The Trail Chasers

The Trail Chasers

By Dean HorwitzSportsLeisureRunning
Download on the App Store

The Trail Chasers episodes

  • "Why Can't I?" Corrine Malcolm on Pushing Limits and Building Trail Running's Future

    Send us Fan Mail

    "We have a growth problem in trail running—and it's both a blessing and a curse. The question is: are we building with community, or building on top of it?"

    Corrine Malcolm isn't just asking these questions—she's in the rooms where they get answered. As a sports marketing consultant with HOKA, former UTMB commentator, coach, and podcaster, she's spent the last few years working inside the industry to shape trail running's future. But she's also been a professional athlete since age 15, from the US Biathlon team to racing 100-milers across the globe.

    In this conversation, Corrine pulls back the curtain on what it's really like to navigate trail running's professionalization, why she left a secure contract to take a risk with HOKA, and how her golden thread—asking "Why can't I do that?"—has driven every major decision in her life. From almost making the Olympics to dropping out of grad school with "60% of a PhD," from getting fired by UTMB to now collaborating with them weekly, her path has been anything but linear.

    We talk about the sport's identity crisis, the hard conversations she's willing to have (even when uncomfortable), why she still regrets that 2019 UTMB DNF, and what keeps her coming back to Cape Town. This is trail running from the inside—honest, critical, hopeful, and deeply personal.

    Key themes:
    -Trail running's growing pains: professionalization vs. community soul
    -Working inside the industry to create change (not just criticize from outside)
    -Learning when to move on vs. when to push through
    -Why "Why can't I do that?" became her guiding principle
    -The team behind every finish line
    -What 100 miles teaches you that nothing else can

    If you've ever wondered what it takes to build a life around trail running—not just racing, but truly shaping the sport—this conversation is for you. 

    Corinne's honesty about the messy middle, the pivots, the DNFs that still sting, and the work that happens behind the scenes makes this essential listening for anyone who cares about trail running's future.

    Subscribe to Trail Chasers on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you listen to your podcasts and chase the stories behind the trails.

    38 min
  • Floating Bridges and Granite Giants | Mias de Klerk on The Rock Ultra’s Hidden Beauty

    Send us Fan Mail

    "The views in Paarl Mountain with the big granite domes is just something out of this world. If you haven't experienced it in person before, you wouldn't know what I'm talking about." – Mias de Klerk

    Mias de Klerk calls Paarl Mountain his 'backyard,' but for most runners, its massive granite domes remain a mystery. In this episode, Dean sits down with The Rock Ultra founder to uncover how a local obsession evolved into a race that unlocks this hidden playground, bridging the gap between the road and the trail. 

    🏔 What You’ll Learn: 

    ✅ The Origin Story: How a "crazy idea" for a 100km social run evolved into a beautiful race. 

    ✅ Unique Features: A look at the course’s standout features, including the enormous granite outcrops of Paarl Mountain and the 100m floating bridge on the Nantes Dam. 

    ✅ The Vision: Why Mias believes this accessible, "runnable" course has the potential to become the "Comrades of Trail Running". 

    ✅ Community Roots: How the event partners with the Anna Foundation to support and inspire rural youth and create a platform to unlock Paarl's athletic talent

    Whether you are a novice attempting your first trail marathon or a veteran chasing a fast time, this episode opens the door to the Paarl Winelands' best-kept secret.

    Running The Rock Ultra? Tag us @trailchaserspod or send us a DM, especially if you survive the water crossing!

    🎙 Behind the Trails is proudly brought to you by Trail Chasers. 

    Subscribe on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you listen to your podcasts and chase the stories behind the trails.

    27 min
  • RMB Ultra-Trail Cape Town: The Place We Run. The Final Exam with Admire Muzopambwa

    Send us Fan Mail

     "UTCT is one of those races where you just find people everywhere. You can pass through a town... people having lunch, they'll pause, cheer for you... which is an incredible thing." Admire Muzopambwa

    In this special bonus episode of The RMB UTCT (The Place We Run) Series, Host Dean Horwitz is joined by local favorite Admire "Adie" Muzopambwa. Fresh off a massive season, Adie breaks down his analytical approach to his first RMB UTCT 100 Miler and the mental strategy that keeps him moving when things get tough. 

