Episode 25: Why Relay Races Are Taking Over Trail Running | RUNcensored Podcast EP25

In this episode of RUNcensored, Gary House and Ben Mounsey explore one of the fastest-growing trends in trail and fell running: relay races.

From grassroots legends like the Calderdale Way Relay to newcomers like the Spine Challenger North Relay, Gary and Ben look at why runners across the UK are trading solo suffering for team chaos—and loving every minute of it.

🎙️ What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

🟢 Why relay races are booming across the UK

🏔️ We explain how the relay formats works for trail events

🏃 Ben’s love for the iconic Calderdale Way Relay and the Hodgson Brother Relay

🥵 Stories of carnage, chaos, and club camaraderie

🏔️ Highlights from British Fell Relays, and the best relays on the European Circuit Trofeo Vanon,i the ASICS Coast to Coast and 9\\]The Rifugi

🧠 Why relays might be the antidote to ultra-running elitism

📣 Listener shoutouts and love for team racing culture

⏱️ Chapters:

0:00 – Intro: Weekend catch-up and podcast housekeeping

2:40 – Gary introduces today’s topic: relay races

4:50 – Why relays are more fun than solo ultras

7:20 – Ben’s love for the Calderdale Way Relay

11:05 – How relay formats bring people into the sport

14:45 – The Lap, Green Man Ultra & Highland Ultra Relay

19:30 – Spine Challenger North Relay – new in 2025

23:40 – Chaos and teamwork: the best and worst of relays

28:15 – Old-school club racing culture

32:00 – Team tactics and navigation pressure

36:50 – Are relays the future of UK trail running?

41:10 – Funny stories from Ben’s club relay days

47:25 – The psychology of running as a team

53:05 – Why relay race reports are better

58:30 – Listener shoutouts and community love

1:05:00 – Tips for relay organisers and new runners

1:11:20 – Final thoughts and relay wishlists

1:17:45 – Next week’s episode tease & outro

Why You Should Listen:

If you’ve ever wondered why more and more runners are racing in teams—or if you’ve survived a mud-soaked club relay yourself—this episode is for you. It’s got banter, memories, and a genuine look at how relays are reshaping the UK trail scene.

👉 New episodes every Tuesday – Follow & Subscribe!

#RUNcensored #RelayRaces #TrailRunning #Ultrarunning #CalderdaleWayRelay #SpineRace #RunningPodcast #GaryHouse #BenMounsey #ClubRunning #TeamRunning #MountainRunning #UKTrailRunning

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UTS 2025 Recap – Ice Pops, Elite Performances & Trail Chaos | RUNcensored Podcast EP24

In this episode of RUNcensored, Gary House and Ben Mounsey dive into everything that went down at the 2025 edition of Ultra-Trail Snowdonia Eryri by UTMB (UTS), the UK’s only UTMB World Series race.

Gary attended the event to support his friend Rich Lazenby in the 100-miler, hand out ice pops to overheating runners, and experience the full scale of UTS madness from the sidelines. Ben stayed home—and by the end of the episode, he's kind of glad he did.

🎙️ What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

🏁 UTS Race Structure – 100M, 100K, 50K, 25K and why the 100K was stacked this year

🧊 Ice Pops at Aid Stations – Gary’s grassroots contribution goes viral

📦 Logistics Mayhem – Missed turns, signal issues, soup gate, and more

📊 Elite Performances – Jon Albon, Blanchard, Collison, Roberts, Jones

🧠 The Mental Side – Rich Lazenby’s 100M low patch & Sam Skinner’s top-10 grit

🌍 The Bigger Picture – Is UTMB helping or hurting the grassroots UK trail scene?

