E106 | Ruth Croft
Episode summary | Ruth Croft
Ruth Croft is New Zealand’s trail running queen, and perhaps the mentally strongest athlete we’ve talked to.
She’s won 10 of the last 12 races she’s competed in, and in 2021 made headlines winning the 102km Tarawera Ultra outright – the top man or woman – and then finishing second at Western States in her first attempt at running 100 miles.
This year she returned to win the race referred to as one of the ‘toughest races on the planet’, conquering the 161km race in blistering California heat in 17 hours. We talk about the mentality of navigating a 100-mile challenge, where the race really only starts after 100km, her journey through meditation to multi-day silent retreats, and why she has started doing them in the dark.
But it hasn’t been a straightforward journey after she walked away from running following her US College experience, then moved to Taiwan alone when she knew no one and couldn’t speak their language, before embarking on her incredible career.
Show notes | Ruth Croft
2:00: “Easing” back into running in Taiwan with a casual 20km run
5:50: Short runs: “Oh, no that’s a different curry story!”
8:47: Jumping off Brunner Bridge as an initiation
11:16: Meditation and silent retreats
16:28: Darkness retreats!
20:45: Mastering the mind
24:52: Ruth’s West Coast competitiveness
27:54: The origin story: Growing up on the West Coast
31:07: The US college experience
39:11: Walking away from running and the importance of Taiwan
43:17: The journey to professional running and the nuances of distance running
50:04: “The race starts at 100km”: The Western States 100 mile race
57:35: The support crew at a trail race
1:02:32: Coaches: Jono Wyatt and Eddie Gray
1:05:48: The support of a good partner (with a dinosaur suit)
1:08:55: Having fun in a 100 mile race
1:10:16: Thoughts on winning the Tarawera Ultra
1:12:35: Life as a professional runner
1:17:42: The lure of the Olympics?
1:19:38: Some of the exotic running locations on the circuit
1:23:10: Coming home to New Zealand and thoughts on the running community
1:28:03: Last words from Steven, Seamus and Ruth
