The North Face athlete, Kyle Herring joins us from the Netherlands to share some epic stories. From some history facts about the Hoefyster to a dive into his different European race experiences. This guy has run every piece of trail in Stellenbosch & has made an appearance on the road scene in the Netherlands, running some blitz times. We cover: His history with the sport The coaching journey Mixing up trails & road when he plans his season Some stories from the Hoefyster route in Jonkershoek ..read more

An advocate for women in sport. Meg Mackenzie shares an athlete & coaches perspective on women in trail running, the challenges, the obstacles & the change she’d like to see. In this episode we cover: • Her history with the sport • Some recent career highlights • Navigating the sponsorship space & contract negotiations as a female athlete • Meg’s journey with RED-S & her advice for those working through it ..read more

What are the psychological benefits to trail running? In this episode we focus on: Exercising in a natural vs urban environment Effects of trail running on mental well being The psycho - evolutionary theory & attention restoration theory We get stuck into the research after an anecdotal introduction round what trail running does for our mental well being personally ..read more

This week we’ve got Dr Janesh Ganda joining us on the podcast. Janesh is currently the team doctor for the Springbok sevens, he’s a sports physician with years of experience in a range of different roles & an avid trail runner too This week we dive into: • The injury process • When to push through • Return to play after an injury • Drug free sport & trail running We look to the future of trail running & the anti-doping movement that’s quickly making its way into our sport. What does the drug free sport process look like & what can we expect from future testing ..read more

Research & female endurance athletes - are we doing enough? Our fourth Trail Science episode is all about the research journey & women in sport. Are we asking the right questions? How can we add to the body of research? We cover all of this along with an exciting announcement ..read more

This week we’ve got a family favourite, local legend & runner with the most energy joining us on the podcast. Mike Obery talks about his local crew, the significance of community and the massive role running has played in his life. Mikes story has great depth and it’s incredible to see how this guy just keeps giving back to the trail community. We talk about his journey with running, how it was his saving grace while he battled depression & anxiety, why he is so invested in crew culture & what's next in the pipeline for him this year ..read more

What is beyond the edge? This week we catch up with Brandon Hulley, New Balance athlete and George local. This episode looks to the mental side of Ultra running. We talk about the pain cave, what it takes to push through those moments where you want to quit & how to come back from a DNF. So great having an honest, easy chat & I hope it inspires you to be curious about what’s beyond the edge of yourself ..read more

Is this triathlon in 24 hours possible? Calling Cape Town | 8km Robben Island swim, the Cape Town Cycle Tour, then the 3 peaks mountain challenge. This event certainly isn’t for the feint hearted. All this happens to raise funds for Calling Education. An organisation that has set out to provide top quality education to low income learners in South Africa. Links: Calling Education Calling Cape Town Challenge How to donate ..read more

The favorite child of South African trail running. The North Face athlete, Johardt van Heerden shares his build up to Otter, expectations for the "sub 4" goal, his experience of racing alpine athletes in Europe, his day out at OCC and more. Instagram: @johardtvanheerden ; @vert.co_ Mafadi Peak Blog: https://livealittle.blog/2022/01/06/johardts-mafadi-fkt-attempt-the-back-story/ Mafadi Peak FKT Documentary (The North Face): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHhlA9aQKPs&t=2s ..read more

Welcome to our Trail Science episodes! A collaboration with Simon de Waal and Rooted in Dirt. We're introducing a separate category of episodes where we take a deep dive into relevant trail topics and to explore the research related to these trends. First up is pacing for ultra marathons, What is pacing? How does it differ from road to trail running? How do I pace my ultra marathon at UTCT? We chat through all of this and more. UTCT @rootedindirt @dewaal.simon @trailcultureza ..read more