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Dan Jones Post-Race Interview: 2025 UTA 50km
348 Plays6 days ago
We're joined by the UTA 50km winner Dan Jones to unpack his race from start to finish.
Hear Dan's goals coming into the race in light of his upcoming run at Western States, how it played out, and what the rest of the year will look like for Dan.
***Don’t forget, use code PPP at https://bix-hydration.myshopify.com/en-au for 20% off Bix products, exclusive to PPP listeners!***
Thanks for tuning in to Peak Pursuits! Connect with us on Instagram @peakpursuits.pod to share your thoughts, questions, and your own trail stories. Until next time, keep hitting the trails and chasing those peak pursuits!
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Transcript
Introduction to UTA 50k Recap Episode
00:00:18
Speaker
Sweet, we're on. Hello and welcome to our UTA 50k recap episodes and I am lucky enough to be joined by the male winner who was one of the stars of the weekend that showed up on our Aussie soil and he didn't have to come too far from home but I'm not actually sure where you traveled from for the race itself but that is Dan Jones.
00:00:42
Speaker
Welcome Dan, how we doing? Yeah, we're doing very well, thanks. It's a pleasure to speak today and to give a bit of recap around the UTA50. I did travel from Wellington, New Zealand, so it was a pretty sweet, easy flight direct to to Sydney.
00:00:58
Speaker
ah Good, good, good, good.
Travel and Preparation for Western States
00:01:00
Speaker
Yep, that makes a lot of sense because now you're already over in the States getting ready for Western States. Yeah, it was a quick, sweet trip to Katoomba and flew out on the Monday morning to San Francisco up to Sacramento and then, yeah, driven up here beyond Auburn, actually, up to Forest Hill. So getting some really good reckeys on the course, um particular in particular the canyons, which are...
00:01:27
Speaker
well what I would describe as some of the tougher sections of the Western States course so yeah really good to be up here the body's recovering fairly well I mean I just got out for a bit of a workout today three times ten minutes steady and although not you know the legs are not in perfect condition it's uh yeah it's reassuring to to know that there's a little bit in them already so we've still got a bit of time to Western States and some good training ahead Plenty of time, plenty of time.
00:01:52
Speaker
And as a bit of an intro to you, for me, you need no introduction. And for many of the listens, you'll need no introduction.
Past Race Achievements
00:02:00
Speaker
But some past results that I've been looking up, you might know that Canyons area quite well because you've come fifth and fourth already at Western States, I believe.
00:02:11
Speaker
And then you've done Canyons 100K. Was that your first one? Because that's the first one that shows up on ITRA. Yeah, Kenyon's 2022. But that year, we started in Auburn and we made our way to... we started in auan and we made our way up to what they call the China wall, I think it is.
00:02:29
Speaker
and Oh, uphill. Yeah, well, yeah, a net uphill course with a bit of downhill. And i I was absolutely cracked in that race. I guess it was a good learning for my first American I'd done a couple 100k races, ultra races over in China as well. Oh, yep. Okay. And so, yeah, my introduction into the American scene wasn't the best, but then I um got some redemption later on, I suppose.
00:02:53
Speaker
Yeah, yep. You've definitely improved from there.
Race Experiences and Victories
00:02:56
Speaker
And then as far as I can tell, you've won the Tarawara 100k the last three or four years in a row. You seem unbeatable on home terrain there.
00:03:04
Speaker
um And were you, damn it, this is where I'm going off my memory a bit, but were you twelfth at UTMB 2023 and then at CCC last year? yeah That's right. So the first year I did Western States, I got fifth and then went on to race UTMB, did the crazy double. The double?
00:03:23
Speaker
Oh my God, I don't know how you did that. It was hectic. It was crazy. And I don't, well, there's a reason why I didn't try that double last year. I did the yeah the the Western States CCC double in those results, as you said.
00:03:36
Speaker
Went a lot better. Went a lot better. I mean, yeah, I wasn't upset with my UTMB result. I went over there for the experience of, racing the big championship and I got that experience in space to be fair and yeah yeah going actually learning the course doing a course recce beforehand then doing the race and I think it prepared me pretty well for CCC this um which turned out to be last year and CCC I mean it did go a lot better it was still very painful. And, you know, i i I, was just like death marching that last climb as well, but still it went better. It was a more well-rounded race. And I think I did recover better from Western States.
00:04:18
Speaker
Yeah. In 2024 than did and two thousand and twenty three Makes sense. ah Another year under the belt and you've done it before. But um you're not giving me much hope for that last climb feeling any good when I'm doing CCC this year. But no one seems to like that last climb.
