Trail Culture

The new kid on the block strikes again. The Cape Cobra trail is an event that's not to be missed! Set in October, run on the stunning trails of Table Mountain with a distance for everyone - we had to hear more of the story. Jesse Roberts shares the origin story of the event, how it's evolved, what to expect on race day, the sponsor journey and more. This team is really thinking outside the box to...

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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...

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...

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 fa...

.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 n...

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...

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 f...

“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 & podcast...

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...

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. Ch...

Three things that make for a magical race day performance. Fresh off the trails of Ultra Trail Cape Town, Charlie Hamilton shares about his race experience, developing as an athlete this year & confirms that carbs are king when it comes to fast racing Chapter Markers: 00:00 - Welcome to Season 3! 01:11 - Meet Charlie Hamitlon : Newest addition to team Terrex & aspiring physio 03:40 - Trail...

You can feel it, it’s almost here 🏔️ 🇿🇦 A chat with Stu McConnachie has been on the cards for some time. We connected at TrailCon this year & I couldn’t wait to share more of this story. Not only is UTCT a favorite on the trail calendar, this event has grown from its grass roots into something more. It stands on its own feet as a World Trail Major & puts SA on the map as a trail destinatio...

Two years later, we see our first repeat guest on the podcast. This episode with Tarrin van Niekerk is a special one. We talk about what it’s looked like for her to continue to run brave, her solo finish of the Hoefyster, her love for the mountains in Lady Grey & more . A personal hero & friend, it’s always good to welcome her to the podcast.

Do hard things. In community, for community 🇹🇿 This week we explore this idea of doing hard things, with a purpose that goes beyond ourselves. Brett Harrison is a race director & community development worker in Tanzania. We talk about his trail & MTB events, what brought him to Africa and what led him to do meaningful work that goes beyond his personal goals and ambition. Through his races...

We are back! Season 3 of Trail Culture is here & I'm so stoked to share some stories from all around the world with you all. First up, the founder of @oeathleticsclub , he’s not only a fast human but an incredibly consistent one. He’s well known for his Daily Mile videos & has some inspiring thoughts on creativity to share. 💭 We talk about his collegiate track career, the inspiration for...

This one is special. A handful of the brave humans who tackled the miler share some of their stories just a few hours after finishing their epic journeys. The debrief starts with Nicolette Griffioen. Two milers, two wins, four weeks apart - we’re inspired. She talks about her decision making process & where her mind was at going into this stretch of training and racing 🏅 Pierre Jordaan is up...

The MUT locker room | E03🎙️🔓 Its been an eventful day at George MUT by UTMB ⛰️ war stories shared from a handful of trail legends. @monique_agenbag08 starts us off with some training reflections & her race strategy for tomorrows 25km ⚡️ The power of salt & vinegar chips to the joy of racing on home trails. @shaunyd_8 & @rebeccakohne share stories from the MUT marathon 👟 & @adie_...

In the second locker room episode, we catch up with some of the sports favourite athletes. Toeing the line at the marathon & 60km races tomorrow, we chat through: The build up to MUT Injuries & setbacks Sibling rivalry History with the event Working with the race day rubik's cube & more!

Race director, Zane Schmahl, gives us a race report ahead of the MUT by UTMB weekend. 2025 is set to be the biggest event yet with 2100 runners toeing the start line over the 6 distances.

Welcome Brendan Lombard ! From racing across the globe to coaching runners of all levels, Brandon shares his expert insights on purpose-driven training, strength & conditioning for runners, and overcoming injuries. 🎙️ In this episode, you'll discover: 🔥 How to build strength for trail running – Key exercises, common mistakes, and how to integrate strength into your routine without overloading...

You asked & we listened. This weeks episode with @dewaal.simon is a hot topic. We unpack some of need to knows around super shoes. We talk about advanced footwear technology (AFT), what we learn from road runners, what research on super shoes tells us & more 💥 What you’ll gain from this episode: 🌟 Insights into the research on super shoes for both trail & road 💡 Tips on what to cons...

This week I’m stoked to welcome an expert to the podcast. She is all knowing when it comes to physiology & sports nutrition 🍎🍰🥤 The founder of @fuel_form , Louise joins us this week to talk about piecing together the fuelling puzzle. Where to start, what to avoid & the origin story behind some classic nutrition myths 💭 What you’ll gain from this episode: 🌟 Insights into fuelling for U...

This week I’m stoked to welcome Skye Clark to the podcast. He’s the perfect guy to chat to about consistency & finding sustainable training rhythms. His hard work over the last few years is paying off & he’s quickly becoming a household name for the SA trail scene. In this episode we talk about Skyes history with the sport, how he’s chipped away at his race performances, what consistency i...