Peak Pursuits

In this Buffalo Stampede Festival 2026 preview episode, James and Brodie break down one of the deepest fields we’ve seen for an Australian trail running weekend this year. They preview the 100k, 42k and 20k races, unpack the course changes, discuss the key contenders, and give their podium predictions across all three distances. From national championship implications in the 100k to stacked and hi...

In this episode Brodie and Jess get the pleasure of getting to know Andrea Kolbeinsdóttir, a world class trail runner from Iceland and the recent winner of the GTNS Donna Double. Hear about Andreas running journey and some of her incredible results, and make sure you get behind her as we hope to see more of her in Aus! Then the team cover news from Ultra Trail Snowdonia, Results, and a listener qu...

You hear Vlad Ixel every week on Peak Pursuits, but this episode is the deeper story behind the mic. Vlad takes us back to the early days: the lifestyle he was living, the moment he decided to make a clean break, and how signing up for a marathon became the switch that changed everything. We get into the family thread too: his dad’s ultra background in the Soviet Union, and why that planted the se...

Episode 100 of Peak Pursuits! Today, James, Jess, Brodie, Simone and Vlad come together for a special milestone episode to reflect on how the podcast started, the moments that have stood out across the first 100 episodes, and what it has meant to help grow and spotlight trail running in Australia. From behind-the-scenes stories and early doubts to favourite interviews, community support and plenty...

AUTRA President Gary Mullins and Vice President Geoff Russell have stepped down — and it’s sparked a lot of questions across the trail community. In this episode, Gary and Geoff share what led to the decision, the internal challenges they faced, and why athlete advocacy, selection, and governance direction became major pressure points. We also look ahead to what the AGM means, what they hope happe...

In Episode 99 of Peak Pursuits, James, Jess and Brodie all sit down with Australia’s newly crowned short trail national champion, Michael Tosin, after his surprise victory at Snowy Mountains 50k. From a rapid progression to a 2:18 marathon to stepping up and winning on the trails, Michael’s story is one of raw talent, smart training, and huge potential. We unpack his unconventional race-day nutrit...

Nathan Pearce has moved fast in trail running, but the story starts long before the trails. In this episode, Nathan takes us back to his junior years on the track and in cross country, and the early signs that he could race hard on unpredictable terrain. We talk about the rough patch too. The pressure, the injuries, stepping away for a while, and what changed when he came back with a healthier min...

In Episode 98 of Peak Pursuits brought to you by ASICS , Sim and Vlad start out by chatting through Vlad's experience at Tarawera, including what led to his DNF and his lessons for moving forward.  They are then joined by Sarah Ludowici to go through the results of the weekends Australian Short Trail Championships, followed by a discussion on equality and inclusion after event policies render...

In Episode 97 of Peak Pursuits Holly Ranson sits down with James to talk through her Tarawera run and that unforgettable moment of being handed a Golden Ticket to Western States on the finish line after her 4th place finish! Hear about Holly's training, approach to the race, and everything that goes into Holly's impressive running career so far.  The duo then touch on the Barkley Marathons, w...

In this episode of Peak Pursuits Sim and Jess are lucky enough to be joined by not only one of the best trail runners in Aus but now a Winter Olympian to boot Lara Hamilton! Lara is currently in Italy in the days leading up to her two Skimo events in the Olympics, and she joins us to chat briefly through her journey so far and what it is like being named on her first Olympic team.  Hear how L...

In this episode of Peak Pursuits , Brodie and Sim sit down with Piotr Babis to unpack one of the boldest endurance feats ever attempted in Tasmania’s southwest: a first-ever continuous FKT linking the Eastern Arthurs, Western Arthurs, Port Davey and the South Coast Track. Piotr breaks down the brutal reality of 240km and 12,000m of elevation across some of Australia’s most remote and overgrown ter...

This week on the podcast Brodie and Vlad are joined by Zoe Manning, up and coming ultra trail specialist. We get to know Zoe before diving into her preparation for the upcoming Tarawera 100km, contrasting her playful and intuitive training style to Vlad's data driven approach for the same race! We then cover the AUTRA Performance of the Year award and how it may have been a missed opportunity to e...

Iain Best is back, and a lot has changed since we last spoke. He is now a dad of two, still racing hard, and still finding ways to train with purpose when sleep is broken and life is full. In this episode, James and Iain go deep on what “real” consistency looks like, how Iain shifted from ultras into the world of mountain and skyrunning, and why uphill racing became the thing he could not stop cha...

