Wild Runner Coaching blog

Kepler Challenge Race report for 2025 Standing on the start line of the Kepler Challenge, I knew just how lucky I was to be there. Simply getting a spot is an achievement in itself. On the day event registrations opened, back in July, I’d been perched in front of my laptop at 6:30am, ethernet cable plugged in like I was preparing for NASA-level operations ...

Trail running comes with adventure, freedom, and those magic moments we all chase — but it also comes with risk. Safety is something I’ve always taken seriously. I never assume “it’ll be fine”, because what about the one time it isn’t? It only takes a rolled ankle or a change in weather for a fun afternoon to turn stressful, or even dangerous. As a Land Search and Rescue field operative, I’ve seen first hand how long it can take to reach someone in the New Zealand bush — even

The night before the Crater Rim Ultra, I was tucked up in bed by 9:30pm with grand plans for a solid pre-race sleep. My 3:45am alarm loomed, so obviously I was still staring at the ceiling at 12:30am, having worked my way through every sleep meditation Spotify could offer. Eventually though, around 1am, sleep found me — three blissful hours of dead-to-the-world rest. Not ideal, but pretty standard for me on race night. Not sure why I expected anything different this time roun

Training for an ultramarathon is not the same as training for a marathon. While both events demand endurance, ultras bring new challenges: slower paces, extended time on feet, variable terrain, and often thousands of metres of climbing. On trails, you’re not only running longer, but also adapting to technical footing, steep gradients, and weather that can change drastically throughout the day. With ultramarathons comes beautiful scenery. That means preparing for a 50k goes fa