Behind the scenes with some of the elite athletes lining up for tomorrows race. Ranging from the 100km to the marathon, from local legends to visitors - all of them are hoping the legs show up & all the pieces fall into place for their races tomorrow.

#TrailCulture

Brandon Keeling - Marathon

Daniël Claasen - 100km

Johardt van Heerden - Marathon

Brandon Hulley - 100km

Mila Geldenhuys - Marathon

Race weekend is finally here & things are about to kick off at the race village for George MUT by UTMB.

First up we have a few words from race director Zane Schmahl. He's put in a massive shift to make the 2026 edition of MUT possible. From flooding, crazy winds, getting into the mountains with chainsaws and co-ordinating volunteers. But it was all worth it for him to see people who've set MUT as their life goal, toe the start line and take on the Outeniqua mountains.

Our race directors report is here, enjoy!

#TrailCulture

Known for going the extra mile, getting himself into interesting situations on the mountain & always have a smile on his face, Athenkosi Nkonki joins us to share story.

One run at a time - this is the way that Ruben has been giving back to the community he grew up in. Qolora by Sea started off as a small project for the children from Rubens home. He's been going back every year to grow it and create an opportunity for the kids to travel to Cape Town and share the vision for what life and work oppourtunities could look like after school.

0:00 - Welcome

02:35 - Meet Ruben - growing up in the Eastern Cape

11:14 - The career story - how Ruben found himself in Cape Town

31:24 - Event growth - where it’s come from & where it’s going

34:08 - Giving back - how to get involved

36:50 - The running side - racing goals for Ruben

39:34 - International travel - infinite trail series & a dream come true

47:20 - Closing remarks

🔗 Links & Resources:

- Trail Culture Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailcultureza/

- Trail Culture Coaching: https://www.trailculture.co.za/

- Ruben Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dewaal.simon/

- Qolora by the Sea: https://www.backabuddy.co.za/campaign/qolora-by-sea-fun-run

- Precision Hydration Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carbon_endurance/

- Precision Hydration: https://www.carbonendurance.co/precision-hydration-2

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The topic of this weeks trail science episode 💭 Simon de Waal & I sat down to discuss durability in our sport. Should trail runners focus on developing resilience & how does that happen? 📈 Think UTMB, two victors, one coach & a whole lot of weighted vest sessions 🏆 this is what got us thinking about the concept durability within our sport & do we test under conditions of real fatigue?

Chapter Markers:

0:00 - Welcome & catch up - the arc of attrition

09:25 - Scientists who run - what we learn from doing the thing

13:18 - Research - what is Dr de Waal immersed in currently?

16:04 - The 4th dimension - physiological resilience and endurance sport

25:04 - Fatigue narratives - physiological fatigue resilience vs mechanical fatigue resilience

32:38 - General to specific - Where to start with building your base/making these gains

47:19 - Current research - gaps in study design and what can we hope to see in the future

51:45 - Uphill running capacity - the metabolic cost of uphill running

55:04 - Further exploration - better research design

01:01:40 - Closing remarks

.Dirt Nerds Do Forecasting ⛰️💭

The 2025 season had some highlights. From the Reillys family podium at MUT to Nicolette redefining what’s possible in the miler space to Ryan Sandes making us proud at Cocdona 250. The list goes on & we only scratched the surface 💭

It’s always good chatting to Sean Robson 🎙️ tune in for an hour and a bit of celebrating past performances, dreaming about what’s next & some comments on areas where we’d love for the sport to do better 💯

Chapter Markers:

00:00 - Welcome & no more seasons

01:09 - Hi Sean: On athlete & global explorer

04:37- The coaches of CT - kick a bush and one will fall out

06:23 - The previous season - reflections & the rise of womens sport

13:23 - The social media space - ‘influencing’ eclipsing performance?

22:10 - Evolution of running - are the explosions real?

34:10 - A graceful win & great poentialt - Sam Reillys Journey

38:15 - Cocodona - Ryan Sandes taking on the ultra milers

41:05 - The Ultra debut - the rise of Rebecca Kone

45:10 - The family champion - Doug Pickard and the UTCT masterclass

55:37 - Womens sport - growing support and the space

01:03:20 - Closing remarks

🌍 Connect with Trail Culture:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailcultureza/

Trail Culture Coaching: https://www.trailculture.co.za/

Support those who support us:

Carbon Endurance Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carbon_endurance/

Carben Endurance Wesbite: https://www.carbonendurance.co/precision-hydration-2

📩 Follow Sean Robson Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/sean.l.robson?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

#TrailCulture

Finding our way - Nora Serres

This week we welcome a guest from one of the most beautiful places in the world 🌎 🇳🇴

Nora Serres is a PhD fellow with a green thumb, musical ear & love for the outdoors. In the episode we talk about her research, life in Norway, her journey as an athlete & more.

