PODCAST · sports
The Trail and Error Podcast
by Jay Grady, Lewis Ryan and Matt Whyman
Welcome to Trail & Error. The podcast where together we'll explore the world of trail running, capturing the diverse perspectives of a range of guests, from professional and amateur athletes, event and race directors, coaches and scientists. Learning what works, what doesn’t, and having a few laughs along the way.
Episodes
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# 108 UTMB:Race Special
Buckle up for a long one, it's a 'Race Special' episode! Lewis went back to Chamonix with unfinished business and a plan to run UTMB faster than he had before. But a badly timed ankle injury in the weeks leading into the race meant that by the time he stood on the start line, the goal had already...
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# 107 Laura Briggs
When 3 friends agree to run the 200+ miles of the Camino Primitivo to Santiago de Compostela and 2 of them don't even make the start line, Laura Briggs packs her kit and goes and runs it anyway. From an idea based on running adventures overseas but without using air travel, Laura set off into a...
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# 106 Paul Sinton-Hewitt
It's not everyday you get to sit down with someone who has started a global phenomenon so it was a honour to spend an hour chatting with Paul Sinton-Hewitt, the founder of parkrun. In a wide ranging chat we talk about the challenges he faced in bringing to life his vision and fulfilling the…
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#105 Arc of Attrition by UTMB 2027 Preview
We're joined in this episode by Sam Calvert the UTMB UK Event Director and by Andrew 'Ferg' Ferguson, Race Director of the Arc of Attrition to discuss changes to the next edition of this beloved race. In a really wide ranging and open chat we discussed course changes to the Arc 100 and new races...
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#104 The Bishop of Newcastle - Helen-Ann Hartley
Helen-Ann Hartley is the current Bishop of Newcastle and, as a member of the 'Lords Spiritual', has a seat in the UK House of Lords. She's also about to take on her first ultramarathon, the 43 mile Sprint Summer North race. She joins me and Matt to cover her running journey to this point and how...
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#103 Ian Sharman
Episode 103 We were lucky enough to grab an hour with 4 x Leadville Trail 100 winner and coach Ian Sharman ahead of the release of his much anticipated first book 'The Art of Ultrarunning'. We chat about the highs and lows of his long running career and why mistakes are such and important part of...
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#102 Sha Khan
Episode 102 Sha Khan Visually Impaired Ultra Trail Runner Imagine you're taking on the Arc of Attrition. Wild weather, technical trail, hundreds of other runners all moving at different speeds and all funneling down the narrow coast path with you. Now imagine all of that and you're visually...
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#101 TrailFam
Episode 101 I'm joined on this episode by Danny Stokes, founder of TrailFam, and my friend and author of 'Failure is an option' Matt Whyman as co-host. What fires someone up enough to launch a charity? Danny's experience of lockdown vs. his students' experience was the catalyst to set about...
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#100 Mercedes Siegle-Gaither
For our 100th Episode I had the pleasure of chatting to the super talented Mercedes Siegle-Gaither. We're clearly on full Arc of Attrition mode now as we're just 48 hours away from the start of the 100 race and it was so much fun hearing about her prep and chatting too about the race, her entry...
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#99 Sabrina Stanley
Sabrina Stanley joins me on this episode as we look towards her upcoming participation in the 2026 Arc of Attrition by UTMB. For Sabrina the podium and quite often first place came regularly from 2016 onwards. A 4th place finish in Leadville was quickly followed by a 3rd place in States in 2017,...
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#98 Jamie Stephenson
Ep. 98 Jamie Stephenson We're delighted to welcome Jamie back to the podcast. Well known throughout the Cornish trail running community, Jamie has returned to his home county after a couple of years enjoying the mountain trails of Portugal and after smashing his previous outing on the old Arc 50...
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#97 Charlotte Fisher
Ep. 97 Charlotte Fisher Charlotte joins me to talk about her explosion onto the race scene with podium after podium over the past few years. With the Arc of Attrition by UTMB 100 her next race it was an ideal time to chat and find out more about her running journey and winning her first EVER race...
