The Trail and Error Podcast

Buckle up for a long one, it's a 'Race Special' episode! Lewis went back to Chamonix with unfinished business and a plan to run UTMB faster than he had before. But a badly timed ankle injury in the weeks leading into the race meant that by the time he stood on the start line, the goal had already changed. What followed was 115km around Mont Blanc, through France and Italy and into Switzerland, before Lewis eventually made the decision to call it a day. In this UTMB Race Special we hear what it's really like to be amongst the crowds and chaos of UTMB week in Chamonix, experience the incredible atmosphere out on the course and find out what happened when the race started to unravel.Was it the lack of training, nutrition and hydration, a few poor decisions or had Lewis's race actually started to go wrong several weeks before he even reached Chamonix? And, most importantly, does he want another crack at it?Find out in this episode of Trail and Error.Thanks again to all of you for listening. If you have a moment please, like, subscribe and if you have a few seconds more, perhaps write a short review.It's all a great help to us in growing the audience and is very much appreciated!Lewis, Jay and Matt

When 3 friends agree to run the 200+ miles of the Camino Primitivo to Santiago de Compostela and 2 of them don't even make the start line, Laura Briggs packs her kit and goes and runs it anyway. From an idea based on running adventures overseas but without using air travel, Laura set off into a world unknown to her of pilgrims, hostels and the relentless daily miles needed to get from the start in Oviedo to the finish and the back in time to catch her ferry home. All having never set foot on the trail before. How did it go, what did she learn and would she do it again? Find out in this episode of Trail and Error. Thanks again to all of you for listening. If you have a moment please, like, subscribe and if you have a few seconds more, perhaps write a short review. It's all a great help to us in growing the audience and is very much appreciated!Jay, Matt and Lewis

It's not everyday you get to sit down with someone who has started a global phenomenon so it was a honour to spend an hour chatting with Paul Sinton-Hewitt, the founder of parkrun. In a wide ranging chat we talk about the challenges he faced in bringing to life his vision and fulfilling the promise of the idea he spawned after a suffering a serious injury. With Matt being a parkrun event director and Paul being the founder it forced Jay to step up and experience his first ever parkrun after 13 years of running ultras! Was he converted? You'll have to listen to find out. Thanks again to all of you for listening. If you have a moment please, like, subscribe and if you have a few seconds more, perhaps write a short review. It's all a great help to us in growing the audience and is very much appreciated!Jay, Matt and Lewis

We're joined in this episode by Sam Calvert the UTMB UK Event Director and by Andrew 'Ferg' Ferguson, Race Director of the Arc of Attrition to discuss changes to the next edition of this beloved race. In a really wide ranging and open chat we discussed course changes to the Arc 100 and new races and the new race finish. We also talk about UTS and lessons learned from the changes there along with the new Skyline Scotland race and youth events. Thanks again to all of you for listening. If you have a moment please, like, subscribe and if you have a few seconds more, perhaps write a short review. It's all a great help to us in growing the audience and is very much appreciated!Jay , Lewis and Matt

Helen-Ann Hartley is the current Bishop of Newcastle and, as a member of the 'Lords Spiritual', has a seat in the UK House of Lords. She's also about to take on her first ultramarathon, the 43 mile Sprint Summer North race.She joins me and Matt to cover her running journey to this point and how her life and work have influenced and cemented her love of running, particularly as a large portion of the Spine course passes through her parish in the north of England. So please join us for a very interesting episode where we find out about her friendship with Keith Dunn - the voice of the Barkley Marathons on Twitter - her experience at the London marathon in 2026 and more surprising facts about this inspiring woman. Thanks again to all of you for listening. If you have a moment please, like, subscribe and if you have a few seconds more, perhaps write a short review. It's all a great help to us in growing the audience and is very much appreciated!Jay and Matt

Episode 103We were lucky enough to grab an hour with 4 x Leadville Trail 100 winner and coach Ian Sharman ahead of the release of his much anticipated first book 'The Art of Ultrarunning'. We chat about the highs and lows of his long running career and why mistakes are such and important part of the journey in endurance sports. Ian's book will probably become a bit of a running bible in short order as he weaves a narrative of his own experiences and that of some of the most successful runners of the past 15 years to create a treasure trove of knowledge that runners of all levels will gain something from. We also discuss common runner problems such as why obsessing about equipment maybe isn't the best plan and what runners should focus on instead. You can find Ian at: www.sharmanultra.com The Art of Ultrarunning is available to pre-order here:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Art-Ultrarunning-Strategies-Long-Distance-Runners/dp/1718252439and for social media follow: @sharmanainAs always, once we hit record the time flies by so we hope you enjoy this episode as much as we enjoyed recording it. Thanks again to all of you for listening. If you have a moment please, like, subscribe and if you have a few seconds more, perhaps write a short review. It's all a great help to us in growing the audience and is very much appreciated!Jay and Lewis

