Trail Culture

Marz van der Merwe: A commitment to adventure Join us this week as we chat to a local favorite, a tremendous talent & a well rounded athlete. So stoked to have @marz_merwe on the podcast this week 🎙️ We’ll be talking about everything from her sports journey to her professional development. 🤙🏼 🎥 Chapter Markers: 00:00 - Welcome to 2025 : Season 2 continues 02:36 - Goal orientation : Finding...

Back like we never left 👋🏼 For those who are new here, once a month Trail Culture releases a more scientific episode, recorded with @dewaal.simon from the legendary @rootedindirt 🤙🏼 Simon is a runner, a coach & a scientist. We talk about various hot topics in the trail running space & unpack the relevant research surrounding them. We also have some not so relevant banter & we’re so...

Simon Pocock: The art of story telling and human connection Join us this week as we chat to a local talent & friend of the trail community, Simon Pocock. A wizard with the camera, this guy has a gift for storytelling and connecting with people. We explore that as well as his entry in the sports media space & some of his creative experiences over the years. 🎥 Chapter Markers: 00:00 - Welco...

Join us on this epic episode of Chill Culture as we kick off 2025 with a legendary guest: Ryan Sandes! 🏃‍♂️🌍 A trailblazer in ultrarunning, Ryan has conquered terrains across the globe, from the icy stretches of Antarctica to the dunes of the Gobi Desert. This conversation dives into his inspiring journey, his love for adventure, and his relentless pursuit of pushing boundaries. 💪✨ What you’ll...

Todays episode is going to round off an incredible year of trail running and outdoor adventure. This week I'm stoked to welcome a legend in the trail running community. A familair voice, a friendly face and honestly one of the greatest humans around, it's a joy to welcome Sean Robson to the podcast today. An experienced journalist, a runner, TT group leader, an epic MC, a Dad and a friend. This ep...

This week it’s great to welcome an adventure race, race director, conservationist, MC, a Dad and an absolute trail legend, Robert Le Brun ie. Brundle. This guy has welcomed many an athlete over a finish line, he’s completed adventure racing world champs and runs an amazing series of outdoor events through No Frills No Fuss. This guy loved rugged mountains, is always up for a challenge and has a pa...

This week, we’re trying something new with our first round table episode. This week the Flatrock Endurance team joins us to talk about the well-balanced approach. We talk about all things coaching, the process they follow at flatrock, what each coach brings to the table, how they overcome challenges and more. From Annecy to the UK to Cape Town, we’ve got Tonis race experience and passion for nutri...

For our nerdy fans out there, the Trail Science episodes are back! 💥🎙️ Up first is: Fit but Unhealthy? Are we prioritising performance over health & wellness? In this episode we unpack these ideas & talk about some of the early signs of LEA & RED-S. 🍎 I’m excited to continue the scientific journey alongside Simon de Waal from Rooted in Dirt. In this season we’ll continue to dive into...

Naomi Brand is back on SA soil after spending the summer training and racing in Europe. An Ultra runner, vet, conservationist and an artist, she is a legend in the SA trail community. Naomi can be found on the startline of the most hectic ultras, to adventuring around New Zealand in her mobile home or painting during the short breaks she has after training and work. Naomi has some amazing insights...

John Middlewick is a triathlete turned business man who started Carbon Endurance, a sports consulting distribution house that brings brands like Precision Fuel & Hydration and Pillar Performance into South Africa to support and fuel our incredible athlete base. He has years of endurance training and racing under his belt, this couple with a keen interest in the science of performance has devel...

Shafeeqah Gordon is a local favorite in the Cape Town trail community. She’s the leader of the legendary shafflers at Tuesday Trails. A pocket rocket with a sense of humor to match. She can be found on the start line of some pretty tough races & you’re always guaranteed a smile if you see her. Stoked to welcome Shaf to the podcast & to get to know her better during this conversation. // TO...

The second half of the chat with James Montgomery from the Run Project on the Craft of Coaching. We go deeper into the specifics of working with the person in front of you, how to make training relative to the individual, how to shape & improve your thinking as a coach and more. This chat really left me inspired to keep learning and to really view each athlete and their goals as separate puzzl...

