The Trail and Error Podcast

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 changed. 

What followed was 115km around Mont Blanc, through France and Italy and into Switzerland, before Lewis eventually made the decision to call it a day. 

In this UTMB Race Special we hear what it's really like to be amongst the crowds and chaos of UTMB week in Chamonix, experience the incredible atmosphere out on the course and find out what happened when the race started to unravel.

Was it the lack of training, nutrition and hydration, a few poor decisions or had Lewis's race actually started to go wrong several weeks before he even reached Chamonix? 
And, most importantly, does he want another crack at it?

Find out in this episode of Trail and Error.

Thanks again to all of you for listening. If you have a moment please, like, subscribe and if you have a few seconds more, perhaps write a short review.

It's all a great help to us in growing the audience and is very much appreciated!

Lewis, Jay and Matt

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 world unknown to her of pilgrims, hostels and the relentless daily miles needed to get from the start in Oviedo to the finish and the back in time to catch her ferry home.
All having never set foot on the trail before.

How did it go, what did she learn and would she do it again?

Find out in this episode of Trail and Error.

Thanks again to all of you for listening. If you have a moment please, like, subscribe and if you have a few seconds more, perhaps write a short review. 

It's all a great help to us in growing the audience and is very much appreciated!

Jay, Matt and Lewis

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 promise of the idea he spawned after a suffering a serious injury.

With Matt being a parkrun event director and Paul being the founder it forced Jay to step up and experience his first ever parkrun after 13 years of running ultras! Was he converted?
You'll have to listen to find out.

Thanks again to all of you for listening. If you have a moment please, like, subscribe and if you have a few seconds more, perhaps write a short review. 
It's all a great help to us in growing the audience and is very much appreciated!

Jay, Matt and Lewis

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 and the new race finish. We also talk about UTS and lessons learned from the changes there along with the new Skyline Scotland race and youth events.
Thanks again to all of you for listening. If you have a moment please, like, subscribe and if you have a few seconds more, perhaps write a short review. 
It's all a great help to us in growing the audience and is very much appreciated!

Jay , Lewis and Matt

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 her life and work have influenced and cemented her love of running, particularly as a large portion of the Spine course passes through her parish in the north of England.

So please join us for a very interesting episode where we find out about her friendship with Keith Dunn - the voice of the Barkley Marathons on Twitter - her experience at the London marathon in 2026 and more surprising facts about this inspiring woman.

Thanks again to all of you for listening. If you have a moment please, like, subscribe and if you have a few seconds more, perhaps write a short review.
It's all a great help to us in growing the audience and is very much appreciated!

Jay and Matt