Welcome to a very real, slightly unhinged debrief from the Surf Coast Trail Marathon — where fitness meets dysfunction and high-vis Team Veteran shirts try to outshine deep sand and cramping quads. Recorded on the move with DJI mics (and some very questionable mic technique), this episode captures Joe, Chris, and Burso unpacking the pain, pride, and hilarity of trail running in Torquay.

What does it take to run a trail marathon on zero prep?

How do you survive when your legs lock up halfway through the course?
 And what happens when your support crew keeps popping out of bushes like budget wildlife photographers?

Joe kicks things off with a solid dose of humility — recovering from the flu, aiming for sub-2 hours, and ending up somewhere in the 2:15 range with calf cramps from the first hill. He shares how practicing gratitude kept him going when breathing felt impossible and feet kept finding puddles. His run started on the beach, ended in pain, and included two surprise ambushes by Burso and Fitzy hiding in the shrubbery like amateur trail trolls.

Meanwhile, Chris starts his day by accidentally salting his Weet-Bix, easing into the second leg of the race after a high-five handover, and immediately running into deep sand and a monster hill. The two teammates joke about their “very average” performance but somehow still manage a third-place finish — in a field of six, but who's counting?

Highlights & Laughs:

• Bush-Banter Ambushes: Burso and Fitzy pop out from behind bushes mid-race, leading to Joe swearing, forgetting questions, and nearly throwing the mic in a cramp-fueled rage.
• Socks, Sponsors & Silence: Asked live mid-run about sponsors, Joe blanked entirely. “His brain stopped,” Burso notes. “All of the above,” Joe replies.
• Post-Race Pub Chat: The lads recap over beers at Four Pines in Torquay, where even the winner of the marathon casually mentions he's gunning for a 2:30 at the Gold Coast — on a deload week.
• Podium Ditching: Despite coming third, the boys skip the ceremony to eat chips and get home to stretch and sulk.
• Parkrun Shade: The friendly rivalry continues as Chris edges Joe in both trail and Parkrun times, though Joe claims moral victory for showing up sick.

Future Fun:

• Spartan races in Geelong? Stadium stomps? Highlander trail events? Burso’s working on it.
• Puffing Billy run in September? Maybe. If Blue doesn’t explode another hammy first.

🔥 What This Podcast Answers:

• How do two untrained blokes survive a trail marathon without killing each other?
• Is there any dignity in being overtaken by a 14-year-old mountain goat?
• Can you really hide in bushes twice and still be invited back?
• Why are Snickers and salted cereal now part of elite-level nutrition?

Matty Morris of https://www.zerolimitspodcast.com/ helps us out with a banger of a tune. If you want to hear about some real intense moments from Veterans and First Responders. Check out Zero Limits Podcast. 

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