Episode 253 - Lydia Oldham

Amy is a world-renowned author who in 2022 toed the line of the iconic Marathon des Sables. The race planted seeds for a story, one of ultra-running and mystery. In June 2025, 'RUNNER 13' was released. Amy joins the podcast to discuss the book and her MDS story.     Runner 13 is a thriller that drops readers straight into a deadly stage race across the Sahara, echoing the notorious Marathon des Sables in Morocco. McCulloch's own experience running that event shapes every detail - the brutal desert landscape, the psychological toll, and the obsession with endurance that defines the sport. The story follows Adrienne, a once-great ultrarunner forced back into competition, and Stella, daughter of the race's manipulative director, Boones. His events, modelled on real-world extreme events, they aren't designed to be won, but to break runners. Central to the mystery is Runner 13, a symbol of both glory and doom. Told in sharp, cliff-hanging chapters that jump between present and past, the novel feels like Agatha Christie transplanted to the Sahara: a brutal race where survival, not victory, is the prize, and where Morocco's desert becomes both the setting and the trap.

From Lockdown Laps to FKT's Lydia started running during lockdown whist living in the UK. From very slow 2km runs, Lydia soon progressed to creating her own approach to running and ultra. She did road marathons, but did them different, failed at her first ultra, but then something clicked... • The Speed Project solo in the USA – 500km in 5 days. • Oman Desert Marathon – done. •FKT across 650km of the Camino de Santiago in Portugal – done. Now she lines up at OCC during UTMB week and follows up with her own fundraising project in the UK. 2026? she's coming to Costa Rica to face heat, jungle, mountains, and coastline of The Coastal Challenge

You may assume it's all about speed and pressure. Not this time. Norwegian runner, Abelone Lyng, put her own spin on the legend that is the DNT MASSIV TRAIL: 364 km, and just under 13,000 m vertical gain across four national parks in Norway: Breheimen, Jotunheimen, Skarvheimen, and Hardangervidda.  In just 10-days, Abelone moved fast and light, unbroken, solo, yet utterly connected. She didn't chase a formal FKT. She chased what she coined a "Funnest Known Time."  

Elisabet Barnes is a 5x participant at MDS The Legendary and a 2x champion. In 2025, Elisabet returned to the Legendary with different goals, different perspectives and to experience the race without the pressure of the podium. Her last MDS participation was 2017. A great deal has happened in the last 8-years, Covid for one and of course, a change of organisation at The Legendary. With extensive experience of MDS as a participant and coach, Elisabet provides and in-depth insight of the 'new' Legendary. "...very friendly, cheerful, supportive, it was a very positive experience to come to a checkpoint or the finish line. There was always people on the course wether in buggies or a medic running the opposite way; I saw so many people on the course, it was good for moral but it also felt safe... but I never felt there was less people on the course, actually I think there was more and they could access everywhere." Evolution not revolution.

Episode 250 of Talk Ultra is a discussion with Cyril Gauthier abou the MDS brand in 2025. We discuss many things: Handi, Trek, Namibia, the weather, planning, strategy and the future of MDS. Importantly, we also discuss Legendary.

Kilian Jornet recently connected 82 4000m peaks in the Alps in an amazing 19-days. He covered a total of 1207km's and climbed a total of 75,334m+ On episode 249 of Talk Ultra, we discuss this amazing project!

The first edition of MDS Cappadocia took place in June 2024. A unique race in a unique landscape. We speak with 71-year old Liz Ward who achieved her first MDS bling after multiple attempts.   

Episode 247 of Talk Ultra and we catch up with competitors from the 2024 MDS The Legendary for thoughts and feedback with Cecilie Lehmann Gianneri, Natalya Platanova and Nicki Marsh. 

Episode 246 of Talk Ultra is with Nicki Marsh as we countdown to Marathon des Sables - The Legendary. With a 50th birthday looming in 2024 Nicki had been toying with lots of ideas of how to celebrate... The only thing that truly excited me (and could fit around work!) was MDS. Her husband had done it in 2017 and said never again.  However, it took him all of 30 seconds to agree to do it again, with Nicki!

Episode 245 of Talk Ultra is with Ferdinand Charriau, head of communications for Marathon des Sable - The Legendary. In this podcast we discuss the final details as the 2024 edition is just weeks away.