Advertise on podcast: Dirt Church Radio Trail Running

There is nothing we enjoy in Aotearoa more than two little Latin words: per capita. We may not have the economy of scale, or GDP or any of those other things that big countries have, but by hokey me, per capita, we’ve got the goods. This is especially true in the elite trail running space, which is pretty cool if you think about it. You practically can’t swing a dead cat in some parts of NZ without hitting a Terrex Athlete. That’s not to say it’s easy to cultivate relationships with professional athletes, but in this case, with Dan Jones it very much is. The Champ returns to DCR for our favourite chat yet. We talk to Dan about that DNF at Western States, the success of the rest of his season, Dadlife, GPT vs GPT, and where you’d rather have more clout, on the trail or in the cloud. We ponder what’s led to the popularity of backyard, and if DJ will ever do one. There follows a discussion about chasing SICK prizes in China, the value of calling your shot, what’s ahead, and what being a professional athlete has to teach Dan. All this and so much more; we hope you enjoy it. Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running. --- --- --- Episode Links Daniel Jones Instagram Adidas Running Fenixlight Suunto Precision Fuel and Hydration AG1 Sign up for the DCR AidStation newsletter and never miss an episode! Join us today. Dirt Church Radio on Instagram Dirt Church Radio on Facebook Further Faster New Zealand The Spectacle Enjoy! Music and editing by Andrew McDowall, Digicake

This week, Ali and Andrew run (ha!) down the notion that suffering in something you choose to do may not even be suffering at all. They peer into one leg of the ultrasphere's bifurcation and decide that, whilst looking fun, and all, Backyards may not be their thing. Influencers get a dishonourable mention, and as a bonus we’ve got interviews from Ali’s stint crewing the Vanilla Gorilla at the River Run Backyard this weekend—all this and more at the AidStation. Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running. --- --- --- Episode Links Sign up for the DCR AidStation newsletter today and never miss an episode. Dirt Church Radio on Instagram Dirt Church Radio on Facebook Further Faster New Zealand Enjoy! Music and editing by Andrew McDowall, Digicake

I think we understood how epic the Crater Rim was, but we didn’t know it. This weekend changed all that—my Goodness, this was an incredible weekend of excellent trails and trying times. Some of us hurt ourselves, and some of us went to Taupo and rekindled our love for trails. For your pleasure, we also bring you the 2026 Crater Rim Live Show, all the way from Further Faster. Matt and Ali bring you a rollicking journey through the back alleys of DCR and speak with Chris Pike and Jules Christie from Further Faster about the race’s history, grassroots activism, and what it takes to bring such an incredible race to the community, for the community. Dirt Church Radio. We hope you enjoy it. Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running. --- --- --- Episode Links Crater Rim Ultra Sign up for the DCR AidStation newsletter and never miss an episode! Join us today. Dirt Church Radio on Instagram Dirt Church Radio on Facebook Further Faster New Zealand The Spectacle Enjoy! Music and editing by Andrew McDowall, Digicake

This week on the AidStation, our heroes gather once again to dissect the thorniest issues in the ultraphere. For some of us, strictly following doctor’s orders is the go; for others, it’s all coming up fondue, or fon-don’t, as it were. Beyond that, we’re pondering why you’d cancel a 240-mile race or even start one; we’ve got cold opens, hot takes, and dramatic music to boot—all this and more at the AidStation. Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running. --- --- --- Episode Links Sign up for the DCR AidStation newsletter today and never miss an episode. Dirt Church Radio on Instagram Dirt Church Radio on Facebook Further Faster New Zealand Enjoy! Music and editing by Andrew McDowall, Digicake

Corrine Malcolm aspires to be trail running's biggest super fan. She’s also been described as a Swiss Army knife of knowledge about the sport and culture. You’ll have heard her on countless live streams at massive races such as Western States. Corrine is part of the Freetrail family and the Trail Society Podcast. With a background in winter biathlon that led to top-tier trail and ultramarathon running, coaching, and mentorship.  Corrine is a force to be reckoned with and is a fierce advocate for inclusion and equity in racing. Ali speaks to Corrine about her journey in the sport, the joys, challenges, and beyond on this most excellent episode of Dirt Church Radio. We hope you enjoy it. Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running. --- --- --- Episode Links Corrine Malcolm Instagram Corrine Malcolm Twitter Corrine Malcolm Home Sign up for the DCR AidStation newsletter and never miss an episode! Join us today. Dirt Church Radio on Instagram Dirt Church Radio on Facebook Further Faster New Zealand The Spectacle Enjoy! Music and editing by Andrew McDowall, Digicake