The craft of coaching 💭 Part 1 So stoked to have James Montgomery on the podcast to share his extensive experience & talk about what it takes to be a great coach. 🏃🏽‍♂️ 🏃🏼‍♀️📈 We talk about the evolving athlete, the balance between fun and hard training, the structured vs intuitive approach to running & more. Special thank to Carbon Endurance for fuelling Season 2 of Trail Culture. C...

The bigger picture & what athletes should consider when thinking of health and movement. This week we’ve got Dr Hilton Lazar joining us to chat about health, movement & the role of chiropractic. An expert in his craft, we talk about pain management, injury diagnosis, what running does to our spines & the role of adjustment.

The difference | The family | The history 🦦 A magical stretch of coastline, it’s roots run deep with a special history. An incredible story of family, conservation, community and a single race making the greatest difference. Hearing these stories brings both memories & emotions to the surface. It’s a great privilege to share them with you. 🎙️ The Otter episode goes live tonight 💭 #trailcultu...

A motley crew of friends, 100kms & a skeleton 🏴‍☠️ So stoked to kick off season 2 of Trail Culture with an absolute legend, Petrus de Klerk 🤙🏼 Famed for their presence at Kloof Corner during UTCT, we chat to Petrus about the the Mountain Mxn, tradition, trail culture & more. An incredible human with a gees crew of friends, a wicked sense of humor & stories to match. We’re back and t...

Does power have a place in trail running? We’re back with another Trail Science episode. This week, Simon de Waal from Rooted in Dirt joins us to talk about power as a performance metric. When should we use power? How is it measured? What should the real world application look like? & does power work as a performance measure in the trail running space?

“The best way to learn is by doing” - @michael_bakes From getting cliffed out on Mnweni, to a solo unsupported DGT, to a wedding at the top of the Amphitheatre. This weeks guest is Michael Baker. An athlete, a coach, an adventurer & captain of group missions. This episode really is one amazing story of adventure. The name speaks for itself & I'll let you find out more. The Hiking Vikings T...

The Long Road Part 2! This week, pocket rocket and adventurer, Mari Marincowitz joins us on the podcast to talk about her miler journey and what happened out there on the course. Fresh off a win at the George MUT by UTMB Miler , she shares some of her stories & we experience the Outeniqua once again through her lens. Taking her time in the day to day, running Milers is perfect for Mari. It's o...

This week, pocket rocket and adventurer, Mari Marincowitz joins us on the podcast to talk about her life journey. Running has remained the consistent thing throughout her travels and exploration. Fresh off a win at the @georgemountainultratrail Miler, she shares some of her stories & in part 2 we experience the Outeniqua once again through her lens. From India, to Shanghai to South Africa. Par...

How should I approach my training load? The Trail Science episodes are back, this week @dewaal.simon joins us to talk about Training Load Monitoring (TLM). We talk about how TLM has changed over the last few years to accommodate the growth of the sport & how this particular space is being influenced by AI. We discuss it’s history, the metrics that matter, some gaps in the current TLM tools &am...

What was it like to grow up with trail culture? A Stellenbosch local & @salomon_sa athlete. Lijan Burger has grown up in the trail culture of South Africa. In this episode, we cover: • The story of her first trail experience with her Dad • Movement as a family value • Lijans holistic approach to life & running • Defining good health in the trail space • Her upcoming adventure 🌍 & more

An outdoor lifestyle in a comfortable society. One of the more philosophical chats on the podcast so far. Really enjoyed this conversation with Pierre, @the.flying.runner & co-founder of @mountainabandon We cover: • The role the Otter trail has played in his life • Milers as emotional regulators • Running vs training • How to live an outdoor lifestyle in the current society A follow up is alre...

Hearing from the humans, the final episode of MUT Moments is all about the people. The athletes who’ve had the courage to show up for this event after months of preparation, each with their own story. From running for a cause, to the competition of the podium, to showing up for the first time on a trail start line. These are just a few of the moments captured as we’ve checked in with these amazing...

What goes on behind the scenes? The next episode of MUT moments dives into the BTS of putting on a world class event. This episode shares a range of experiences & insights from a handful of incredible humans on the MUT team. The guests: Zane Schmahl - Race Director Colleen Browne - Route Marker & Sweeper Juliette Berger - Operations Manager UTMB World Series Marelize Rhodes - Logistics &am...