Off Track | Episode 002 by The Run Down

Episode 3, and we've got our first-ever guest on the show — Sawyer, who contributed zero words but excellent company throughout. The centrepiece of this episode is Andy's full, honest recap of the Tekapo 50K — a genuinely rough day that included stomach issues from early on, cramping from the 28K mark, and a mid-race can of Coke from his crew that may have single-handedly saved the result. We also cover Ruth Croft's return to racing at Diagonale des Fous on Reunion Island, a genuinely wild prize money announcement out of Colorado's Run Rabbit Run (now offering $100,000 USD to the winner — the largest single prize in trail running history), a full review of the Tekapo Trail Weekend as an event, and a proper Athlete to Watch spotlight on Frances Redmond, who ran a patient, calculated 50K to come from third to first. From there it's a rapid-fire listener Q&A covering shoe choice, fibre intake before a race, hill training specificity for a climb like Mount John, and recovering from a DNF, plus gear notes on the Norda 005 and the On running vest. We close out with a couple of lighter segments — Shokz headphones and a genuinely excellent stout recommendation — before a candid, good-humoured conversation about one of ultra running's less-discussed realities. Fair warning is given before that section if it's not for you. This episode covers: Training updates and two new races on the calendar Ruth Croft's return at Diagonale des Fous Run Rabbit Run's $100,000 prize announcement Tekapo Trail Weekend: full event review and results Athlete to Watch: Frances Redmond Andy's full Tekapo 50K race recap Rapid-fire Q&A: shoes, fuelling, hill training, injury recovery Gear notes: Norda 005, Mountain to Coast, the On vest No Free Ads: Shokz headphones, a stout recommendation Got a question for the show? Send it through on Spotify or to the Frontrunner Instagram.