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 some legendary names, including Nicky Spinks and Andy Glaze, while learning plenty about himself in the process.

Having previously raced mainly over 50 to 100-mile distances, this was by far his longest event to date and a huge leap into the unknown. With another major challenge just four and a half weeks away, we discuss what worked well, what he'd change next time, how he managed the lows, and some of the unexpected and humorous moments that happened during nearly a week on the trail.

If you're curious about the realities of racing beyond 200 miles, the mindset required to keep moving when everything hurts, and the lessons learned from one of the UK's most iconic endurance events, this is an episode you won't want to miss.

If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a rating, follow the show, and share the episode with your friends. Every share helps us reach more runners, inspire new adventures, and grow the trail and ultra running community.

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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 discuss his outstanding recent results, including 3rd place at the Arc of Attrition 2025 and 2nd place at the Arc of Attrition 2026, and how his performances have continued to improve year after year.

Along the way, Simon shares lessons learned from years of ultra running, the mistakes that have shaped him as an athlete, what keeps him motivated to keep returning to the start line, and some of the highs, lows and failures that every ultra runner can relate to.

Plus, we put Simon through our regular features: icebreakers, Truth or Lie, and the quickfire round.

Whether you're training for your first ultra marathon, tackling a 100 miler, or simply love trail running, this episode is packed with practical advice and honest insights from one of the South's toughest endurance athletes.

⁠Coaching enquiries⁠

Support the show via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and buy us a coffee.

We’re proud to be supported by:

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Beta Outdoor Sports⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, where you can get 10% off ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BV Sports⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ compression and apparel, plus 10% off ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Näak Nutrition⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ products to fuel your adventures using TTF10.

⁠Trailskin⁠ get 20% off with TTFS_20

Don’t forget to⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to join our Strava club to connect with fellow trail lovers and celebrate your own achievements.

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If you enjoy the episode, please leave us a rating and share it with your running buddies.

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 to UK race

• pacing, fuelling and race strategy

• where the race got difficult

• and what a result like this means only three years into ultra running

Recorded 36 hours after the finish, while everything was still fresh.

Coaching enquiries⁠⁠⁠

Support the show via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and buy us a coffee.

We’re proud to be supported by:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Protein Rebel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — get 15% off with code TTF15

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Beta Outdoor Sports⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, where you can get 10% off ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BV Sports⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ compression and apparel, plus 10% off ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Näak Nutrition⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ products to fuel your adventures using TTF10.

⁠⁠⁠Trailskin⁠⁠⁠ get 20% off with TTFS_20

Don’t forget to⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to join our Strava club to connect with fellow trail lovers and celebrate your own achievements.

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If you enjoy the episode, please leave us a rating and share it with your running buddies.

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 between discipline, coping mechanism, identity, and unhealthy obsession?

This isn’t a clinical conversation and we’re definitely not pretending to be experts — it’s simply an open discussion based on lived experience, ultra running culture, alcohol, mental health, validation, and the role running can sometimes play in helping people switch off, process stress, or escape life for a while.

Coaching enquiries⁠⁠

Support the show via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and buy us a coffee.

We’re proud to be supported by:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Protein Rebel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — get 15% off with code TTF15

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Beta Outdoor Sports⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, where you can get 10% off ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BV Sports⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ compression and apparel, plus 10% off ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Näak Nutrition⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ products to fuel your adventures using TTF10.

⁠⁠Trailskin⁠⁠ get 20% off with TTFS_20

Don’t forget to⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to join our Strava club to connect with fellow trail lovers and celebrate your own achievements.

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If you enjoy the episode, please leave us a rating and share it with your running buddies.

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 Hundred Hills 50 in 4:37
• And most recently, the win at the Centurion Thames Path 100 in 17:21

Thames Path is a unique kind of brutal — flat, fast, and relentless. There’s nowhere to hide. It becomes less about surviving the terrain, and more about holding pace, managing efficiency, and staying locked in for the long haul.

In this episode, we get into:

• How Karla prepared for a race where you’re running so much of it

• What it takes to compete — and win — at the sharp end of a 100 miler
• How her training and mindset have evolved over the past year
• What’s driven that jump in performance

And of course, we’ve got our usual mix of celeb pacer, truth-or-lie, and a quickfire round to finish.

Coaching enquiries⁠

Support the show via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and buy us a coffee.

We’re proud to be supported by:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Protein Rebel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — get 15% off with code TTF15

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Beta Outdoor Sports⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, where you can get 10% off ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BV Sports⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ compression and apparel, plus 10% off ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Näak Nutrition⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ products to fuel your adventures using TTF10.

