
The Science of Trail & Ultra Running - with Dr Simon de Waal
From The Physiology of Endurance Running Podcast by Dan Nash and Owain Zerilli
March 12, 2026 · 1h 34m
About this episode
Dan & Owain discuss the science of trail and ultra running with Dr Simon de Waal.
Dan & Owain talk about the science of trail and ultra running with Dr Simon de Waal. Simon has recently published a number of papers around the reliability and validity of using lab testing with trail and ultra runners - and talks through why there's a need to devise different testing protocols for these athletes. Simon is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Gloucestershire, and undertook his PhD at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. Simon chatted about his PhD journey; from discovering running to the genesis of the PhD idea, and the studies that he undertook. We really enjoyed this interview, hopefully you do too! Simon's research: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33508776/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39526871/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41697200/ The Physiology of Endurance Running podcast is proudly sponsored by SOAR. SOAR are the producers of the worlds best running apparel, designed to fit the needs of runners that put time and effort into the sport. Check out their awesome kit: https://www.soarrunning.com/ Check out our Patreon, with exclusive bonus content here…
People in this episode
Hosts: Dan Nash, Owain Zerilli
Guest: Dr Simon de Waal
Topics covered
- trail running
- ultra running
- lab testing
- athlete performance
- research
Keywords
- trail running
- ultra running
- lab testing
- athlete performance
- research papers
Sponsors
SOAR
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: University of Gloucestershire, Stellenbosch University
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