Trail Culture (Emily Robertson)

Hearing from the humans, the final episode of MUT Moments is all about the people. The athletes who’ve had the courage to show up for this event after months of preparation, each with their own story. From running for a cause, to the competition of the podium, to showing up for the first time on a trail start line. These are just a few of the moments captured as we’ve checked in with these amazing humans.

The links:

Donate to Usapho Indlu

A story of sportsmanship: Admire

Liv2Run

Is this triathlon in 24 hours possible?

Calling Cape Town | 8km Robben Island swim, the Cape Town Cycle Tour, then the 3 peaks mountain challenge.

This event certainly isn’t for the feint hearted. All this happens to raise funds for Calling Education. An organisation that has set out to provide top quality education to low income learners in South Africa.

Links:

Calling Education

Calling Cape Town Challenge

How to donate?

Are thresholds important or is it just training hype?

This week Colin Fleming, coach, triathlete & physiologist, joins us to talk about metabolic testing. Why is it important, how results should be applied, the difference between our thresholds & more.

We chat through a case study and use test results from a real athlete to show how to practically apply results you get from this sort of testing, to your training.

What was it like to grow up with trail culture?

A Stellenbosch local & @salomon_sa athlete. Lijan Burger has grown up in the trail culture of South Africa.

In this episode, we cover:

• The story of her first trail experience with her Dad

• Movement as a family value

• Lijans holistic approach to life & running

• Defining good health in the trail space

• Her upcoming adventure 🌍

& more

Does power have a place in trail running? We’re back with another Trail Science episode. This week, Simon de Waal from Rooted in Dirt joins us to talk about power as a performance metric.

• When should we use power?
• How is it measured?
• What should the real world application look like?
• & does power work as a performance measure in the trail running space?

Research & female endurance athletes - are we doing enough?

Our fourth Trail Science episode is all about the research journey & women in sport. Are we asking the right questions? How can we add to the body of research? We cover all of this along with an exciting announcement.

This week, we’re trying something new with our first round table episode. This week the Flatrock Endurance team joins us to talk about the well-balanced approach. We talk about all things coaching, the process they follow at flatrock, what each coach brings to the table, how they overcome challenges and more.

From Annecy to the UK to Cape Town, we’ve got Tonis race experience and passion for nutrition, Brendans background in S&C and Erins gift of understanding athletes - all of these things make for a great episode and discussion.

Keep up to date with all things Trail Culture: https://www.trailculture.co.za/ Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailcultureza/

// TOPICS COVERED

(0:00) Welcome!

(05:06) The strengths of each coach

(08:30) The coaching structure

(12:14) The great April Fools joke

(17:54) Trail culture in the UK (23:00) Athlete health

(24:56) The learning curve for new athletes (27:10) Toni on hard truths & managing expectations

(29:20) Brendan: building the athlete's house

(30:45) Erin: When to compromise and trust the plan

(33:10) Toni on moving to the ultra distances

(37:40) Erin: different distances and and their value

(39:40) Brendan: The cost of running Ultras

(41:10) Mistakes and learnings from the coaching journey

(50:48) Capacity and finding the balance in a program

(52:58) The future of trail running

(1:03:02) Dreams in the pipeline

// SHARE AND RATE THE PODCAST!

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/trail-culture/id1709631577

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4eLM3gAMxZBOjUHAaGcBeu

The craft of coaching 💭 Part 1

So stoked to have James Montgomery on the podcast to share his extensive experience & talk about what it takes to be a great coach. 🏃🏽‍♂️ 🏃🏼‍♀️📈 We talk about the evolving athlete, the balance between fun and hard training, the structured vs intuitive approach to running & more.

Special thank to Carbon Endurance for fuelling Season 2 of Trail Culture.

Carbon Endurance Instagram

Carbon Endurance Sport Consulting

The Run Project

Fooled by Randomness

Damien Schumann joins us to talk about his journey with trail running, adventure and his involvement with Run West. A project in collaboration with Protect the West Coast that uses trail running for environmental activism against the mining projects along that coastline.

Protect the West Coast

Run West Instagram

Run West Article

Damien Schumann Instagram

Wild Air Podcast with Damien

For our nerdy fans out there, the Trail Science episodes are back! 💥🎙️

Up first is: Fit but Unhealthy? Are we prioritising performance over health & wellness? In this episode we unpack these ideas & talk about some of the early signs of LEA & RED-S. 🍎

I’m excited to continue the scientific journey alongside Simon de Waal from Rooted in Dirt. In this season we’ll continue to dive into the more academic side of trail running, unpacking the latest research and trying to make sense of this amazing sport through a scientific lens.