In episode 93 of Peak Pursuits, Jess and James sit down with Australian World Champs representative SJ to unpack a big few months on and off the trails. SJ reflects on her Short Trail performance at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships, a tough post-race illness, and a confidence-boosting win at Bogong to Hotham last weekend. The conversation then turns to 2026 planning, with a shift...

In episode 92 of Peak Pursuits, Sim and Jess are joined by Kate Avery fresh off a remarkable post-partum win at the Two Bays Trail Run. Kate breaks down her return to racing, the realities of training and recovery after pregnancy, and how her confidence is building toward a stacked 2026 season. The team dives deep into Two Bays race results across the 28km and 56km, including standout performances...

In this episode of Peak Pursuits, the crew kicks off 2026 with a deep dive into Aussie trail runner Billy Curtis’ European winter campaign, fresh off a win at the Trail del Bora ultra in northern Italy. Billy breaks down his move to longer racing, grey-zone training, and why Montenegro and the Balkans are underrated training hubs for trail runners. The team also looks ahead to the World Trail Majo...

Episode 90 of Peak Pursuits delivers the second half of a comprehensive wrap of a massive 2025 for Australian trail running, as James, Vlad, Brodie, and Sim hand out their end-of-year performance awards. In Part 2, the team debates the standout seasons of the year and the best race battles that 2025 delivered! The team then end with some quickfire discussions on global runner of the year, favourit...

Trail running is growing fast, but with that growth comes big questions about governance, identity, and where the sport is heading next. In this episode, James sits down with Mike Duggan, Australian representative on the ITRA Steering Committee, to unpack the global push to bring trail running into the Olympic Games. They explore why the Olympics are even on the table, what problem that pathway is...

Episode 89 (and 90 coming next week) of Peak Pursuits delivers a comprehensive wrap of a massive 2025 for Australian trail running, as James, Vlad, Brodie, and Sim hand out their end-of-year performance awards. In Part 1, the team debates the standout performances of the season and the surprise breakout performances, eventually coming to a decision where it feels like there is no right or wrong be...

Endurance at the extreme isn’t built in a single race. It’s shaped over years of uncertainty, hard choices, and an ability to keep going when there’s no clear finish line. In this episode, James sits down with Piotr Babis — two-time King of the Hill winner, Arc’teryx athlete, and one of Australia’s most quietly accomplished ultra runners — to explore the long path behind his 90-hour performance. T...

In Episode 88 of Peak Pursuits , James and Vlad are joined by Demi Caldwell to unpack a huge stretch of racing across Australia and the international trail scene. Demi reflects on her breakthrough third-place finish at the fiercely competitive Kosci 50, breaking down race strategy, course execution, and a season that’s steadily built momentum at the pointy end of Australian women’s trail running....

In this episode of Peak Pursuits, James and Sim catch up with uphill specialist Iain Best , fresh off a dominant five-week streak of wins across Four Peaks, GSER , and the Buller Skyrun . Iain breaks down his European VK block, the brutal Fully course, racing tactics, and how back-to-back domestic races became a “victory tour” of fitness. The team also dives into major national news : automatic se...

Fresh off a stacked Ultra-Trail Kosciuszko 50km, newly minted Aussie citizen Juliette Sewell joins Jess and Brodie for a deep dive into one of the most competitive women’s fields of the Australian trail-running season. Juliette breaks down her fifth-place finish, navigating a brutal descent, shin-scare drama, dialled-in fuelling, and race-day winds that literally knocked her off her feet. We unpac...

In this episode of Peak Pursuits, James and Vlad sit down with Adidas Terrex athlete Charlie Hamilton , fresh off his third-place podium at Ultra-Trail Cape Town 55km . Charlie breaks down the brutal technical course, the stacked international field, and how three weeks on the Cape Town trails transformed his race day confidence. The trio dive into elite training insights , including Charlie’s shi...

In this event preview James and Brodie are joined by Kellie Angel to talk all things UTK as we prepare for the showdowns happening this week! Hear detailed breakdowns of the course and fields, including our predictions on who will come out on top. Looking forward to what will no doubt be some great battles to close out the 2025 season! Thanks for joining us on Peak Pursuits! Connect with us on Ins...