The Tea & Trails Podcast

Shane Ohly is a former professional climber and elite mountain runner with a lifelong love for adventures in the great outdoors. He founded Ourea Events, an organization that hosts some of the UK’s toughest mountain running events, including the Dragon’s Back Race®, Cape Wrath Ultra®, and Salomon Skyline Scotland®. We caught up with Shane a few weeks after his sub-24-hour Black Buckle run at the 2...

Keri Wallace is an amazing ultra-runner who has set several Fastest Known Times on some tough trails. Recently, she made headlines by achieving a new female solo, unsupported winter FKT on the West Highland Way! Keri took on the 154 km trail from Milngavie to Fort William and finished in an incredible 28 hours and 19 minutes. It’s truly inspiring, especially since she faced 17 hours of darkness an...

Leroy Valentine is an ultra-runner who recently made headlines by running 153 miles from Dover to Farnham in record time to raise money for the Sam Beare Hospice in Woking. He completed the North Downs Way in just one day, 19 hours, and 33 minutes, breaking the previous record. Leroy's incredible effort raised £5,075 for the hospice, which provides palliative care for adults with terminal ill...

Mel Sykes is an ultra-marathon runner from Holmfirth, West Yorkshire. She has an inspiring story of resilience and determination. Mel was diagnosed with a rare brain condition called Chiari malformation, which caused her to lose her balance, suffer double vision, and experience other severe symptoms. After undergoing brain surgery in October 2023, doctors told her she might never run again.  Howev...

Sanna Duthie is an amazing ultramarathon runner from beautiful Pembrokeshire, Wales! She has tackled some pretty epic races, like the Dragon's Back Race, Ultra Trail Wales, and the Arc of Attrition. Recently, she achieved a fantastic victory at the Chester Ultra 100, organized by GB Ultras, finishing in just 22 hours! But that’s not all! Sanna is also passionate about giving back and is invol...

This week, Trish and Eddie share five top tips for tackling one of England's toughest challenges: the Winter Spine Race. Knowledge is power, and you don't know what you don't know, so don't miss this episode. Pic Credit - Spine Race https://teaandtrails.com/ https://www.patreon.com/teaandtrails https://www.youtube.com/@teaandtrails https://www.teaandtrailsultra.com/ XMILES UK -...

We had a great chat with Sam Skinner right before the 2025 Montane Winter Spine Race! Sam’s journey into running started as a way to manage his weight and kickstart his sports career after taking a break. He brings a wealth of experience from his background in football and boxing. Along the way, he’s tackled some amazing ultra-distance races, like the Lakeland 100 and the Race Across Snowdonia, an...

And that's a wrap! As we say goodbye to 2024, it's the perfect time to look back on the amazing year we've had and get excited for what’s in store for 2025 and beyond! We want to say a huge thank you to every one of you. Your support has made this year sensational! Whether you’ve tuned in to a few episodes, waved to us on the trails, or joined us on Patreon, your involvement has rea...

Fancy running a giant loop around the South of England, starting east on the North Downs Way, then south on the Vanguard Way, west on the South Downs Way, and finally north on the Wayfarers Walk and St Swithuns Way before returning to the start? That’s exactly what Eddie Sutton did and she crushed the 200 miles unsupported too! https://teaandtrails.com/ https://www.patreon.com/teaandtrails https:/...

Kate Worthington is an accomplished mountain leader, event organizer, and experienced runner. Kate is a qualified mountain leader, winter mountain leader, and fall/trail leader in running fitness. She has extensive experience leading groups in challenging mountainous environments. Kate is the Director of RAW Adventures, a company that organizes outdoor adventures and events. She works with corpora...

Jacob Tonkin is a well-known figure in the fellrunning community, especially around the Lake District Jacob has completed several challenging endurance events, including the Bob Graham Round and the Frog Graham Round. Jacob has faced significant health challenges, including being diagnosed with Crohn's disease. His dog, George, played a crucial role in helping him through this difficult time....

Alex Bance is a sports therapist and ultra-runner from Salisbury, renowned for his remarkable endurance challenges and fundraising efforts for charity. He holds the world record for the longest distance run in 24 hours while blindfolded and he completed the 24-hour ultra run while both deaf and blind. His most recent challenge involved running 263 miles. His dedication to both his profession and h...

