Kia ora e te whānau. This week Eugene and Matt have the extreme pleasure of speaking to returning champion Dan Jones about his incredible 5th place finish at the 2023 Western States Endurance Run. When last we spoke to Dan on DCR he’d journeyed to Kenya to hone his craft with the hope of representing New Zealand at the marathon. What was supposed to be a relatively short trip ended up being months when the world shut down due to covid. This is when Dan first went down the Western States rabbit hole. Fast forward a couple of years and with a golden ticket entry under his belt after the Tarawera Ultramarathon 102km win Dan was ready to go. With his trademark enthusiasm and complete lack of pretense Dan talks to us about his build up, his efforts to get the final 1%, his training in the States with his close friend Hayden Hawks, and the race itself. We both had sore faces from smiling so much. This episode is a wee ripper. PLUS Dan tells us about what he’s up to next, you heard it here first. Best Enjoyed Running.Episode Links Daniel Jones on Instagram CurranzAsics NZ ClifbarSCOTT Running Julbo Eyewear UltrAspireirunfarDirt Church Radio on InstagramDirt Church Radio on Twitter Dirt Church Radio on Facebook Dirt Church Radio on PatreonCieleFurther Faster New Zealand