Table of contents for May - July 2022 in Trail Run

Never heard of a DFL? That’s okay, most of us haven’t. One year ago, I’d registered to get into the second ever Herdy’s Frontyard Ultra in Herdsman Lake, WA for this year. In 2021, I’d watched as a spectator to cheer on the runners and get a feel for the atmosphere of a backyard ultra. It was inspiring, to say the least (as cliché as it sounds), so as soon as entries opened up, there I was, in on the first round of entrants. That was back in mid-2021. I had every intention of training and getting myself back on track to find my ‘me’ again on the trails. I was done with feeling left out of events, and wanted to aim for something that would be challenging, yet doable.…

Badass bass. Funky frequency. Wireless wickedness. Magnetic magic. Found altogether in a pair of brand spanking new Earshots, these headphones have been forged in the mountains and peaks of New Zealand to suit the cyclist who needs aerodynamic qualities and quick controls, and the trail runner who needs wearable stability. The market, let’s face it, is littered with cheap knock-offs and dodgy internet sellers, but rest assured that the Earshots brand has worked incredibly hard to create and provide a high quality earbud system that will impress even the toughest of critics. Headphones for me personally are a hard battle. One side always fits immaculately into the ear, whilst the other side keeps popping out and doing its own thing, leaving me having to fidget for at least between 500m…

Rapid Ascent made the announcement late last year they were welcoming a new ultra trail running event to the Australian calendar – the Great Southern Stage Run near Albany, Western Australia which would be limited to a specific number of entrants. The Great Southern is the largest and most diverse region within the country’s South West, and the course will encompass some remarkable seaside scenery as well as the infamous Bibbulman Track. According to Rapid Ascent general manager Sam Maffett, the inaugural Great Southern Stage Run is expected to attract a wide variety of entrants, especially because there have been openings for teams as well as solo participants. “Some parts of the course feature cliff faces carved out by crashing waves and huge natural rock formations, whilst other parts feature…

Like most Kiwis and Aussies, I love swimming in our beautiful oceans, rivers, and lakes plus making use of our incredible bush and forests. Without these areas, trail running wouldn’t be able to be enjoyed by our grandkids. Most people have heard that the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) report has stated we have until 2030 to change the way we live to ensure we give our grandchildren a fighting chance to have a life on Earth (let alone enjoy the majesty of running off road!). If we don’t change, then the average global temperature will rise above 1.5 degrees Celsius and will set off an irreversible, negative cascade of events that will create climate chaos. It has come to the point where our family has had to change.…

Mount Gambier runner Dan Whitehead has shed the limitations that come with a diagnosis normally bound to significant pain and debilitation. It’s a story that warrants authentic retelling, because if there’s one person who should impress you and influence you to carry on, it’s him. When he was 14, Dan began the journey of living with Crohn’s Disease, an inflammatory bowel disease that causes inflammation of the digestive tracks, which in turn leads to a life of abdominal pain, fatigue, weight loss and malnutrition. The day after turning 21, he landed in hospital following serious complications that took some time to be diagnosed, and later faced a barrage of challenges he never saw coming. “I remember being so scared, and the pain being extremely intense, unlike anything I’d ever experienced,”…

The Start Of Something Great This adventure had been in the planning since mid 2021 when COVID again put running events on hold, including the Alpine Challenge 100 miler we had signed up for (November to April 2022) – we, being myself and mates Lincoln Quilliam, Gareth Hinds, Drew Beswick and Piotr Babis. After some discussion about possible adventures, the Precipitous Bluff (PB) south coast circuit was decided and ideas then started to form. Our plan in the end was to complete the full 9-day bushwalk in one push. With any adventure in remote parts of Tasmania, planning and weather play vital roles in ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience. Accordingly, an 8-day weather window was established with route planning considering how long the run would take, the nature of…

I was born in the UK but have been living in Perth, Western Australia for most of my life. I grew up in the northern suburbs but then moved south of the river for about 10 years before moving north again. I discovered running when I lived south of the river, which is probably a good thing as most of the areas I ran were flat! My first experience with running was in high school when we had to run 1 mile each PE class. I remember run/walking it and loathing it. Over the course of the term with consistency I was running the entire way and had one of the most improved times of the class. I then began to run with my mum, but I still really didn’t…

Strapping tape is a runner’s magic accessory. Whether you run short or long distance, trail or road, we’ve each come to learn how to best wrap this miracle worker to help ease injuries or prevent them altogether. And I must say, the invention has been a lifesaver on too many occasions to count, especially when one of my ankles has rolled a bit too far over a honky nut or slid through a galley way of loose pea gravel. Some features to look for when on the hunt for a strapping tape include high flexibility for ‘pinch free’ wrapping, if you can tear it by hand for quick application, a 2-way stretch that moves with the surface of the skin, and if it’s porous fabric for breathability and sweat wicking.…