⏱️ Chapters:

0:00 – Intro: Weekend catch-up & Gary’s visit to UTS

6:23 – UTS race distances and UTMB’s influence on the event

10:13 – Crewing Rich Lazenby and the reality of the 100 miler

15:02 – Safety, terrain, and weather challenges in Eryri

20:26 – Elite performances across the 100M and 100K races

24:18 – Ice pops, checkpoint support & Gary’s viral aid station moment

29:11 – Logistics chaos: traffic, tracking, and signal dropouts

33:34 – Aid station inconsistencies and supply issues

38:00 – Water shortages, heat, and ‘soup gate’ drama

48:10 – Big names in the 100K: Albon, Blanchard, Collison, Jones

51:07 – UK trail running evolution and what’s changing

54:35 – Podium shoutouts: Sam Skinner, Laurie Morgan, Eleanor Davis

57:10 – UTMB’s impact on British trail events

1:00:06 – Community moments and listener interactions

1:08:03 – How RUNcensored is inspiring the next generation

1:14:03 – Race calendar congestion: UTS, The Arc, The Spine

1:23:34 – Final thoughts, reflections & future of UTS

Why You Should Listen:

If you care about ultrarunning, mountain racing, or the direction trail running is heading in the UK, this episode pulls no punches. It’s full of race highlights, honest critiques, personal stories, and shoutouts to some of the most inspiring athletes on the scene—including Stephanie Case, whose win went viral for all the right reasons.

👉 New episodes every Tuesday – Follow & Subscribe!

#RUNcensored #UTS2025 #UltraTrailSnowdonia #UTMBWorldSeries #TrailRunning #Ultrarunning #JonathanAlbon #StephanieCase #KimCollison #MathieuBlanchard #IcePopsAndElevation #RunningPodcast #MountainRunning #GaryHouse #BenMounsey

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What happens when you become an internet meme overnight? Danny Andrews knows better than anyone. Back in 2007, he gained viral fame as the "Fish and a Rice Cake Guy" after appearing in the BBC Three documentary Baby Faced Bodybuilders. That clip—where he repeated his bizarre daily diet of fish and rice cakes—exploded on YouTube, turning Danny into an internet sensation. But what happened after the laughs?

In this episode, Gary and Ben sit down with Danny to unpack the reality behind the meme. From dealing with online trolls and unexpected fame to building a career as a barber and launching his own rice cake business, Danny shares the highs, the lows, and everything in between.

🎙️ What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

🐟 Viral Fame – How 'Fish and a Rice Cake' took over the internet

✂️ Life After the Meme – Building a career as a barber and entrepreneur

🍚 Danny’s Rice Cake Business – Turning a meme into a marketable product

💬 Social Media and Negativity – Handling trolls and public pressure

⛰️ Lakeland Trails 10K – All the Gear, No Idea disaster in the Lake District

🤝 The Kindness of the Running Community – Why runners are different

🔥 Gary's Viral Video Strategy – How stereotypes made his content explode

📹 The "Stereotype Guy" Controversy – When jokes get taken too seriously

✅ Just Say Yes – Danny's new mentality for embracing every opportunity

⏱️ Chapters:

0:00 – Intro and Meet Danny Andrews

4:15 – Becoming the “Fish and a Rice Cake Guy”

10:20 – Going Viral: The Highs and the Lows

18:50 – Life After the Meme: Barbershops and New Businesses

27:15 – The Dark Side of Social Media

33:45 – Paul Mort’s Advice on Handling Negativity

40:10 – Launching Danny’s Rice Cakes

48:30 – Gary’s Secrets to Viral Videos

55:50 – Danny’s ‘Just Say Yes’ Attitude

1:02:10 – Social Media’s Role in Running Culture

1:07:00 – Danny's Lakeland Trails 10K Story: All the Gear, No Idea

1:11:00 – The "Stereotype Guy" Video and Online Backlash

1:13:30 – Danny's Surprise at the Running Community

1:15:00 – Outro and What’s Next for Danny

Why You Should Listen:

If you’ve ever wondered what happens after a viral meme fades away, Danny Andrews has the story. From being laughed at by millions to building his own business, Danny’s journey is one of resilience, reinvention, and saying yes to wild opportunities. Plus, we dive into all the gear, no idea moments, the kindness of the running community, and why sometimes, you just have to lean into the joke.

👉 New episodes every Tuesday – Follow & Subscribe!

#RUNcensored #RunningPodcast #FishAndRiceCakes #DannyAndrews #ViralFame #Entrepreneurship #MentalHealth #SocialMedia #PaulMort #EnduranceRunning #InternetMeme #ViralVideos #ContentCreation #JustSayYes #RunningCommunity #SocialMediaAndRunning #TrailRunning #LakelandTrails10K

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