// TOPICS COVERED

(0:00) Welcome!

(07:06) Snow in the Karkloof

(09:15) Lessons in chafe on the trails

(13:42) Trail research & participation

(16:55) Female participation and health challenges

(25:32) LEA & RED-s: What coaches should know?

(30:18) The female athlete triad

(37:41) Signs & symptoms of RED-s

(42:15) Hormonal imbalances & early detection

(47:16) Reducing the risk of RED-s

(53:11) Injuries & illness related to RED-s

(56:10) The good conversation

Keep up to date with all things Trail Culture: https://www.trailculture.co.za/ Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailcultureza/

// SHARE AND RATE THE PODCAST!

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/trail-culture/id1709631577

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4eLM3gAMxZBOjUHAaGcBeu

Simon Pocock: The art of story telling and human connection

Join us this week as we chat to a local talent & friend of the trail community, Simon Pocock. A wizard with the camera, this guy has a gift for storytelling and connecting with people. We explore that as well as his entry in the sports media space & some of his creative experiences over the years.

🎥 Chapter Markers:

00:00 - Welcome to 2025: Season 2 continues

01:34 - Raised outdoors: Falling in love with sport

05:49 - Entry to film: Finding filmmaking

13:15 - Team Terrex: The event space and the teams season

21:47 - International Events: Sport media in different cultures

26:24 - Event media: Where it all began

38:16 - The future of the sport: Simons take on the growth of sport media and what’s next

45:30 - Personal projects: Skill development and working on passion projects

51:23 - Human connection: Empathy in the work place

56:42 - Running goals: Balancing work and training

1:09:00 - Outro

🌄 Whether you’re a seasoned ultrarunner or simply love incredible stories of human connection and creativity, this episode is packed with inspiration, practical advice, and captivating storiess. Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes featuring extraordinary guests like Simon Pocock. 🙌

🔗 Links & Resources:

- Trail Culture Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailcultureza/

- Trail Culture Coaching: https://www.trailculture.co.za/

- Simon Pocock Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/si_pocock/

- The Creative Act: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/717356/the-creative-act-by-rick-rubin/

This week we’ve got Dr Janesh Ganda joining us on the podcast. Janesh is currently the team doctor for the Springbok sevens, he’s a sports physician with years of experience in a range of different roles & an avid trail runner too

This week we dive into:

• The injury process

• When to push through

• Return to play after an injury

• Drug free sport & trail running

We look to the future of trail running & the anti-doping movement that’s quickly making its way into our sport. What does the drug free sport process look like & what can we expect from future testing?

What goes on behind the scenes?

The next episode of MUT moments dives into the BTS of putting on a world class event. This episode shares a range of experiences & insights from a handful of incredible humans on the MUT team.

The guests:

• Zane Schmahl - Race Director
• Colleen Browne - Route Marker & Sweeper
• Juliette Berger - Operations Manager UTMB World Series
• Marelize Rhodes - Logistics & Control Manager
• Marta Parez - Marketing for UTMB World Series

The links we all need:

Southern Summits Tours Website

Southern Summits contact: info@southernsummitstrailtours.co.za

UTMB World Series Instagram

The MKT Show: Live from MUT by UTMB

What is beyond the edge? This week we catch up with Brandon Hulley, New Balance athlete and George local. This episode looks to the mental side of Ultra running. We talk about the pain cave, what it takes to push through those moments where you want to quit & how to come back from a DNF. So great having an honest, easy chat & I hope it inspires you to be curious about what’s beyond the edge of yourself.

The difference | The family | The history 🦦

A magical stretch of coastline, it’s roots run deep with a special history. An incredible story of family, conservation, community and a single race making the greatest difference. Hearing these stories brings both memories & emotions to the surface. It’s a great privilege to share them with you. 🎙️ The Otter episode goes live tonight 💭 #trailculture

FACES AFRICA

THE OTTER TRAIL

The favorite child of South African trail running. The North Face athlete, Johardt van Heerden shares his build up to Otter, expectations for the "sub 4" goal, his experience of racing alpine athletes in Europe, his day out at OCC and more.