Noras story speaks to the idea that each of us is in the process of finding our way. Our paths and experiences look different and she shares some moments that form a key part of her story and her process of finding her way in the sport, in research and in friendship.

Her kindness and warmth as a person are two distinct things that stand out for me from this conversation. She advocates for connection, thought and people. I can't wait to see how her trail running season unfolds and what she grows next in her garden.

Chapter Markers:

00:00 - Welcome to Season 3!

01:09 - Meet Nora Serres: Terrex athlete with musical talent

02:46- UTCT - impressions of South Africa

08:52 - Finding our way - finding the outdoors through music

12:30 - The playlist sessions - the early days of running

18:18 - Family history - activity vs training

19:41 - Research - the intersection of running and music

24:36 - The work informed - personal experiences and her work

29:32 - Divided focus - growing into space, running and research

36:28 - Team Terrex- what did it change ?

41:24 - Mentorship - women in sport & working together

45:18 - Winter training - the benefits of skiing and rest

52:49 - The planning - how does Nora structure her year

01:05:20 - Closing remarks

🌍 Connect with Trail Culture:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailcultureza/

Trail Culture Coaching: https://www.trailculture.co.za/

Support those who support us:

Carbon Endurance Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carbon_endurance/

Carben Endurance Wesbite: https://www.carbonendurance.co/precision-hydration-2

📩 Follow Nora Serres Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/noraserres?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

drum roll please not because Trail Science is back but it’s back with Dr Simon de Waal 🧑‍🎓

He did it folks. The stellies shakeout starting, research loving, half marathon machine successfully defended his PhD & is officially a Dr. Proud is an understatement.

We talk about his hand in, the defence, what the practical application of his research looks like, what is next in the research space for Dr de Waal & more.

00:00 - Still in Season 3

01:52 - Welcome back to Dr de Waal

06:13 - Excellence within the ebbs & flows

09:18 - Progress in research within the SA context

11:10 - What are the research take homes?

20:40 - Challenges within the research design

25:37 - The next project: Where will Dr de Waal go next

32:18 - What are we seeing in field and in the lab

36:40 - Feedback from the experts

44:50 - The “so what?”: how to apply the research to our programs

51:47 - The publication pipeline & final thoughts

54:54 - Personal goals & rooted in dirt

🔔 Subscribe for more deep-dive episodes on trail running science! 💬 What research would you like to see next? Let us know in the comments!

🔗 Links & Resources:

- Trail Culture Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailcultureza/

- Trail Culture Coaching: https://www.trailculture.co.za/

- Simon de Waal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dewaal.simon/

- Rooted in Dirt Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rootedindirt/

- Carbon Endurance Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carbon_endurance/

- Carbon Endurance Website: https://www.carbonendurance.co/precision-hydration-2 -

Alberto Minetti research:

- Frederik Sabateur

// SHARE AND RATE THE PODCAST!

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/trail-culture/id1709631577

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4eLM3gAMxZBOjUHAaGcBeu

“100 miles gives me more time to work”

Alyssa Clark is a consistent talent with a quiet focus and man, does she know how to rally.

In this weeks episode we talk about her come back at Ultra Trail Cape Town last year, her range of global adventures & what it means to develop durability as an athlete.

Meeting Alyssa was a highlight and her wealth of knowledge as both coach, athlete & podcaster comes through in this episode. I love her take on "eggs in the basket" and we get a peek into her thoughts as she holds the tension between leaving a legacy and going all in for running.

I can't wait to see her race season unfold. Enjoy!

Chapter Markers:

00:00 - Welcome to Season 3!

02:01 - Meet Alyssa Clark: On athlete & global explorer

04:24- Van life - living on the move 10:33 - San Diego - putting down roots

13:45 - Hurt 100 - technicality of Hawaii & the sub 24 hour run

17:20 - Versatility in racing - durability and scrappy racing

22:50 - The story of UTCT - living through 9 lives

27:10 - Unravelling- then a rally

39:36 - Don’t lie to me - Focus and the pacman method

49:41 - The races- recency bias and maintaining perspective

56:45 - Coaching - the eggs in the basket?

