There is nothing we enjoy in Aotearoa more than two little Latin words: per capita. We may not have the economy of scale, or GDP or any of those other things that big countries have, but by hokey me, per capita, we’ve got the goods. This is especially true in the elite trail running space, which is pretty cool if you think about it. You practically can’t swing a dead cat in some parts of NZ without hitting a Terrex Athlete. That’s not to say it’s easy to cultivate relationships with professional athletes, but in this case, with Dan Jones it very much is. The Champ returns to DCR for our favourite chat yet. We talk to Dan about that DNF at Western States, the success of the rest of his season, Dadlife, GPT vs GPT, and where you’d rather have more clout, on the trail or in the cloud. We ponder what’s led to the popularity of backyard, and if DJ will ever do one. There follows a discussion about chasing SICK prizes in China, the value of calling your shot, what’s ahead, and what being a professional athlete has to teach Dan. All this and so much more; we hope you enjoy it.

Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running.

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Episode Links

Daniel Jones Instagram

Adidas Running

Fenixlight

Suunto

Precision Fuel and Hydration

AG1

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Further Faster New Zealand

The Spectacle

Enjoy!

Music and editing by Andrew McDowall, Digicake

This week, Ali and Andrew run (ha!) down the notion that suffering in something you choose to do may not even be suffering at all. They peer into one leg of the ultrasphere's bifurcation and decide that, whilst looking fun, and all, Backyards may not be their thing. Influencers get a dishonourable mention, and as a bonus we’ve got interviews from Ali’s stint crewing the Vanilla Gorilla at the River Run Backyard this weekend—all this and more at the AidStation.

Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running.

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Episode Links

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Dirt Church Radio on Instagram

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Further Faster New Zealand

Enjoy!

Music and editing by Andrew McDowall, Digicake

I think we understood how epic the Crater Rim was, but we didn’t know it. This weekend changed all that—my Goodness, this was an incredible weekend of excellent trails and trying times. Some of us hurt ourselves, and some of us went to Taupo and rekindled our love for trails. For your pleasure, we also bring you the 2026 Crater Rim Live Show, all the way from Further Faster. Matt and Ali bring you a rollicking journey through the back alleys of DCR and speak with Chris Pike and Jules Christie from Further Faster about the race’s history, grassroots activism, and what it takes to bring such an incredible race to the community, for the community. Dirt Church Radio. We hope you enjoy it.

Dirt Church Radio – Best Enjoyed Running.

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Episode Links

Crater Rim Ultra

Sign up for the DCR AidStation newsletter and never miss an episode! Join us today.

Dirt Church Radio on Instagram

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Further Faster New Zealand

The Spectacle

Enjoy!

Music and editing by Andrew McDowall, Digicake