     🎯 In this episode, you’ll hear: 

    ✅ The "Final Exam" mindset: Why this race is the pinnacle that sums up the entire year of training. 

    ✅ His golden rule for ultra-running: "When you panic, you do everything wrong." 

    ✅ How to conquer Table Mountain’s unpredictable weather and technical terrain, from loose rocks to steep stairs. 

    ✅ The power of the Cape Town crowd and why the support on the trails is "priceless." 

    ✅ Why success isn't just a finish time—it's crossing the line and thanking the volunteers. 

    Whether you are facing your first 100-miler or your own personal "final exam," this episode is a masterclass in staying calm, trusting your preparation, and finding the joy in the toughest moments.

    This Special Edition of the Trail Chasers Podcast is proudly sponsored by RMB.

    Enjoying the season? Subscribe, leave a review, and tag @trailchaserspod to share your biggest takeaway from Adie's advice.

    14 min
  • RMB Ultra-Trail Cape Town: The People We Run With. Kane Reilly: Big Event Energy, Small Event Soul

    Send us Fan Mail

    "It's a big event, but it has small event culture and values. I don't know if I've experienced that anywhere else in the world." Kane Reilly 

     In this special bonus episode of The RMB UTCT (The People We Run With) Series, Host Dean Horwitz is joined by local legend Kane Reilly. As both an elite athlete and a key figure behind the scenes, Kane offers a unique perspective on the race's evolution from a "gazebo under a tree" to a global stage, and why he is finally lining up for the "loaded" PT55km on home soil. 

     🎯 In this episode, you’ll hear:  

    ✅ Kane's journey from running up to the Blockhouse during high school lunch breaks to lining up against the world's best in his "backyard." 

    ✅How he navigates a decade of working "behind the scenes" with the ambition to finally give the race a "proper crack" as an athlete this year. 

    ✅ His take on the "Big Event, Small Culture" phenomenon—mixing world-class infrastructure with a vibe where friends share a beer at the finish line.

    ✅ The deep satisfaction he gets from watching international teammates experience the unique "interplay" of mountain, city, and ocean for the first time. 

    Whether you are lining up for the "loaded" PT55km or cheering from the sidelines, this episode is a celebration of the unique 'small event soul' that makes Cape Town a world-class stage.

    This Special Edition of the Trail Chasers Podcast is proudly sponsored by RMB.

    Enjoying the season? Subscribe, leave a review, and tag @trailchaserspod to share your biggest takeaway from Kane's story."

    20 min
  • RMB Ultra-Trail Cape Town: The Place We Run. Racing Home with Bianca Tarboton

    Send us Fan Mail

    "Running at home is always very special... especially this race, I pretty much run out the door to the start. Which is a wild concept." Bianca Tarboton 

    In this special bonus episode of The RMB UTCT (The Place We Run) Series, Host Dean Horwitz is joined by local legend Bianca Tarboton. Fresh off the cover of Runner's World, Bianca opens up about the reality of navigating a season of extreme highs and injury lows, and what it truly means to have a "home ground advantage" on Table Mountain. 

    🎯 In this episode, you’ll hear: 

    ✅ Why Bianca traded a future as a doctor for the trails to live "a dream I never knew I wanted." 

    ✅ The mental shift from "Expectation" to "Curiosity" to manage the pressure of a home race. 

    ✅ Her transition to ultras and why the 55km route profile perfectly matches her racing style. 

    ✅ Her pride in the sport's explosive growth and the new opportunities opening up for development athletes. 

    ✅ Why success isn't just a podium, but the ability to "problem solve" through the highs and lows

    Whether you are stepping up to a new distance or navigating life's highs and lows, this episode is a powerful reminder to choose curiosity over pressure and embrace the magic of racing at home.

    This Special Edition of the Trail Chasers Podcast is proudly sponsored by RMB.

    Enjoying the season? Subscribe, leave a review, and tag @trailchaserspod to share your biggest takeaway from Bianca's journey.

