Trail Culture | Podcast on RSS.com

Trail Culture

by Emily Robertson

Fitness Running

Season 3

Strike 2 & the Cobra origin story | Jesse Roberts

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 keep race day exciting & with some truly novel elements to the event, there is something for everyone. Check it out: Website: https://www.capecobratrail.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/capecobratrail/ Whatsapp group banter: https://chat.whatsapp.com/DG5AUI583hZHmiy8j3SJiG?mode=gi_t

MUT 2026 | Elite Interviews: Lodelia Kombrink, Rebecca Kohne & Jacques du Plessis

MUT 2026 | Elite interviews: Brandon Keeling, Daniël Claasen, Johardt van Heerden, Brandon Hulley & Mila Geldenhuys

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

MUT 2026 | Race Directors Report: Zane Schmahl

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 as their life goal, toe the start line and take on the Outeniqua mountains. Our race directors report is here, enjoy! #TrailCulture

Dirt Nerds Do Forecasting: 2026 Hot Takes | Sean Robson

.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 next & some comments on areas where we’d love for the sport to do better 💯 Chapter Markers: 00:00 - Welcome & no more seasons 01:09 - Hi Sean: On athlete & global explorer 04:37- The coaches of CT - kick a bush and one will fall out 06:23 - The previous season - reflections & the rise of womens sport 13:23 - The social media space - ‘influencing’ eclipsing performance? 22:10 - Evolution of running - are the explosions real? 34:10 - A graceful win & great poentialt - Sam Reillys Journey 38:15 - Cocodona - Ryan Sandes taking on the ultra milers 41:05 - The Ultra debut - the rise of Rebecca Kone 45:10 - The family champion - Doug Pickard and the UTCT masterclass 55:37 - Womens sport - growing support and the space 01:03:20 - Closing remarks 🌍 Connect with Trail Culture: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailcultureza/ Trail Culture Coaching: https://www.trailculture.co.za/ Support those who support us: Carbon Endurance Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carbon_endurance/ Carben Endurance Wesbite: https://www.carbonendurance.co/precision-hydration-2 📩 Follow Sean Robson Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/sean.l.robson?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== #TrailCulture

Finding our way | Nora Serres

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 experiences look different and she shares some moments that form a key part of her story and her process of finding her way in the sport, in research and in friendship. Her kindness and warmth as a person are two distinct things that stand out for me from this conversation. She advocates for connection, thought and people. I can't wait to see how her trail running season unfolds and what she grows next in her garden. Chapter Markers: 00:00 - Welcome to Season 3! 01:09 - Meet Nora Serres: Terrex athlete with musical talent 02:46- UTCT - impressions of South Africa 08:52 - Finding our way - finding the outdoors through music 12:30 - The playlist sessions - the early days of running 18:18 - Family history - activity vs training 19:41 - Research - the intersection of running and music 24:36 - The work informed - personal experiences and her work 29:32 - Divided focus - growing into space, running and research 36:28 - Team Terrex- what did it change ? 41:24 - Mentorship - women in sport & working together 45:18 - Winter training - the benefits of skiing and rest 52:49 - The planning - how does Nora structure her year 01:05:20 - Closing remarks 🌍 Connect with Trail Culture: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailcultureza/ Trail Culture Coaching: https://www.trailculture.co.za/ Support those who support us: Carbon Endurance Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carbon_endurance/ Carben Endurance Wesbite: https://www.carbonendurance.co/precision-hydration-2 📩 Follow Nora Serres Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/noraserres?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

The PhD Recap | Simon de Waal : Trail Science

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 for Dr de Waal & more. 00:00 - Still in Season 3 01:52 - Welcome back to Dr de Waal 06:13 - Excellence within the ebbs & flows 09:18 - Progress in research within the SA context 11:10 - What are the research take homes? 20:40 - Challenges within the research design 25:37 - The next project: Where will Dr de Waal go next 32:18 - What are we seeing in field and in the lab 36:40 - Feedback from the experts 44:50 - The “so what?”: how to apply the research to our programs 51:47 - The publication pipeline & final thoughts 54:54 - Personal goals & rooted in dirt 🔔 Subscribe for more deep-dive episodes on trail running science! 💬 What research would you like to see next? Let us know in the comments! 🔗 Links & Resources: - Trail Culture Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailcultureza/ - Trail Culture Coaching: https://www.trailculture.co.za/ - Simon de Waal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dewaal.simon/ - Rooted in Dirt Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rootedindirt/ - Carbon Endurance Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carbon_endurance/ - Carbon Endurance Website: https://www.carbonendurance.co/precision-hydration-2 - Alberto Minetti research: - Frederik Sabateur // SHARE AND RATE THE PODCAST! iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/trail-culture/id1709631577 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4eLM3gAMxZBOjUHAaGcBeu