Early Running Beginnings
00:04:35
Speaker
And to take us back a bit, um tell us, how did you get into running? Oh, yeah, I can go way, way back. My family my whole family's into it. My grandparents were into it.
00:04:47
Speaker
Yeah, just from a young age, they'd take us down to the to local Harrier Club, the Whakatane Harriers. And i I guess I started out there pretty young in the midgets section. I'm not sure if they still call it the midgets section.
00:05:00
Speaker
Probably not. um but What it was called then. Yeah. Yeah, under 12 division. And yeah, ah from then I just kept on running. I did bit of multi-sport. I went over to the States on a running scholarship and then I did a whole bunch more multi-sport like, you know, the kayaking, the mountain biking, the running, did a whole bunch of racing in China. And then I did some marathon running and now I'm, yeah, fully deep in trail running. I don't see myself going back anytime soon.
Trail Running Joys and Team Involvement
00:05:28
Speaker
Yeah, nice. No adventure races coming up then since you've got all that experience? No, no more adventure racing. No. I mean, it's good fun, but it's tough in a different way. And I am really enjoying the trail running. I'm very thankful to be part of a cool team with Adidas Terex. And yeah, I'm just having a good time. Just really loving it
Recent Wins and Training Camps
00:05:48
Speaker
right now.
00:05:48
Speaker
Yeah, and that shows in the results and how much better you've been getting over the years and shows why um So far this year, i think you've done, was it Mototapu Marathon win, Tarawira 100 win and now UTA 50 win?
00:06:04
Speaker
Was there anything else you've done this year so far? No, I didn't do Mototapu this year. i but Which one was it? I did Tarawira 100k and I did Lake Sonoma.
00:06:14
Speaker
That one. Sorry, I was looking through too many of your results recently. um That's the one I meant. No, I have done a 17k at Moratapu one year. I got second there. But no, yet it was Tarawira onto Lake Sonoma.
00:06:27
Speaker
Yep. The UTA. That's a lot of travel so far already. Yeah, I know. And thrown in there was a team camp over to Europe, um to Fuerteventura. So it's been hectic. But I think, yeah, I think front-ending the, would you call it a season? I'm not sure. It's not really a season. It's just front-ending the year for you know for for us, like living in Australia and New or basing from these countries, the Southern Hemisphere countries. It's like, you know, we get the...
00:06:55
Speaker
the summer racing back home and then it's all of a sudden the European American races are happening and their summer.
Racing Strategy and Climate Adaptation
00:07:01
Speaker
So yeah I don't really think about it in terms of a particular season these days. It's just targeting certain races and making sure you recover well in between or train well in between as well.
00:07:11
Speaker
Yeah, I'm with you. It's actually quite hard to take the off season that we see a lot of people take and change it up or we're definitely not stopped by snow or anything down in Oz or New Zealand.
00:07:23
Speaker
So yeah, no, I'm with you. ah But that's cool. And it's working out for you so far. But with Western States only five, it must be only five
UTA 50k Preparation and Strategy
00:07:34
Speaker
weeks. Half only weeks away is Western States now. Yeah, I should know that myself. I think it's five weeks after this weekend, so right at the end of of June.
00:07:43
Speaker
Yep. So was the idea behind coming to UTA to be a head out before Western? Yeah. So i let me get this right, I got back from Lake Sonoma.
00:07:55
Speaker
Yep. got out into the bush, did a few missions, hunting missions, And now, yeah, like our raw, the deer hunting season, I suppose. And then a good time on the feet. And then I properly went into some good, yeah, some proper Western States, big week type training. And I chatted over with my coach.
00:08:17
Speaker
There wouldn't be much of a taper leading up to UTA 50, but I was feeling pretty good, like getting some really solid weeks under my belt in Wellington, training up hard. And yeah I just went over to to UTA feeling you know confident where my fitness was at. We're just hoping the body would would respond knowing that, you know,
00:08:35
Speaker
There's some big weeks under the belt already and just yeah a little bit of travel to Australia was fine. took me about a day to get the legs back under me and I was feeling pretty good by Friday. Yeah, wait sweet, sweet. It's always nice to see how a race goes in the middle of a block on tired legs.
00:08:50
Speaker
Sometimes it's ah not so much fun, but sometimes you can surprise yourself with just how good you feel.
Race Dynamics and Strategy
00:08:57
Speaker
So um on race day, I was lucky enough to be at the two aid stations that we can get to on course and it was really cool to see. um But you had company to begin with for the first little bit or the first big bit, really.
00:09:12
Speaker
But how did the race pan out for you from the beginning? And what were your thoughts leading up to that first crewable aid station at Fairmont at 18K when you still had Miguel hot on your tails?