Instagram: @johardtvanheerden ; @vert.co_

Mafadi Peak Blog: https://livealittle.blog/2022/01/06/johardts-mafadi-fkt-attempt-the-back-story/

Mafadi Peak FKT Documentary (The North Face): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHhlA9aQKPs&t=2s

A motley crew of friends, 100kms & a skeleton 🏴‍☠️

So stoked to kick off season 2 of Trail Culture with an absolute legend, Petrus de Klerk 🤙🏼 Famed for their presence at Kloof Corner during UTCT, we chat to Petrus about the the Mountain Mxn, tradition, trail culture & more.

An incredible human with a gees crew of friends, a wicked sense of humor & stories to match. We’re back and the stoke is alive, enjoy.

Mountain MXN

Is a double DGT possible? The Drakensberg is a mysterious place that challenges even the most daring of Adventurer. Caro Jordaan takes us through her double DGT attempt, 450km with +19 000m of vert. She was the first woman to complete a double traverse & was part of the first team to do a double, back to back.

We dive into everything from packing, preparation and route tips all the way to her highlights and low points. This will leave you inspired to take on adventure.

Caro Jordaan Instagram

The first episode of MUT Moments. Brining you coverage from the MUT by UTMB Race Village where we find out what's been going on behind the scenes, who is running for a cause, are the athletes ready to give it their all & more.

First up on MUT Moments is our chat with the founder of LIV2Run Lindi Meyer, the team manager Thamsanqa Nxumalo & one of the elite athletes Sinovuyo Ngcobo.

These guys have put in the work and they’re ready to race. This episode kicks off with the founder @lindi_elaine sharing what LIV2Run is, how they got started & what their vision is. Then we chat to the Sinovuyo about the teams training & what the feelings are ahead of Saturdays race.

LIV2Run Website

Email: run@liv-village.com

What happens behind the scenes?

This week we catch up with @zaneschmahl the race director of George MUT by UTMB. From where the race started to becoming part of the UTMB World Series, to the operations that lead up to a favourite event on the trail calendar.

What are the psychological benefits to trail running?

In this episode we focus on:

• Exercising in a natural vs urban environment
• Effects of trail running on mental well being
• The psycho - evolutionary theory & attention restoration theory

We get stuck into the research after an anecdotal introduction round what trail running does for our mental well being personally.

Part 1: Dr Shaundre Jacobs joins us to discuss Sport Policy within the context of South Africa. We talk about accessibility, safety, social factors, the growth of the sport and backing our athletes who represent us at a national level. The chat then transitions into training as a female athlete in South Africa and what that looks like.

Instagram: @shaunyd_8 ; @stelliesshakeout

Research:

Full PhD: A configurational evaluation of Elite Sport Policy in South Africa: A realist perspective

Sport Policy Article

Country Profile: Sport in South Africa

This week I’m stoked to welcome an expert to the podcast. She is all knowing when it comes to physiology & sports nutrition 🍎🍰🥤

The founder of @fuel_form, Louise joins us this week to talk about piecing together the fuelling puzzle. Where to start, what to avoid & the origin story behind some classic nutrition myths 💭

What you’ll gain from this episode:

🌟 Insights into fuelling for Ultra running & how to get started .

💡 Tips on the types of things to eat & when to fuel when training and racing

🏞️ Inspiration to put the fuelling puzzle piece together to suit your goal

🎥 Chapter Markers:

00:00 - Welcome to 2025: Season 2 continues

02:10 The sports journey: Finding research & a passion for rugby

05:25 - PhD & international partners: Supplementing with ketones for physical & mental recovery

11:15 - The Cape Epic: Research in the field

14:15 - Fuel Form: Starting a business & real food focus

17:09 - Common struggles: GI distress, liquid nutrition & planning

22:10 - Electrolytes: When and how should athletes use them?

27:58 - Carbs are back : What is possible vs what is necessary?

34:25 - High fat low carb : What works for ultra runners

38:02 - Fuelling for sessions: Timing & fasted training

45:02 - Gut training: How to get start & what progress looks like 51:26 - In race fuel: Putting together your fuelling plan

This week I’m stoked to welcome Skye Clark to the podcast. He’s the perfect guy to chat to about consistency & finding sustainable training rhythms.

