Episode 242 - El Kott Twins and The Coastal Challenge, Costa Rica.
Release Date: 02/29/2024
Episode 254 - Amy McCulloch - RUNNER 13
Talk Ultra
Amy is a world-renowned author who in 2022 toed the line of the iconic Marathon des Sables. The race planted seeds for a story, one of ultra-running and mystery. In June 2025, 'RUNNER 13' was released. Amy joins the podcast to discuss the book and her MDS story. Runner 13 is a thriller that drops readers straight into a deadly stage race across the Sahara, echoing the notorious Marathon des Sables in Morocco. McCulloch’s own experience running that event shapes every detail - the brutal desert landscape, the psychological toll, and the obsession with endurance that defines the...
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Episode 253 - Lydia Oldham
Talk Ultra
From Lockdown Laps to FKT’s Lydia started running during lockdown whist living in the UK. From very slow 2km runs, Lydia soon progressed to creating her own approach to running and ultra. She did road marathons, but did them different, failed at her first ultra, but then something clicked... • The Speed Project solo in the USA – 500km in 5 days. • Oman Desert Marathon – done. •FKT across 650km of the Camino de Santiago in Portugal – done. Now she lines up at OCC during UTMB week and follows up with her own fundraising project in the UK. 2026? she’s coming to Costa Rica to...
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Episode 252 - Abelone Lyng DNT Massiv Trail (FKT) 'Funnest Known Time'
Talk Ultra
You may assume it’s all about speed and pressure. Not this time. Norwegian runner, Abelone Lyng, put her own spin on the legend that is the DNT MASSIV TRAIL: 364 km, and just under 13,000 m vertical gain across four national parks in Norway: Breheimen, Jotunheimen, Skarvheimen, and Hardangervidda. In just 10-days, Abelone moved fast and light, unbroken, solo, yet utterly connected. She didn’t chase a formal FKT. She chased what she coined a “Funnest Known Time.”
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Episode 251 - Elisabet Barnes and MDS The Legendary 2025
Talk Ultra
Elisabet Barnes is a 5x participant at MDS The Legendary and a 2x champion. In 2025, Elisabet returned to the Legendary with different goals, different perspectives and to experience the race without the pressure of the podium. Her last MDS participation was 2017. A great deal has happened in the last 8-years, Covid for one and of course, a change of organisation at The Legendary. With extensive experience of MDS as a participant and coach, Elisabet provides and in-depth insight of the 'new' Legendary. "...very friendly, cheerful, supportive, it was a very positive experience to come to a...
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Episode 250 - Cyril Gauthier MDS
Talk Ultra
Episode 250 of Talk Ultra is a discussion with Cyril Gauthier abou the MDS brand in 2025. We discuss many things: Handi, Trek, Namibia, the weather, planning, strategy and the future of MDS. Importantly, we also discuss Legendary.
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Episode 249 - Kilian Jornet ALPINE CONNECTIONS Special
Talk Ultra
Kilian Jornet recently connected 82 4000m peaks in the Alps in an amazing 19-days. He covered a total of 1207km's and climbed a total of 75,334m+ On episode 249 of Talk Ultra, we discuss this amazing project!
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Episode 248 - Liz Ward, MDS Cappadocia
Talk Ultra
The first edition of MDS Cappadocia took place in June 2024. A unique race in a unique landscape. We speak with 71-year old Liz Ward who achieved her first MDS bling after multiple attempts.
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Episode 247 - MDS The Legendary Feedback
Talk Ultra
Episode 247 of Talk Ultra and we catch up with competitors from the 2024 MDS The Legendary for thoughts and feedback with Cecilie Lehmann Gianneri, Natalya Platanova and Nicki Marsh.
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Episode 246 : Nicki Marsh - MDS The Legendary
Talk Ultra
Episode 246 of Talk Ultra is with Nicki Marsh as we countdown to Marathon des Sables - The Legendary. With a 50th birthday looming in 2024 Nicki had been toying with lots of ideas of how to celebrate... The only thing that truly excited me (and could fit around work!) was MDS. Her husband had done it in 2017 and said never again. However, it took him all of 30 seconds to agree to do it again, with Nicki!
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Episode 245 - Ferdinand Charriau : Marathon des Sable - The Legendary
Talk Ultra
Episode 245 of Talk Ultra is with Ferdinand Charriau, head of communications for Marathon des Sable - The Legendary. In this podcast we discuss the final details as the 2024 edition is just weeks away.
info_outlineEpisode 242 of Talk Ultra and we talk in depth with Lina and Sanna El Kott, the El Kott twins, about the highs and lows of The Coastal Challenge in Costa Rica which celebrated 20-years!