Time to work | Alyssa Clark

“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 & podcaster comes through in this episode. I love her take on "eggs in the basket" and we get a peek into her thoughts as she holds the tension between leaving a legacy and going all in for running. I can't wait to see her race season unfold. Enjoy! Chapter Markers: 00:00 - Welcome to Season 3! 02:01 - Meet Alyssa Clark: On athlete & global explorer 04:24- Van life - living on the move 10:33 - San Diego - putting down roots 13:45 - Hurt 100 - technicality of Hawaii & the sub 24 hour run 17:20 - Versatility in racing - durability and scrappy racing 22:50 - The story of UTCT - living through 9 lives 27:10 - Unravelling- then a rally 39:36 - Don’t lie to me - Focus and the pacman method 49:41 - The races- recency bias and maintaining perspective 56:45 - Coaching - the eggs in the basket? 01:01:00 - Finding the line - mentoring and mistakes 01:05:36 - Conversations worth having - podcasting and human connection 01:09:48 - What’s next - the offseason and the dream 01:13:17 - Closing remarks 🌍 Connect with Trail Culture: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailcultureza/ Trail Culture Coaching: https://www.trailculture.co.za/ Support those who support us: Carbon Endurance Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carbon_endurance/ Carben Endurance Wesbite: https://www.carbonendurance.co/precision-hydration-2 📩 Follow Alyssa Clark Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/theory_in_motion?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

Competition, pressure & possibilities | Jeff Mogavero

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 to it that’s super interesting and makes him the great athlete that he is. This chat was honest & fun and I can’t wait to follow Jeffs journey in the years to come. Chapter Markers: 00:00 - Welcome to Season 3 02:08 - Meet Jeff Mogavero: On athlete & outdoor explorer 03:12- Growing up outside - early adventure and hobbies 05:40 - Living in Ginny - van life before it was cool 11:30 - Cape Town - impressions of the trail 15:39 - Running for ON - professionalization & the sponsorship journey 19:15 - The pressure of ultra running - seeing what could be 23:00 - The double - WSER & UTMB 26:25 - UTCT - Cooling strategies and ice water to the face 33:10 - The make or break - the detail of the sprint finish 42:49 - The training - how to be good at 100 milers but also win sprint finishes 48:07 - The hydration puzzle - the most critical win 53:25 - The possibilities - excited about what’s to come 56:22 - What’s next - Chianti, WSER, CCC & the 2026 calendar 59:20 - Emerging runners - new talent & mentorship 1:05:06 - Closing remarks 🌍 Connect with Trail Culture: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailcultureza/ Trail Culture Coaching: https://www.trailculture.co.za/ Support those who support us: Carbon Endurance Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carbon_endurance/ Carbon Endurance Website: https://www.carbonendurance.co/precision-hydration-2 📩 Follow Jeff Mogavero Substack: https://jeffmogavero.substack.com

The time and the place | Chris Myers

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. Chapter Markers: 00:00 - Welcome to Season 3! 02:33 - Meet Chris Myers: Brooks athlete & creative mind 03:37- First Ultra experience - entered for life 07:00 - Ultra running continued - working with the puzzle pieces 09:03 - Finding fun - the snorkel & more 11:44 - WSER - the time but not the place 15:50 - Running it in - 6 minute mile & sprint finishes 17:50 - Finish line emotion - team effort & the crew experience 20:00 - The creative - DMP & Chris’s fine art journey 25:25 - Running & art - problem solving and creativity 27:46 - LA to Colorado - moving to boulder & free fitness 31:40 - Progress in the sport - faster times & continued learning 33:38 - UTCT - heat vs humidity 38:53 - The grams per hour- carbs intake and finishing gels 4 3:07 - Food tourism - bunny chow, braai & biltong 45:45 - The people you do it for - doing well with your crew 51:43 - Race calendar - planning and goals 55:36 - Sprint finishes - it’s not over until it’s over 1:01:25 - FKT’s - adventure & personal projects 1:04:13 - Closing remarks 🌍 Connect with Trail Culture: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailcultureza/ Trail Culture Coaching: https://www.trailculture.co.za/ Support those who support us: Carbon Endurance Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carbon_endurance/ Carben Endurance Wesbite: https://www.carbonendurance.co/precision-hydration-2 📩 Follow Chris Myers:Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/halfasianchris?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==

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