His hard work over the last few years is paying off & he’s quickly becoming a household name for the SA trail scene. In this episode we talk about Skyes history with the sport, how he’s chipped away at his race performances, what consistency in training will do for you & more. From strava banter with Petrus de Klerk, to training runs with Flat Rock Endurance - community & support is definitely a common theme that comes through. I hope you enjoy the episode

What you’ll gain from this episode:

🔥 Motivation to conquer your own goals & stick to the plan

🌟 Insights into staying consistent & finding sustainable rhythms

💡 Tips on balancing high-performance sports with family life

🎥 Chapter Markers:

00:00 - Welcome to 2025: Season 2 continues

01:45 - Growing up : The Comrades inspiration

04:46 - Finding Ultras: The roadmap to long distance

08:34 - The 100km stoke: Finding races that inspire him

10:00 - UTMB: The lotto & an unexpected adventure

15:10 - Strava wars: Petrus de Klerk & the segment banter

20:22 - Consistency always wins: Showing up & working on weaknesses

29:30 - The race mindset : Focus & considerations

35:25 - 100km rollercoster : UTCT & working through the challenges

40:02 - 2025 game plan: What’s next on the horizon

45:47 - The juggling act: Adaptability & support

49:45 - External perspective: Working with a coach & learning where to land

🔗 Links & Resources:

Skye Clark: Instagram

Naomi Brand is back on SA soil after spending the summer training and racing in Europe. An Ultra runner, vet, conservationist and an artist, she is a legend in the SA trail community. Naomi can be found on the startline of the most hectic ultras, to adventuring around New Zealand in her mobile home or painting during the short breaks she has after training and work.

Naomi has some amazing insights to share on the ups and downs of ultra running. How to come back from disappointment and to keep the dream alive. She talks about the importance of a support structure, processing emotions & taking time to reflect on race experiences. Next up for her is the UTCT 100 miler, we’re backing her all the way.

Stoked to welcome Naomi to the podcast today.

Keep up to date with all things Trail Culture: https://www.trailculture.co.za/

Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailcultureza/

// TOPICS COVERED

(0:00) Welcome!

(05:54) Her first miler & suffering

(08:56) UTCT & running on love

(16:23) The move to New Zealand & opportunities

(18:57) Trail Culture in New Zealand (20:38) Adventure as a lifestyle

(23:28) Van life & zero waste living (29:15) Glaciers, route & networks

(33:24) UTMB, risk & disappointment

(41:55) Figuring out race nutrition & planning

(1:00:10) Reading & inspiration

// RESOURCES MENTIONED

- Atomic Habits

https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits

// SHARE AND RATE THE PODCAST!

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/trail-culture/id1709631577

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4eLM3gAMxZBOjUHAaGcBeu

From research to running, this guy does it all. Simon de Waal joins us to discuss his latest research in trail running as he works towards his PhD. We discuss how the trail running world has changed and developed, our responsibility as scientists and what Trail Culture means to him. The founder of Stellies Shakeout and a hero in the trail community.

Instagram: @dewaal.simon ; @rootedindirt

Twitter: @dewaal17

E-mail: s.dewaal@glos.ac.uk

This week we’ve got a family favourite, local legend & runner with the most energy joining us on the podcast. Mike Obery talks about his local crew, the significance of community and the massive role running has played in his life. Mikes story has great depth and it’s incredible to see how this guy just keeps giving back to the trail community.

We talk about his journey with running, how it was his saving grace while he battled depression & anxiety, why he is so invested in crew culture & what's next in the pipeline for him this year.

From cross country, to a VK to marathon distance and ultra running. Kane Reilly as a broad experience in this epic sport. Todays episode takes a dive into:

• His training & racing process

• The athlete & Dad life

• His European racing experience & more.

Marz van der Merwe: A commitment to adventure

Join us this week as we chat to a local favorite, a tremendous talent & a well rounded athlete. So stoked to have @marz_merwe on the podcast this week 🎙️

We’ll be talking about everything from her sports journey to her professional development. 🤙🏼

🎥 Chapter Markers:

00:00 - Welcome to 2025: Season 2 continues

02:36 - Goal orientation: Finding trail running

04:37 - Early days: Racing & early mistakes

08:05 - The Coaster: Race directing & the Canada adventure

16:37 - International Events: Navigating UTMB & Western States

23:38 - Working with the GOAT: Jim Walmsley & sports media

31:03 - Western States: Backpack sprints & race highlights

39:32 - The comeback: Injuries & mindset

45:35 - The race calendar : Wildstrubel & racing emotions

52:55 - Outro: What’s next for Marz in 2025

🌄 Whether you’re a seasoned ultrarunner or simply love incredible stories of human endurance, this episode is packed with inspiration, practical advice, and captivating adventures. Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes featuring extraordinary guests like Mars van der Merwe. 🙌

