Podcast
Dirt Church Radio Trail Running
Trail running talk and banter, delving deep to gain insight and inspiration from interesting runners in New Zealand, Australia and the world. Learn more: dirtchurchradio.com
- Running chart
- #122
- Episodes
- 404
- Releases
- Weekly
- Typical length
- 1 hr 15 min
- On air since
- 2018
- Latest episode
- 3 days ago
Episodes
404 episodes, newest first
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58 min
Backyard Schmackyard | DCR AidStation 063
Show notes
This week, Ali and Andrew run (ha!) down the notion that suffering in something you choose to do may not even be suffering at all. They peer into one leg of the ultrasphere's bifurcation and decide that, whilst looking fun, and all, Backyards may not be their thing. Influencers get a dishonourable mention, and as a bonus we’ve got interviews from Ali’s stint crewing the Vanilla Gorilla at the River Run Backyard this weekend—all this and more at the AidStation.
Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running.
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Episode Links
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Music and editing by Andrew McDowall, Digicake
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1 hr 44 min
The 2026 Crater Rim Ultra Live Show Special | Dirt Church Radio 394
Show notes
I think we understood how epic the Crater Rim was, but we didn’t know it. This weekend changed all that—my Goodness, this was an incredible weekend of excellent trails and trying times. Some of us hurt ourselves, and some of us went to Taupo and rekindled our love for trails. For your pleasure, we also bring you the 2026 Crater Rim Live Show, all the way from Further Faster. Matt and Ali bring you a rollicking journey through the back alleys of DCR and speak with Chris Pike and Jules Christie from Further Faster about the race’s history, grassroots activism, and what it takes to bring such an incredible race to the community, for the community. Dirt Church Radio. We hope you enjoy it.
Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running.
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Episode Links
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Music and editing by Andrew McDowall, Digicake
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37 min
Wild and Free? | DCR AidStation 062
Show notes
This week on the AidStation, our heroes gather once again to dissect the thorniest issues in the ultraphere. For some of us, strictly following doctor’s orders is the go; for others, it’s all coming up fondue, or fon-don’t, as it were. Beyond that, we’re pondering why you’d cancel a 240-mile race or even start one; we’ve got cold opens, hot takes, and dramatic music to boot—all this and more at the AidStation.
Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running.
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Episode Links
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Music and editing by Andrew McDowall, Digicake
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1 hr 23 min
Corrine Malcolm. Here For It.. | Dirt Church Radio 392
Episode 392
Show notes
Corrine Malcolm aspires to be trail running's biggest super fan. She’s also been described as a Swiss Army knife of knowledge about the sport and culture. You’ll have heard her on countless live streams at massive races such as Western States. Corrine is part of the Freetrail family and the Trail Society Podcast. With a background in winter biathlon that led to top-tier trail and ultramarathon running, coaching, and mentorship. Corrine is a force to be reckoned with and is a fierce advocate for inclusion and equity in racing. Ali speaks to Corrine about her journey in the sport, the joys, challenges, and beyond on this most excellent episode of Dirt Church Radio. We hope you enjoy it.
Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running.
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Episode Links
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Music and editing by Andrew McDowall, Digicake
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1 hr 15 min
The 2026 Blue Lake Special | DCR AidStation 062
Episode 391
Show notes
This weekend was about love. Love of the trails, Love of the sport, Love of grassroots events (Yes, CTC, we mean you too) and love of the people who dream up these foolhardy endeavours.
Long story short, we all ran a bunch of loops of Blue Lake, and it ruled. We did a tonne of interviews, and they were great too. It all got very Scottish. Give it a hoon.
All this and more at the AidStation.
Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running.
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Episode Links
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Music and editing by Andrew McDowall, Digicake
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1 hr 36 min
Katharina Hartmuth. Giant Killer | Dirt Church Radio 390
Episode 390
Show notes
The boundaries between what is possible and what was once thought impossible are crumbling by the day. This is especially true in the ultra space. This week, Ali and Andrew speak to the mighty Katharina Hartmuth about her journey to Tor des Géants, and what she hoped to achieve before her incredible, emphatic win. Pragmatic, driven and engaging, Katharina has delivered some incredible performances in the past, including the record on the Bob Graham Round. The gang discusses all this and more, including how to navigate injuries and unexpected events during races, such as losing her vision at Hardrock. This is an incredible conversation with an incredible athlete. We hope you enjoy it.
Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running.
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Episode Links
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Music and editing by Andrew McDowall, Digicake
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45 min
Sports | DCR AidStation 061
Show notes
Look, we’ve lately taken to welcoming the heat death of the universe, or a comet, to rid us of the continued madness of the ultrasphere. Our dudes, it’s getting bad. We’re in a hectic headspace, and we’re here to chat shit. What’s that alternative to the Sweeny-ness of it all? Can you have your OnlyFans and eat it too? (Sorry). Why is golf? WHILE WE ARE AT IT, what is the furthest you’ve ever walked? And why, as older runners, must we be cognizant that whatever residual strength we had warps and fades? On the positive, we (Matt) love Jeff Garmire and encourage you all to watch his new film. We are also unreasonably excited to all be at 24 hours of Blue Lake next weekend. Circling back to the top, and speaking of chatting shit, is it ever okay if the train goes to brown-town to keep pushing on to your goals, literally and figuratively? All this and more at the AidStation.
Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running.
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Episode Links
Rewritten | Attempting the Appalachian Trail
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Music and editing by Andrew McDowall, Digicake
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1 hr 23 min
Roger Hanney : Type 1 Fun | Dirt Church Radio 388
Show notes
All we are is a collection of stories. As hard as we may try, we scream a narrative. It seeps from our pores. Everything speaks, from our genetics to our blood markers; our history written for us, and the history we make ourselves. We became who we are by telling stories, and at the end of the day, all any of us really want is that sense of excitement, understanding, and connection that a story gives us. Who then, is better to have on the pod this week than Roger Hanney? Ali and Matt speak to Roger about his journey and how being diagnosed as a type 1 diabetic in his early thirties altered the course of his life trajectory and led him to tackle some of the wildest ultra marathons in the world, through to the business of running with Hoka and, later, Mount to Coast. Brilliant, funny, poignant, and wise. This is an excellent yarn, and we hope you enjoy it.
Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running.
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Episode Links
Sign up for the DCR AidStation newsletter and never miss an episode! Join us today.
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Enjoy!
Music and editing by Andrew McDowall, Digicake
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1 hr 15 min
The 2026 Firies Climb For MND | DCR AidStation 060
Episode 388
Show notes
Community gets bandied around too much these days. Everything is a community, even though around us our worlds get smaller, our networks become increasingly online, and our horizons narrow. Even accounting for our jaundiced views, this weekend was a true display of what community can and should be. MND sucks; this has been established. The fight that people like Professor Dominic Rowe, Gavin Clifton, Matt Pridham, and others are waging against this disease, and the advocacy for the community affected by it, are staggering. There are lots of serious discussions in this podcast; however, there is also lightness, hope, humour, and fun. Please enjoy our conversations with the aforementioned above, plus Rob Philpott, Fionn Curran, Sarah Jenkins, and current Firies Climb course record holder Jess.
Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running.
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Episode Links
Sign up for the DCR AidStation newsletter and never miss an episode! Join us today.
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Enjoy!
Music and editing by Andrew McDowall, Digicake
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1 hr 40 min
Jeff Browning: No Hitch In The Giddyup | Dirt Church Radio 386
Episode 388
Show notes
This week we’re delighted to welcome returning DCR champion Jeff Browning, one of our OG guests, featured in episode 10 waaaaay back in 2018. Ali and Matt speak to Jeff about his amazing career and how, since 2018, he’s continued to move forward, smash races, and roll with the punches. Fresh off an age-group record at Western States and looking towards TDS, Jeff was in fine form. This conversation covers his storied racing career, how his coaching philosophy has evolved as he’s aged, the sport's evolution, what inspires him, and what keeps him moving forward. This is an incredible conversation with one of the true legends of our sport, and we hope you enjoy it.
Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running.
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Episode Links
Sign up for the DCR AidStation newsletter and never miss an episode! Join us today.
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Enjoy!
Music by Andrew McDowall, Digicake
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53 min
Running Wife Running Life | DCR AidStation 059
Episode 387
Show notes
This week, Ali and Matt stock the AidStation with all the goodness you need. We have a very special conversation with Gavin Clifton, one of the leading voices for the Firies Climb for (against) MND. We are so excited to be joining this amazing event for the second time and look forward to being there in The Blue Mountains next week. Then we hit on the totally non-complicated and 100% non-minefield of engaging in trail and ultramarathon with a member of the opposite sex who is not your partner. From simple fun and mateship to a situation fraught with trust issues. Should you run with your mates of the opposite sex, and if not, why not? Where do you stand on this issue? We’d love to hear from you.
Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running.
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Episode Links
Sign up for the DCR AidStation newsletter and never miss an episode! Join us today.
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Enjoy!
Music by Andrew McDowall, Digicake
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1 hr 8 min
Sophie Woods: Via Alpina FKT | DCR BONUS POD 385
Show notes
In this special bonus podcast, Ali Pottinger talks to Sophie Woods about her incredible 28-day, 17-hour, 59-minute Via Alpina FKT. This is a very special conversation, and we hope you enjoy it.
Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running.
--- --- ---
Episode Links
Sign up for the DCR AidStation newsletter and never miss an episode! Join us today.
Dirt Church Radio on Instagram
Enjoy!
Music and editing by Andrew McDowall, Digicake
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1 hr 40 min
Lucy Bartholomew : Time For Livin' | Dirt Church Radio 384
Show notes
The Champ is back! This week, Ali and Andrew have the pleasure of speaking to Lucy Bartholomew. It’s strange to call someone as young as Lucy a veteran of the sport; however, with her years of racing experience at the highest levels, that’s just what Lucy is. Fresh off her Brisbane Marathon win and her stunning second place at Laverado. Lucy talks us through her continued evolution in the sport, what she has learned this season, and her goals for the latter half of the year. It’s not lost on us the privilege of having an athlete of Lucy’s caliber being a return guest, and we are stoked to bring you this chat. We hope you enjoy it.
Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running.
--- --- ---
Episode Links
Sign up for the DCR AidStation newsletter and never miss an episode! Join us today.
Dirt Church Radio on Instagram
Enjoy!
Music by Andrew McDowall, Digicake
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41 min
I Got Really Angry About The State Of Trail Running Online And All I Got Was This Stupid T Shirt | DCR AidStation 58
Episode 383
Show notes
There is a lot to be exercised within the ultrasphere if you let it. Clickbait, AI Slop, and the rules-don’t-apply-to-me of it all. I mean, are races just about the livestream now? And how does it feel to be in a place where attention, and not performance, is the main driving factor? On the other hand, have you been for a run on the trails lately? We did, and can confirm it’s still AWESOME. What about all the beauty, pain, and noble folly of this sport? What about Carmen Maria Perez, Max Joliffe, and those Badwater CRs falling? How good is it that there is still no substitute for hard work? It’s okay to be mediocre at something you love. And why not try adding a kilometre a day or 100m vert a day? For a month or so, because you can? Because you have free will. How about you did it and didn’t talk about it (much)? Surely that, above all else, is staring into the pulsing void of the algorithm and raising a solitary single digit? All this and more at the DCR AidStation.
Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running.
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Episode Links
Sign up for the DCR AidStation newsletter and never miss an episode. Join us today.
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Enjoy!
Music and editing by Andrew McDowall, Digicake
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1 hr 16 min
Jeff Garmire : Free Outside | Dirt Church Radio 382
Episode 382
Show notes
This week, Matt and Ali have the distinct pleasure of speaking with Jeff Garmire. Jeff is well known for his achievements in the thru-hiking world, having set many incredible Fastest Known Times on the Colorado, John Muir, and Arizona trails (among others). Having completed 6 Cocodona 250-mile top ten finishes and fresh off a month-long “bachelor party” in Europe, knocking off a GR20, a Tour De Mont Blanc, and a 100km ultra in Germany, we speak to Jeff about his roots in the sport, connection, authenticity, and his frank and engaging approach to highlighting the incredible (and at times silly) aspects of our sport. Jeff is also a coach, podcaster, and author. We discuss how reaching out and communicating with others have positively influenced his life and well-being, as well as his hopes for the future of this sport and culture. This is a brilliant conversation that we are so pleased to bring you. We hope you enjoy it.
Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running.
--- --- ---
Episode Links
Sign up for the DCR AidStation newsletter and never miss an episode! Join us today.
Dirt Church Radio on Instagram
Enjoy!
