This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit dirtchurchradio.substack.comThis 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 li…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit dirtchurchradio.substack.com Crushers Lydia O’Donnell, Charlie Simpson, and Beth McKenzie at the UTA Women in Trail Panel

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit dirtchurchradio.substack.comThis week is a tribute to togetherness that running can bring us. Ali, Andrew, and Matt celebrate the experience of heading out for a run with your mates, be it a marathon relay, a Denny’s Marathon, or a Coast to Coast to Coast. We explore (literally) some of the cool places you can get to in a city on foot. We salute and welcome Freden, Auckland’s new …

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit dirtchurchradio.substack.comKia ora e te whānau. Ian Sharman is a straight-up Legend in the sport of ultramarathon running. A Coach and Athlete hailing from the Golden Age, before 4K cameras in everyone’s pockets and when fans had to pass around a pirated copy of Unbreakable, Sharman and his kin were like trail gods, foreshadowing and inspiring the current crop of legends and doin…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit dirtchurchradio.substack.comThis week, Ali, Matt, and Andrew get philosophical: if an influencer were to influence the woods and no one were around, would anyone GRWM? We take a shot at amateur doping (and why this sucks), and share our undying admiration for the NZ 24-hour championship team. While we are at it, why is Andrew so calm? It worries us when he goes all Zen. Should yo…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit dirtchurchradio.substack.com Mike D Body Movin’ at UTA 100. Photo: Tim Bardsley Smith Kia ora e te whānau. We ran away and joined the circus. And it was cool as hell. No, not that dork-fest in the desert, but a true example of community and fellowship at the 2026 Hoka Ultra Trail Australia by UTMB. These are incredible four…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit dirtchurchradio.substack.comWe’ve had some big weeks in the running world. With some incredible performances and a new normal being established across the board, from 42.2 to 250 miles. Ali, Andrew, and Matt are here for it, and we have some questions as well. Is our sport, and the big tent that it has become, lost some of its sparkle, its unpredictability, its wonder? Now, every …

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit dirtchurchradio.substack.comBen Duffus - Photo : SportografKia ora e te whānau. Who is excited for UTA? Gosh, we certainly are. This week, Join Ali and Matt as they preview the elite fields in the miler, 100km, 50km, and 22km events at Ultra Trail Australia, as well as answer those last-minute questions that athletes have when staring an event like this in the face. This year, we’…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit dirtchurchradio.substack.comWe’re not going to lie, there was a lot on the docket this week, and boy did Ali, Andrew, and Matt rip through it.We, the aforementioned, declare that Tamaki is now the distance-running capital of Aotearoa. And also that it is “mad nice” (Friedland, 2026). We charge that big companies should stop doing things that make them look like dicks, and that the…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit dirtchurchradio.substack.com Running and maths are for the birds, not for this guy. Way back in 2023, when Eugene and Matt first spoke to Matt Bixley (on DCR 228 if you are interested), they were impressed not only by the attention he paid to detail in planning his adventures, the scope of the adventures - 18 Keplers (at …