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#96 Arc of Attrition 2026
Ep. 96 Arc of Attrition 2026 We're delighted to chat to Ferg and Jane about the upcoming Arc of Attrition and get under the hood on changes to this edition of the race. With 4 race distances over the 3 days there's a lot to manage and of course as always with this race the weather in the depths…
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#95 James Elson
Ep. 95 James Elson For anyone in the UK endurance scene this man shouldn't really need an introduction. He's quite possibly one of the most influential figures of trail running in the UK over the last decade. James is the RD and founder of Centurion Running, host of the British Ultra Running...
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#94 David Parrish - Winner DBR 2025
Ep. 94 David Parrish DBR What a pleasure to welcome back David to chat about winning the 2025 Dragons Back Race. This brute of a race covers almost 240 miles of gnarly mountain terrains and to finish you must run the equivalent of sea level to the summit of Everest TWICE in 6 days. What went…
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#93 Holly Wootten
Ep. 93 Holly Wootten Holly joins me and new co-host Lewis Ryan to talk about her upcoming return to Dragons Back and her previous appearance in the scorching heat of 2023 which served as a (very long) recce run for a more competitive attempt in 2025. We talk about her entry into the sport and how...
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#92 Sarah Kelly
Episode 92 Sarah Kelly is a scientist and endurance athlete who turns up the dial on enthusiasm to 10 in just about all aspects of her life. Her adventures are what happens when you take a 'can do' attitude and mix it with a 'give anything a go' view of the world. On this episode we chat about…
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#91 Scilly 60: Race Special
Episode 91 Scilly 60: Race Special 5 Islands, 60k, 6 races, 3 boats and 150 runners. Sounds straightforward? Welcome to the Scilly 60, brainchild of our last guest Wez Swain and his Scilly 60 Events company. Basically a 60k sprint which includes 5 boat transfers (some short, others up to 45...
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#90 Wez Swain
#90 Wez Swain What an absolute pleasure this was to chat with race director and proud Scillonian Wez Swain. Based on the Isles of Scilly, 28 miles of the south west coast of Cornwall Wez, already an accomplished 'swim run' competitor took the bull by the horns and created the Scilly 60 Events...
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#89 David Parrish
Ex Royal Marine David Parrish joins me alongside a new guest co-host, Jodie Gauld, to talk multi-day adventures, his victory at the 2023 Cape Wrath Ultra and how he's preparing for the 2025 Dragon's Back Race. Alongside his record breaking companion, 'Munro' the spaniel, David has been running…
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#88 Max King
#88 Max King A resident of Oregon and ‘Dragon Tamer’, running legend and coach Max King joins me and guest co-host Lewis Ryan on this episode. We talk about his 2024 DBR win, taking on locals in their own back yard and the narrowing differences between race experiences around world. We even got…
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#87 Shane Ohly
I’ve been itching to have Shane back on the show for a number of reasons. The foremost of these was his completion of the Dragon’s Back in a one’r, creating an FKT for this iconic route. It’s also the first real ‘3 peat’ achievement in appearing as a guest on the pod’! We chatted about his sub 24...
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#86 Noor van der Veen
#86 Noor van der Veen On this episode I speak to ultra runner and mountaineer Noor van der Veen. Noor turned up with an awesome performance on this year's 100 mile Arc of Attrition by UTMB taking 1st place in the women's race comfortably. As always we cover a whole host of topics including race...
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#85 Lewis Ryan
In this episode I chat to Lewis Ryan, overall winner of the Arc of Attrition by UTMB 100 mile race. We cover how the race unfolded and his experiences along the route as well discussing comparisons between his 2024 victory on the 50 mile race and how that race unfolded this year with a victory…
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#84 Julia Davis
On this episode I speak to ultra runner and coach Julia Davis. We turned this chat into a travelogue of sorts, talking about Julia's running experiences donning the GB vest to race in India, her love of a race over Cape Town's Table Mountain and her uncanny ability to attract snow and…
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#83 Winter Downs 200: Race Special
In this episode of Trail and Error Tris is back on the start line... for the Centurion Running Winter Downs 200 race. 200 miles obviously an extremely long race, and Tris's longest attempted one’r distance to date. We go through all the details of his preparations, the race details and his plans…
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#82 Chris Kelly
In this episode of Trail and Error we talk to endurance runner and coach Chris Kelly. A former footballer, hip surgery in 2016 forced Chris to look at sport in a new way and thankfully he discovered he was a runner! We talk about his running, injuries and rehab, 1st place on the GUCR and his epic...