00:09:24
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, I go for a little bit from the start. Yeah, go. David Hornschmidt took it out pretty hot on that little out and back. So he was actually probably about 100 metres up the road. And yeah, as soon as we took off, i was actually feeling like, oh, yeah, my legs are responding today, which is always a good feeling when you kick off a race and it's all pretty hot at the start. And so I thought, oh,
00:09:46
Speaker
Hopefully David will come, might come back soon or might give him a bit of a lead, you know, lead out. But we'll just see what happens really. like I didn't want to like stress too early on. So I was we'll see how he goes here. And then, yeah, he actually did come back by the time we looped back around to the start finish area.
00:10:02
Speaker
And so that was when Miguel and I passed him. And I think from there, we might have just had a little bit of a gap from the other, from the other front bunch that were chasing us, Sam Rault and the other boys back there.
00:10:14
Speaker
Yep. From reports I've heard at that 7K point, there was U2 at the front and then a pack of about 10 was the big pack. And ah so yeah, there was a big one. And it's the first time a few people had seen a pack that size moving through one of these trail races.
00:10:29
Speaker
Yeah, that's cool. And I didn't realize it was that big. I knew there was a ah decent bunch back there. But to be fair, it was just Miguel that I was trying to, see yeah you know, hash out, see how he was um going to respond to not surges or anything, but just like putting in a good effort through that steery section. And wow, like I definitely wouldn't say steers my strength, but...
00:10:50
Speaker
I was actually feeling okay um on these sections and leading to Fairmont Resort. was like, okay, you know, i've I've put in some pretty, a good effort through this first like 18, 19 kilometers. And with him still there, I was like, this is going to be a a good race, ah like a proper, you know, proper good race. And actually going through that first aid station at Fairmont Resort, I mean, thats it's sad for him, I guess, but I was just given a bottle, given a 90 gram precision gel and I could, I just rolled straight through there. He filled up a bottle and i was like,
00:11:20
Speaker
wow, you know, and it's racing. I'm not going to be slowing down and saying, yeah you know, come back on my tail. And it's a short race. So I kind of I just went hard from there. And I mean, if you want me to talk through that next section, but you know what that next section is like, it's a little bit less pinchy. It's more like some some rolling sections and still some stair sections, some downhills, some hard downhills.
00:11:45
Speaker
And I was starting to feel better and better. So I just started opening it up. And I could tell he wasn't super far back, but I could just sense that the lead was starting to grow a little bit. And by the time we got up onto that road section that led towards Queen Victoria Hospital, I did have a look back and I could see that my lead had probably grown to like at least 45 seconds, yeah maybe a minute or probably 45 seconds. Yeah. And then I just tried to like continue to push it up by the time we got to QVH.
00:12:15
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, yeah, because we all saw you come through Fairmont. And then when we saw that Miguel had to fill up his bottle, everyone was trying to run towards Miguel to try and help him because, um yeah, on the timing, it looks like there was a 15 second gap, but there was actually zero gap going into the aid station. And that was all done on the way out.
00:12:36
Speaker
Yes. But um when you then came through QVH, um I did notice you looking back um to check if he was in sight. And, yeah, it was cool to see that it was close enough that there was a race on and it was like, yeah, you're there's no cruising through aid stations. There was no um I'm at the front and I'm comfortable. It was the, yeah, yeah it's close enough, we're racing.
00:13:01
Speaker
Because as spectators too, it seemed like at that point Miguel was still there and and close enough but the gap had started to open up so then the next question was just how much more would that gap open up ah by the emergency aid station down the bottom so how did you find the big descent down Kadumba
Strategic Race Decisions
00:13:21
Speaker
then? Yeah and I would never like you know lift my foot off the gas anyway but it's just sometimes nice knowing what the gap is if you're pulling away yeah maybe there's also a bit of like confidence that, you know, you, you can push on or you could just like hold steady. And I was feeling like feeling pretty good at in my effort level so far. So I just wanted to get a bit of a gauge on, yeah, how to approach that downhill, whether I actually had to like, you like, you know, really smash it on that downhill.
00:13:48
Speaker
Yeah. and then maybe sacrifice a little bit of uphill effort you know, there, there are big give and takes in this kind of racing. So it's like, you've got to actually have to have a bit of strategy around, around it as well. And, you know, since that, since it's actually the race, I've seen that Miguel was like quality, quality,
00:14:06
Speaker
like flat runner as well he's a sub 2 15 marathoner so he is yep i didn't realize that beforehand otherwise i probably might have been a bit more um edgy or like yeah sketched out with how we were racing because on that downhill yeah i was like i was rolling but i was like definitely keeping something in reserves because i knew that once we hit the valley and got into that really big climb up to towards well climbing back out of the valley i knew there were some pinches in there and that i um yeah i could really work on the sections that
00:14:37
Speaker
were probably more in my wheelhouse and how I'd been training for Western States, if that makes sense, because a lot of the Western States are flowy trail. You have to have strong legs for big four-wheel drive type climbs. And I felt like that was really um applicable for that back half of of um UTA as well.
