Ben O'Connell: Arc of Attrition 2026

This week, we’re joined by Ben O'Connell, who many of you will already know from the coaching world and from YouTube, where he shares practical, grounded advice for runners of all abilities. Ben has taken on some iconic ultras — from Centurion 50‑milers to the South Downs Way 100, and the Swiss Alpes 100 — but this weekend, he stepped up to one of Britain’s most notorious winter races: the Arc of Attrition 100.And this year’s Arc wasn’t just tough — it was savage.Storm Ingrid brought 60–65mph gusts, torrential rain, flooding, and conditions that turned the Cornish coast path into a test of pure survival. Ben battled through the storm, into the night, and all the way to Land’s End before making the difficult decision to stop at mile 55. A DNF is never easy, but with over 60% of runners not making it to the finish, this is a story worth telling.In this episode, we dive into the weekend, the weather, the decision, the lessons, and the Arc experience as a whole. We talk about what the race taught him, how he approaches big efforts as both an athlete and a coach, and what comes next.Plus, we’ve got our usual mix of icebreakers, truth‑or‑lie, and a quickfire round to wrap things up.We’re proud to be supported by ⁠⁠Protein Rebel⁠⁠ — get 15% off with code TTF15 — and by ⁠⁠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.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. Let’s get into it.