Dirt Church Radio Trail Running

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

This week, Matt and Ali have the distinct pleasure of speaking with Jeff Garmire. Jeff is well known for his achievements in the thru-hiking world, having set many incredible Fastest Known Times on the Colorado, John Muir, and Arizona trails (among others). Having completed 6 Cocodona 250-mile top ten finishes and fresh off a month-long “bachelor party” in Europe, knocking off a GR20, a Tour De Mont Blanc, and a 100km ultra in Germany, we speak to Jeff about his roots in the sport, connection, authenticity, and his frank and engaging approach to highlighting the incredible (and at times silly) aspects of our sport. Jeff is also a coach, podcaster, and author. We discuss how reaching out and communicating with others have positively influenced his life and well-being, as well as his hopes for the future of this sport and culture. This is a brilliant conversation that we are so pleased to bring you. We hope you enjoy it. Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running. --- --- --- Episode Links Jeff Garmire Home Jeff Garmire Instagram Free Outside Podcast Free Outside Substack Janji Garage Grown Gear 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, Matt, and Andrew get together to set the record straight (ish). The state of the trail-running multi-nation is laid out. We discuss (gulp) goals and, if we could have our druthers, what our ideal trail race would look like. Andrew is partial to any gel except the ones that taste like acid. Matt closes the loop on the circle pit with a glorious celebration; Ali is building, building, building, PLUS we have a special check-in from the man himself, Bradley H from Trailrunning.NZ about the madness that it Vertual July. 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. The Cutoff Time On Feet- Western States BTS Dirt Church Radio on Instagram Dirt Church Radio on Facebook Further Faster New Zealand Enjoy! Music and editing by Andrew McDowall, Digicake

This week, Matt and Ali have the pleasure of speaking with Audrée Lafrenière. Audrée is a coach, athlete, and dedicated lover of our sport and culture. You may know her best from the popular trail-running video series that Audrée and her partner, Jeff Pelleier, create. These videos document their adventures, be that fastpacking in the Dolomites, racing UTMB, Crewing Jeff at Moab 240, or Audrée’s most recent 100km effort at Lake Sonoma. Assured, Knowledgeable, and engaged, Audrée’s conversation with us offers a peek behind the curtain at what goes into the planning, challenges, logistics, and execution of creating content whilst staying in the moment and living an extraordinary life on the trails, as someone who is not a sponsored pro athlete but an enthusiastic citizen runner like most of us. Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running. --- --- --- Episode Links Audrée Lafrenière Instagram Running 62 Kilometres Around Grand Teton National Park BIG FRESH THE GREATEST NZ SUPERMARKET 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, Matt and Ali carry the torch, as Andrew said he was popping out for soy milk and went to Australia. We run down Vertual July, the controversy with the Six Foot Track Marathon finishing times, and a Hardrock Preview. We debate one of the great trail-running conundrums: shakka vs. goat horns? What would a grand slam of NZ ultramarathons look like, we wonder? We marvel at the momentum that momentum can give you, the joy of urban trails, and plan world domination. 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

This week, it’s Ali, Andrew, and Matt rolling as the power trio we are, without an interview, because we wanted to cover something important and increasingly on people’s minds. This started with a response to a Yaboyscottjurek post, where he’d come up with slogans for various personalities in the ultra world, including the race director of an ultra-ultra distance race, with “you wouldn’t want it to be affordable, would you?” on their cap. Matt saw this, laughed, nodded, and moved on with his life, but a listener tagged us and the Freetrail podcast in the post and suggested we might want to dive into the subject. So we did, and the results may shock you. Even in a sport as relatively privileged as trail running, people are feeling the financial pinch, and nothing seems to be getting cheaper. So we ran some numbers and are excited to take you through what we found on the true cost of an ultramarathon. We’ve also got all the news from Laverado and Western States, and a follow-up from our man Lachlan Colebatch, who toed the line at Olympic Valley and got the job done. Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running. --- --- --- Episode Links Western States Endurance Home irunfar (the GOATS) Caitlin Fielder Instagram Ryan Montgomery Instagram 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 is all about Western States. The history, the myths and legends, and how Ali, Andrew, and Matt first got drawn into the orbit of this incredible race. Andrew, who ran the bloody thing in 2024, confirms that the hype is indeed justified and talks us through the ins and outs of the iconic course. We have interviews with Caitlin Fielder, Holly Ranson, and Lachlan Colbatch, all of whom are toeing the line on Saturday. Above and beyond all this, we discuss Matt’s wildlife encounter on the weekend, how NZ is a village, discuss the future of the WSER, and vote with our hearts and our heads on who we think will take the win. All this and more at the DCR AidStation. Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running. --- --- --- Episode Links Western States Endurance Home irunfar (the GOATS) Caitlin Fielder Instagram Holly Ranson Instagram 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

Kia ora e te whānau. This week, we bring you a double header of epic proportions. First, you’ll hear the 2026 Ultra Trail Australia Women in Trail panel. This episode features elite trail runners Beth McKenzie, Charlie Simpson, Lydia O’Donnell, and Olympian triathlete Sophie Linn. Next, Ali speaks to Dr. Pelle Kempe, a specialist Obstetrician and Gynaecologist based in Palmerston North. He is the Medical Lead for the Obstetrics and Gynaecology service at Palmerston North Hospital. Dr. Kempe also serves as Chair of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. A passionate trail runner, Pelle is dedicated to improving women’s health. This conversation explores the intersection of trails and health, the changes and challenges for female athletes, and possible ways forward. (Note for the fellas: Women’s health affects everyone. Stick around, learn something, and enjoy the chat.) Dirt Church Radio—Best Enjoyed Running. --- --- --- Episode Links Beth McKenzie Instagram Sophie Linn Instagram Charlie Simpson Instagram Lydia O’Donnell Instagram Dr Pelle Kempe Instagram Sign up for the DCR AidStation newsletter. Dirt Church Radio on Instagram Dirt Church Radio on Facebook Further Faster New Zealand Enjoy! Music by Andrew McDowall, Digicake