⁠Trailskin⁠ get 20% off with TTFS_20

Don’t forget to⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to join our Strava club to connect with fellow trail lovers and celebrate your own achievements.

👉 Join our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Trails, Tales, and Fails Facebook Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to continue the conversation and connect with fellow trail and ultra runners.

If you enjoy the episode, please leave us a rating and share it with your running buddies.

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 these anxieties actually look like, why they show up, and how we deal with them both as runners and from a coaching perspective. Some of it’s serious, some of it’s surprisingly funny, but all of it is real when you’re in the moment.

We also touch briefly on the recent UTMB Index changes and what they might (or might not) mean for everyday runners.

If you’ve ever stood on a start line questioning yourself, overthought a long run, or worried about something going wrong… this one will probably resonate.

If it does, send it to someone who might need to hear it.

Coaching enquiries⁠⁠

Support the show via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and buy us a coffee.

We’re proud to be supported by:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Protein Rebel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — get 15% off with code TTF15

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Beta Outdoor Sports⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, where you can get 10% off ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BV Sports⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ compression and apparel, plus 10% off ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Näak Nutrition⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ products to fuel your adventures using TTF10.

⁠⁠Trailskin⁠⁠ get 20% off with TTFS_20

Don’t forget to⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to join our Strava club to connect with fellow trail lovers and celebrate your own achievements.

👉 Join our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Trails, Tales, and Fails Facebook Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to continue the conversation and connect with fellow trail and ultra runners.

If you enjoy the episode, please leave us a rating and share it with your running buddies.

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, multi-stage ultramarathon across the Sahara Desert — testing not just physical endurance, but planning, resilience, and mindset.

But this episode goes far beyond the race itself.

We dive into:

• How they balanced family life and training for an extreme multi-stage ultra
• What it really takes to prepare for Marathon des Sables
• The logistics of racing self-sufficient in the desert

• The highs, the low points, and the moments that nearly broke them

• What it’s like to go through something like this together as a couple

Josie is coached by Max, which adds an extra layer to the conversation as we unpack how training translated into the reality of the Sahara.

With Michael coming from a strong Ironman background and Josie stepping into her first major endurance event, this is a story of two very different journeys meeting at the same start line.

Expect honest reflections, a few laughs, and plenty of insight into resilience, pacing, and mindset when things get seriously tough.

Plus, we’ve got our usual mix of icebreakers, truth-or-lie, and a quickfire round to finish.

Coaching enquiries⁠

Support the show via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and buy us a coffee.

We’re proud to be supported by:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Protein Rebel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — get 15% off with code TTF15

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Beta Outdoor Sports⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, where you can get 10% off ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BV Sports⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ compression and apparel, plus 10% off ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Näak Nutrition⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ products to fuel your adventures using TTF10.

⁠Trailskin⁠ get 20% off with TTFS_20

Don’t forget to⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to join our Strava club to connect with fellow trail lovers and celebrate your own achievements.

👉 Join our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Trails, Tales, and Fails Facebook Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to continue the conversation and connect with fellow trail and ultra runners.

If you enjoy the episode, please leave us a rating and share it with your running buddies.

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 chaos and leaving runners facing a completely different reality. What followed was a stripped-back event delivered under Centurion, where Kirsty took on the route fully self-supported, with no crew, no aid station or drop bag, and limited infrastructure.

We dive into what that actually looked like on the ground:

• How her approach changed overnight
• The logistics of racing without aid stations
• Moments where pulling out felt like the logical choice
• And power of community support along the way

We also explore Kirsty’s journey into ultra running — from 100k and 100 mile races to stepping up into the unknown of 300km — and what she’s learned about resilience, preparation, and decision-making when you’re deep in it and on your own.

As always, expect a mix of:
Honest storytelling
Icebreakers
Truth or Lie
Quickfire questions

If you’ve ever wondered what it really takes to go self-supported — or how you respond when a race doesn’t go to plan — this one’s for you.

Coaching enquiries

Support the show via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and buy us a coffee.

We’re proud to be supported by:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Protein Rebel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — get 15% off with code TTF15

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Beta Outdoor Sports⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, where you can get 10% off ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BV Sports⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ compression and apparel, plus 10% off ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Näak Nutrition⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ products to fuel your adventures using TTF10.

Trailskin get 20% off with TTFS_20

Don’t forget to⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ click here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to join our Strava club to connect with fellow trail lovers and celebrate your own achievements.

👉 Join our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Trails, Tales, and Fails Facebook Community⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to continue the conversation and connect with fellow trail and ultra runners.

If you enjoy the episode, please leave us a rating and share it with your running buddies.