Trails, Tales, and Fails - An Ultra Running Podcast

What does it take to become a seriously strong female ultra runners—and how do you train for mountain races when you live in one of the flattest parts of England? In this episode, we sit down with Helen Newman to explore her incredible journey through ultra running, trail running and sky racing. Helen is building an impressive ultra running CV, including: 🏆 Winner – Five Valleys Ultra 🥈 2nd – Wi...

Fresh from completing the Montane Summer Spine Race, today's guest joins us to unpack an incredible 275-mile journey along the Pennine Way. Finishing in around 150 hours, he battled challenging underfoot conditions, sleep deprivation, changing weather, and the mental and physical demands that come with one of Britain's toughest ultramarathons. Along the way, he shared conversations with so...

In this episode we sit down with South Coast ultra runner Simon Withers, one of the rising stars of the UK ultra running scene. Fresh from a gritty 7th place finish at the South Downs Way 100, Simon reflects on racing one of the UK's most competitive 100-mile ultras, sharing his pacing strategy, nutrition, mindset, and what it takes to perform over such a long day on the trails. We also discus...

Sarah finished 5th female at Mozart 100 by UTMB — a 120km mountain ultra in the Austrian Alps with long climbs, technical descents and a strong international field. In this episode we break down the whole experience: race week preparation and kit decisions managing training around work and family life preparing for Alpine races while living on the South Downs how the climbs and descents compared t...

This week on Trails, Tales & Fails, Max and Rob dive into a more honest conversation around ultra running, routines, streaks, escapism, addiction, and why endurance sport can sometimes become far more than “just running.” Why do runners become obsessed with structure? Why do 4am alarms, endless training blocks, and planning life around races somehow start to feel normal? And where’s the line b...

In this ep, Max, Sarah and Rob are joined by Karla Borland — a runner whose results over the last 12 months have been steadily climbing, putting her firmly on the trajectory to becoming one of the standout performers in UK ultra running. In that time, Karla has put together some seriously impressive performances: 4th place at the South Downs Way 100 in 17:52 in a stacked field 1st place at the Hun...

Anxiety in running is far more common than most people admit — and when we asked you about it on Instagram, the response was big. In this episode, it’s just us — no guest — having a proper, honest conversation about the different types of anxiety runners experience. From imposter syndrome and fear of injury, to getting lost mid-race, toilet disasters and Strava anxiety. We break it all down — what...

What happens when you combine young kids, an international move, and one of the toughest endurance races on the planet? In this episode, Max and Sarah were joined by Josie Kaufmann and Michael Canil — a husband and wife duo who recently relocated from Australia to rural France and took on the legendary Marathon des Sables. Often called the “toughest footrace on Earth,” MDS is a self-sufficient, mu...

When a race disappears… do you still show up? In this episode, we sit down with ultra runner Kirsty Taylor to unpack one of the most unique and unpredictable race experiences you’ll hear this year. Kirsty recently took on the Sea to Sea — a brutal 300km challenge — but this wasn’t quite the experience she signed up for. Just weeks before the start, Ourea Events ceased trading, throwing plans into...

This episode is about the people you don’t always see… but who make everything possible. We’re joined by Louise Fraser — a long-time volunteer and familiar face in the Centurion Running community. If you’ve ever run a Centurion race, chances are she’s been there at an aid station — handing you a cup of Coke, filling flasks, offering a bit of calm, and delivering exactly the words you needed at the...

This week we’re joined by Dutch ultra runner Noor Van der Veen, who has taken on some of the most demanding races on the planet — including Tor des Géants, Arc of Attrition 100 ), UTMB, and a full FKT of the Pyrenees. Most recently, she stepped up to the start line of the legendary Barkley Marathons. We dive into her background, her mindset, and what it really takes to tackle extreme endurance cha...

This week on Trails, Tales & Fails , we’re joined by Ben Potts — ultra runner, friend, and fresh off an incredible 12th-place finish at the Full Spine. The Full Spine is one of the toughest endurance races on the planet: 268 miles/431km, 10,700m+ of elevation, winter conditions, sleep deprivation, and relentless forward motion. Ben takes us inside the race — how he prepared, how he managed fatigue...

In ultra running, your brain isn’t just one voice — it’s two . 🐒 The Chimp : Emotional, impulsive, scared of pain and discomfort. It wants to stop when things get tough. 🧑‍💼 The Human : Logical, goal-focused, calm under pressure. It knows the long game and pushes through. The trick? Don’t fight your Chimp — work WITH it. ✅ Acknowledge when your Chimp screams “Quit!” ✅ Calm it down with positi...