🔗 Links & Resources:

Trail Culture Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailcultureza/

Trail Culture Coaching: https://www.trailculture.co.za/

From the Ghosts Above : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G0fNkk4g0A

Sherpa : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMWtu8Gb_HU

Marz van der Merwe website: https://www.marzellephotography.com/

Salomon athlete, Daniël Classeen joins us after his victory at Cape Town Trail Marathon as well as his decision to not race UTCT.

We get into how deep does the pain cave go. What does it look like to train with a process focus & what some of the highlights and lowlights of the last two seasons have been for him.

Instagram: @daniel_claassen_

This week, pocket rocket and adventurer, Mari Marincowitz joins us on the podcast to talk about her life journey. Running has remained the consistent thing throughout her travels and exploration. Fresh off a win at the @georgemountainultratrail Miler, she shares some of her stories & in part 2 we experience the Outeniqua once again through her lens.

From India, to Shanghai to South Africa. Part 1 of Mari’s interview takes us on a global journey. Running in different spaces, cultures and places, we get to know Mari and her development into the athlete she is today.

Stay tuned for Part 2 & for now, Episode 29 is live!

Welcome to our Trail Science episodes! A collaboration with Simon de Waal and Rooted in Dirt. We're introducing a separate category of episodes where we take a deep dive into relevant trail topics and to explore the research related to these trends.

First up is pacing for ultra marathons, What is pacing? How does it differ from road to trail running? How do I pace my ultra marathon at UTCT? We chat through all of this and more.

UTCT

@rootedindirt

@dewaal.simon

@trailcultureza

Matt Bouch has always wanted to run 100 miles. In this episode we chat about:

• His inspiration

• What keeps him coming back

• His recent performance at UTD

• How he’s developed his nutrition strategy

& more!

Laid back but intentional, Matt’s approach to the sport pulls through in this chat. We’ll be following him as he takes on his next few goals this year.

The North Face athlete, Kyle Herring joins us from the Netherlands to share some epic stories. From some history facts about the Hoefyster to a dive into his different European race experiences. This guy has run every piece of trail in Stellenbosch & has made an appearance on the road scene in the Netherlands, running some blitz times.

We cover:

• His history with the sport
• The coaching journey
• Mixing up trails & road when he plans his season
• Some stories from the Hoefyster route in Jonkershoek

How to plan my race season well?

This week we’ve got Coach Cobus from @ststri joining us. With 25+ years of coaching and racing experience across multiple disciplines, he shares his wisdom & insights on how to plan your year for training and racing. We cover everything from strategic planning, common mistakes athletes make, how to view your training overall & more.

An outdoor lifestyle in a comfortable society. One of the more philosophical chats on the podcast so far. Really enjoyed this conversation with Pierre, @the.flying.runner & co-founder of @mountainabandon

We cover:

• The role the Otter trail has played in his life

• Milers as emotional regulators

• Running vs training

• How to live an outdoor lifestyle in the current society

A follow up is already in the pipeline. Pierre has a wealth of knowledge & his love for the outdoors is the common thread throughout this episode.

This week it’s great to welcome an adventure race, race director, conservationist, MC, a Dad and an absolute trail legend, Robert Le Brun ie. Brundle. This guy has welcomed many an athlete over a finish line, he’s completed adventure racing world champs and runs an amazing series of outdoor events through No Frills No Fuss.

This guy loved rugged mountains, is always up for a challenge and has a passion for conservation and making the sport accessible to everyone.

// SHARE AND RATE THE PODCAST!

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/trail-culture/id1709631577

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4eLM3gAMxZBOjUHAaGcBeu

// TOPICS COVERED

(0:00) Welcome!