This weekend was about love. Love of the trails, Love of the sport, Love of grassroots events (Yes, CTC, we mean you too) and love of the people who dream up these foolhardy endeavours.  Long story short, we all ran a bunch of loops of Blue Lake, and it ruled. We did a tonne of interviews, and they were great too. It all got very Scottish. Give it a hoon.  All this and more at the AidStation. Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running. --- --- --- Episode Links Blue Lake 24 Hours Sign up for the DCR AidStation newsletter and never miss an episode! Join us today. Dirt Church Radio on Instagram Dirt Church Radio on Facebook Further Faster New Zealand Enjoy! Music and editing by Andrew McDowall, Digicake

The boundaries between what is possible and what was once thought impossible are crumbling by the day. This is especially true in the ultra space. This week, Ali and Andrew speak to the mighty Katharina Hartmuth about her journey to Tor des Géants, and what she hoped to achieve before her incredible, emphatic win.  Pragmatic, driven and engaging, Katharina has delivered some incredible performances in the past, including the record on the Bob Graham Round. The gang discusses all this and more, including how to navigate injuries and unexpected events during races, such as losing her vision at Hardrock. This is an incredible conversation with an incredible athlete. We hope you enjoy it. Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running. --- --- --- Episode Links Katharina Hartmuth Instagram Hoka Leki Trailrunning Suunto Sign up for the DCR AidStation newsletter and never miss an episode! Join us today. Dirt Church Radio on Instagram Dirt Church Radio on Facebook Further Faster New Zealand The Spectacle Enjoy! Music and editing by Andrew McDowall, Digicake

Look, we’ve lately taken to welcoming the heat death of the universe, or a comet, to rid us of the continued madness of the ultrasphere. Our dudes, it’s getting bad. We’re in a hectic headspace, and we’re here to chat shit. What’s that alternative to the Sweeny-ness of it all? Can you have your OnlyFans and eat it too? (Sorry). Why is golf? WHILE WE ARE AT IT, what is the furthest you’ve ever walked? And why, as older runners, must we be cognizant that whatever residual strength we had warps and fades? On the positive, we (Matt) love Jeff Garmire and encourage you all to watch his new film. We are also unreasonably excited to all be at 24 hours of Blue Lake next weekend. Circling back to the top, and speaking of chatting shit, is it ever okay if the train goes to brown-town to keep pushing on to your goals, literally and figuratively? All this and more at the AidStation. Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running. --- --- --- Episode Links Rewritten | Attempting the Appalachian Trail Sign up for the DCR AidStation newsletter and never miss an episode! Join us today. Dirt Church Radio on Instagram Dirt Church Radio on Facebook Further Faster New Zealand Enjoy! Music and editing by Andrew McDowall, Digicake

All we are is a collection of stories. As hard as we may try, we scream a narrative. It seeps from our pores. Everything speaks, from our genetics to our blood markers; our history written for us, and the history we make ourselves. We became who we are by telling stories, and at the end of the day, all any of us really want is that sense of excitement, understanding, and connection that a story gives us. Who then, is better to have on the pod this week than Roger Hanney? Ali and Matt speak to Roger about his journey and how being diagnosed as a type 1 diabetic in his early thirties altered the course of his life trajectory and led him to tackle some of the wildest ultra marathons in the world, through to the business of running with Hoka and, later, Mount to Coast. Brilliant, funny, poignant, and wise. This is an excellent yarn, and we hope you enjoy it. Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running. --- --- --- Episode Links Roger Hanney Instagram Roger Hanney Writing Mount to Coast Sign up for the DCR AidStation newsletter and never miss an episode! Join us today. Dirt Church Radio on Instagram Dirt Church Radio on Facebook Further Faster New Zealand Enjoy! Music and editing by Andrew McDowall, Digicake

Community gets bandied around too much these days. Everything is a community, even though around us our worlds get smaller, our networks become increasingly online, and our horizons narrow. Even accounting for our jaundiced views, this weekend was a true display of what community can and should be. MND sucks; this has been established. The fight that people like Professor Dominic Rowe, Gavin Clifton, Matt Pridham, and others are waging against this disease, and the advocacy for the community affected by it, are staggering. There are lots of serious discussions in this podcast; however, there is also lightness, hope, humour, and fun. Please enjoy our conversations with the aforementioned above, plus Rob Philpott, Fionn Curran, Sarah Jenkins, and current Firies Climb course record holder Jess.  Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running. --- --- --- Episode Links Firies Climb For MND Sign up for the DCR AidStation newsletter and never miss an episode! Join us today. Dirt Church Radio on Instagram Dirt Church Radio on Facebook Further Faster New Zealand Enjoy! Music and editing by Andrew McDowall, Digicake