    20 min
  • RMB Ultra-Trail Cape Town: The Race We Run

    Send us Fan Mail

    "Cape Town itself is an easy sell... and I think Table Mountain is the jewel in that crown and long may it continue to be that" 
    "We certainly couldn't put on UTCT without the community." 
    — Stu McConnachie

    Race Director and Founder Stu McConnachie, RMB Sponsorship Lead Mike Edwards, and Finish Line MC Max Cluer explore how their shared vision turns chaos into choreography and makes RMB UTCT a living reflection of the city, the mountain, and the community that connects them all. 

    In this final episode of the RMB UTCT Seies host Dean Horwitz guides the conversation through the race itself, the heartbeat of everything: the place, the people, and the race. 

    🎯 In this episode, you’ll hear: 

    ✅ Mike Edwards on the commercial transformation of the event, detailing how RMB's partnership brings purpose to every stride and their commitment to continually growing and improving the race standard every year.
    ✅ Stu McConaughy on the race's legacy, from the "wildly stressful" early years of turning an idea into a world-class standard event and the constant need to evolve the runner experience year on year.
    ✅ Max Cluer on the raw emotion of the finish line, discussing how the athlete's personal journey builds resilience and how the community and volunteers are the "secret formula" that keeps the energy going ; and the unique operational challenge of managing the race's "up and down" through the weekend 

    This Special Edition of the Trail Chasers Podcast is proudly sponsored by RMB.

     Whether you're chasing the cutoff or the podium, this conversation will remind you why the RMB UTCT experience is one you will never forget. 

    Enjoyed the season? Subscribe, leave a review, and tag @trailchaserspod to share your biggest takeaway from this conversation on the race that connects them all.

    1 hr 15 min
  • RMB Ultra-Trail Cape Town: The People We Run With

    Send us Fan Mail

     "I get to see the very best of people at their very lowest of moments." Sean Robson

    RMB Sponsorship Lead Michael Edwards, Liv2Run founder Lindi Meyer, Volunteer Coordinator Leigh Goldschmidt, and Aid Station MC Sean Robson discuss the human force behind the finish line. They explore the event as a celebration of community, a catalyst for transformation, a labor of love, and a testament to the human spirit. 

     Host Dean Horwitz guides the conversation to uncover the soul behind the spectacle. In this next chapter of the RMB UTCT series, we look beyond the "living stadium" of the mountain to the community that breathes life into it. 

    🎯 In this episode, you’ll hear: 

    ✅ Mike Edwards on the misconception that trail running is an "individual sport" and the vital role of aid stations as "satellites of hope"

    ✅ Lindi Meyer on how "Liv2Run" uses the discipline of the trails to build a sense of belonging, the "cyclical" nature of mentorship and how exposure to major races helps athletes break the "limitations of their minds."

    ✅ Sean Robson on creating a "comforting oasis" at the final aid station and the high-stakes emotion of the "Golden Hour"

    ✅ Leigh Goldschmidt on the "Ground Control" logistics of race week and the unique commitment required from the volunteer team. 

    Whether you're toeing the line for the 100-miler or cheering from the sidelines, this episode will remind you that on these trails, you are never truly alone.

    This Special Edition of the Trail Chasers Podcast is proudly sponsored by RMB.

    Enjoying the season? Subscribe, leave a review, and tag @trailchaserspod to share your biggest takeaway from this conversation on the human force behind the finish line.

    1 hr 13 min
  • RMB Ultra-Trail Cape Town: The Place We Run. Sustaining the Cederberg

    Send us Fan Mail

    “Yes, use the mountains and the trails, but come with two visions. Come enjoy the Cederberg for what it is, but come with another vision and say, what good can I do for this environment?” Dawie Burger, founder of Sustainable Ceder 

    In this special bonus episode of The RMB UTCT (Place We Run) Series, Host Dean Horwitz is joined by Dawie Burger, founder of Sustainable Ceder, to discuss their ambitious mission to restore the Cederberg's endangered Clanwilliam Cedars and inspire a community-led conservation movement. 

    🎯 In this episode, you’ll hear: 

    ✅ The critical mission to restore the Cederberg's endangered Clanwilliam Ceder by planting 10,000 saplings a year

    ✅ Why donations aren't just financial, and how you can contribute your specific skills to help 

    ✅ How true sustainability is a "triangle" that links environmental work, community upliftment, and tourism

    ✅ How funding from partners like the RMB UTCT Trail Fund "takes a mountain off" the shoulders of "doers," letting them focus on their work in the veld (field)

    Whether you're an ultra-runner or just love exploring wild places, this episode will fundamentally change the way you see our responsibility to "The Place We Run."