This week is a tribute to togetherness that running can bring us. Ali, Andrew, and Matt celebrate the experience of heading out for a run with your mates, be it a marathon relay, a Denny’s Marathon, or a Coast to Coast to Coast. We explore (literally) some of the cool places you can get to in a city on foot. We salute and welcome Freden, Auckland’s new maunga-based running activity, and reveal our fondness for the ephemera collected post-race, and the memories they hold. We get sub-niche, learn that Fela Kuti’s mum was tough as all get out, and pay our fondest respects to Matua Ken. 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 by Andrew McDowall, Digicake

Kia ora e te whānau. Ian Sharman is a straight-up Legend in the sport of ultramarathon running. A Coach and Athlete hailing from the Golden Age, before 4K cameras in everyone’s pockets and when fans had to pass around a pirated copy of Unbreakable, Sharman and his kin were like trail gods, foreshadowing and inspiring the current crop of legends and doing things us regular people could only imagine, and we had to, because it was before the great trailrunning media bubble formed. Starting DCR 8 years ago after growing up in the sport, listening to Shaman on Trail Runner Nation and the like, and having him on the podcast is like a dream come true. The four-time Leadville winner and Grand Slam of Ultra Running record holder joins Ali and Andrew for a long overdue catch-up about life on the trails, his amazing achievements in racing and coaching, and the why behind his new book, The Art of Ultrarunning: Tried & Tested Strategies for Long Distance Runners. Dirt Church Radio—Best Enjoyed Running. --- --- --- Episode Links Ian Sharman Instagram Sharman Ultra Coaching The Art Of Ultrarunning Preorder Sign up for the DCR AidStation newsletter. Dirt Church Radio on Instagram Dirt Church Radio on Facebook Further Faster New Zealand Enjoy! Music by Andrew McDowall, Digicake

This week, Ali, Matt, and Andrew get philosophical: if an influencer were to influence the woods and no one were around, would anyone GRWM? We take a shot at amateur doping (and why this sucks), and share our undying admiration for the NZ 24-hour championship team. We address some of the curliest issues afflicting trail running in the 21st century. While we are at it, why is Andrew so calm? It worries us when he goes all Zen. Should you date runners, even if you are one? Is this a slippery slope? Does time count in the airport lounge? How does one confuse terrain with talent, and we circle (pit) back to the debacle in the desert. 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 by Andrew McDowall, Digicake

Kia ora e te whānau. We ran away and joined the circus. And it was cool as hell. No, not that dork-fest in the desert, but a true example of community and fellowship at the 2026 Hoka Ultra Trail Australia by UTMB. These are incredible four days in the majesty of the Blue Mountains. Ali and Matt were privileged to lead a brilliant conversation with some of the biggest talents in Trail and Ultra Running on Friday, after the first of our live shows was rained off. We speak with Beth McKenzie, Ruth Croft, Dan Jones, and two-time Leadville champ (and kangaroo victim) Adrian MacDonald. We’ll be running down the highs and lows, drama, and hilarity of yapping on the mic during this wonderful week away. We would like to acknowledge every single person who toe’d the line in the 11, 22, 50, 100 km, and 100-mile distances. We appreciate the effort, courage, and sacrifice you and your families made to be here. We think you are very cool and tough, and we can’t wait to see you in 2027. Dirt Church Radio—Best Enjoyed Running. --- --- --- Episode Links Ruth Croft Beth McKenzie Dan Jones Adrian MacDonald Ultra Trail Australia by UTMB Sign up for the DCR AidStation newsletter. Dirt Church Radio on Instagram Dirt Church Radio on Facebook Further Faster New Zealand Enjoy! Music by Andrew McDowall, Digicake

We’ve had some big weeks in the running world. With some incredible performances and a new normal being established across the board, from 42.2 to 250 miles. Ali, Andrew, and Matt are here for it, and we have some questions as well. Is our sport, and the big tent that it has become, lost some of its sparkle, its unpredictability, its wonder? Now, every elite performance must surely hinge on the 1%ers. When is too much too much? Have accomplishment and performance been superseded by attention? Are races now cults of personality driven by an allegiance to race directors? When a brand’s identity overshadows the identity of its runners, is that a good thing? And we’re doping now? sorta? And surely in today’s day and age should we be encouraging elite road runners who have podcasts to shut the F*&k up as much as possible? especially when it comes to gender* Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running. ​*I think we can all agree on this one. --- --- --- Episode Links Sign up for the DCR AidStation newsletter. Dirt Church Radio on Instagram Dirt Church Radio on Facebook Further Faster New Zealand Enjoy! Music by Andrew McDowall, Digicake

Kia ora e te whānau. Who is excited for UTA? Gosh, we certainly are. This week, Join Ali and Matt as they preview the elite fields in the miler, 100km, 50km, and 22km events at Ultra Trail Australia, as well as answer those last-minute questions that athletes have when staring an event like this in the face. This year, we’ve decided to do things a little differently, and Ali speaks with Ian ‘easy’ Meyer- one of the foundations of the course marking team, and event stalwart- to dive into the details of the course, what to expect, and the level of detail that goes into planning this incredible event. Dirt Church Radio—Best Enjoyed Running. --- --- --- Episode Links Ultra Trail Australia by UTMB Sign up for the DCR AidStation newsletter. Dirt Church Radio on Instagram Dirt Church Radio on Facebook Further Faster New Zealand Enjoy! Music by Andrew McDowall, Digicake