S8E10 -- 2026 UM Australia Champions | Mark Thomson + Nat Dodd

Send us Fan MailWe sit down with Ultraman Australia’s 2026 champions, Mark Thomson and Nat Dodd, to unpack how they manage 515 kilometers across three days in Noosa with calm pacing, tight recovery routines, and crews that never miss a beat. Mark Thomson joins from New Zealand’s Coromandel Peninsula and breaks down how a first-time Ultraman athlete paces like a veteran: conservative swimming, steady biking by feel, and relentless fueling that protects day three. We talk crew roles, staying calm when the leaderboard is separated by seconds, and what it’s like to have a school community tracking you through a 515-kilometer endurance test. Then we get into the closer: his run plan and the mindset behind dropping a sub-7-hour double marathon after two days of racing.Nat Dodd, also from New Zealand, shares the other side of the podium and the same core truth: execution beats drama. She explains the nutrition shift that finally solved race-day GI issues, her swim feeding routine with a paddler, and how her crew’s energy kept her from going dark. We also talk pacing discipline on the double marathon, her “lungefluencer” moment on course, workplace support, and what she’s considering next, from Ultraman New Zealand to a return to the Ironman World Championship.Be sure to check out all the action from the YouTube Livestream.If you’re into Ultraman, Ironman, long-distance triathlon training, endurance nutrition, or building a crew system that actually works, this one is packed with practical takeaways. Subscribe for more, share it with your training group, and leave a quick review if these champion-level lessons help you race smarter.Resources mentioned in this episode:Hukuai Primary SchoolNo Code EventsPāuanui Trail EpicBlue Lake 24 hour ChallengeUM New ZealandIM New ZealandCoast to CoastTaupo MarathonAPAC Ingredients Shout outs and mentions in this episode:Matt KerrCarl ReadSimon CochraneSara RyanDouglas ClarkAnthony ElderMarco UllrichNev ThomsonMatt IgguldenCraig ThomsonRay ZahabCraig JacksonChris DoddJeff Morris Tim FranklinAnna LondillBrittney LittonGreg FraineRoy SpareyHarriet SteeleDawn JacksonSupport the showShow Contributors:Host : Larry RyanContributing Raconteur : Steve KingAnnouncer : Mary Jo DionneProduction : 5Five EnterprisesMusic  :  Run by 331For show notes and past guests, please visit the Podcast Website: https://515theultrapodcast.buzzsprout.comFacebook: @515TheUltraPodcastInsta : @515theultrapodcastYoutube : @515TheUltraPodcastEmail : [email protected]