Music by Andrew McDowall, Digicake
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55 min
State Of The Nation | DCR AidStation 057
Show notes
This week, Ali, Matt, and Andrew get together to set the record straight (ish). The state of the trail-running multi-nation is laid out. We discuss (gulp) goals and, if we could have our druthers, what our ideal trail race would look like. Andrew is partial to any gel except the ones that taste like acid. Matt closes the loop on the circle pit with a glorious celebration; Ali is building, building, building, PLUS we have a special check-in from the man himself, Bradley H from http://Trailrunning.NZ about the madness that it Vertual July. All this and more at the DCR AidStation.
Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running.
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Episode Links
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Time On Feet- Western States BTS
Dirt Church Radio on Instagram
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Music and editing by Andrew McDowall, Digicake
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1 hr 30 min
Audrée Lafrenière: A Life Extraordinary | Dirt Church Radio 380
Episode 380
Show notes
This week, Matt and Ali have the pleasure of speaking with Audrée Lafrenière. Audrée is a coach, athlete, and dedicated lover of our sport and culture. You may know her best from the popular trail-running video series that Audrée and her partner, Jeff Pelleier, create. These videos document their adventures, be that fastpacking in the Dolomites, racing UTMB, Crewing Jeff at Moab 240, or Audrée’s most recent 100km effort at Lake Sonoma. Assured, Knowledgeable, and engaged, Audrée’s conversation with us offers a peek behind the curtain at what goes into the planning, challenges, logistics, and execution of creating content whilst staying in the moment and living an extraordinary life on the trails, as someone who is not a sponsored pro athlete but an enthusiastic citizen runner like most of us.
Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running.
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Episode Links
Running 62 Kilometres Around Grand Teton National Park
BIG FRESH THE GREATEST NZ SUPERMARKET
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Music by Andrew McDowall, Digicake
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33 min
Birthday Pony | DCR AidStation 056
Show notes
This week, Matt and Ali carry the torch, as Andrew said he was popping out for soy milk and went to Australia. We run down Vertual July, the controversy with the Six Foot Track Marathon finishing times, and a Hardrock Preview. We debate one of the great trail-running conundrums: shakka vs. goat horns? What would a grand slam of NZ ultramarathons look like, we wonder? We marvel at the momentum that momentum can give you, the joy of urban trails, and plan world domination. All this and more at the DCR AidStation.
Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running.
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Episode Links
Sign up for the DCR AidStation newsletter and never miss an episode. Join us today.
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Enjoy!
Music and editing by Andrew McDowall, Digicake
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1 hr 6 min
The Cost Of Ultramarathon | Dirt Church Radio 378
Show notes
This week, it’s Ali, Andrew, and Matt rolling as the power trio we are, without an interview, because we wanted to cover something important and increasingly on people’s minds.
This started with a response to a Yaboyscottjurek post, where he’d come up with slogans for various personalities in the ultra world, including the race director of an ultra-ultra distance race, with “you wouldn’t want it to be affordable, would you?” on their cap. Matt saw this, laughed, nodded, and moved on with his life, but a listener tagged us and the Freetrail podcast in the post and suggested we might want to dive into the subject. So we did, and the results may shock you.
Even in a sport as relatively privileged as trail running, people are feeling the financial pinch, and nothing seems to be getting cheaper. So we ran some numbers and are excited to take you through what we found on the true cost of an ultramarathon. We’ve also got all the news from Laverado and Western States, and a follow-up from our man Lachlan Colebatch, who toed the line at Olympic Valley and got the job done.
Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running.
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Episode Links
Sign up for the DCR AidStation newsletter and never miss an episode! Join us today.
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Enjoy!
Music by Andrew McDowall, Digicake
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1 hr 19 min
The 2026 Western States Endurance Run | DCR AidStation 055
Show notes
This week is all about Western States. The history, the myths and legends, and how Ali, Andrew, and Matt first got drawn into the orbit of this incredible race. Andrew, who ran the bloody thing in 2024, confirms that the hype is indeed justified and talks us through the ins and outs of the iconic course. We have interviews with Caitlin Fielder, Holly Ranson, and Lachlan Colbatch, all of whom are toeing the line on Saturday. Above and beyond all this, we discuss Matt’s wildlife encounter on the weekend, how NZ is a village, discuss the future of the WSER, and vote with our hearts and our heads on who we think will take the win. All this and more at the DCR AidStation.
Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running.
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Episode Links
Sign up for the DCR AidStation newsletter and never miss an episode! Join us today.
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Enjoy!
Music by Andrew McDowall, Digicake
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