Home Trails Podcast

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EPISODE 200!!!! 

In this landmark episode I speak to returning guest Damian Hall.

Damo is no stranger to the podcast and has appeared in numerous episodes over the years.....This time however, it's not to talk about The Spine Race or Barkley (although they do obviously get a mention) This time we talk about his new book, RUN FOREVER! "The secret to becoming an ageless athlete" 

We dive into the book and how it came to be. We talk about...

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In this episode I speak with Centurion Race director, James Elson.

James returns to the podcast to talk about his one time only race, Sea 2 Sea. A last minute replacement for the defaulted Northern Traverse by Ourea Events.

If you've been following the ongoing discussions about the demise of one of the UKs biggest names in race organisation, you'll be fully aware of the fact that 2 phoenix's rose from the ashes. One being the Community Traverse and the other being the...

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Charlotte returns as guest/host? were not even sure at this point because she's been on the pod so regularly!

Chalotte returns to give us the low down on her well earned 12th place at Chianti. After doing a pivot from Tenerife Bluetrail that was cancelled due to bad weather, to this race. Charlotte was initially disappointed with placing outside of the top 10.

But on reflection, she now happy to have put down a solid race against some of the worl...

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In this episode I speak to Kitty-Leigh Oxley about the Community Traverse!

In the wake of the collapse of Ourea Events, Kitty decided that all that training and money spent getting to the start line of The Northern Traverse couldn't go to waste! Surely there were others in the same situation? The seed of an ideas was born and now we have the Community Traverse!

Support for this event has grown rapidly since its inception and continues to grow. What star...

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On this episode of the podcast we speak to Dan Holder.

Dan completed this years Arctic Spine race, a non-stop 293 mile winter ultramarathon along the Kungsleden Trail in Arctic Sweden.

Dan had to contend with -40 degree temps, 40mph winds, pulling a pulk with all of his survival gear including a tent to sleep in along the way. If you think that the Winter Spine Race along the Pennine Way is difficult...then wait until you hear what Dan had to p...

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On the podcast this week we have Jon and Henriette Albon!

The power couple for 2026? It seems so! They both decidedly won their respective races at TGC, with Jon battling friend of the show - Josh Wade to a hard fought win. Whilst Henriette won her race by over 90 minutes! 

In this episode we dive into what the 'Norwegian Method' really is. We talk about their respective Superhero origin stories and how they came to be the couple that we know...

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ULTRA NEWS!

This week we had the sad news that Ourea Events had ceased trading. OE host some of the UK's most beloved ultramarathons including; The Northern Traverse, encompassing the Lakes Traverse, Dales Traverse and the Moors Traverse. The Dragon's Back Race, Cape Wrath and Skyline Scotland.

This news came as a shock to many of us that have been involved with any of the races they put on. Shane Ohly broke the news in a heartfelt statement just yesterday, whic...

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In this episode of the Home Trails Podcast we talk to our resident coach, Warren Wrenkel.....Wozza!

Subjects on the docket this episode:

* The Norwegian Method for training (includes an example for you to try)

* VO2max - Is it important or not?

* New studies on injuries related to training volume

* Physiology vs zone training 

*  Nutrition - keto/low carb vs high carb for training or longevity 

Lots to unpack in this...

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In this episode of the Home Trails Podcast, I'm joined by by James Nobles and Martin from Kelp&Fern to discuss UTS by UTMB.

James has been very vocal in his criticism of UTS changing the iconic Snowdonia route last minute, especially after selling further places in the race.

UTS has come under heavy fire from some prominent names in the trail and ultra running community. But is this just a genuine landowner/route issue that couldn't have been avoided? Or i...

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Louise returns to the Home Trails podcast for her second appearance. 

The first was as part of a short format Spine Race preview episode, so we didn't dive too much into her life story. In this episode we go right back to her early days, especially her wild days back at uni in Manchester, when she was fully immersed in the early 90's rave scene. 

She talks about going to the legendary Hacienda club in Manchester, how she help Madonna to shi...

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Hayley Wilson - Podcast listener and Home Trails WhatsApp group member, joins me for a run down of whats been happening in the sport over the weekend!

We chat about the results from the 2 separate golden ticket races that were held over the weekend - Black Canyons 100/50k held in the USA and Tarawera 100k held simultaneously down under in New Zealand. Multiple golden tickets were up for grabs in each of the races, so we chat about who won what.

Ob...

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Anna Troup joins the Home Trails Podcast to talk all things Spine Race!

Anna has a long history with the race and this year saw her win the women's race in 109 hours, in some epic weather conditions. Anna talks about her preparations (or lack of) going into this race. Off the back of winning the summer edition of the race, Anna yet again had to deal with reoccurring issues with stress fractures that almost put her out of the race.

We d...

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In this episode I'm joined by Kris Jones!

Kris recently won the Arc of Attrition by UTMB 50 and he shares his experience at this years mud-fest!

This is Kris's first appearance on the Home Trails Podcast, so we obviously start with the obligatory Superhero Question. Kris comes from a background that combines world class orienteering with world class track and road running. Which clearly is the perfect combination, because he seems to win and set course records at every trail and...

