Episode 639 - MFYU Mini Series - Nagiska Mayes’ Melbourne Frontyard Ultra Journey - 30 Yards, 200K and One Very Wise Husband

Welcome to the next episode in the 2026 Melbourne Frontyard Ultra Mini-Series on the ZenRUN Podcast. This series follows a handful of athletes through their actual Melbourne Frontyard Ultra journey - not just the polished version after the event, but the little check-ins along the way. The tired bits. The funny bits. The snack updates. The “what on earth am I doing?” moments. And eventually, the wrap-up chat when their race is done. In this episode, we’re following the wonderful Nagiska Mayes. And this one has heart. A lot of heart. Nagiska didn’t grow up as a runner. In fact, she was very clear that running was absolutely not her thing as a kid. No school cross-country glory. No sporty childhood origin story. More like “please write me a note so I can sit this one out” energy. But years later, after getting married, joining a gym, Covid closing everything down, and her husband Jack suggesting they “just go for a run,” things slowly started to shift. First it was 200 metres. Then 1.1 kilometres to the footy oval. Then 2K. Then 3.5K. Then somehow, as these things tend to happen, Nagiska found herself running ultras. As you do. By the time she arrived at Melbourne Frontyard Ultra, Nagiska had already completed Surf Coast Century 100K and had fallen into the wonderfully strange world of ultra-running, largely helped along by Jack, her best friend Rach, and a healthy dose of “if they can do it, maybe I can too.” Her previous backyard ultra PB was 14 hours. At Melbourne Frontyard Ultra, she went on to reach 30 yards and 200 kilometres. That is not a small jump. That is a giant, emotional, slightly ridiculous leap into “holy moly, look what I just did” territory. In this episode, you’ll hear Nagiska before the race, full of nervous excitement and ready to find her limit. You’ll hear her around yard 24, about to reach her first ever 100 miler and already well past anything she’d done before. You’ll hear the emotional wobble around yard 26, when the doubts started creeping in and the support from her crew became everything. And then in the wrap-up, you’ll hear the full story of how she made it to yard 30 - not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. This is a conversation about big goals, self-doubt, comparison, love, teamwork, the stories we tell ourselves, and what can happen when someone who knows you well refuses to let you quit on yourself too soon. There are tears. There is swearing. There is Turkish delight and V. There is a Vegemite sandwich. There is a very wise husband. There is a best friend. There is a 200K bell ring. And there is a beautiful reminder that sometimes the biggest achievement is not just the distance you cover, but the story you rewrite along the way. Why You’ll Love This Episode You’ll hear the raw, real version of a huge Frontyard Ultra breakthrough Nagiska shares honestly about not growing up sporty and building her running from scratch We talk about fear, self-doubt, comparison, and the pressure we put on ourselves There’s a beautiful story of Jack supporting Nagiska through the hardest yards Nagiska reaches 30 yards and 200K, doubling her distance PB You’ll hear what it means to share a huge running moment with your husband and best friend It’s funny, emotional, honest, and very very human A Few Favourite Themes You don’t have to start as “a runner” Nagiska’s story is such a good reminder that you don’t need a sporty childhood or a perfect running background to do big things. Tiny steps can become massive adventures From 200 metres around the block to 200 kilometres at Melbourne Frontyard Ultra. That’s a pretty solid progression. The stories we tell ourselves matter One of the strongest parts of this episode is Nagiska talking about the narration in her own head - and how that story nearly convinced her she was done. Crew can change everything Jack, Rach, Peter and the rest of the support crew weren’t just practical help. They became part of the reason Nagiska kept going. You can be proud and still process it all Sometimes the emotion hits before the pride does. This episode captures that beautifully. Listen In For Nagiska’s “running was not my thing” childhood story How Covid, gym closures and Jack helped start her running journey Her first 100K at Surf Coast Century Why she wanted to find her limit at MFYU The leap from a 14-hour backyard PB to 30 yards Yard 24 and her first ever 100 miler The emotional moment where she worried about letting Jack down The role of her crew and brother-in-law Peter Turkish delight, V, Vegemite sandwiches and ultra-running food logic The mental battle between being done and going one more yard How Jack helped her reframe the story in her head Reaching 200K with Jack and Rach The beautiful “we make a good team” moment What Nagiska learned about herself through the event Mentioned In This Episode Melbourne Frontyard Ultra Ultra Series Australia Shaun Kaesler Surf Coast Century Wild Dog Backyard Ultra You Yangs 100 Miler Hardcore Harry’s King of the Hill The Prom Wonthaggi Daft Punk’s “One More Time” Melbourne Frontyard Ultra Melbourne Frontyard Ultra Event Website https://www.melbournefyu.com.au/ Interested in the 2027 Melbourne Frontyard Ultra? Entries are open now for Saturday 1 May 2027 - and if 2026 is anything to go by, it’s going to be bigger, better, and likely to sell out. Enter here: https://www.melbournefyu.com.au/ 💛 Want your running to feel lighter again? If this conversation resonated, you might enjoy The Running Reset - a simple bundle of guided runs and practical tools to help you reset your rhythm, clear your head, and reconnect with why you run. 👉 https://www.zenrun.app/courses/the-running-reset 🙏 A couple of big favours 1️⃣ If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, rate, and review the podcast - it helps more runners discover these conversations. 2️⃣ I’m always looking for runners to interview. If you or someone you know has a running story to share, I’d love to hear from you. Find me on Facebook or Instagram @ZenRUN.club or email [email protected] 🎧 Don’t miss an episode Subscribe to the ZenRUN Podcast in your favourite podcast app so new conversations land straight in your ears.