Peak2Soon

Ryan Downs is only new to the sport of ultra running, but in a short space of time he's set big goals and hit them. Running his first ultra at BRUTUS last year, Ryan got a taste for what its like to go long. Last year he also completed an incredible run streak, which he took on 10 years since he lost his mother Tereze following a five year battle with cancer. This year Ryan become one of a small h...

Edwin Smith's journey into running didn't start with a marathon or a grand race, it began in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. With lockdowns in place and little to do, he decided to run laps around his home in Sydney. What started as a casual pastime quickly turned into a passion that has transformed his life. In this podcast I talk with Edwin about his growth in running, which has seen him go...

Ultra running is not just about the physical challenge; it’s a profound journey that tests the limits of mental resilience and community spirit. In this episode I dive into the experiences of Tom Curry, a passionate ultra runner, who recently completed the UTA Miler. His journey is not just about crossing the finish line, but about the lessons learned along the way. In this you'll learn that a DNF...

Amber and Blaine Bourke are incredible siblings and next month they are releasing a book 'To the Limit'. The book is a conversation between the pair about pushing limits and letting go. I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy of the book, and after reading it have both Amber and Blaine on the podcast. Amber is a world class free diver, and a former elite sychronised swimmer, she has been at the...

Claudine Chi is a winning mindset coach and 16-time national and international karate champion. In this open conversation Claudine shares her insights on the importance of mindset in achieving personal and athletic goals. She discusses the intrinsic nature of mindset coaching, the common challenges we as humans face, and the significance of self-belief. Claudine emphasises the need for mental trai...

Jonathan Ash shares his journey from a novice runner to a two time winner of backyard ultras, which has also seen him become the second Australian to run 100 loops in a backyard ultra. He discusses the mental and physical challenges of that format, the importance of learning from past experiences, and the dynamics of crew support in races. Jashy highlights the significance of enjoying the process...

Mario Buchs has had an incredible year, completing UTA 100, before going and running Australia's toughest miler the Elephant Race. Then the adventure of a lifetime going over to Iraq and running 100 miles, in conditions many runners wouldn't be able to comprehend. He then tops it off by adding a second pin to his Akubra by finishing Coast to Kosci. In this podcast Mario shares some amazing perspec...

Anthony Cribbes' story is one that will inspire many, but his young daughter Tallulah, who earlier this year fought for her life, has her incredible dad covered. Despite Anthony's incredible feats in the Grampians, and at a number of Victoria's toughest ultras, Tallulah was forced to fight for her life at just two weeks old. She was diagnosed with Supraventricular Tachycardia, a condition where th...

The 20th edition of the great race promises to be an absolute classic. It will be hard to top last year's heart stopping finish between Ben Coubrough and Allie Corripio, but 2025 has that feel about it. A huge field will start on Friday, with a great mix of newcomers and experienced campaigners.  Two time women's champion Maree Connor joins me for a bit of fun to talk about this year's race, we bo...

The final episode in this series in the lead up to 2025's edition of the Great Race. Zed Zlotnick finished the race in 2022, joining the Coast to Kosci family with a determined finished, spending more than 45 hours out on course. Growing up in South Africa, Zed has completed the Two Oceans Marathon five times, and the Comrades Marathon (Down) twice. But, after moving to Australia and connected wit...

Sophie Geraghty was this year unveiled as a 'Feel Good Ambassador' for the Surf Coast Century, and it's not hard to see why. But when you scratch under the surface of this bubbly, incredibly strong, self described mediocre ultra runner, you get a deeper story. As Sophie tells in her bio to Rapid Ascent: "𝐴𝑏𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑒𝑑 𝑚𝑦 𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑙𝑦 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑠, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟, 𝐼 𝑤𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑎𝑛 𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑓𝑜𝑟...

Liv Compton is coming back for her third attempt at Coast to Kosci, with two really good finishes to her name already. The Norwegian Born Queenslander is no stranger to the warm weather and looked at home in last year's sweltering conditions. Her running career has seen her run in some of the country's most interesting Backyard Ultras, including Phil Gore's win at Dead Cow Gully in 2022. Earlier t...

Matt Pilley is coming back to Coast to Kosci for the third year in a row, and he's already had incredible success in his two starts at the race being on the male podium in year one, and then finishing as the second male behind Benn Coubrough. Now, a father to Hugo, this year's lead up is a completely different ball game for Matt, who as you'll find out in this podcast will be bringing another expe...