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Sarah Page is officially here! 

With her recent 1st place and 3rd overall at Challenger  South, Sarah has firmly put her stamp on the Winter race on just her first attempt at Britain's Most Brutal!

She finished the race in 29 hours and 3 minutes, to put her on the overall podium in 3rd and take the win in the women's race. Unfortunately due to the bad weather diversions, this time doesn't count as a new course record. But we all know what t...

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Podcast favourite - Charlotte Fisher returns for yet another episode!...by this point we've both lost count of how many times!

We chat about her experience at this years Arc by UTMB which delivered the aforementioned attrition in bucket fulls! With a DNF rate of over 60% this wasn't a race for the fainthearted. But Charlotte battled her way to a strong 2nd place.

We talk about her storming away from the pack, before a fall in wet conditions ultimately slowed her...

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Robin the Running Accountant joins Sam as the cohost on this one. Firstly to quiz him about his Spine Challenger South DNF story......warts n all! 

Then, we round up all the action from all of this year's Spine races, including an in depth conversation about Jon and Damo holding hands during the Sprint North. Just how bad the conditions were for everyone. The outstanding performances from all races and how Double Deckers don't qualify as race nutrition?

We also revea...

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I catch up with Cammy for a quick chat before this years races kick off.

We chat about changes to how the media team operate over the week of racing. How the weather is affecting the race and what's new from the media coverage.

Cam is obviously very busy manning the helm of the media team this year, since Will Roberts is absent for 2026. But we managed to have a chin wag about my favourite race none the less!

HT...

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In this episode we speak to returning guest Alice Kershaw!

Alice is no stranger to the podcast and no stranger to the Spine. Having been on the podium on 4 separate occasions. Including wins at the Sprint and Challenger South.

This time Alice is taking on the full winter Spine and for those of us in the know, she is tipped to do really well. She talks about her new approach to racing which includes the wise guidance from non other than...

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In this episode of the podcast we talk to returning guest Jon Shield.

Jon talks about the year he's had since he was forced to drop out of Challenger North last winter with a calf injury. He talks about his successes and failures in between and how he now feels ready to put down a strong performance at the Sprint North race next week.

Obviously, Jon quite rightly called me out on my comment during my interview with Damo where I ma...

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Jack returns to the podcast to talk about Spine South this coming weekend.

Jack broke with his tradition of radio silence prior to big races, in favour of a more relaxed approach to media. Is this a new version of Jack? 

Possibly so it seems...... Jack previously stayed away from the media prior to the Spine to stay in his zone mentally. But now Jack is a bit older and a bit wiser its seems and has learned to switch off h...

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James returns to the Home Trails podcast to talk about his historic double winter Bob Graham Round record!

Running a total of 132 miles, with 54,000 ft of ascent in 42 hours and 56 minutes! Going anticlockwise first, before switching to clockwise for the second round. This betters the previous time set by Caspian James, by nearly an hour.

In the podcast, we talk about his approach to training for, and completing a feat that has never been accomplished before. James is known for his...

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The Trail and Ultra Running Awards are back agin for 2025!

In this joint podcast....Ultrarunning Sam, Kate from RunUltra and Robin The Running Accountant discuss this years potential winners and who did what this year in 2025.

We've simplified the voting this year so there's no option to pick from a list, the choice is yours and the winner of each award is the one with the most votes....Simples.

So follow the link to vote and be in with...

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SPINE SEASON:

James returns to the Home Trails podcast for a third time. This time we talk about his return to the big one!

Having dropped out of the full winter race in 2024 with a foot injury, he returned to the race to run the Challenger South with his dad in the epic conditions we saw in January. 

This time, back to full health he's on the start line for the full deal again. In this episode we talk...

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Spine Season continues!
Damo returns to the Home Trails Podcast. This time to talk about his recent Three Solo project that didn't go 💯 to plan....and his plans to return to it in 2026.
We dive into how he feels going into the Spine Sprint North race in January, a break from his norm of doing the full race. We talk about the level of FOMO he will be having come January 10th weekend and we talk about his hopes of bettering his time fr...

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In this episode we meet Arthur Hill for the first time.

Arthur recently set a new winter BGR record in 14:54, taking 4 minutes off Gavin Dales record from last year! Arthur was helped during his legs by a host of Lake District royalty, including Kim Collison, Beth Pascal and of course Gavin Dale himself.

In our chat we talk about his route into fell running in his early 20's, his obsession with the Bob and his training leading up to this roun...

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Non SPINE episode!

In this episode I speak to Wozza the running coach.

Warren came on the podcast to talk about his amazing recovery from what doctors told him was the end of his running career. Warren defied the odds and made a full recovery, to the point that he started racing again and won the Ultra Trails Wales 50 mile ultramarathon.

But before we even got onto the subject of his injury, I quizzed him about his...

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SPINE SEASON!

We continue Spine Season with the return of Lindley Chambers, the king of all things kit list related. 

