Kia ora e te whānau. Mistakes were made. The first of many in this week’s episode of the AidStation was Andrew McDowall describing Matt as having a “water off a duck’s back” mentality. This is not true. Especially when the water is the wider response to the Joyline Chepgnego doping saga.That water really sank in. The duck was soaked. . Ali, Andrew, and Matt discuss this thorny issue and where responsibility for supporting athletes accused of doping sits, and is the response from sponsors and the wider bodies in the sport is up to scratch. Furthermore, do the systems that drive these athletes to chase greater riches and fame provide adequate support and guidance to avoid potential pitfalls? This (of course) leads to a conversation about why Andrew would race David Bain in a half-marathon and not Lance Armstrong. Do age group wins count? How long could a post-race funk reasonably extend?  What even is Sunnyvale Baked Bean Syndrome? We touch on how running can be as much of an addiction as the next thing, and how being lubed for bear in civilian clothes when your plans change quickly feels in some way subversive.. As a parting thought,  there is some comfort in that we were probably never going to get sponsored by Salomon anyway. Also, check out our show notes for a great article in iRunFar on the subject written by Eszter Horanyi.Excellent stuff.

Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running.

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Episode Links 

IrunFar Article on Chepgnego

Sign up for the DCR AidStation newsletter

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

 Kia ora e te whānau.

This week, Ali Pottinger speaks with elite ultra runner and physician Justin Grunewald. Fresh off a second-place finish at the Leadville 100, Justin talks to Ali about managing his life as a parent and doctor when his wife, Amanda Basham (DCR 311) is also an elite runner. 

Justin’s story is intertwined with the loss of his first wife, Gabe Grunewald, to a rare form of cancer in 2019. Ali and Justin talk about living with grief, the Brave Like Gabe foundation, and how this continues to shape his life and his work. This is a beautiful conversation, and Justin’s perspective on living one’s life fully, engaged in the present, whilst holding appropriate space for the past, is one that needs to be heard. 

Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running.

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Episode Links 

Justin Grunewald on Instagram 

Brave Like Gabe 

Altra

Sign up for the DCR AidStation newsletter

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

 Kia ora e te whānau. We make no bones about it. Dirt Church Radio is, was, and always will be Ruth Croft Positive. Over the (at least) 7 times Croft has appeared on DCR, there has always been one constant- a focus on moving forward. Ruth is on par with the best to take the gig, a wonderful human being, and an asset to our sport. The only criminal element? You aren’t going to hear about her on the news back in little old NZ, which is probably how she likes it. 

So if you aren’t in the mood for three grown adults being just a bit stoked about Ruth’s win at UTMB, then turn away now. 

Of course there’s more to the AidStation than us speaking about the fact that RUTH CROFT WON UTMB (ahem), we touch on among other things, How much is too much when it comes to race coverage,  that F%$king kelpie dog, AMCD’s war on pacers (for the elites), why are there (comparatively) no women at UTMB, bung eye, panic attacks, and the madness of the Crush The Cargill 200 miler.  Excellent stuff.

Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running.

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Episode Links 

Sign up for the DCR AidStation newsletter

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

Kia ora e te whānau.

This week, Ali Pottinger and Matt Rayment speak to Sean Conway, the Zimbabwe-born, UK-based endurance adventurer whose life has been one long refusal to do things by halves. Sean’s palmarès reads like a dare whispered at closing time: cycling around the world, swimming the length of Great Britain, running across it, and then becoming the first person to complete a length-of-Britain triathlon. He’s broken the world record for the most Ironman triathlons completed on consecutive days, and carved out a niche as one of the great eccentrics of adventure sport— with his signature beard and being, as he puts it, part-terrier part-monkey. Whether he’s towing logs up mountains, riding Penny Farthings for charity, running the London Marathon dressed as Big Ben or pushing the boundaries of human endurance, Sean’s mission has always been the same: inspire others to dream bigger, be braver, and live a little wilder

Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running.

