Welcome to this special bonus episode in the 2026 Melbourne Frontyard Ultra Mini-Series on the ZenRUN Podcast. So far in this series, we’ve been following individual athletes through their event - from the start line, through the yards, into the tired bits, the funny bits, the crew moments, and eventually to wherever their race finished. But this episode is a little different. Because once the runners head out on a yard, there is a whole other event happening back in the event village. There are crews making food, filling bottles, hunting for dry socks, checking watches, guessing what their runner might need next, and sometimes just sitting around waiting for the chaos to come back. There are volunteers watching the clock, marking off runners, managing the corral, cheering people in, and trying to keep track of who is still going, who is out, and who may have quietly wandered off without telling anyone. There are race directors and event crew trying to keep everything moving - music, timing, food trucks, toilets, weather, questions, little problems, big problems, and those calm-looking moments where underneath it all someone is absolutely thinking: “Please let this all keep working.” And then there’s the atmosphere. The countdown. The horn. The music. The sleepy middle-of-the-night chats. The crew tents that somehow become parties. The people dropping off snacks. The bike sweep. The runners ringing the bell. And all the beautiful little community moments that happen around the edges of the race. This bonus episode is about all of that. The people behind the yards. The helpers. The crews. The volunteers. The race team. The slightly random conversations I had while wandering around with a microphone and pretending this was a completely normal thing to be doing while also race directing. You’ll hear from Nikki and Paige, two of the volunteers helping with timing and the corral. You’ll hear from Stuart Rainbow, another race director, who was very much having too much fun with the microphone, cheering people in, chatting to the bike sweep, and generally refusing to go off shift. You’ll hear from Nancy, the event manager and absolute boss of keeping things moving behind the scenes. You’ll hear from a crew tent that had somehow turned into a fully functioning social club, complete with card games, footy, wine, multiple athletes, and a very clear system of evacuating the chairs when the runners came in. You’ll hear from Lexi and Elise about the strange rhythm of crewing - lots of waiting, then sudden chaos, then waiting again. And you’ll hear Em at around 1am on the second night, offering some very important feedback about the race music. Apparently, by that point, we needed less dance party and more full 80s, 50-year-old-woman energy. Honestly, fair. I also want to acknowledge Shaun Kaesler, the man behind Ultra Series Australia and the person whose vision has brought Melbourne Frontyard Ultra to life. Shaun travelled over from WA, including driving event gear from South Australia, and he was there from the very beginning right through to the final pack-up. Unfortunately, he wasn’t feeling too well during the event, so I didn’t manage to grab him on the microphone, but it would feel very strange to talk about the people behind the yards without acknowledging him. This is his vision, and the rest of us were lucky enough to help bring it to life. So this episode is raw, a bit messy, very human, and probably a fairly accurate snapshot of what happens once the runners head out. Because Melbourne Frontyard Ultra is never just about the person who wins. It’s about everyone who turns up. Everyone who helps. Everyone who keeps the mood alive. Everyone who solves the tiny problems before they become big ones. And everyone who plays even a small part in helping someone get back to the start line one more time. Why You’ll Love This Episode You’ll hear what happens behind the scenes once the runners leave the corral There are volunteers, crew, race directors, party tents, snacks and slightly questionable sleep strategies Nikki and Paige give us a glimpse into timing, corral duties and volunteer life Stuart Rainbow brings full race director energy, including bell ringing, bike sweep chats and snack inspections Nancy gives us a peek into the event manager brain, which is basically adrenaline, caffeine and problem-solving The party tent crew may or may not convince you that crewing can look suspiciously like a social event Lexi and Elise explain the strange waiting-chaos-waiting rhythm of crewing Em makes a very strong case for better late-night race music It’s funny, warm, chaotic and full of the community spirit that makes these events so special A Few Favourite Themes The runners are the heart - but they are not the whole event Every runner has a whole little ecosystem around them: crew, vollies, event staff, friends, family, bike sweeps, food people, timing people and random snack deliverers. Crewing is its own endurance event You wait. You guess. You prepare everything. They come in and want none of it. Then you reset and do it all again. Volunteers make the event possible Timing, corral, cheering, marking off runners, watching who is still in and who is out - none of this happens without volunteers. Race directing is calm on the outside, mild panic underneath Everything is fine. Mostly. Probably. Unless the timing guy messages, the music cuts out, someone doesn’t tell you they’ve tapped out, or the weather decides to join in. The event village has its own personality Games, footy, wine, chairs, snacks, sleeping bags, spreadsheets, bags with instructions, and people saying they definitely don’t want to run one… yet. The best stories are often between the laps Not every moment shows up in the results, but these are the moments that make the event feel alive. Listen In For The Melbourne Frontyard Ultra countdown Nikki and Paige talking timing, corral duties and volunteer life The two-minute warning interrupting the volunteer chat Stuart Rainbow cheering Maureen in and sending her to ring the bell Why Stuart volunteers and why he finds it so much fun Adrian the bike sweep and his job of coming last every lap Carmel dropping off sweet treats for runners and volunteers Nancy in event HQ, trying to decide whether sleep is actually going to happen The music cutting out because messages were coming through on the phone The very honest race director line: “Everything’s fine” The party tent crew with games, footy, wine and five-ish athletes to look after The system of evacuating chairs when runners arrive Crew bags with pre-lap and post-lap instructions Lexi and Elise talking about crewing four Dandenong Trail Runners athletes The reality of crewing: lots of nothing, then lots of everything Packing like you might be home in a few hours… or a few days Em’s 1am music critique The call for full 80s, 50-year-old-woman energy A big acknowledgement of Shaun Kaesler and the Ultra Series Australia team Mentioned In This Episode Melbourne Frontyard Ultra Ultra Series Australia Shaun Kaesler Nancy Nikki Paige Stuart Rainbow Lexi Elise Em Adrian the bike sweep Carmel Dandenong Trail Runners Maureen No Time To Die Daft Punk’s “One More Time” Backyard Ultra / Frontyard Ultra format Melbourne Frontyard Ultra Melbourne Frontyard Ultra Event Website - https://www.melbournefyu.com.au/ Interested in the 2027 Melbourne Frontyard Ultra? Entries are open now for Saturday 1 May 2027 - and if 2026 is anything to go by, it’s going to be bigger, better, and likely to sell out. Enter here: https://www.melbournefyu.com.au/ 💛 Want your running to feel lighter again? If this conversation resonated, you might enjoy The Running Reset - a simple bundle of guided runs and practical tools to help you reset your rhythm, clear your head, and reconnect with why you run. 👉 https://www.zenrun.app/courses/the-running-reset 🙏 A couple of big favours 1️⃣ If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, rate, and review the podcast - it helps more runners discover these conversations. 2️⃣ I’m always looking for runners to interview. If you or someone you know has a running story to share, I’d love to hear from you. Find me on Facebook or Instagram @ZenRUN.club or email hello@zenrun.club 🎧 Don’t miss an episode Subscribe to the ZenRUN Podcast in your favourite podcast app so new conversations land straight in your ears.
