DCR AidStation

Kia ora e te whānau. Jean Beaumont is a legend in Aotearoa ultramarathon circles that you’ve probably heard of, or maybe thought you did, because Jean keeps to herself. It’s taken years to get her to come on DCR, and we’re so glad she did. Eight Northburn 100 finishes, and six wins from those eight, on top of masses of other feats of endurance that would…

Kia ora e te whānau. This week, we’re all back in the same country (for the time being) and thought we would switch it up on this week’s AidStation with a Lightning Round of questions that are, to be frank, all over the place. From mental strategies for ultramarathons to Andrew’s neighbour, who may be the incredible hulk, through to the best races for newbies, specificity, the pros and cons of modern fuelling, Ali’s twenties, to how much you’d pay to poop in a bucket, It’s all on this week in the Aidstation. Dirt Church Radio- Best Enjoyed Running

Go home Tasmania, you’re drunk- photo credit: Kunyanyi Mountain Run

Kia ora e te whānau. Lutruwita/Tasmania is legend. A hard place with warm people nestled off the east coast of Australia. Our legend, Ali Pottinger, was lucky enough to travel to Nipaluna/Hobart to participate in this year’s Kunyanayi Mountain Run. Whilst she was there Ali did what all good podcasters do, which was get some great content, from the race director Lincoln, to hearty participants taking on this incredible challenge, We’d always wanted to go to Hobart to go to MONA and ride singlespeeds, but this race is now firmly on the top of our list. Dirt Church Radio - Best Enjoyed Running

Kunyanyi Mountain Run

Phil Rossiter on Dirt Church Radio

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DCR IN THE WILD

Matt and Ali will be at Ultra Trail Australia from 15-18th of May

Our mates at Squadrun have come up with a special four week training trial for listeners of DCR. Now as you’ll know from listening to DCR over the years, Squadrun is the baby of Kerry Suter and Ali Pottinger, and they have coached thousands of runners to success at a bunch of events we love and cherish and if you’ve been to any trail races on either side of the Tasman you’ll have seen the squadrun colours being represented strongly. So, if you want to give it a crack, here’s the link.

Missed out on episodes of the Dirt Church Radio podcast? Listen on your favourite app. There are more than 300 episodes.

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Three Little Letters Part III

Re-thinking the DNF (AGAIN)

Years ago I wrote an article for Kiwi Trail Runner named “Three Little Letters”. The thesis of this article was essentially - If the pressure at trail running events ( more top athletes, social media presence, and “professionalism” in the sport) increased, would this increase or decrease the likelihood that an athlete* would complete an event that they lined up on.

My conclusion at the time: “Sort of?” *with a shrug*.

There are a couple paragraphs from the article stand out and are worth further exploring, but I’d like to focus on this one, which was the final paragraph of the article-

So I would say to you, dear reader, push on. Unless you are physically unable to, or face the prospect of lasting harm, push on. Balance in running is everything, both from a psychological and physical perspective. Being taken to the edge of what you can cope with is where we grow and progress. That sense of freedom and self-reliance is a major draw for those of us who seek to test ourselves. This process can be uncomfortable, distressing, and at times painful. However, as Haruki Murakami said, emotional hurt is the price we pay for independence.

If I could travel back in time and push past me down a flight of stairs for the pretension and naivety of this paragraph, I would. Quoting Murakami? what a prick.

Argon self-critique aside, the reason that I’m thinking about DNF and our evolving relationship with it is my own experience at Tarawera this year and my mate Tom’s experience at the Faultline Ultra last year.

Tom had been looking forward to the race for months, had enlisted the help of a coach, and had trained his nono off in preparation. This was not the farthest he’d run by a long shot, and whilst the Wellington hills are brutal, I was sure he would get it done.

Kia ora e te whānau. We get the band back together after ages for this week’s AidStation Podcast. Fresh from Kunyani, Northburn 100, and kicking about at Riverhead Relaps, Ali, Andrew, and Matt discuss their love of the Grassroots event and the challenges and opportunities for amazing experiences that lie within. This week, we've got some bonus audio that Matt recorded at the Relaps Backyard. First, you hear from RD Shaun Collins about the event's history, changes, triumphs, challenges, and where the backyard goes. We’ll speak to Helen Waterworth and Chris Newsome from His&Hers events regarding their brand new ultramarathon, the Northland 100, taking place in Whangarei in July. You’ll hear from returning champion Meg Collins about her new backyard PB and the puzzle of running whilst studying medicine. Finally, Matt speaks to Alex MacDonald, an 18-year-old woman making a name for herself commentating in what has largely been a very middle-aged and male profession. Dirt Church Radio - Best Enjoyed Running

Northland 100 Ultramarathon

DCR IN THE WILD

Matt and Ali will be at Ultra Trail Australia from 15-18th of May

Our mates at Squadrun have come up with a special four week training trial for listeners of DCR. Now as you’ll know from listening to DCR over the years, Squadrun is the baby of Kerry Suter and Ali Pottinger, and they have coached thousands of runners to success at a bunch of events we love and cherish and if you’ve been to any trail races on either side of the Tasman you’ll have seen the squadrun colours being represented strongly. So, if you want to give it a crack, here’s the link.