This week we’re delighted to welcome returning DCR champion Jeff Browning, one of our OG guests, featured in episode 10 waaaaay back in 2018. Ali and Matt speak to Jeff about his amazing career and how, since 2018, he’s continued to move forward, smash races, and roll with the punches. Fresh off an age-group record at Western States and looking towards TDS, Jeff was in fine form. This conversation covers his storied racing career, how his coaching philosophy has evolved as he’s aged, the sport's evolution, what inspires him, and what keeps him moving forward. This is an incredible conversation with one of the true legends of our sport, and we hope you enjoy it.  Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running. --- --- --- Episode Links Jeff Browning Coaching Jeff Browning Instagram Jeff Browning YouTube KEEN UltrAspire Injinji Sign up for the DCR AidStation newsletter and never miss an episode! Join us today. Dirt Church Radio on Instagram Dirt Church Radio on Facebook Further Faster New Zealand Enjoy! Music by Andrew McDowall, Digicake

This week, Ali and Matt stock the AidStation with all the goodness you need. We have a very special conversation with Gavin Clifton, one of the leading voices for the Firies Climb for (against) MND. We are so excited to be joining this amazing event for the second time and look forward to being there in The Blue Mountains next week. Then we hit on the totally non-complicated and 100% non-minefield of engaging in trail and ultramarathon with a member of the opposite sex who is not your partner. From simple fun and mateship to a situation fraught with trust issues. Should you run with your mates of the opposite sex, and if not, why not? Where do you stand on this issue? We’d love to hear from you.  Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running. --- --- --- Episode Links Firies Climb For MND Sign up for the DCR AidStation newsletter and never miss an episode! Join us today. Dirt Church Radio on Instagram Dirt Church Radio on Facebook Further Faster New Zealand Enjoy! Music by Andrew McDowall, Digicake

In this special bonus podcast, Ali Pottinger talks to Sophie Woods about her incredible 28-day, 17-hour, 59-minute Via Alpina FKT. This is a very special conversation, and we hope you enjoy it.  Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running. --- --- --- Episode Links Sophie Woods Instagram Sophie Woods DCR episode 101 La Sportiva Sign up for the DCR AidStation newsletter and never miss an episode! Join us today. Dirt Church Radio on Instagram Dirt Church Radio on Facebook Further Faster New Zealand Enjoy! Music and editing by Andrew McDowall, Digicake

The Champ is back! This week, Ali and Andrew have the pleasure of speaking to Lucy Bartholomew. It’s strange to call someone as young as Lucy a veteran of the sport; however, with her years of racing experience at the highest levels, that’s just what Lucy is. Fresh off her Brisbane Marathon win and her stunning second place at Laverado. Lucy talks us through her continued evolution in the sport, what she has learned this season, and her goals for the latter half of the year. It’s not lost on us the privilege of having an athlete of Lucy’s caliber being a return guest, and we are stoked to bring you this chat.  We hope you enjoy it.  Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running. --- --- --- Episode Links Lucy Bartholomew Instagram Salomon Running Shokz Ineos Grenadier Julbo Garmin Sign up for the DCR AidStation newsletter and never miss an episode! Join us today. Dirt Church Radio on Instagram Dirt Church Radio on Facebook Further Faster New Zealand Enjoy! Music by Andrew McDowall, Digicake

There is a lot to be exercised within the ultrasphere if you let it. Clickbait, AI Slop, and the rules-don’t-apply-to-me of it all. I mean, are races just about the livestream now? And how does it feel to be in a place where attention, and not performance, is the main driving factor? On the other hand, have you been for a run on the trails lately? We did, and can confirm it’s still AWESOME. What about all the beauty, pain, and noble folly of this sport? What about Carmen Maria Perez, Max Joliffe, and those Badwater CRs falling? How good is it that there is still no substitute for hard work? It’s okay to be mediocre at something you love. And why not try adding a kilometre a day or 100m vert a day? For a month or so, because you can? Because you have free will. How about you did it and didn’t talk about it (much)? Surely that, above all else, is staring into the pulsing void of the algorithm and raising a solitary single digit?  All this and more at the DCR AidStation. Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running. --- --- --- Episode Links Sign up for the DCR AidStation newsletter and never miss an episode. Join us today. Dirt Church Radio on Instagram Dirt Church Radio on Facebook Further Faster New Zealand Enjoy! Music and editing by Andrew McDowall, Digicake