For that extreme adventure you’re craving, the Mt Difficulty Ascent in Cromwell, New Zealand is 100 per cent unique within Australasia – and known to be the steepest race in the country. The elevations and vertical ascents are insane, with your first major climb taking up 500 vertical metres (a gradient of between 40-55 degrees) in 1km of travel – welcome to the 40-minute kilometre, with most of it done using your hands. Another major climb, in the 44km course, will see you climb a vertical 1km in 3.5km. Any steeper along the route and you’d be getting your head around the sport of rock climbing. Think you can hack it? The Mt Difficulty Ascent is created for those who love their inclines steep and their descents nicely runnable (maybe…

How did your group begin? In 2016 I started a hills running training session over winter to keep fit in the triathlon off season. After a few months we moved the session to Manning Park and the numbers doubled in a week. Two years ago we also added a weekly kids session where families bring their children to take part in a trail adventure together. Where does your group run mostly? Weekly at Manning Park, weekly at Bickley, plus fortnightly weekend trail adventures around other local trails. What is your favourite local trail? My favourite would have to be Manning Park, of course. What local event do you rally around? Transcend Ultra, which is a 65km trail race through the Avon Valley, from Walyunga National Park all the way through…

Madeleine Collins doesn’t really remember a time when running was not a part of her life. She was about five years old when her dad had a health scare that saw him quit smoking and take up running. “Throughout my childhood he would run every weekend and do marathons when he could,” she recalls. “At school at this time my four brothers and I were always capable runners, competing in cross country and long distance athletics events and doing a bunch of sports but nothing serious.” Her dad ended up befriending two other runners from the building where he worked, it being a case of ‘different floors and companies but same shower room so they became buddies.’ One of them was Shaun Collins’ father – yes, the father of ‘Mr…

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To really catch the meaning of the word ‘epic’, the Island Ultra is the race that will give you a true definition. Hosted by Ultra NZ and Fusion Events, runners will discover this amazing part of the upper South Island, with distances for everyone and scenery that is simply out of this world. Held on the privately owned Pepin Island, and the newest addition to the Ultra NZ Series, there’s a chance to experience all types of terrain including forest, technical single track, and a bit on the Cable Bay walkway. This event is perfect for the trail runner who wants something of everything when adventuring in the beautiful NZ outdoors, and on offer are four distances to suit athletes on all levels – a 55km with an elevation of…

When looking for a demanding trail that will test your skillset as an experienced trail runner, the Marató dels Dements in Spain is a mountain race of exceptional adversity. As one of three events, together with the Mitja d’Eslida and Mitja d’Ain, runners make their way through an intricate network of paths and trails that make up part of the Parc Natural de la Serra d’Espada in beautiful Plana Baixa, a region of the Castellón province, with its start line in the old and quaint village of Eslida. Known to be one of the most complicated trail running events in the world, the Marató dels Dements is 42.5km with a positive and negative altitude difference of 3,808m – so preparation and experience on the trails is key. Knowledge of self-supportive…

I don’t mean to start off by stating the obvious, but it’s an actual fact of life that dogs are the absolute best. Based on nothing but my own empirical evidence, I can state with complete certainty that it is biologically impossible to feel anything but joy while watching a dog galivant across a good trail. With the quality of trails and mountains in Aotearoa, New Zealand it really is dog heaven out there. A KIWI DOG’S TRAIL RUNNING BUCKET LIST Every trail runner and their dog have a favourite local trail they like heading to. If you’re reading this and are a dog owner, you probably know of a few tracks that your dog loves to run on. We asked a few Kiwi trail running dog owners to share…

So I hear from hardcore Altra users that once you go Altra, you never ever go back. And quite frankly, after putting on a pair of these babies in the form of Lone Peak 6, I can absolutely understand and attest to the fandom that comes with having them. Firstly, I’m just going to say that the zero drop on these is unbelievable. For someone who usually runs in an 8mm drop shoe, I was taken aback by the comfortability in a shoe that allows you to feel like you’re almost running barefoot, and I love how despite all its high-tech features, the Lone Peak 6 feels incredibly minimalistic on my feet – meaning there’s enough cushioning to soften the blow of trail terrain while at the same time I’m…

The Brooks Cascadia shoe has been around for some time now, and the newest version, the Cascadia 16, has gone through several changes and updates that make it more durable and stable than its predecessors. Known throughout its lineage for adventure versatility, Brooks have increased the stack height by 2mm in the Cascadia 16 to accommodate the new foamy midsole which features DNA Loft v2 technology for a more plush feel underfoot and added comfort. That being said, I took these snazzy looking trail shoes out on some multi-use trails with dirt, crushed gravel and compact limestone. A completely light build at only 269g (the men’s version weighs 320g), the Cascadia 16 has a 14g variance – in the women’s – from the previous version, and that’s a big change.…