Missed out on episodes of the Dirt Church Radio podcast? Listen on your favourite app. There are more than 300 episodes.

Check us out on YouTube!

This week, what with all the talk of grassroots racing, we thought we’d rip back into the archives to give you Matt’s insights into running a registered-not-for-profit race for 10 years

The Revolution Probably Won’t Be Televised.

Lessons from 10 years of DIY Race Directing Hallertau Riverhead Rampage

Being a Race Director is like being a parent. You will never be more tired, feel more broke, and run less. The pay-off of seeing people push themselves past what they think is possible is one of indescribable satisfaction and fulfilment. Putting on your own race is a cool thing to do, and is relatively simple (not easy). Here are a few lessons I’ve learnt over the last 10 years.

Riverhead Forest was considered a poor second to the Waitakere Ranges when I first moved here. A working pine forest with no epic views to speak of and clay that is baked hard in summer and slippery as all-get-out in winter. Despite tonnes of amazing trails, there was no organised trail network to speak of, save for the stellar work done by the Waitemata Motorcycle Club. Total Sport had long made Riverhead one of the stops on its winter Xterra series, but that was always run from Barlow Road, and only flirted with the trails on the east side of the forest which was closer to Riverhead.

At the time, putting on an event was far from my mind. There were family obligations, work, and trails to run- as it’s far more fun running in an event than running an event. My life carried on for a few years with the thought that “gee, it would be good to put on an event that showed how epic the forest was”, but at the end of the day, it felt all a bit too much hard work.

Certainly not the 412, but another little-race-that-could, the Northburn 100.

This all changed in late 2013 when our friend Amy, decided that Riverhead School’s lack of gymnasium equipment was something that needed addressing.

One thing led to another and Amy spoke to Rebecca, who approached me with her usual mix of enthusiasm and surety in the justness of her cause “Matt R, we should put on a half marathon in the forest to raise money for Amy’s balance beam”. I suggested that this was nothing that we would have the time or energy for, and honestly darling, who would come? I closed off my well-reasoned argument with a definitive, yet empathic “No”. A couple of weeks later we started planning what would be the first Hallertau Riverhead Rampage.

Kia ora e te whānau. Originally from Western Australia, growing up surfing and playing footie, Michael Dunstan has turned his hands to many things, including music, photography, and trail running. Turns out Michael is pretty (very) good at this whole trail running thing and has won the inaugural GPT100 mile race, Third place at Ultra Trail Snowdonia in Wales a win at the 2023 Hounslow Classic Marathon. Now based in Katoomba NSW, Michael is working hard at some lofty goals for 2025. This is a beautiful conversation, which covers a variety of topics and is guaranteed stoke inducing. It won't help if you don’t like snakes or thunderstorms, but apart from the Ophidiphobics amongst us, this will be a dead-set winner. Dirt Church Radio - Best Enjoyed Running

DCR IN THE WILD

Ali will be heading to the Kunanyi Moutain Run in Tasmania 28-30th March

Matt and Ali will be at Ultra Trail Australia from 15-18th of May

Our mates at Squadrun have come up with a special four week training trial for listeners of DCR. Now as you’ll know from listening to DCR over the years, Squadrun is the baby of Kerry Suter and Ali Pottinger, and they have coached thousands of runners to success at a bunch of events we love and cherish and if you’ve been to any trail races on either side of the Tasman you’ll have seen the squadrun colours being represented strongly. So, if you want to give it a crack, here’s the link.

Missed out on episodes of the Dirt Church Radio podcast? Listen on your favourite app. There are more than 300 episodes.

Check us out on YouTube!

Essay

FEEL THE BURN(OUT)

For a little country with a population that hovers around 5 million, our trail race schedule is rammed. It seems like these days there are literally more races than you can shake a stick at. Despite the majority of trail race participants running conventional distances, the ultramarathon has taken root as the go-to aspirational distance for many of us. Often heard at race expos is the self-conscious caveat of “I’m ONLY doing x” by athletes with the temerity to run anything less than the marque distance. We’ve become a culture of completionists, striving for that next medal in the set. A strength of anyone who completes endurance events is stackability, I wonder if we’ve gone too far down the rabbit hole in terms of seeking out the next race, the next big distance, that next thing to focus on.

Mike D doing other stuff rather than running stuff

As a consequence of our desire to compete and complete every event that comes our way our race calendars get rammed and our run-down and oversubscribed selves become a fertile wonderland for burnout and ennui to take hold. It would seem that we’ve stepped away from the natural rhythm of activity and ease and if we are consistently chasing goals we lose sight of the value of the process. If we can avoid burnout the better we function, the smarter we train and the more we gain.