Episode 102 Sha Khan Visually Impaired Ultra Trail RunnerImagine you're taking on the Arc of Attrition. Wild weather, technical trail, hundreds of other runners all moving at different speeds and all funneling down the narrow coast path with you.Now imagine all of that and you're visually impaired!Meet Sha Khan, a visually impaired ultra trail runner who took on and completed this year's Arc of Attrition 12 by UTMB in January. In this episode we dive into the story of how Sha, who wasn't a runner before losing his eyesight, discovered purpose and freedom through trail running. I'm joined again by Matt Whyman, friend and author of 'Failure is not an option' , as Sha explains the nuts and bolts of how running tethered to a guide works, from learning to walk, to a 5k, to the Arc. There's no stopping him now as he'll soon be taking on the mountain trails around Mt. Blanc on MCC! Inspiring, brave and brimming with energy, I hope you enjoy this chat with Sha and if YOU fancy being part of his attempt on the Arc 100 in 2027 listen to learn how to get involved as a running guide!Thanks again to all of you for listening. If you have a moment please, like, subscribe and if you have a few seconds more, perhaps write a short review. It's all a great help to us in growing the audience and is very much appreciated!Jay and Lewis (and Matt)

Episode 101I'm joined on this episode by Danny Stokes, founder of TrailFam, and my friend and author of 'Failure is an option' Matt Whyman as co-host. What fires someone up enough to launch a charity? Danny's experience of lockdown vs. his students' experience was the catalyst to set about bringing change in how access to green spaces and nature is provisioned for young people. We dive into the nuts and bolts of how this inspiring charity helps young people increase their fitness, explore the outdoors and also improve their future life pathways. We also chat about the future of the charity and its new expansion to my home county of Cornwall as well as plans beyond 2026. Thanks again to all of you for listening. If you have a moment please, like, subscribe and if you have a few seconds more, perhaps write a short review. It's all a great help to us in growing the audience and is very much appreciated!Jay and Lewis (and Matt)

For our 100th Episode I had the pleasure of chatting to the super talented Mercedes Siegle-Gaither.We're clearly on full Arc of Attrition mode now as we're just 48 hours away from the start of the 100 race and it was so much fun hearing about her prep and chatting too about the race, her entry into the sport and the comparisons between north American and European trails and where the differences are. We talk about her race at UTS and how she and her kit handled the jagged Eryri peaks and blistering heat during the race. And we cover burning topics such as who makes the best danish pastries and whether poles are a good idea and how pole etiquette should be mandatory training. Find out more about Mercedes on her IG feed - @theslimcedeThanks again to all of you for listening. If you have a moment please, like, subscribe and if you have a few seconds more, perhaps write a short review. It's all a great help to us in growing the audience and is very much appreciated!Jay and Lewis #arcofattritionbyutmb

Sabrina Stanley joins me on this episode as we look towards her upcoming participation in the 2026 Arc of Attrition by UTMB. For Sabrina the podium and quite often first place came regularly from 2016 onwards. A 4th place finish in Leadville was quickly followed by a 3rd place in States in 2017, followed by taking the win at Hardrock the year. After the race world emerged from the pandemic she went onto take another win on her return to Hardrock in 2021. From thereon European races including a 2nd at UTS 100M became regular occurrences in her race calendar and two top ten finishes, 9th and then 7th at UTMB came in '23 and '24 respectively. In the midst of preparing for her return to Chamonix to improve that position further came a cancer diagnosis. After multiple surgeries including a hysterectomy she emerged stronger and closed out her 'worst and best' year by marrying Tim! Now in recovery, and with her most recent treatment only months ago she's getting back on the horse with her first race, the 100 mile Arc. We also chat about her sponsorship as an OnlyFans Athlete and how they supported her with their innovative approach to sponsorship and the freedoms that affords her. I think this runners positive mental attitude will truly astound you and I think she's got her best running still ahead of her. I really hope you enjoy this episode! Thanks again to all of you for listening. If you have a moment please, like, subscribe and if you have a few seconds more, perhaps write a short review. It's all a great help to us in growing the audience and is very much appreciated!Jay and LewisImage credit - Phil Mckenzie