DCR AidStation

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. While we are at it, why is Andrew so calm? It worries us when he goes all Zen. Should yo…

Mike D Body Movin’ at UTA 100. Photo: Tim Bardsley Smith

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…

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 …

Ben Duffus - Photo : Sportograf

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’…

We’re not going to lie, there was a lot on the docket this week, and boy did Ali, Andrew, and Matt rip through it.

We, the aforementioned, declare that Tamaki is now the distance-running capital of Aotearoa. And also that it is “mad nice” (Friedland, 2026). We charge that big companies should stop doing things that make them look like dicks, and that the…

Running and maths are for the birds, not for this guy.

Way back in 2023, when Eugene and Matt first spoke to Matt Bixley (on DCR 228 if you are interested), they were impressed not only by the attention he paid to detail in planning his adventures, the scope of the adventures - 18 Keplers (at …

Goodness me, we got through a bit on the AidStation this week. From hard racing choices to boners to proper hard choices (Yes, you read correctly) and knowing the difference, to better mental health and running strategies you can use every day. Paying to pace? yep, we go there too, and yes, Backyards aren’t dead. Also, most importantly, I know, it’s not…

Kia ora e te whānau. This week, Ali Pottinger chats with Annie Hand, fresh off her second-place finish at the Six Foot Track Marathon. Hand, a Blue Mountain stalwart, completed the Ultra Trail Australia Miler in 2025 and is off for a lap of Mount Blanc in 2026. Annie and Ali talk about performance, Annie’s abiding love of the Blue Mountains, and the ple…

This was the only photo I took the whole time. I was literally kicking rocks.

The Tussock Traverse and/or the Ring of Fire is an event that you must do. 100%.

We can’t really jazz it up more than that. If you like a unique mountain-running adventure that is both a grassroots event and offers the most incredible scener…

Paula Griffin in action for the Northern Mystics