Lindley comes on the podcast to discuss everyone's favourite subject...the kit list for the Winter Spine Race. In this episode we discuss the recent changes to the list, controversial items being added/removed and the reasons for it. We discuss the changes to navigation equipment, mapping and checkpoints. 

We also talk about some of the issues that keep c...

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SPINE SEASON!

In this episode I speak to Jamie Rutherford. Jamie is one of the original OG photographers on the race and has helped to build the storytelling style of the media team. 

In this episode we talk about his origins as a runner and as a photographer. We talk about his first ventures into race photography and how he was in the right place at the right time to earn his spot on the media team at the race.

...

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Welcome to the Home Trails coverage of the 2026 Winter Spine Race!

We begin our lead up to this years race with a preview from a familiar face, John Kelly! John returns for the 4th time to Britain's most brutal race! He returns to better his race from last year when he was suffering with an attack of the sleep monsters on the first night of the race. John talks about this issue and his approach for this years race, which includes a home...

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In this episode we welcome Holly Stables to the podcast fir the first time!

Holly has had a long career, firstly in competitive marathon running, before she transitioned into trail and ultra. We ask the 'Superhero' question and find out where it all began and where she is now.

Holly talks about the evolution f her training and approaches to feeling and strength. We dive into some of the races that she's won and CR'd over the years. Finally, we talk...

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In this episode of the podcast we speak to Dan Weller. 

Dan returns to the podcast after previously being on in 2024, when we talked about his wins at the Montane Spine Challenger South and the Pennine Barrier Ultra. 

This time Dan talks about his 2nd place finish at Centurion Wendover Woods 50 and his year of racing so far. We dive into his new approach to training under his coach Sarah Cameron and his plans for the rest of the year. 

Bu...

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At this point Charlotte is almost a cohost as she returns for her 5th appearance on the Home Trails Podcast!

We catch up on what she's been up to since we last spoke about Lakeland 100. We discuss her successful race to 3rd place at Mallorca and how it feels like she's making her mark on the international trail running scene.

As always, we talk about her training and prep going into the race. What went right and what went wrong...whic...

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https://givestar.io/gs/project-74

The link to Sam's challenge is above ⬆️ 

In this episode I speak to Sam King @fatboysking on instagram

Sam is currently (at time of writing) 42 days into his challenge to run 74 ultramarathons in 74 days in honour of his mum, who suffered a bleed on the brain at aged 74.

We dive into Sams background as a runner. His previous life as a 19 stone gamer, turned corporate businessman and now his life as an ultra...

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In this episode I speak to Hugh Tibbs, about his recent win at the Centurion Running Autumn 100.

Not only did Hugh win the race, he also broke the previous course record and set a new British 100 mile trail record!

As always, we find out Hughs superhero story, and and how he got Into running. We find out about his previous successes in trail running and how he prepared to run lightening fast at this years A100.

I think we w...

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Gary speaks to Home Trails about all things ultra running.

We talk about his running origin story, his own running successes and how he went from hairdresser, to personal trainer to in-person coach, to instagram stardom.
We talk about his life in running media and the opportunities that running has presented to him with his newly acquired fame.

We chat about his thoughts on the trends in social media and coaching in 2025.

Watch and learn from the expe...

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HOME TRAILS returns for another podcast in residence!
This time we head to Keswick in the Lake District to bring you coverage of the Altra 13 Valleys Ultra.

We talk to the runners as they prepare to race the 13,7,5 and 2 valley races.
We speak to the male and female winners and find out what it takes to  complete the loops in the iconic landscape of the Lakes.

We have in depth interviews with the runners at the front of the r...

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Nutritionist Paul Booth returns for his 3rd appearance on the Home Trails podcast.

This time Paul talks about the nutrition plans he successfully made for this years UTMB winners, Tom Evans and Ruth Croft.
Paul goes into great detail about the pre-UTMB testing he did with Tom at the  Leeds Becket University testing lab. How he used those numbers to dial in the most specific race nutrition plan ever made for an elite ultra runner.

Paul talks about the race...

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In this episode I speak to Holly Wooten about her 2025 Dragon's Back win!

Holly not only won the women's race by over 10 hours, setting a new CR in the process.....she was also 2nd overall to winner David Parish.
This was'nt just a coincidence, Holly was 💯 targeting the overall win for this years race, firmly believing that she could take the win and show that the Dragon shows no discrimination when it comes to being slayed! 

Holly talks openly about he...

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In this week's episode we speak to returning guest and friend of the show, Josh Wade.

This is Josh's 3rd time on the podcast......to talk about his 3rd place at UTMB!
We've been championing Josh for some time now, so it's great to see him performing on the world's biggest stage. With his stellar performance, he is finally getting the credit and recognition that us Brits feel he deserves and is long over due!.

In this episodes we dive...

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In this episode of the HOME TRAILS documentary series, I spend some time with Spine Race champion Lucy Gossage.

This episode was recorded a few months ago at the start of the summer and we reflect on Januarys race, that now seems like a lifetime ago.

As with all HT docs, we run with her on her local trails. The very trails and roads that Lucy used to great effect to train for the first place finish at Britain's most brut...