Luke Grenfell-Shaw is an incredibly inspiring individual! Diagnosed with stage 4 cancer at the age of 24, he decided to embark on an extraordinary journey to show that life can still be rich and fulfilling even with cancer. Luke began his Bristol 2 Beiking expedition in January 2020, cycling from Bristol to Beijing on a tandem bike. Despite the challenges of the COVID pandemic, he completed the 30...

I went to Parkrun in May 2019 asking if it was ok to walk because “I have a permanent back injury so can’t run”. I did the Lakeland Trails 55k last year and have hopefully got a couple more 50k races lined up this year Is anyone else an accidental runner?! - Victoria Magnus https://teaandtrails.com/ https://www.patreon.com/teaandtrails Precision Fuel & Hydration helps athletes personalise thei...

Matt Field is an inspiring ultra-runner who recently made headlines by setting a new British 24-hour running record! On August the 24th/25th, 2024, he covered an impressive 281.303 km (174.787 miles), surpassing the previous record of 277.439 km (172.292 miles) set by Robbie Britton. This achievement also set a new world lead for 2024. What's even more remarkable is that Matt only started run...

Jen Scotney is a fascinating individual with a diverse background! She's an ultrarunner, writer, podcaster, yoga teacher, and mountain leader. Jen was once a human rights lawyer, but after experiencing burnout and chronic fatigue, she transitioned to a more adventurous lifestyle. She's known for her impressive achievements in ultrarunning, including podium finishes in the 108-mile Montan...

This week, we are joined by Andrea Harwood. 2024 has been an awesome year of running for Andrea! Some highlights include. 105km Brecon Beacons Ultra - Ladies champ, North Downs Way 50 and then completing the full Dragon's Back Race after a 4-year relationship with it. https://teaandtrails.com/ https://www.patreon.com/teaandtrails Precision Fuel & Hydration helps athletes personalise their...

Max King is a renowned American ultra-marathoner and trail runner. He has an impressive list of achievements, including winning the 2014 100 km World Championships and the 2011 World Mountain Running Championships. Max is known for his versatility across various running disciplines, from road races to trail and mountain running. We caught up with Max after his recent Dragon's Back Race victor...

This week, Gary shares his 13 Valleys Ultra story. Did he survive two nights and over 35 hours on his feet? Did he puke and rally or was it more of a pity party? https://teaandtrails.com/ https://www.patreon.com/teaandtrails Precision Fuel & Hydration helps athletes personalise their hydration and fueling strategies for training and racing. Use the free Fuel & Hydration Planner to get a pe...

Shane Ohly is a well-known figure in the mountain-running community. He is a former professional climber and an elite mountain runner with a deep passion for outdoor adventures. Shane is also the founder of Ourea Events, which organizes some of the most challenging mountain running events in the UK. In a remarkable personal achievement, Shane completed the entire Dragon’s Back Race route in one co...

This week we share the mics with Kate Parker! Kate is the founder of Harrier Trail Running, a UK-based company that specializes in trail running gear. She started Harrier in 2020 to provide high-quality, affordable, thoughtfully designed trail running equipment for runners of all levels. Inspired by her own experiences and the trails in the Peak District, Kate has created a range of products that...

The Reverend Lawrence Basham - Team Vicar South Lakes joins us this week. This is one of the highlights of this podcast. One minute we are sitting crossed-legged on the floor at John Ruskin School listening to Lawrence before we set off on our Lakeland 50 or 100 adventure and the next minute we are all on a Zoom call chatting away as Lawernce shares his story! https://teaandtrails.com/ https://www...

We had the pleasure of chatting with Jon Zincke. Lots of you will resonate with Jon's journey into running, but we're not sure who can match his enthusiasm and his 'giving' nature back to the sport. Something which helped turn his life around, he now gives to others. https://teaandtrails.com/ https://www.patreon.com/teaandtrails Precision Fuel & Hydration helps athletes per...

Are you interested in running a successful ultra marathon? If so, you're in luck. This week, Eddie and Gary will be sharing some tips and thoughts they've picked up that have helped them train and run ultras to the best of their ability. Just to clarify, Gary has zero coaching experience, but he has finished 5 100-mile races. We all know Eddie is a fantastic coach. Links to friends, part...

This week we are joined by Neil Robinson, Robbo or call sign Robbo Cop. My good friend, training partner, teammate, my Lakeland 100 wingman & 4 times L100 finisher too! https://teaandtrails.com/ https://www.patreon.com/teaandtrails Precision Fuel & Hydration helps athletes personalise their hydration and fueling strategies for training and racing. Use the free Fuel & Hydration Planner...