This week on Trails, Tales, and Fails, Max flies solo and is joined by returning guest Daniel, fresh off completing the 130-mile Leeds–Liverpool Canal Race.

We dive into:

• UTMB 2025 — snow at 2,500 m, frozen hands at night, and nearly 1,000 DNFs. With Tom Evans storming to victory, Josh Wade taking 3rd, and Courtney grinding through injury to finish 10th, it was a year of resilience as much as speed.

• The Leeds–Liverpool Canal Race — Daniel takes us step by step through 130 miles of towpaths and mental battles.

• Race Toughness Index (RTI) — our brand-new scoring system breaking races down across 10 categories (terrain, weather, aid stations, fatigue, etc.) for a total toughness score out of 100. Daniel gives the Canal Race its first ever official rating.

• Quickfire round — bucket-list races, forgotten kit, irrational pre-race rituals, and more.

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