00:14:54
Speaker
Yeah, for sure, for sure. i'm um I'm not sure anyone will ever regret saving something down that climb, down that descent for the climb, because sometimes seeing people that have sent the descent on the way up is not pretty.
00:15:06
Speaker
But you were moving really well through Laura Forest, as we've already covered in our ah episode that was released this week that recaps the races. You were moving quicker than the 22k boys through that section at the end of the fifty So yeah,
00:15:22
Speaker
flying but there always seems to be a bit of a talking point at least from my experience for people for guys talking about trying to break the four hours at this race um and you were on a much slower course than last year with the detours that had to happen last year for the trails so ah did you were you ever aware at how close you were to the four hours I know it might not have meant that much to you but were you aware Ah, yeah, it would be nice to break.
00:15:48
Speaker
And I was only really aware of it when I got to the bottom of the Furber steps. And was like, Oh, I actually, because like, when you're leading up to the office, we've got the further steps to go, but then it's only actually like one kilometer up there. So it doesn't take that long. It's just hard work.
00:16:03
Speaker
um It was pretty cool. i was I was not really trying pay too much attention around my timing, but it was just fun being in the atmosphere, like coming up on 100-mile runners and now like real supportive and like obviously being out there for so long. It was so cool being able to give a bit of support there as well.
Final Stretch and Finish Reflections
00:16:22
Speaker
So i was just, yeah, trying to run my own race really at that stage, and I felt really strong running those long, and long long, gradual climbs. And then um as soon as I got to, I guess that back up to the main trail and then the sidle trail that leads back down to the base of the Furbos steps, i was like, yeah, it's like feeling not like,
00:16:45
Speaker
And no real drama, if you know what i mean. Like sometimes you finish a race and you feel like, oh, cramp. Or, oh, yeah no, am I going to make it? But i was like, okay, I've got i've got this. I've just got to kate keep on the gas, make sure no one comes up behind me. And, yeah, you get a good sense going up the further steps as well. Like you can look back on some sections. Or look down, I should say. It's like literally straight.
00:17:08
Speaker
down and then I'll just try and run as much as I can and then drag myself up the wrist on those middle stairs. Oh yeah we are we love the rails on those stairs for helping us up them drag ourselves but um that must have been a pretty brilliant feeling running down that little downhill in Lura Forest towards the bottom of Ferber stairs still feeling good um that's a feeling that you remember as a runner in the back end of a 50k especially one you're trying to use to sort of gauge your fitness for where you're at for a future race like that must have been pretty cool and I do love that uh that bottom section of Ferber where you there's a point you can see about four switchbacks back down and and it can give you a bit of that confidence to go yeah we'll push to the line but I do have a bit of clear air to enjoy this as much as I can and uh yeah then how when you reach the top how did you find the finish
00:18:00
Speaker
Oh, I always love
Race Rewards and Atmosphere
00:18:01
Speaker
a good finish. I mean, it was really cool actually just coming up. like it and as soon as you As soon as you finish the stairs, really, you're almost on the finish straight. So that's even better because you don't even have to worry about running anymore. It's just like yeah absorbing the atmosphere. It's always an amazing finish at any of these kind of bigger events because you get usually a bit ah ah a big crowd that kind of cheer you in. My mum was there, gave her a high five. Michelle was standing yeah down the finish chute.
00:18:30
Speaker
uh yeah ready to you know just be happy and say yeah yeah so yeah no it was it was a real special way it's it was obviously you' my first time racing the race so it's just a real good a real good result and one that i'll definitely remember Yeah, took home some good cash. That's always lovely now that it's a major. Well, yeah. was the maid So I guess some people might not know about it, but all the UTMB majors carry the same prize purse. And it's one of those things. It's probably going to continue to to drag... um
00:19:00
Speaker
the competitive athletes from all over the world and we saw you know ah shin win the the 100k um an amazing effort there and he's from china and maybe we will you know continue to see um athletes from all over getting to experience uta like you know as long as uta holds onto the major status then um yeah it'll be cool for the event Yeah, at the finish line as the ah MCs where were preparing for you, one of the MCs, um I can't remember her name, she's also a Kiwi.