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Episode Links

Sean Conway Home

Sean Conway Instagram 

Sign up for the DCR AidStation newsletter

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

 Kia ora e te whānau. It’s that time of year when we start to see the end of winter and the earliest glimpses of spring. Thoughts turn to the new year, big events, and the lead-up to those events. Does one size fit all when it comes to peak months and loading during the macrocycle? This doesn’t even begin to touch on the double-edged sword of Strava and the world of socials. Luckily, Andrew and Matt get to hang out each week with one of the best coaches in the business, our own Ali P.

Listen in for a timely reminder before you begin stacking the bricks for the season ahead. We also talk about gear — how much is too much, or too little? And when does something that should aid you actually get in the way?

Plus, we have a listener-facilitated dolphin skull update. Excellent stuff.

Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running.

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Episode Links 

Sign up for the DCR AidStation newsletter

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

Kia ora e te whānau.
 This week, Ali Pottinger and Andrew McDowall sit down with the one and only Phil Gore. You’ll know Phil from his two epic showdowns with our very own Sam Harvey at Dead Cow Gully — both times pushing themselves to the ragged edges of what we thought humanly possible.

This time, they didn’t just flirt with the record — they obliterated it. Both sailed past the previous world mark, with Phil taking the win (and the record) in a staggering 119 yards. Before the race, there was talk of 150 yards (laps, for those playing at home), and if anyone looked like they had the legs and the stubbornness to do it, it was Phil.

In this episode, we talk motivation, mindset, the dark art of backyard ultras, and Phil’s favourite Harvey to race.

Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running.

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Episode Links 

Phil Gore Home 

Phil Gore Instagram 

Creepers Socks

Sign up for the DCR AidStation newsletter

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

Kia ora e te whānau. I mean, the co-hosts of your third favourite trail and ultrarunning podcast haven’t gotten together for a chinwag for a while, and, if the universe has had a say in 2/3rds of our days, things are bound to get chaotic. Ultras at the Olympics, The legacy of Backyard Ultras, Overtraining and being Over Training, Plus Andrew’s bad ankle, Ali’s tumultuous toddler, and the dead dolphin under Matt’s house (really). Like a young lord patronised by a rich family we cover some ground on this week’s AidStation. Also, does anyone want an Australian Working Kelpie? Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running.

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Episode Links 

Sign up for the DCR AidStation newsletter

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

 Kia ora e te whānau. This week, Ali and Matt sit down with the legendary Sage Canaday. Since turning pro in 2012, Sage has been a defining presence in the trail and ultrarunning world. With a strong background in road racing and tidy marathon times, he helped usher in a new era of professional athletes in trail running.

An outspoken advocate for clean sport, Sage has long used his platform not only to race but to educate, connect, and inspire. As both coach and athlete, he was an early adopter of social media to build community and bring others for the ride. With a career that spans continents, distances, and surfaces, Sage continues to inspire with his dedication to the sport and the people who participate in it.

Dirt Church Radio — Best Enjoyed Running.

Kia ora e te whānau. This week, we’ve got another special edition of the AidStation for you. Ali and Andrew caught up with Australian endurance legend Maree Connor to talk about her amazing ultramarathon career. From the iconic Spartathlon to the punishment of Badwater 135 to the World 24-Hour Championships, Maree has conquered some of the most incredible races in our sport. We couldn’t wait to bring you this conversation, so we’re putting it out as an AidStation special for you good people!

Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running.

Kia ora e te whānau. This week, Ali Pottinger catches up with the mighty Marianne Hogan. We first tried to record this conversation before Tarawera Ultra Trail, but a patchy internet connection and a tight schedule meant we had to hit pause.

Thankfully, we’ve picked it back up—and what a time to do it. Marianne has just come off an epic third-place finish at this year’s Western States Endurance Run, cementing her place as one of the sport’s leading talents. Her resilience and grit in the face of injury and setbacks are nothing short of inspiring.

Hear about that Western States finish, her journey back from injury, and so much more in this week’s episode.

Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running.

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Episode Links 

Marianne Hogan Instagram

Salomon Trail Running 

Naak Bars 

Shokz USA

Leki Poles

Altitude Sports

Garmin France 

Western States Endurance Run

Sign up for the DCR AidStation newsletter

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