Lisa Richards earlier this year completed a multi-year dream of running in the Atacama Stage Race. An incredible 250 kilometre journey that takes place in the Atacama Desert in Chile. But, not only did Lisa run in the stage race, she finished as the fifth female, completing an incredible transformation, from someone who grew up avoiding school athletic's carnival, and only took up running in 2018...

Ben Bailey is heading back to Coast to Kosci in the hopes of claiming his third pin on the Akubra from his fourth attempt. The last few years have seen Ben complete some mind bending races including the Unreasonable East 200 Miler, Bigfoot 200 Endurance Run, Tahoe 200 Mile Endurance Run and earlier this year the Arizona Monster 300.  It's an incredible resume that also includes a handful of finish...

Seven years ago, I wrote about my friend Courtney Chapman as she prepared to take on one of the most grueling endurance challenges in riding: the Shahzada 400, held in St Albans in the Hawkesbury region. At the time, doctors had told Courtney she shouldn’t compete due to her autoimmune condition, Crohn’s disease. But she did it anyway. Now, seven years later, Courtney joins me to reflect on that e...

Jordan Nukunuku suffered a heart break which kicked off his running journey, and it's been a journey of incredible ups and downs. The young Kiwi from Rotorua recently won The Guzzler Ultra, after the first placed finisher was handed a time penalty, but it's a win at Brisbane Trail Ultra 110 kilometre race in 2023, after suffering an ACL injury in the months prior that shows how tough Jordan truly...

Katie Dall is ultra endurance athlete, personal trainer, and founder of Club KT, Brisbane's biggest run community empowering runners of all levels. With an impressive racing resume that includes 100 kilometre and 160 kilometre trail finishes, backyard ultras, and podium spots across Australia, Katie opens up about how she got to where she is today. We also talk about the power of community through...

Chris Wilder won what could be the last edition of Australia's toughest ultra, it was redemption after a DNF in the race back in 2022. It is the cream on what is already a pretty impressive resume which includes a win in the BRUTUS, GUMBY, and AIS 24-Hour Track Invitational. Throughout those victories has been a number of different adventures, including an incredible run along the GNW 250, and bei...

On the 19th of July 2025, Simon Dent and Todd Liubinskas will run from Brisbane to Sydney as part of the Lions’ Tour Down Under to raise money for Dallaglio RugbyWorks and The British & Irish Lions Trust.  Joe Ward who previously held the fastest known time for the route is currently coaching the lads, and showing them what it takes to run one thousand kilometres in 14 days. You can help the l...

Gaby Villa is a sports nutritionist, dietitian and founder of IntensEATfit. She specialises in optimising performance for triathletes and ultra-runners by making food their best ally in sport and life. Over the past decade, Gaby has supported hundreds of athletes, including former backyard ultra world record holder Phil Gore, to overcome lack of energy and gut upset so they can fuel their bodies w...

Chantelle Smith has had an incredible 18-months in running. A win at Brisbane Trail Ultra 2023, saw her follow with a second placing at the Tarawera Miler, and then a sixth female finish at Coast to Kosci at the end of last year. A brief running journey, which has seen highs paired with lows, and lessons in patience.  Chantelle is another example of the running mums that are taking ultra running b...

Ella Clark's running journey started like all good ones do, with heartbreak.  That first heartbreak lead her down the path of signing up to her first marathon at the start of 2018 and running it months later, a daunting task when you are only new to running. From there Ella has only gone from strength-to-strength and in 2024 she completed not only a miler, but Australia's premier ultra marathon in...

Thomas White is an ultra runner, photographer, and filmmaker who has turned his passion for endurance sports into a journey of personal growth and adventure. Starting his running journey in 2016, remembering the pride of finishing a 3 kilometre run, Thomas quickly became hooked on the challenge and steadily built his distance, from 7 kilometre runs to completing his first half-marathon in 2018. Hi...

Allie Corripio achieved something at Coast to Kosci 2024 that many thought wouldn't be done for years, if at all, she broke the Women's Race Record. But, she didn't just beat it she smashed it. The 2020 effort completely shattered by Allie, who in doing so has now raised the bar, following her incredible duel with overall winner Benn Coubrough and third placed Cassie Cohen at the back end of the r...