    This Special Edition of the Trail Chasers Podcast is proudly sponsored by RMB.

    Enjoying the season? Subscribe, leave a review, and tag @trailchaserspod to share your biggest takeaway from Dawie's message.

    16 min
  • RMB Ultra-Trail Cape Town: The Place We Run

    Send us Fan Mail

     “I mean, there’s no mountain around the world that, that feels like home. Apart from from Table Mountain.” Ryan Sandes. 

    Trail legends Ryan Sandes & Robbie Simpson, Friends of Table Mountain's Andy Davies & RMB Sponsorship Marketing Lead Michael Edwards discuss their deep, shared relationship with Table Mountain as a race, a refuge, and a responsibility.

    Host Dean Horwitz guides the conversation to uncover what makes this landmark so much more than just a backdrop. This is the launch of our new RMB UTCT series, starting with the "living stadium" of the race and the community that makes it all possible 

    🎯 In this episode, you’ll hear: 
    ✅  Ryan Sandes on why Table Mountain is the only place in the world that feels like "home." 
    ✅  Robbie Simpson on the shock of "European style" expectations vs. the "really, really hard" reality of Cape Town's trails. 
    ✅  The critical, year-round work Andy Davies' team does to maintain the trails we all get to run on.
    ✅ Michael Edwards on why the mountain is the "stadium" for this race, and why that creates a deep responsibility to protect it. 

    Whether you're toeing the line for the 100-miler or dreaming of the 35km, this episode will fundamentally change the way you see "The Place We Run."

    This Special Edition of the Trail Chasers Podcast is proudly sponsored by RMB. 

    Enjoying the season? Subscribe, leave a review, and tag @trailchaserspod to share your biggest takeaway from the legends' conversation on Table Mountain.

    58 min
  • Chris Goldschmidt: Rebuilding the World’s Most Beautiful Marathon — How Two Oceans Is Turning the Tide

    Send us Fan Mail

    💭 “People want this race to succeed. There’s an amazing amount of goodwill out there — it really is the world’s most beautiful marathon.”
    — Chris Goldschmidt

    What does it take to rebuild South Africa’s most iconic road race and restore faith in the world’s most beautiful marathon?

    In this episode of Trail Chasers, host Dean Horwitz sits down with Two Oceans Marathon Chairperson Chris Goldschmidt to go behind the scenes of one of the biggest comebacks in South African running. From leadership changes and city partnerships to restoring trust and modernizing operations, Chris shares how the race is finding its rhythm again — and why it all begins with putting runners first.

    From the challenges of oversubscription and route restrictions to the revival of the trail event and the future vision for 55,000 runners, this conversation dives deep into what it really takes to steer a national institution into a new era.

    🎯 In this episode, you’ll learn:
    ✅ How Two Oceans is rebuilding trust with the city, runners, and sponsors
    ✅ Why “runner-centric” decision-making is shaping the race’s new direction
    ✅ What Stillwater’s involvement means for the future of the event
    ✅ How the team is balancing legacy, innovation, and transparency
    ✅ What the long-term vision for Two Oceans looks like — from half, ultra, and trail to community impact

    Whether you’ve run it, dream of it, or simply love the story behind South Africa’s most beloved race, this episode offers an inspiring look at the people working to turn the tide.

    Season 3 of Trail Chasers is proudly sponsored by:
    🧦 Gilnokie Socks – gilnokie.com

    | Use code TRAILCHASERS for 20% off

    🕶 Boonies Sunglasses – boonies.co.za

    | Adventure-ready eyewear for every runner

    Enjoying the season? Subscribe, leave a review, and tag @trailchaserspod to share your biggest takeaway from Chris’ story and the rebuild of Two Oceans.

    41 min

About The Trail Chasers

From the publisher's feed

Hosted by Dean Horwitz a trail running enthusiast, who started his journey in 2022, Dean has experienced the transformative power of chasing trails firsthand. Fuelled by a passion for trail running…