(03:48) A passion for sport

(07:40) Conservation & a career

(10:05) Adventure racing and Expedition Africa

(14:10) Navigation errors

(18:29) AR & the team dynamics

(26:10) A sprint finish after 6 days

(30:26) Adventure racing strategy

(29:20) Adventure Racing World Champs - Namibia

(45:30) No Frills No Fuss

(51:54) Life lessons from the team

(59:30) Brundles events & the reward

(1:06:00) Reading & inspiration

// RESOURCES MENTIONED

- NoFrillsNoFuss Instagram: @nofrills.nofuss

- NoFrillsNoFuss website: https://www.nfnf.co.za/

- Trail Culture Instagram: @trailcultureza -Trail Culture Coaching: https://www.trailculture.co.za/

- Precision Hydration: https://www.carbonendurance.co/precision-hydration-2

- Precision Hydration Instagram: @precisionfandh

John Middlewick is a triathlete turned business man who started Carbon Endurance, a sports consulting distribution house that brings brands like Precision Fuel & Hydration and Pillar Performance into South Africa to support and fuel our incredible athlete base. He has years of endurance training and racing under his belt, this couple with a keen interest in the science of performance has developed Carbon Endurance into what it is today.

Stoked to welcome John to the podcast & for the great partnership between Carbon Endurance and Trail Culture.

// TOPICS COVERED

(0:00) Welcome!

(02:36) Enjoying sport and his entry to triathlon

(07:09) Stumbling into the trail community

(09:33) The start of his business venture

(16:00) Snickers bars as race nutrition

(24:22) Nutrition troubleshooting and finding precision fuel & hydration

(27:15) Why should we do sweat tests as runners?

(32:48) Salt, our sweat content and what we’re losing

(45:10) How to choose brand partners?

(48:50) When and why to use electrolytes

(1:04:10) Reading & inspiration

// RESOURCES MENTIONED

- Carbon Endurance / Precision Hydration: https://www.carbonendurance.co/precision-hydration-2

- Precision Hydration Instagram: @precisionfandh

Keep up to date with all things Trail Culture: https://www.trailculture.co.za/ Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailcultureza/

// SHARE AND RATE THE PODCAST!

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/trail-culture/id1709631577

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4eLM3gAMxZBOjUHAaGcBeu

“What if I can?”

Bianca Tarboton joins us this week with wise advice on positive self talk, working on a positive internal dialogue & balancing her training & work.Winner of the MUT marathon last year, these are her words of encouragement for those lining up at @georgemountainultratrail next week.

In her episode we go through:

• Her upcoming race season
• How she’s developed as an athlete across multiple disciplines
• The balancing act of training & work
• & more

Join us on this epic episode of Chill Culture as we kick off 2025 with a legendary guest: Ryan Sandes! 🏃‍♂️🌍 A trailblazer in ultrarunning, Ryan has conquered terrains across the globe, from the icy stretches of Antarctica to the dunes of the Gobi Desert. This conversation dives into his inspiring journey, his love for adventure, and his relentless pursuit of pushing boundaries. 💪✨

What you’ll gain from this episode:

🔥 Motivation to conquer your own goals, whether you're a runner or not.

🌟 Insights into the mental and physical preparation behind ultramarathons and multi-day challenges. 📖

Behind-the-scenes stories from Ryan’s latest book Run Risk Reward—including brushes with danger and profound personal reflections.

💡 Tips on balancing high-performance sports with giving back to the community.

🏞️ Inspiration to explore the great outdoors and embrace new challenges in life.

🎥 Chapter Markers:

00:00 - Welcome to 2025 Season 2 kicks off with Ryan Sandes

02:00 - Lockdown Memories: Running 100 miles indoors

06:00 - Hometown Trails: Why Cape Town remains special

11:30 - The Early Years: From rugby dreams to trail running

18:40 - 100-Mile Races: Ryan’s journey to Leadville and Western States

28:00 - Mental Toughness: Strategies for overcoming the "pain cave"

36:00 - Visualizing Success: How Ryan prepares for ultramarathons

44:00 - Cocodona 250: Goals for 2025

52:00 - Danger and Adventure: Stories from the Himalayas and Skeleton Coast

1:05:00 - Giving Back: 13 Peaks Challenge and community impact

1:10:00 - Words of Encouragement: Advice for chasing your dreams

1:16:00 - Outro: What’s next for Ryan in 2025

🌄 Whether you’re a seasoned ultrarunner or simply love incredible stories of human endurance, this episode is packed with inspiration, practical advice, and captivating adventures. Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes featuring extraordinary guests like Ryan Sandes. 🙌

🔗 Links & Resources:

- Trail Culture Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailcultureza/

- Trail Culture Coaching: https://www.trailculture.co.za/

- Ryan Sandes Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryansandes/

- Ryan Sandes website: https://ryansandes.com/

- Carbon Endurance Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carbon_endurance/

- Carbon Endurance: https://www.carbonendurance.co

🔔 Subscribe for more inspiring trail stories, running tips, and epic adventures!

