Trail Culture

Behind the scenes with some of the elite athletes lining up for tomorrows race. Ranging from the 100km to the marathon, from local legends to visitors - all of them are hoping the legs show up & all the pieces fall into place for their races tomorrow.
#TrailCulture
Brandon Keeling - Marathon
Daniël Claasen - 100km
Johardt van Heerden - Marathon
Brandon Hulley - 100km
Mila Geldenhuys - Marathon

Race weekend is finally here & things are about to kick off at the race village for George MUT by UTMB.
First up we have a few words from race director Zane Schmahl. He's put in a massive shift to make the 2026 edition of MUT possible. From flooding, crazy winds, getting into the mountains with chainsaws and co-ordinating volunteers. But it was all worth it for him to see people who've set MUT as their life goal, toe the start line and take on the Outeniqua mountains.
Our race directors report is here, enjoy!
#TrailCulture

Known for going the extra mile, getting himself into interesting situations on the mountain & always have a smile on his face, Athenkosi Nkonki joins us to share story.
One run at a time - this is the way that Ruben has been giving back to the community he grew up in. Qolora by Sea started off as a small project for the children from Rubens home. He's been going back every year to grow it and create an opportunity for the kids to travel to Cape Town and share the vision for what life and work oppourtunities could look like after school.
0:00 - Welcome
02:35 - Meet Ruben - growing up in the Eastern Cape
11:14 - The career story - how Ruben found himself in Cape Town
31:24 - Event growth - where it’s come from & where it’s going
34:08 - Giving back - how to get involved
36:50 - The running side - racing goals for Ruben
39:34 - International travel - infinite trail series & a dream come true
47:20 - Closing remarks
🔗 Links & Resources:
- Trail Culture Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailcultureza/
- Trail Culture Coaching: https://www.trailculture.co.za/
- Ruben Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dewaal.simon/
- Qolora by the Sea: https://www.backabuddy.co.za/campaign/qolora-by-sea-fun-run
- Precision Hydration Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carbon_endurance/
- Precision Hydration: https://www.carbonendurance.co/precision-hydration-2

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The topic of this weeks trail science episode 💭 Simon de Waal & I sat down to discuss durability in our sport. Should trail runners focus on developing resilience & how does that happen? 📈 Think UTMB, two victors, one coach & a whole lot of weighted vest sessions 🏆 this is what got us thinking about the concept durability within our sport & do we test under conditions of real fatigue?
Chapter Markers:
0:00 - Welcome & catch up - the arc of attrition
09:25 - Scientists who run - what we learn from doing the thing
13:18 - Research - what is Dr de Waal immersed in currently?
16:04 - The 4th dimension - physiological resilience and endurance sport
25:04 - Fatigue narratives - physiological fatigue resilience vs mechanical fatigue resilience
32:38 - General to specific - Where to start with building your base/making these gains
47:19 - Current research - gaps in study design and what can we hope to see in the future
51:45 - Uphill running capacity - the metabolic cost of uphill running
55:04 - Further exploration - better research design
01:01:40 - Closing remarks

.Dirt Nerds Do Forecasting ⛰️💭
The 2025 season had some highlights. From the Reillys family podium at MUT to Nicolette redefining what’s possible in the miler space to Ryan Sandes making us proud at Cocdona 250. The list goes on & we only scratched the surface 💭
It’s always good chatting to Sean Robson 🎙️ tune in for an hour and a bit of celebrating past performances, dreaming about what’s next & some comments on areas where we’d love for the sport to do better 💯
Chapter Markers:
00:00 - Welcome & no more seasons
01:09 - Hi Sean: On athlete & global explorer
04:37- The coaches of CT - kick a bush and one will fall out
06:23 - The previous season - reflections & the rise of womens sport
13:23 - The social media space - ‘influencing’ eclipsing performance?
22:10 - Evolution of running - are the explosions real?
34:10 - A graceful win & great poentialt - Sam Reillys Journey
38:15 - Cocodona - Ryan Sandes taking on the ultra milers
41:05 - The Ultra debut - the rise of Rebecca Kone
45:10 - The family champion - Doug Pickard and the UTCT masterclass
55:37 - Womens sport - growing support and the space
01:03:20 - Closing remarks

🌍 Connect with Trail Culture:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailcultureza/
Trail Culture Coaching: https://www.trailculture.co.za/
Support those who support us:
Carbon Endurance Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carbon_endurance/
Carben Endurance Wesbite: https://www.carbonendurance.co/precision-hydration-2
📩 Follow Sean Robson Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/sean.l.robson?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
#TrailCulture