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 Podcast and is a member of the ‘Mountain and Trail’ strategy group at UK Athletics. 

We chat about talent spotting, TDG and much, much more in this episode. 

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 Lewis

#trailanderror #centurionrunning

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 well? What didn't? 

There were navigation issues, a time penalty and changes to the route to contend with but ultimately an overall podium win. 

Hear more in this episode of Trail and Error. If you like more Dragons Back content check out our back catalogue which includes day to day recordings from the 2023 event. 

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 Lewis

⁠https://www.instagram.com/dragonsbackrace⁠

#trailanderror #dragonsbackrace

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 she was the runner her crew were searching for, which makes more sense when you hear the story! 

Now a member of the Altra running team, we discuss how that relationship works for her and how it came about. Of course we also hear about her shoe choices for the upcoming Dragons Back Race and dip into some potential race strategies she may employ.

And we chat about how she suffered by running herself to physical destruction at OCC, the plan to take revenge in 2026, and the all important 'lessons learned'. 

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 Lewis

⁠https://www.instagram.com/hollywootten⁠

⁠https://www.instagram.com/altrarunning⁠

⁠https://www.instagram.com/dragonsbackrace⁠

#trailanderror #distancerunner #26point2 #fitnessmotivation #runningmotivation #marathon #ultratraining #ultrarunner #runnerofinstagram #runnerslife #instarunners #runhappy #runnercommunity #runningcommunity #iruntrails #trailrunning #trailrunner #type2fun

#toetheline #dragonsback #dragonsbackrace

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 her 'Puddle Buckley', the 'Frog Graham' and so much more including top tips on midges and mosquitoes. 

You might want to put your wetsuit on and pop in a snorkel for this one! 

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

Find more of Sarah's adventure here:

https://www.instagram.com/enlivenuktri

#trailanderror #distancerunner #26point2 #fitnessmotivation #runningmotivation #marathon #ultratraining #ultrarunner #runnerofinstagram #runnerslife #instarunners #runhappy #runnercommunity #runningcommunity #iruntrails #trailrunning #trailrunner #type2fun

#toetheline #running #swimrun #froggraham #puddlebuckley

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 minutes) where runners charge around some of the UK's most picturesque islands in the hope of beating the clock and not missing the boat.

Those not quick enough are given a coconut and a volleyball to name and might be collected by Wez or adopted by locals until next years race.

There are no guaranteed finishes on this race and as I found out there are plenty of things to trip you up, literally and metaphorically.

I'm joined by Wez himself on this episode as we discuss the ups and downs of the Scilly 60, a race which involves a lot of fun punctuated by some running!

I hope you enjoy it. 

Check out Wez and Scilly 60 Events here: ⁠⁠https://scilly60.co.uk⁠⁠

and you can find the news piece we mentioned on there too. 

and you'll find him on instagram here:

⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/scilly60/⁠⁠

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

#trailanderror #distancerunner #26point2 #fitnessmotivation #runningmotivation #marathon #ultratraining #ultrarunner #runnerofinstagram #runnerslife #instarunners #runhappy #runnercommunity #runningcommunity #iruntrails #trailrunning #trailrunner #type2fun

#toetheline #running #swimrun

#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 company to showcase the beautiful running environment these isles provide.

We chat about his experiences of the Arc of Attrition and his solo swim out into the Atlantic to reach a remote lighthouse.

His enthusiasm is infectious and it's absolutely no surprise that his events have become incredibly popular and a much loved part of the running community calendar.

His pride and appreciation for his home on this spectacular group of isles shines through too.

I get a little tongue tied at the beginning of this episode and I must admit I was a little nervous for some reason before our chat, but Wez has that calming effect that all good race directors have and after a stutter and a laugh we were back on track for a really enjoyable chat.

I hope you enjoy it too.

Check out Wez and Scilly 60 Events here: https://scilly60.co.uk

and you can find the news piece we mentioned on there too.

and you'll find him on instagram here:

https://www.instagram.com/scilly60/

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

#trailanderror #distancerunner #26point2 #fitnessmotivation #runningmotivation #marathon #ultratraining #ultrarunner #runnerofinstagram #runnerslife #instarunners #runhappy #runnercommunity #runningcommunity #iruntrails #trailrunning #trailrunner #type2fun

#toetheline #running

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 and hiking in the mountains in his native Scotland since leaving the military and his skills in the mountains showed with a dominating performance on the CWU, but he's taking a slightly different approach now he's taking on the Dragon.

From humble running beginnings, recording his runs with pencil and paper, he's exploded onto the UK endurance scene as an all round and versatile athlete placing 3rd overall on the 2024 Northern Traverse.

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

#trailanderror #distancerunner #26point2 #fitnessmotivation #runningmotivation #marathon #ultratraining #ultrarunner #runnerofinstagram #runnerslife #instarunners #runhappy #runnercommunity #runningcommunity #iruntrails #trailrunning #trailrunner #type2fun

#toetheline #running

#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 the scoop on Max’s upcoming attempt at the Barkley Marathons and his tips for on the go repair and recovery in the middle of multi day races.

Find more of Max here:

https://www.instagram.com/@maxkingor

https://www.maxkingtrc.com/

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

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 hour finish on January’s  Arc of Attrition by UTMB 100 miler and discuss how his experience as both a competitor and viewpoint as a race director measured up and how the first race under UTMB banner went. 