How should I approach my training load?

The Trail Science episodes are back, this week @dewaal.simon joins us to talk about Training Load Monitoring (TLM). We talk about how TLM has changed over the last few years to accommodate the growth of the sport & how this particular space is being influenced by AI. We discuss it’s history, the metrics that matter, some gaps in the current TLM tools & more

This week we chat to runner and mountain legend, Jacques Mouton on the podcast. We cover all the need to knows for the George 6 Peaks route. Jacques is definitely the guy to ask since he did this route back to back 6 times in one go. We also talk about George MUT, the routes for this year, community & more. Enjoy!

Mount Co.

6 Peaks

The bigger picture & what athletes should consider when thinking of health and movement.

This week we’ve got Dr Hilton Lazar joining us to chat about health, movement & the role of chiropractic. An expert in his craft, we talk about pain management, injury diagnosis, what running does to our spines & the role of adjustment.

Part 2: Training as a women in South Africa. The pros and cons, challenges and limitations. We then talk about trail culture and what local trail crews mean to the community around them. Stellies Shakeout Whatsapp Bulletin Instagram: @stelliesshakeout ; @shaunyd_8

An injury is so much more than just losing physical fitness. Today Biokineticist, Francois Janse van Rensburg join us to talk about injuries. We look at how to treat them, prevent them and the role your Bio plays in that journey. We also touch on strategies for the modern day athlete to combat their desk job & to line up on race day in the best shape they can even when life happens to them.

What does it take to run a sub 5:30 Comrades?

Four wins, 12 gold medals for a top 10 finish and the first person to break the sub 5:30 barrier, this week we chat to Comrades legend Alan Robb.

Alan has completed 42 back to back Comrades. He took his first win wearing Tiger Bostons & fuelled by just coke and water. This legend has some incredible insight to share & we talk about the training principles that still apply from his era of racing.

What brings the running community together? 🤘🏻This week we caught up with Erin Groll, co-founder of the @communitytrackclub ⚡️We chat about how CTC came to be, what goes down every month & the importance of epic groups just like this, that add so much to the running community.

Erin Groll Website

Todays episode is going to round off an incredible year of trail running and outdoor adventure.

This week I'm stoked to welcome a legend in the trail running community. A familair voice, a friendly face and honestly one of the greatest humans around, it's a joy to welcome Sean Robson to the podcast today.

An experienced journalist, a runner, TT group leader, an epic MC, a Dad and a friend. This episode we'll be doing our best to share some highlights from the trail space in 2024 & to speculate on what's to come for next year.

Keep up to date with all things Trail Culture: https://www.trailculture.co.za/ Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailcultureza/

// SHARE AND RATE THE PODCAST!

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/trail-culture/id1709631577

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4eLM3gAMxZBOjUHAaGcBeu

“The best way to learn is by doing” - @michael_bakes

From getting cliffed out on Mnweni, to a solo unsupported DGT, to a wedding at the top of the Amphitheatre. This weeks guest is Michael Baker. An athlete, a coach, an adventurer & captain of group missions. This episode really is one amazing story of adventure. The name speaks for itself & I'll let you find out more.

The Hiking Vikings

The Bakery

Coach Erin van Eyssen, founder of Flat Rock Endurance joins us to share some key moments from his coaching journey. The highs and lows, what he's learnt, how he has seen the sport grow and more.

Instagram: @flatrockendurance

https://www.flatrockendurance.com

An advocate for women in sport. Meg Mackenzie shares an athlete & coaches perspective on women in trail running, the challenges, the obstacles & the change she’d like to see.

In this episode we cover:

• Her history with the sport

• Some recent career highlights

• Navigating the sponsorship space & contract negotiations as a female athlete

• Meg’s journey with RED-S & her advice for those working through it

The trail physio and Altra athlete, Tarrin van Niekerk, walks us through her successful 2023 season, her journey of "running brave", racing to win and how banana bread fuels her success.

Instagram: @tarrin.vn ; @vertandirt

Hoefyster (Jonkershoek Horseshoe): https://youtu.be/nlsfgbzVvo8?si=jAl_TCW9am9v1Xsx

Altra Elite: https://altrafootwear.co.za/blogs/news/meet-the-elites-tarrin-van-niekerk

The second half of the chat with James Montgomery from the Run Project on the Craft of Coaching.