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#80 Luke Grenfell-Shaw
In this episode we talk to Luke Grenfell-Shaw, a member of the Brooks Running trail running team and cancer survivor. Luke was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer in 2018 at the age of just 24. Far from recoiling he launched himself out into the world on a mission to make the most of life. 8 years on…
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#79 UTMB: TDS Race Special
Jay heads over to Chamonix to take on the TDS. A race with 9400m of elevation change over 145km of remote alpine trails, the TDS has a formidable reputation for difficulty and testing the endurance of those seeking more of a challenge than the classic UTMB 100 miler can offer. TDS takes its...
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#78 Arc of Attrition by UTMB
In this episode Tris and Jay talk to the team behind the iconic Cornish winter endurance race the Arc of Attrition and learn about what's changing and what's staying the same with 'The Arc' now that it has joined the UTMB stable of races as part of their World Series. We're joined by Hayden, Jane...
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#77 How Not to Fail at TDS
In this episode Jay is joined by Stephen Cousins of Film My Run and friend and runner Richard Hurdle as they discuss their experiences of TDS over the past 5 years. Starts tactics, the never ending climbs, and the tragic fatalities this race has seen over the past few years all come up as they...
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#76 Cape Wrath - Bonus Material
As promised, here is the bonus audio recorded by Jay with guests Stephen Cousins and James Forbes, after each day on the Cape Wrath 2024 Ultra. And at the end there is an interview with Event Director and Ourea founder Shane Ohly, where he discusses how the event team managed an infectious…
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#75 Cape Wrapup (Cape Wrath 2024 Race Special)
Jay takes on the 400km Cape Wrath Ultra along with friends Stephen Cousins and James Forbes Winding along the route of the historic Cape Wrath Trail from Fort William at the base of the Great Glen this race heads north into the Knoydart region over 8 days. As with all mountain races the weather…
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#74 Cape Wrath Ultra Prep
Jay takes on the Cape Wrath Ultra by Ourea Events from May 19th and he’s joined on this episode by fellow race participants James Forbes of Trench Foot Cream and Stephen Cousins of the YouTube channel Film My Run. You can hear more from James on episode 59 and from Stephen way back on episode 4…
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#73 Laura O'Driscoll
This is available as a video episode on the Trail & Error YouTube channel. Laura O’ Driscoll is an ultra runner, cyclist, swimmer and yoga instructor. Laura has clocked up numerous races in her time, including 1st place female at Cape Wrath, 1st place at the Kerry Way Ultra, 1st at Seven Sisters...
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#72 Sam Downing
Sam Downing is a Cornwall based trail and ultra runner and the founder of the Ponnek trail running brand. On the episode we talk about the ethos behind Ponnek, how it was founded and where it’s going. He gives some hints as some new products in the pipeline and products that will never make it…
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#71 Lewis Ryan
Lewis Ryan is a Scarpa sponsored ultra runner who recently won the Arc 50 in Cornwall, resulting in is his fifth race win in the past year. On the episode we talk about cramping in Hayle, Lewis’ past races and upcoming challenges (including the Chianti Ultra Trail by UTMB and Dragon’s Back). We...
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#70 David Barry
David Barry is the host of the Film My Trail Run YouTube channel and an ultra runner currently based in LA. On the episode we talk about some of David’s recent racing experiences, including the UTMB Canyons race, Transgrancaria, Cape Wrath Ultra, and running some of the biggest marathons in the...
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#69 Shane Ohly
Shane is a former elite mountain runner and the founder of Ourea Events, which organise some of the toughest races in the UK including the Dragons Back and Cape Wrath Ultra. This is his second appearance on the podcast. On this episode, which was recorded between Christmas and New Year, Jay is...