01:01:00 - Finding the line - mentoring and mistakes

01:05:36 - Conversations worth having - podcasting and human connection

01:09:48 - What’s next - the offseason and the dream

01:13:17 - Closing remarks

🌍 Connect with Trail Culture:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailcultureza/

Trail Culture Coaching: https://www.trailculture.co.za/

Support those who support us:

Carbon Endurance Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carbon_endurance/

Carben Endurance Wesbite: https://www.carbonendurance.co/precision-hydration-2

📩 Follow Alyssa Clark Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/theory_in_motion?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

You can be good at 100 milers and sprint finishes. At least, you can if you’re Jeff Mogavero.

Jeff thrives when he’s outside. He enjoys the outdoors on its own & also loves to race hard, measuring himself against a course and the competition. From living in a van before it was cool, to dealing with the pressure of ultra running. Jeffs experience with this sport and the outdoors has a diversity to it that’s super interesting and makes him the great athlete that he is.

This chat was honest & fun and I can’t wait to follow Jeffs journey in the years to come.

Chapter Markers:

00:00 - Welcome to Season 3

02:08 - Meet Jeff Mogavero: On athlete & outdoor explorer

03:12- Growing up outside - early adventure and hobbies

05:40 - Living in Ginny - van life before it was cool

11:30 - Cape Town - impressions of the trail

15:39 - Running for ON - professionalization & the sponsorship journey

19:15 - The pressure of ultra running - seeing what could be

23:00 - The double - WSER & UTMB 26:25 - UTCT - Cooling strategies and ice water to the face

33:10 - The make or break - the detail of the sprint finish

42:49 - The training - how to be good at 100 milers but also win sprint finishes

48:07 - The hydration puzzle - the most critical win

53:25 - The possibilities - excited about what’s to come

56:22 - What’s next - Chianti, WSER, CCC & the 2026 calendar

59:20 - Emerging runners - new talent & mentorship

1:05:06 - Closing remarks

🌍 Connect with Trail Culture:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailcultureza/

Trail Culture Coaching: https://www.trailculture.co.za/

Support those who support us:

Carbon Endurance Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carbon_endurance/

Carbon Endurance Website: https://www.carbonendurance.co/precision-hydration-2

📩 Follow Jeff Mogavero

Substack: https://jeffmogavero.substack.com

Known for his speed & creative river crossing abilities 🤿 Brooks athlete, Chris Myers, has had a stellar year of running starting with 3rd place at Black Canyon 50km, a win at Chuckanut 50km & lightning run at WSER that put him on the second step. ⚡️

We talk about the changes in his training over the last season, the focus on nutrition, unpacking WSER, his race reflections & more.

Chapter Markers:

00:00 - Welcome to Season 3!

02:33 - Meet Chris Myers: Brooks athlete & creative mind

03:37- First Ultra experience - entered for life

07:00 - Ultra running continued - working with the puzzle pieces

09:03 - Finding fun - the snorkel & more

11:44 - WSER - the time but not the place

15:50 - Running it in - 6 minute mile & sprint finishes

17:50 - Finish line emotion - team effort & the crew experience

20:00 - The creative - DMP & Chris’s fine art journey

25:25 - Running & art - problem solving and creativity

27:46 - LA to Colorado - moving to boulder & free fitness

31:40 - Progress in the sport - faster times & continued learning

33:38 - UTCT - heat vs humidity

38:53 - The grams per hour- carbs intake and finishing gels 4

3:07 - Food tourism - bunny chow, braai & biltong

45:45 - The people you do it for - doing well with your crew

51:43 - Race calendar - planning and goals

55:36 - Sprint finishes - it’s not over until it’s over

1:01:25 - FKT’s - adventure & personal projects

1:04:13 - Closing remarks

🌍 Connect with Trail Culture:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailcultureza/

Trail Culture Coaching: https://www.trailculture.co.za/

Support those who support us:

Carbon Endurance Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carbon_endurance/

Carben Endurance Wesbite: https://www.carbonendurance.co/precision-hydration-2

📩 Follow Chris Myers:Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/halfasianchris?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==