You really should come and do the Ring Of Fire and/or The Tussock Traverse. It’s one of the most spectacular events in the Southern Hemisphere. Grass Roots? Tick. Alpine terrain? Tick. Mount Doom? Yep. The pleasure and privilege and pain of a big old loop around the Maunga. How good.
Dirt Church Radio- Excellent Stuff.
Read MorePlease enjoy Ali’s epic conversation with Silver Fern-turned-MMA fighter-turned trail running zealot Paula Griffin. This is an excellent conversation between two strong women that you wont want to miss. Excellent stuff.
Read MoreThis week on the AidStation, Matt and Ali talk about everything. From monetizing gravel spoiler alert Don’t do it! Salomon, we’re looking at you, to the end of the world, headlamps, hot bois, hot girls, trail crushes, and when is it too soon (or too late) to call a course change?? The AidStation podcast. Get in that chair, and let us make you a sandwich. Excellent Stuff.
Read MoreKia ora e te whānau. Sometimes, trail running finds us when we least expect it. Jack Harris’s journey began with a chance encounter on the Routeburn Track, leading from a tough patch to an 8-year rise from mid-pack to podium. Starting 2025 with a 6th place at Tarawera 50km and ending as Athletics NZ Long Course Trail Champion, Jack’s story is full of unexpected twists, resilience, and inspiring moments. Listen as Matt and Jack talk process, progress, and the power of keeping your world small—Dirt Church Radio. Excellent Stuff
Read MoreThis week on AidStation: all-women’s LoopHer relay, Tussock Traverse, Ring of Fire, and the Western States Endurance Run debate. Matt shares a wild 32-hour saga—with police cells, lost and hallucinated dogs, and a medical DNF. Tune in for big laughs and running insights. Ever Get The Feeling You’ve Just Been Cheated? Excellent stuff.
Read MoreTune in for an epic journey to the Old Ghost Ultra! Hear Ali P’s firsthand experience, plus interviews with race founder Phil Rossiter, original DCR guest Ben Kepes, third-place finisher Sarah Kearns, and iRunFar’s Bryon Powell. Catch all the stoke and stories on Dirt Church Radio.
Read MoreThe fun, filth, fury, and triumph of the 2026 Tarawera Ultra Trail New Zealand by UTMB, with a cast of thousands, but mainly Dan Jones, Ruth Croft, Petter Engdhal, Beth McKenzie, Sam Harvey, Hannah McCrae, Liam Mierow, and Emma Hawgood. Plus, Romance. Excellent Stuff.
Read MoreKia ora e te whānau. What a way to kick off 2026 with this awesome conversation with Goat Tongariro winner Jackson Cole. Speaking from Missoula, Montana, Jackson shares his ethos rooted in adventure, wild mountain terrain, and the simplicity of running over gadget obsession. For a relatively younger athlete, Jackson takes a refreshing postmodernist approach—rejecting the absolute truth of the ultrasphere while drawing inspiration from classic New Zealand running legends like Rod Dixon and Dick Quax, alongside modern icons like Anton Krupicka and Kilian Jornet. We dare you to listen to this and not be stoked. Dirt Church Radio—Best Enjoyed Running.
Read MoreThis week on AidStation: Ali P chats with Michael Sutton at The Goat Tongariro about the Kea Mountain Running Series. Plus, Kate Southern from 261 Fearless shares her first Goat experience, and we celebrate Andrew McDowall's selection for the 2026 24-hour IAU Asia Oceania Championships while exploring how we can support athletes facing the financial burden of international representation. All this, Panic Math, and more.
Read MoreJoin Ali and Matt for the third annual DCR Tarawera Ultra Trail by UTMB special with two-time champion and Coach extraordinaire Kerry Suter. We dive into the event’s history, share final prep tips, and preview the elite fields from 100-mile to 50km. Excellent Stuff.
Read MoreGo home 2026, you’re drunk. on this episode of the AidStation, our heroes run through the Green Screen Satisfyification of running media, Carbon taxes at races, our hopes for 2026 (metrically) and why positively pushing makes all the difference. Dirt Church Radio - Best Enjoyed Running
Read MoreCatch the latest episode of Dirt Church Radio's Summer Series! This week, we're featuring two of our most popular conversations from 2025: Sam Harvey shares his world-record-breaking run at Dead Cow Gully, and Stephen Redfern talks about his epic 400-mile journey through the Southern USA. Dirt Church Radio—Best Enjoyed Running.
Read MoreDive into the DCR Summer Series 001 - where we re-vist our most popular episodes of 2025. First off, Matt and Ali talk to the legendary Jasmin Paris about her historic finish at the Barkley Marathons
Read MoreDamian Watson’s journey spans record-setting ultramarathons and a passion for pastry, all rooted in his early days as a New Zealand Ice Hockey representative. In this Dirt Church Radio episode, Andrew McDowall visits Damian at the Muriwai Deli for a run and a conversation about grit, achievement, and community.
Read MoreFeelings, Findings, Failings. This year has been all about reflections. In the last AidStation of the year, our heroes rip through the whys, whats, and wheres of an epic 2025 and make a plea for the mat time to the be the gold standard in race timing, as it always should be. - excellent stuff
Read MoreJoin Andrew McDowall for the 2025 Dirt Church Radio Live Special!
Read MoreA heartbroken youth once left Nelson with a firm “yeah, nah”—but The Spectacle 2025 turned that into a definite “Hell Yes.” In this episode of DCR, Ali P and Matt share conversations with 100-mile champ and record-setter Emma Timmis, Olympian Sam Tanner, send-lord Sam Harvey, and running legends Kathrine Switzer and Roger Robinson. Plus, Nelson’s own Guy Williams joins the crew to unpack metrics, divergence, and growing up alongside Olympian Julian Matthews. A truly inspiring weekend—excellent stuff.
Read MoreAli P goes off in search of adventure in the Snowy Mountains and comes back with amazing interviews with Nic Bunyon, Martin Gaffuri, and the incredible Lucy Bartholomew
Read MoreGareth Thomas is a king. The mind behind the Wai2k, the hardest race in the North Island.
Join us for AMCD’s interview with him, A race recap plus all the other Aidstation goodness on our fortnightly subscriber podcast
Read MoreRuth Croft Rules. Can we jazz that up any further? not really.
Old mate is the best. Please enjoy Ali P’s converstaion with Ruth for her Tenth appearance on DCR.
Lovely.
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