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#68 Loyd Purvis
Loyd Purvis is the host of the Run4Adventure YouTube channel and a prominent member of the Cornish trail running community. On this episode Jay and Loyd talk about the Cornish trail running scene, UTMB, Loyd’s transition into content making and the birth of Run4Adventure, what it takes to run his...
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#67 Victoria Cousins
Victoria Cousins is an ultra runner who has had a dramatic rise to running supremacy over the past couple of years, going from knee surgery to completing Centurion’s Grand Slam of 100 milers in 2023 and running three marathons in three weeks in three countries. Spurred on in part by her husband…
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#66 Jay Medway
On this special episode which was held at the pop-up Ponnek Running Store in Falmouth on 28th October (yeah, took a while to get this out!) Tris records the first every live episode of Trail & Error with Jay Medway from Left Handed Giant Running Club in Bristol. On the episode we talk about the…
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#65 Allie Bailey
Allie Bailey is an ultra runner, and endurance and mindset coach. She has run across Lake Khovsgol in Mongolia, crossed the Namibia Desert, run the full length of the Panama Canal, run the length of the UK and was the winner of the Wild Horse 200 mile race in the Brecon Beacons. On top of that…
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#64 Elsey Davis
Elsie is a doctor, North Face sponsored trail ultra runner, 2:33 marathoner, and a returning guest on the T&E podcast. On the episode we talk about her recent win at Nice Côte d'Azur by UTMB, her winter Bob Graham round record, and reaching her limits with heat stroke at the Calamorro Skyrace. We...
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#63 The Dragon's Back 2023
Our biggest ever race deserves our biggest ever episode. Join Jay and Tris as they delve into the belly of the beast that is the Montane Dragon's Back, a six day ultramarathon through Wales. Featuring content captured throughout the course of the week, a day by day synopsis of the event, as well…
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#62 Dragons Back - Two Weeks To Go!
With most of the training done and a two week taper left, Jay & Tris discuss their preparations for Dragon’s Back 2023 - a 380km, six day, stage race, through the length of Wales with 18,000m of elevation gain and loss. On the episode we discuss the highs and lows of training, our training plans,...
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#61 Ben Garrod
Ben is an evolutionary biologist, primatologist and broadcaster. He has been Professor of Evolutionary Biology and Science Engagement at the University of East Anglia since 2019. Much of his career has been focussed on primates in Africa. On this episode we talk about the Dragons Back race, which...
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#60 Andy Blow
Andy Blow is the founder of Precision Fuel & Hydration, a company that makes sports supplements for endurance athletes. He has a BSc Honours degree in Sports and Exercise Science from the University of Bath and has co-authored a number of scientific studies and books. He was once the Team Sports...
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#59 James Forbes
James Forbes is a mountain leader, rock climber, kayaker and runner. He is also the founder of Trench foot cream. On this episode we talk about James’ experience in endurance events, the 300km Northern Traverse, hallucinations, the founding of Trench and its subsequent success, being support crew...
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#58 Matt Whyman
Matt Whyman is an ultra runner, artist, dad, and author of a number of very good books (fiction and non-fiction) including one about running: Failure Is An Option “the story of an average runner who sets out to discover just how far he can go.” On this episode we take a deep dive into the…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Welcome to Trail & Error. The podcast where together we'll explore the world of trail running, capturing the diverse perspectives of a range of guests, from professional and amateur athletes, event and race directors, coaches and scientists. Learning what works, what doesn’t, and having a few laughs along the way.
HOSTED BY
Jay Grady, Lewis Ryan and Matt Whyman
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Trail and Error Podcast have?
The Trail and Error Podcast currently has 105 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Trail and Error Podcast about?
Welcome to Trail & Error. The podcast where together we'll explore the world of trail running, capturing the diverse perspectives of a range of guests, from professional and amateur athletes, event and race directors, coaches and scientists. Learning what works, what doesn’t, and having a few...
How often does The Trail and Error Podcast release new episodes?
The Trail and Error Podcast publishes regularly with 105 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to The Trail and Error Podcast?
You can listen to The Trail and Error Podcast on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Trail and Error Podcast?
The Trail and Error Podcast is created and hosted by Jay Grady, Lewis Ryan and Matt Whyman.
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