In this episode, Max and Rob are joined by Dave from TrailSkin — ultra runner, founder, and someone who knows firsthand what the trails can throw at you. Dave has completed races including the Arc of Attrition and UTS 100k, and this year returned to the Arc 100, where brutal conditions brought by Storm Ingrid forced many runners, including Dave, to make the difficult decision to stop at Land’s End...

This week, we’re joined by Ben O'Connell , who many of you will already know from the coaching world and from YouTube, where he shares practical, grounded advice for runners of all abilities. Ben has taken on some iconic ultras — from Centurion 50‑milers to the South Downs Way 100, and the Swiss Alpes 100 — but this weekend, he stepped up to one of Britain’s most notorious winter races: the Ar...

This week on Trails, Tales & Fails, we’re joined by co-host Sarah Page, fresh off an incredible performance at the Montane Winter Spine Challenger South 2026. In her first-ever Spine, Sarah claimed 1st female, 3rd overall, and ran the fastest women’s time ever recorded on the Challenger South, stopping the clock at 29:03 — nearly 40 minutes quicker than the previous best. All of this came in t...

Welcome back to Trails, Tales, and Fails — the podcast where we celebrate the highs, the lows, and everything in between on the ultra-running journey. Today’s episode is a little different. It’s just the three of us — Max, Rob, and Sarah — catching up, talking training, and looking back on 2025 with a fun (and slightly chaotic) quiz based on our previous guests. Expect confident guesses, very shak...

Ultras aren’t usually lost because you’re not fit enough — they’re lost because of one bad decision made when you’re tired, cold, or emotional. In this week’s Ultra Tip Tuesday, we introduce the Traffic Light Decision System : a simple framework to help you make smarter calls during long runs and race day. Learn how to: Keep moving when things are green Monitor and manage problems early when they’...

This week on Trails, Tales, and Fails , we dig into one of the smartest — and most overlooked — ways to build race‑day confidence: training on terrain that actually mirrors your goal route. Rocky, muddy, flat, hilly, or wildly technical, every surface teaches your body something different. In this Ultra Tip Tuesday episode, we break down how to sharpen your weaknesses early in the training cycle,...

Trish Patterson joins us fresh off her incredible Winter Dragon’s Back FKT — a huge achievement made even more impressive by the rocky road leading up to it. Weeks before the attempt, Trish sprained her ankle. Then came missed training weeks, lingering fatigue, and a build‑up that was anything but smooth. In this episode, we dive into Trish’s journey: how she handled setbacks, what the Winter Drag...

Jade Barrett has taken endurance to extraordinary heights. In 2025 she completed the Centurion Double Slam on her way to running every Centurion event in a single year. She also raced the legendary ⁠Arc 100⁠ in January. Most recently, Jade conquered the Winter Downs 200, finishing in an astonishing 76 hours and 58 minutes. This year’s Winter Downs was one for the history books, with Caspian James...

From signing up to her first ultra with just three days’ notice, to conquering the legendary Dragon’s Back and setting multiple Fastest Known Times, Lizzie — better known as Ultra Mad Lizzie — has built a reputation for resilience, grit, and determination. In this episode of Trails, Tales, and Fails , Lizzie shares her journey through the unique world of backyard ultras — a format that tests menta...

In this episode, Max and Rob chat to fellow Protein Rebel ambassador, Alex Bance, who didn’t just run an ultra — he ran 300 miles, self-navigated, unrecced, and with minimal support, all to raise money and awareness for a children’s hospice close to his heart, Julia's House . We unpack the soaring highs to the crushing lows, kit disasters, hallucinations, moments of kindness, and the mental re...

Charlotte Fisher is having a breakout year — and we’re here for it. From her early win at North Downs Way 100 to podiums at UTS, Lakeland, and Mallorca by UTMB, she’s proving she’s one of the fiercest rising stars on the European ultra scene. In this episode, Charlotte opens up about the highs and lows of racing 140KM through technical terrain in Mallorca, how she’s evolved as an athlete in 2025,...

This week we sit down with Charlie Steward — fresh off what many are calling the worst conditions in Moab 240 history. Think rain, snow, high winds, falling trees, and actual mountain lions. Charlie says the race broke him in every single way — physically, mentally, emotionally — and yes, he really did cut open his own feet mid-race to relieve pressure. We talk Ironman roots, hallucinations, sleep...