We go deeper into the specifics of working with the person in front of you, how to make training relative to the individual, how to shape & improve your thinking as a coach and more.

This chat really left me inspired to keep learning and to really view each athlete and their goals as separate puzzles to be solved.

Special thank to Carbon Endurance for fuelling Season 2 of Trail Culture.

Carbon Endurance Instagram

Carbon Endurance Sport Consulting

The Run Project

Is Ultra Marathon running bad for you? We’re back at it with the second Trail Science episode. This great sport is growing & the athletes taking on the Ultra distances seem to be getting younger. In this episode we dive into research on the acute physiological effects on the body during an ultra marathon. Things to note, how to manage adverse effects & what is good practice when prepping and building up to your Ultra?

Rooted In Dirt

What is an injury risk factor? ⚠️ We’re back with another Trail Science episode ft. @dewaal.simon from @rootedindirt this week we’re unpacking what are potential injury risk factors for trail runners?

This episode is based on a living systematic review. We get into what that is, why this type of research is important and how to critically evaluate the information in front of you when reading research like this & looking into a topic like injuries 👣

Trail Science Episode 3 - enjoy! 🤙🏼

1 d

The Long Road Part 2! This week, pocket rocket and adventurer, Mari Marincowitz joins us on the podcast to talk about her miler journey and what happened out there on the course. Fresh off a win at the George MUT by UTMB Miler, she shares some of her stories & we experience the Outeniqua once again through her lens.

Taking her time in the day to day, running Milers is perfect for Mari. It's once step at a time with no need to rush in her words.

This episode covers:

• Running the miler is the easiest part of the process
• Her experience of the Outeniqua
• Challenges and highlights of race day
• Working through the outside noise & finding peace in the mountains

Back like we never left 👋🏼

For those who are new here, once a month Trail Culture releases a more scientific episode, recorded with @dewaal.simon from the legendary @rootedindirt 🤙🏼 Simon is a runner, a coach & a scientist. We talk about various hot topics in the trail running space & unpack the relevant research surrounding them. We also have some not so relevant banter & we’re so grateful that you all tune in.

This weeks episode brings us an update on Simons PhD. We talk about some of his most recent findings, the progress of his publication journey, the vision for the 2025 trail science episodes AND we manage to find time to rip each others Stravas stats. 😆🎙️

Article: Physiological Indicators of Trail Running Performance

The story behind Trail Culture and its creation. Tune in every second Friday for new episodes to kickstart your weekend. These stories will get you out of your chair and onto the trails for an epic adventure. Enjoy.

Brad Williams joins us to debunk some of the myths surrounding strength training, We talk about the S&C complex and how strength training fits into our world of trails and mountains.

Instagram: @bwss

Cape Town Studio

Shafeeqah Gordon is a local favorite in the Cape Town trail community. She’s the leader of the legendary shafflers at Tuesday Trails. A pocket rocket with a sense of humor to match. She can be found on the start line of some pretty tough races & you’re always guaranteed a smile if you see her. Stoked to welcome Shaf to the podcast & to get to know her better during this conversation.

// TOPICS COVERED

(0:00) Welcome!

(01:44) Shaf’s entry to trail running

(08:26) Tuesday Trails & leading a group

(19:40) What does the retail space teach us?

(26:10) Outdoor education awareness (31:00) Kapaan Tours & her Dads influence

(38:40) Are you an overpacker? (40:22) Growth in the trail space & female participation

(44:30) Emotional finish lines & UTD

(52:50) What’s next for Shaf

(54:18) Reading & inspiration

// RESOURCES MENTIONED

- KapAanTours Instagram: @kapaantours

- Shaf Gordon: @shafgordon

Keep up to date with all things Trail Culture: https://www.trailculture.co.za/ Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailcultureza/

This week we’re stoked to catch up with Rebecca Kohne. We chat about her recent 6 peaks FKT, the long road of recovery from injury & her success in the sport so far.

Her segway into the sport came from a long and frustrating injury journey. This really is a story of perseverance through a devastating injury, making a comeback on the track then finding the trails.

This is definitely a name to watch in the coming season & I can’t wait to see her smash the races lined up on her calendar.

6 Peaks | Mount Co.

6 Peaks Info

Rebecca Kohne Instagram