00:19:30
Speaker
um She was trying to get the whole crowd to do a specific new Kiwi ah chant or celebration or something that unfortunately us Aussies did not nail for you as you came across the line.
Drug Testing in Ultra Races
00:19:45
Speaker
But one other thing that I did see at the finish, which was really cool to see, was the first time, at least on Aussie soil, that I've seen drug testing at a trail race because you were pulled straight aside as well as the other top three place getters. um But does that has that happened at all of the UTMB races you've done or um a good majority of the other races overseas? Yeah, yeah.
00:20:08
Speaker
It happened at, yeah, kenyans Canyons 50K last year because that was a major that was the North American major then. Yep. And so I think that, again, the top three or five had the drug testing there. It's happened two times it at Western States. I know that's a standalone event.
00:20:28
Speaker
Top 10, get it done there. It has happened to me at a random test at UTMB. Cool. germany But even last year when I got fourth, I wasn't tested, which is a bit strange. Wow.
00:20:42
Speaker
But maybe maybe top three did. And so, yeah, it's good to see top three get drug tested. Yeah, nice. It's just the, yeah, as I said, the first time that a lot of us Aussie runners have seen it at a trail race on Aussie soil, which is cool to see.
Australian Racing Memories
00:20:58
Speaker
And, yeah, any other stories you've got from Oz or things that ah things that struck you about the Blue Mountains and and running in Australia? but This was your first race in Oz, yeah?
00:21:09
Speaker
Oh, not my first race, but I've been to Oz before and raced Pomona King of the Mountain Race over there. Oh, no way. I actually did that and maybe like five times when I was a junior. Like, would come back every year, would race a Kawado King of the Mountain Race in New Zealand, and then Pomona King the Mountain Race is the the sister race to that. Yeah.
00:21:31
Speaker
We would have that Kiwi-Aussie rivalry there. So it was pretty nice to come back after a few years and actually, you know, race race in a different part of Australia and absolutely beautiful.
00:21:42
Speaker
um Definitely well worth going to the Blue Mountains. I didn't know what my expectations were, but I think they were pretty blown away with how um how amazing it was, actually. Yeah, there there's not much else like it, or not that I've seen in all my travels around the world, which um makes it a pretty damn special place to run, albeit with a hell of a lot of stairs on the trails. But damn, you tackled them so, so well. So congratulations on an epic
Western States Preparation Plan
00:22:09
Speaker
result again. But yeah, how's the body feeling moving into ah your block for Western States? And what else have you got on for the rest of this year?
00:22:20
Speaker
Yeah. um So I'm feeling really good coming out of, yeah, coming out of all. um And so, yeah, I'll get in this weekend. We've got the Memorial Weekend Training Camp for Western States, and then I'll head out to Cedar City to catch up my mate Hayden Hawks and do a bit training out there, some good altitude and heat training out in Cedar City.
00:22:38
Speaker
And then a couple of weeks before Western States, we'll settle into Olympic Valley and just Yeah, again, absorb the vibe, absorb the atmosphere of that event and do the last touches of the training and taper off there.
00:22:52
Speaker
And so I'll race that, return to New Zealand for a month and then or also, and then you my plan is to race DCC as well. So yeah, we'll be lining up there.
00:23:02
Speaker
Awesome. Awesome. Go for the double win. um It is so stacked this year at Western States
Competitive Field and Future Plans
00:23:08
Speaker
though. So it feels like there will be everyone's eyes on it because it feels like so many of you big hitters are there.
00:23:15
Speaker
And then, yeah, I'll see you at CCC. I don't know, like in my head, I'm just itt from now until CCC training for only that. So I don't know how you pull off this double, but um but you did it last year with some success. So, but was it fourth at both last year?
00:23:32
Speaker
Yeah, it was. Yeah, damn. um Well, if you come first at Western States, I reckon that bodes pretty well for CCC since you seem good at doing the same at both.
00:23:42
Speaker
Yeah, well, I take the fresh spot because I don't want to you know, i don't want to be missing out on podium by one spot again this year. yeah Yeah, true. To have that happen twice the back-to-back is brutal. But I don't think that'll be happening this year because you are absolutely flying. So congrats on the season so far and the win again at UTA.
00:24:03
Speaker
I have no doubt that you will have much support from all of our listeners cheering you on at Western and CCC and everyone will be very keen to see how you go and how the season continues to progress. But for now, thank you so much for giving up some of your time and having a chat to me. It's been an absolute pleasure and we I'll see you at CCC. Yeah, well, thank you for having me on me on here and, yeah, all the best for your award as well. Cheers for it Thanks heaps, Dan.