Gotta Run Podcast Norm & Jodi

Norm and Jodi are Gladiators! That’s right, we recently completed the 62K course at Ultra Trail Vipava Valley in beautiful Slovenia which is themed around an epic battle that took place in this region over 1600 years ago.

In this episode we chat about how we chose this particular race and our experience from race kit pickup to crossing the finish line.

It all started with Gladiators leading us out from the start line to unpredictable weather, whiskey shots to muddy descents and everything in between!

Here is our UTVV race recap...

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We are off to Slovenia soon to race the Ultra Trail Vipava Valley UTVV for short on April 27. It will be our first time there and it came on our radar after our chat with Canadian Galen Reynolds in Episode 81 who lives and trains near the capital, Ljubljana.

Since we know very little about this part of the world or these trails we figured why not ask someone who has run the course, so we reached out to runner Anze Sobocan who not only has run the race but has completed every distance this event has to offer including several podium finishes.

Anze is 39 and a member of Team Salomon Slovenia.  He has racked up quite a few race results in a relatively short period of time including many events in Slovenia and neighbouring countries of Croatia and Austria.

We chat about the Istria 100 which has the oldest start line in the world at 3000 years old and the Swiss Ultra Tour Monte Rosa 100 miler his hardest race to date and then of course, Ultra Trail Vipava Valley UTVV.

Here is Anze Sobocan…

You can follow Anze on Instagram here  - https://www.instagram.com/anze.sobocan/

If you enjoyed our show please leave a rating and review.  We would really appreciate it.

Check out GottaRunRacing website here and use promo code GRRPODCAST for discounts - gottarunracing.com
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Returning to the podcast is Ihor Verys.  Based in Chilliwack, British Columbia, Ihor is the first Ukranian-Canadian finisher and ultimate winner of the 2024 The Barkley Marathons!
Ihor has been very busy since we last spoke to him after his Fat Dog 120 win in 2022 including runner up at Big’s Backyard World Championship running over 715k last year and a win at Hurt 100 this year.
We touch on a few key elements from those two races and then dive into The Barkley Marathons.  In a year that saw five finishers in total including the first woman, Jasmin Paris, Ihor was the winner in 58 hours, 44 minutes.
After spending just a short time with Ihor virtually, it is obvious to us that he is an incredible human being and true ambassador for ultra running. 

We wrap up our chat with a light-hearted rapid-fire segment so be sure to listen to the end. 

Here is Ihor Verys…

You can follow Ihor on Instagram here  - https://www.instagram.com/ihorverys/

If you enjoyed our show please leave a rating and review.  We would really appreciate it.

Check out GottaRunRacing website here and use promo code GRRPODCAST for discounts - gottarunracing.com
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The Sulphur Springs Trail Race is a 20K loop course, in the Dundas Valley Conservation Area just outside of Hamilton, Ontario that has been running for more than 30 years, making it the oldest running Ultra Marathon in Canada!  Distances offered include 10k up to 100 miles. 

This year, the race seeks to become Ontario’s first Western States 100 qualifier - which would be a huge accomplishment - so we reached out to the trio of Race Directors from Straw Dog Racing which includes Steve Connor, Mauro Campanelli, and Russell Thacker, to get their insights on the legacy of this iconic spring race and how they are approaching the challenge ahead.

Here is Straw Dog Racing…

You can follow Sulphur Springs Trail Race on Instagram here  - https://www.instagram.com/sulphurspringstrailrace/

If you enjoyed our show please leave a rating and review.  We would really appreciate it.

Check out GottaRunRacing website here and use promo code GRRPODCAST for discounts - gottarunracing.com
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Jonathan Albon is a 34 year old multi-discipline athlete originally from the UK, now living in Norway.

Jon has left his mark on many sports including Obstacle Course Racing where he recently took home the largest prize in OCR history by crossing the line first in Saudi Arabia; completing 100 kilometres in 8 hours with 20 obstacles per 10K lap! 

He has some equally impressive results in trail and ultra running including top spots at OCC and CCC in recent years as well as 3rd in the short trail distance at the World Mountain and Trail Championships in Thailand in 2022.

He has twice won the final ranking of Sky Extreme Series and has once been the overall winner of the Skyrunner World Series.

Jon and his wife Henriette, who is also an accomplished professional trail runner, have created a training app, aptly named AlbonApp, for athletes of all levels, incorporating strength training and cardio workouts.

Jon will be making his 100 miler debut without obstacles at Western States 100 this summer.

Here is Jon....

You can follow Jon on Instagram here  - https://www.instagram.com/jonalbon/

If you enjoyed our show please leave a rating and review.  We would really appreciate it.

Check out GottaRunRacing website here and use promo code GRRPODCAST for discounts - gottarunracing.com
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On this episode, we feature 53 year old Jeff Bond, an ultra runner from Manitoba.  He has competed in several ultras including the Canadian Death Race, Epic East Gate in Riding Mountain National Park and the Dead Horse Ultra.

He just completed 100 miles on foot at the Yukon Arctic Ultra; a race not for the faint of heart! You can choose your mode of discipline at this event either by foot, cross country skis or mountain bike.  

Jeff is a member of The Manitoba Association of Trail Runners which is associated with the Ultimate Trails of Manitoba series or UTofMB for short (we see what ya did there)!

He is also the director of a race called Rider vs Runner where runners compete against horse riders over a 40K  course with river crossings, steep climbs and descents with approximately 610 meters of gain/loss. 

Here is Jeff....

If you enjoyed our show please leave a rating and review.  We would really appreciate it.

Check out GottaRunRacing website here and use promo code GRRPODCAST for discounts - gottarunracing.com
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Check out GRR Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/gottarunracing/
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