I’m also asked a question that left me lost for words for the first time in 87 episodes! 

It’s a great chat about the ‘went rights’ and ‘went wrongs’ which is why I love doing these interviews so much. 

Finally we talked about my new project, Ginger Goat Events which will touring the UK this year and why Ourea chose to become our primary sponsor. 

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

#trailanderror #distancerunner #26point2 #fitnessmotivation #runningmotivation #marathon #ultratraining #ultrarunner #runnerofinstagram #runnerslife #instarunners #runhappy #runnercommunity #runningcommunity #iruntrails #trailrunning #trailrunner #type2fun

#toetheline #running

#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 recce's and tactics, opinions on the race and the realities of female participation in the world of trail ultras.

As humble as she is talented it was an absolute pleasure to chat with her for an hour despite the fact we both came down with colds last night.

Special shout out to Lily the cat who provided perimeter security for Noor during our interview. Outstanding

job Lily x

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

@rab.equipment

@rab.benelux

@noor.vanderveen

#trailanderror #distancerunner #26point2 #fitnessmotivation #runningmotivation #marathon #ultratraining #ultrarunner #runnerofinstagram #runnerslife #instarunners #runhappy #runnercommunity #runningcommunity #iruntrails #trailrunning #trailrunner #type2fun #arcofattrition #dutchtrailrunners

#toetheline #running 

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 from Tom Evans and also how he felt about the race being a UTMB World Series event.

We also talk a little on his 2024 Dragons Back Race and how it went among other things and there's a little announcement about the future direction of Trail and Error tucked in there somewhere too for good measure.

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 unseasonable weather as well as chatting about the Arc of Attrition podium and her coaching with Centurion Running.

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

https://www.centurionrunning.com/section/coaching

https://www.instagram.com/juliadavis101

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 in the first half of this episode before catching up with him again to hear how it all went. 

There's also an important announcement regarding the podcast in this episode so let us know your thoughts on it in the comments. 

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!

Tris and Jay

#trailanderror #distancerunner #26point2 #fitnessmotivation #runningmotivation #marathon #ultratraining #ultrarunner #runnerofinstagram #runnerslife #instarunners #runhappy #runnercommunity #runningcommunity #iruntrails #trailrunning #trailrunner #type2fun

#toetheline #running 

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 24 hour/169 mile feat as well as his sub 21 hour finish Arc of Attrition.
Despite his injuries and surgeries Chris is one of the most positive runners in the sport and a true gent. Softly spoken and humble, it was a pleasure to chat with him.
Join us as we spend an hour diving into his experiences.
You can find more from Chris here:
@chrisk_runs and @rts.coaching
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!
Tris and Jay

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 and Luke has a tandem bike ride from Bristol to Bejing under his belt as well as competing on the world trail running scene as part of the Brooks team and his work as a motivational speaker.

We talk training, coaches, adventures and about his recent race in China as well as his work with cancer charities.

We hope you enjoy this episode.

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

Tris and Jay

#trailanderror #distancerunner #26point2 #fitnessmotivation #runningmotivation #marathon #ultratraining #ultrarunner #runnerofinstagram #runnerslife #instarunners #runhappy #runnercommunity #runningcommunity #iruntrails #trailrunning #trailrunner

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 participants from Courmayeur in Italy back to the iconic finish line in Chamonix, giving the runners a maximum of 44 hours for the journey. Its remote and exposed course includes sections of via ferrata with potentially fatal drops at 2600m and relentless climbs and descents at lung busting altitudes.

In this episode we'll find out how Jay got on vs his pre race predictions. Will it be glory or will TDS claim another scalp?

We hope you enjoy this episode.

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

Tris and Jay

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 and Ferg as we discuss the logistics of adding the additional 25 mile race and how the race rules have been adapted to match the standardised system across all the UTMB races worldwide and what that means for those hoping to support their runners on the rugged clifftop trails of Cornwall in the middle of winter.

With fanzones, rules changes and new races this episode is a whistle stop journey through the first stage of this race’s evolution and its journey to become a race that's sure to have global appeal for those wanting to test themselves on the jagged coastline of Cornwall.

We hope you enjoy this extended episode.

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

Tris and Jay

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 impart their wisdom and knowledge of this iconic mountain race.

At approximately 94 miles and 30,000ft of elevation and with a start and finish at opposite ends of the Mt Blanc tunnel this event has a deservedly fearsome reputation.

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 outbreak in the race camp and how they managed to keep it’s infection rate to a mind blowingly low 12.8%. Low enough to be the basis of a future scientific research paper on infection control no less!

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 and its unpredictability can affect the conditions massively and this edition of the race was to prove challenging in unexpected ways.

Tris takes the role of interviewer and Jay as guest alongside James and Stephen as we chat about our experiences of the Cape Wrath Ultra and (SPOILER ALERT) its companion event the Cape Wrath Explorer.

Jay recorded daily content each evening too including an interview with Event Director and Ourea founder Shane Ohly where he discusses how the event team managed an infectious outbreak in the race camp and how they managed to keep it’s infection rate to a mind blowingly low 12.8%. Low enough to be the basis of a future scientific research paper on infection control no less!

Day 1 to 8 round ups and the interview with Shane are included as bonus content at the end of the podcast.

We hope you enjoy this extended episode.

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

Tris and Jay