dirt Church Radio on PatreonCieleFurther Faster New Zealand

Kia ora e te whānau. Last time Eugene and Matt spoke to Nancy Jiang was way back in 2018 on DCR #16. Way back then Nancy was beginning her trail running story, having just carved it up at the CCC and coming 15th at the world mountain running champs. Fast forward five years and we find the 2023 Tarawera 102km champion finally in a place where she’s not continuously hungry, and her feet aren’t throbbing, having just taken it home at the big dance and punched her Golden Ticket for the Western States Endurance Run. We speak to a human being who is standing in her power, training effectively, consistently, and coming off the big red ‘S’ to focus more time getting after it with solid intention. We talk about being busted by her coach (his lordship Jono Wyatt) mid-run, to her strategy and approach to Tarawera and how finally her parents have come around to the fact that maybe Chinese people can run.  Enjoy.Episode Links Nancy Jiang on Instagram La Sportiva NZLet’s Get Nancy Jiang to WSER!!!SCOTT Running Summit CoffeeOUT TRAILSJulbo Eyewear UltrAspireirunfarGivealitle for Kerry’s Rehab Dirt Church Radio on InstagramDirt Church Radio on Twitter Dirt Church Radio on Facebook Dirt Church Radio on PatreonCieleFurther Faster New Zealand

Kia ora e te whānau. Eugene and Matt had the privilege of speaking with Ryan Montgomery from Park City, Utah, whilst he was at the Tarawera Ultramarathon by UTMB 102km. Born and raised in the misty Pacific Northwest, Ryan is a lover of outdoor spaces. Ryan ran his first marathon at 15 years old and was immediately inspired by long-distance running. Since his debut ultra marathon in 2016, he has run races such as the Wasatch Front 100, Badwater 135, and Tahoe 200. He placed 2nd at the 100-mile USATF National Championships in 2019, qualified for 24-Hour Team USA in 2020, and received a Golden Ticket for Western States at the Javelina Jundred in 2021. As a queer, gay runner, Ryan is passionate about creating community for LGBTQ+ athletes out on the trails. Ryan is the co-founder of Out Trails, an opportunity to bring queer together in outdoor places. This is an amazing conversation with an amazing human being at the height of his athletic prowess who is flying the flag (literally and figuratively) for true inclusion for all in the outdoor space. In addition to our conversation with Ryan we offer our aroha to the community so badly affected by the recent cyclone and share with you a remarkable Greatest Run Ever.  Enjoy.Episode Links Ryan Montgomery on Instagram Altra RunningUltimate Direction SuuntoGnarly NutritionSCOTT Running Summit CoffeeOUT TRAILSJulbo Eyewear UltrAspireirunfarGivealitle for Kerry’s Rehab Dirt Church Radio on InstagramDirt Church Radio on Twitter Dirt Church Radio on Facebook Dirt Church Radio on PatreonCieleFurther Faster New Zealand

Kia ora e te whānau. HOLY HECKA we’ve got a stacked show for you this week. From the shores of Lake Okataina (literally) to the village green where we interviewed a galaxy of this sport’s brightest stars, Tarawera Ultramarathon by UTMB always brings the goods and this year was no different. Eugene and Matt were on MC duties from Saturday evening until Sunday morning, and in between they managed to catch up with 10000 people, record a podcast, go for some sweet runs, share the stories and emotions with a tonne of athletes and sit down to talk with Hayden Hawks, Caitlin Fielder, Ryan Montgomery, Zach Friedley, Troy Sachs, Lucy Bartholomew, and Zach Miller. You can thank us later, we’re off to bed.  Enjoy.Episode Links Tarawera Ultramarathon by UTMBHayden Hawks on Instagram Caitlin Fielder on Instagram Ryan Montgomery on Instagram Zach Friedley on InstagramTroy Sachs on Instagram Lucy Bartholomew on Instagram Zach Miller on Instagram SCOTT Running Coros NZJulbo Eyewear UltrAspireirunfarGivealitle for Kerry’s Rehab Dirt Church Radio on InstagramDirt Church Radio on Twitter Dirt Church Radio on Facebook Dirt Church Radio on PatreonCieleFurther Faster New Zealand