The irony of having a job working in mental health is that I’m not burned out after 25 years. I have had periods of burnout, and have some coping strategies to address this. The annoying thing for me currently is I think I’ve crossed the Rubicon from “off-season” to “burnt out” in regards to my running.

Kia ora e te whānau. The first clue to Matthew having an inkling that his faculties might be slipping is when he starts announcing every episode of the AidStation as number 25, just like this week. Age is a tyranny that we all face, and this week-old mates Andrew and Matt run down the question of when it is time to accept that you are not 25 anymore and if you should be. or would you want to go back to being 25 again? what keeps you going into middle age and beyond? and what's Matt's obsession with 25 anyway? But look. Despite the perseveration, this is an excellent conversation about strategies to keep your faculties, a tender chat about tender quads, and the importance of not starting your races like a dickhead. Which is something that comes with age, I guess. Dirt Church Radio - Best Enjoyed Running

Sign up to the DCR AidStation newsletter

Dirt Church Merch!

The Squadrun 4-Week Training Trial for DCR Listeners!

Dirt Church Radio on Instagram

Dirt Church Radio on Facebook

Further Faster New Zealand

Enjoy!

Music by Andrew McDowall, Digicake

DCR IN THE WILD

Andrew will be at Northburn100 this weekend

Ali will be heading to the Kunanyi Moutain Run in Tasmania 28-30th March

Our mates at Squadrun have come up with a special four week training trial for listeners of DCR. Now as you’ll know from listening to DCR over the years, Squadrun is the baby of Kerry Suter and Ali Pottinger, and they have coached thousands of runners to success at a bunch of events we love and cherish and if you’ve been to any trail races on either side of the Tasman you’ll have seen the squadrun colours being represented strongly. So, if you want to give it a crack, here’s the link.

Missed out on episodes of the Dirt Church Radio podcast? Listen on your favourite app. There are more than 300 episodes.

Check us out on YouTube!

Essay

Everyone you know someday will die (and other cheerful tidbits)

Eugene always said I should get better at attention-grabbing headlines. And I’ll tell you, that line from Rebecca and my wedding song (true story) certainly is one.

It’s also a beautiful lament on the fragility of life, the ineffable nature of love, and the triumph of the human spirit over adversity.

And this song was released 20-something years ago. This is wild because that means we’ve been married 20 years this year. Which can’t be right, surely? That means we’re getting old.

Does anyone else’s back hurt? or is that just me.. Anyway. Digression aside, this week on the podcast I got to chat to Andrew McDowall about that very fact. That Dirt Church Radio spans the gap from Elder Millenial to Young Gen x’er. We’re older, and that’s okay.

We all know the massive benefits to aging that running, or indeed any physical activity has, both on our metabolic, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, psychological, spiritual, and cognitive realms. Andrew and I discussed this week that for men in their middle age in particular, it might be something that is associated with the act itself which is the secret sauce.

You Have A Voice, Use It - Jasmin Paris. Dirt Church Radio 318.

Jasmin Paris joins a very exclusive club- Photo Credit: David Miller

Kia ora e te whānau. Jasmin Paris was rocketed into the wider consciousness when she became the first woman to finish Barkley Marathons, with 99 seconds to spare. Ironically, for a race that eschewed publicity for so long, the photos of Paris sending the final 100 metres to the yellow gate are arguably more famous than the Barkley itself. Whilst this may be Jasmin’s best known achievement, it’s far from her only one. Spine winner, Bob Graham Round holder, fell running champion, senior lecturer in veterinary science, Mother and partner. Jasmin’s life is full. Ali and Matt spoke to Jasmin about all this, and Green Runners, the organisation she co-founded with Damian Hall to advocate for, and address climate issues related to the sport of running and the wider world. We hope you enjoy this conversation, and are at least as stoked and inspired as we were. Dirt Church Radio - Best Enjoyed Running

Kia ora e te whānau. Please enjoy this incredible conversation with three wahine toa about women in trail. The conversation discussed different means of platforming women in trail, the conversations we have which can progress the sport, and the challenges that women face on our trails. This episode was recorded February 14th, 2025, at the Tarawera Ultra…

Kia ora e te whānau. When Adrian MacDonald moved to Fort Collins, Colorado, he didn’t do it for the trails, he did it for love and the chance to run hills at altitude. With a background in road and track, MacDonald didn’t hit the trails until the pandemic canceled races and he thought he’d try his hand at an FKT. The rest, as they say, is history. Andrew and Matt speak to Adrian about his back-to-back wins at the historic Leadville 100, what it took to get him there, his road, er, trail to Western States, and just how much of a nuisance Sam Harvey is to race the 100-mile distance *Spoiler Alert* exactly how much you’d think he is. Dirt Church Radio - Best Enjoyed Running

Ruth Croft shortly after crossing the finish line. Photo Credit: Tim Barkely-Smith

Kia ora e te whānau.St. Valentine’s Day is for lovers, and we thought what better way to celebrate our love for Tarawera Ultra Trail and the people at the pinnacle of our sport than to change up your standard interview format to something that vibed with the day.