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.

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Episode Links

Rewritten | Attempting the Appalachian Trail

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Further Faster New Zealand

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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.

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Episode Links

Roger Hanney Instagram

Roger Hanney Writing

Mount to Coast

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Further Faster New Zealand

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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.

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Episode Links

Firies Climb For MND

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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.

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Episode Links

Jeff Browning Coaching

Jeff Browning Instagram

Jeff Browning YouTube

KEEN

UltrAspire

Injinji

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Further Faster New Zealand

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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.

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Episode Links

Firies Climb For MND

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Dirt Church Radio on Instagram

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Further Faster New Zealand

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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.

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Episode Links

Sophie Woods Instagram

Sophie Woods DCR episode 101

La Sportiva

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Further Faster New Zealand

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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.

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Episode Links

Lucy Bartholomew Instagram

Salomon Running

Shokz

Ineos Grenadier

Julbo

Garmin

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Further Faster New Zealand

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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.

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Episode Links

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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.

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Episode Links

Jeff Garmire Home

Jeff Garmire Instagram 

Free Outside Podcast

Free Outside Substack

Janji

Garage Grown Gear

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Further Faster New Zealand

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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.

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Episode Links 

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The Cutoff 

Time On Feet- Western States BTS

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Further Faster New Zealand

Enjoy!

Music and editing by Andrew McDowall, Digicake