Kia ora e te whānau. An elite mindset is transferable across all ventures. Just ask Daniele Danesin. This week, Eugene and Matt sit down to talk with the five-time world champion rower and Olympian about his transition to running trails, his love of endurance, his background growing up in Italy, and what drove him to put down his football boots and pick up an oar. This conversation is an incredible insight into what makes an athlete elite, delivered in one of the most engaging, pleasant, and humble manners. Daniele is not only the current Crater Rim champion, and runner up at Old Ghost Ultra, he is also an award winning brewer with Cassels Brewing Co. We talk about Daniele’s lessons learned, his approach to training, and racing, why it’s better to not be like an apple tree, and how he’d rather run 100 miles than ever use a rowing machine again. Enjoy.Episode Links Hayden Hawks on DCR Caitlin Fielder on DCR Zachary Friedly on DCR Lucy Bartholomew on DCR #1Lucy Bartholomew on DCR #2Cassels Brewing CoSCOTT Running Coros NZJulbo Eyewear UltrAspireirunfarGivealitle for Kerry’s Rehab Dirt Church Radio on InstagramDirt Church Radio on Twitter Dirt Church Radio on Facebook Dirt Church Radio on PatreonCieleFurther Faster New Zealand

This is a DCR special bonus repeat episode. Back in Episode 126 we caught up with Dr Tom Reynolds, part of the medical team at the Tarawera Ultra. Now, in that episode, as well as talking to him about his own incredible endurance feats, we spoke to him about the top tips he has for athletes undertaking trail races of all distances - the things to do and to avoid to make it back home safely. Now, these are tips that apply to all races, but with Tarawera just about upon on us, we wanted to share this conversation with you again because it’s important stuff and it’s worth repeating.Episode linksTarawera Ultramarathon  The five things to help you during Tarawera (and other races)SCOTT Running Coros NZJulbo Eyewear UltrAspireirunfarGivealitle for Kerry’s Rehab Dirt Church Radio on InstagramDirt Church Radio on Twitter Dirt Church Radio on Facebook Dirt Church Radio on PatreonCieleFurther Faster New Zealand

Kia ora e te whānau. It’s fair to say that Eugene and Matt are  getting super excited about Tarawera coming up. And this week, they are super grateful to be able to catch up with their MC amigos Ali Pottinger and Kerry Suter. Two absolute legends and the folk behind Squadrun, the coaching and running community phenomena. Ali and Kerry are the chief cheerleaders of trail running in Aotearoa and Australia, they coach and support thousands of people, and you’ll often find them on the mic at races around the country. Kerry was one of the first people associated with Tarawera when Paul Charteris founded it, and he had an extraordinary running career of his own until an awful mountain bike accident last year left him with serious injuries. In this week’s episode the gang engages in a  full preview of the races and Kerry and Ali share some of their incredible knowledge about how to take on the Tarawera course. And there are plenty of laughs along the way. Enjoy.Episode Links SCOTT Running Coros NZJulbo Eyewear UltrAspireirunfarGivealitle for Kerry’s Rehab Dirt Church Radio on InstagramDirt Church Radio on Twitter Dirt Church Radio on Facebook Dirt Church Radio on PatreonCieleFurther Faster New Zealand

Kia ora e te whānau. We’re BACK!! This week Eugene and Matt speak to Matt Bixley, a South Island trail running legend. Matt went from the couch to 18 Keplers, and a bunch of Rogaines and Barkley Marathons, in fact, Matt is the International Rogaining Association president. He was a Salomon athlete for a bit there too, and what he doesn’t know about the Kepler Challenge and the lord of the race ain’t worth knowing. Matt is well known for his opinions and his straight- talking style. This is a brilliant conversation with a very wise human, who is incidentally quite good at running for ages. Enjoy.Episode Links SCOTT Running Coros NZJulbo Eyewear UltrAspireirunfarGivealitle for Kerry’s Rehab Dirt Church Radio on InstagramDirt Church Radio on Twitter Dirt Church Radio on Facebook Dirt Church Radio on PatreonCieleFurther Faster New Zealand

Kia ora e te whānau. Welcome to the third and final week of the 2023 DCR Summer Editions. And what a way to finish up. Dr Stacy Sims is a powerhouse of empowerment and agency for the female athlete, her books, Roar, and Next Level have been hugely popular. The statement that women are not just smaller men sounds QED, however it is one that has been largely ignored by the academic and sporting establishment. Stacy aims to turn that on its head. Episode Links Dr Stacy Sims Women Aren’t Small Men TEDxSCOTT Running Coros NZJulbo Eyewear UltrAspireirunfarGivealitle for Kerry’s Rehab Dirt Church Radio on InstagramDirt Church Radio on Twitter Dirt Church Radio on Facebook Dirt Church Radio on PatreonCieleFurther Faster New Zealand