Ruth Croft Joins Neversecond

Early Roots: Grit Forged on the West Coast

Ruth Croft’s story starts far from the glare of finish-line arches and TV cameras—on the rugged, rain-washed West Coast of New Zealand’s South Island. Growing up amid dense bush and steep hills, she learned early that the quickest line isn’t always the easiest one. School cross-country and local road races gave her a baseline of discipline, but it was the terrain itself that imprinted something deeper: comfort with discomfort, curiosity for what’s around the next ridgeline, and a quiet belief that big views are earned one step at a time. Those habits grew into a runner’s identity when Ruth ventured abroad. She spent time in Asia and Europe, blending travel with training, racing, and a steadily expanding sense of what was possible. The more she explored, the more she gravitated to the mountains—where pacing is an art, resilience is a skill, and the day only really gets interesting when the gradients bite back.

The Leap to Trails—and Fast Results

Ruth didn’t creep into trail running; she announced herself. Technical mountain marathons and high-altitude 50Ks suited her blend of speed and strength, and her racing quickly put her on international radars. Those breakout performances were more than podiums; they were proof that she could translate cross-country footspeed and road efficiency into the tactical, uneven rhythm of mountain courses.

As the distances stretched, the results kept coming. Ruth collected wins and course records at headline events across the global trail calendar, showing rare versatility from sub-ultra profiles to long, steep days with thousands of meters of climbing. She ran with patience when it mattered and aggression when the race demanded it—a duality that separates contenders from closers.

Mastering the Hundred: Poise Under Pressure

The leap from mountain marathons to 100 miles isn’t just a jump in distance—it’s a shift in mindset. Ruth cracked that code with calm precision. At the century distance she proved she can hold pace through the heat, the night, and the inevitable rough patches, while making clean decisions on fueling and hydration. Watching Ruth at a big 100 is like watching a complex plan unfold: conservative early, controlled through the middle, and opportunistic when the race opens up. That blend of restraint and courage has delivered marquee victories and cemented her place among the sport’s elite.

Why Neversecond: Simple, Modular, Proven

We’re thrilled to welcome Ruth Croft to the Neversecond Athlete Team—though in truth, the partnership has been forming for a while. Ruth has been quietly testing our system in training and racing blocks, dialing in a routine that’s simple to execute under pressure:

Clear math: 30 g of carbohydrate per C30 Energy Gel or per scoop of C30 Sports Drink.
Meaningful sodium: 200 mg per gel or drink serving to help drive fluid delivery.
Personalization: A modular toolkit—C30 Sports Drink, C30 Energy Gel, C30+ Caffeine Gel, and C30 Fuel Bar—so Ruth can match intake to terrain, intensity, and gut feel.
Low risk in the gut: Mild flavors and pH-neutral drink mix to keep things steady when altitude, heat, or nerves try to complicate the day.

For athletes at Ruth’s level, the secret isn’t a novel product—it’s a system you can trust when the race gets chaotic. That’s exactly what we build for: straightforward dosing, flexible options, and zero second-guessing.

Setting the Stage: UTMB 2025 in Focus

UTMB is the sport’s big stage—171 km around Mont-Blanc with ~10,000 m of climbing, technical descents, changing weather, and a start line that feels like a rock concert. Ruth has circled 2025 as a peak objective, and we’re building toward Chamonix with the same clarity she brings to race day.

What makes UTMB different?

Duration: You’re on your feet all day and into the next, which magnifies every small choice.
Altitude & weather: Cold nights, warm valleys, and wind at the passes ask for adaptable hydration and sodium.
Terrain: Long climbs and steep descents make steady fueling non-negotiable—under-fuel a climb and you’ll pay for it two hours later.

The Fueling Blueprint (Tested, Then Trusted)

Ruth’s training blocks ahead of UTMB prioritize repeatable habits over hero moves. That means practicing the exact intake she’ll run in Chamonix until it’s automatic. Here’s the framework:

Carbohydrate:

Target 90–120 g per hour, anchored by C30 Sports Drink and C30 Energy Gels.
Use C30+ Caffeine Gels before key climbs, technical segments, and night sections where focus and perceived effort matter most.
Layer in C30 Fuel Bars early for chewable variety on rolling terrain, keeping solids to a modest share as hours stack up.

Fluids & Sodium:

Aim for ~500–750 ml of fluid per hour, flexing with temperature, altitude, and sweat rate.
Each 500 ml of C30 Sports Drink brings 30 g carbs + 200 mg sodium; top up sodium when heat rises or if the course stretches long between aid.

Palate & Gut Management:

Alternate flavored and unflavored options to reduce flavor fatigue.
Keep the drink mix pH-neutral and mild to minimize GI risk when effort spikes or the night gets cold.

Execution Cues:

Front-load consistency: eat early, drink early.
Keep a 15-minute rhythm: sip every aid, gel at set intervals, and never “wait until hungry.”
Treat downhills as fueling windows; treat climbs as hydration checkpoints.

A UTMB Checklist for the Win

Ruth and her crew will refine a simple, repeatable plan:

Segment Plan: Carbs and fluids mapped to every major climb and aid station.
Mix & Match: Flasks labeled by gram count (e.g., “60 g/hr bottle”) for error-proof dosing.
Contingencies: Extra sodium, spare flasks, and backup caffeine for late-race decisions.
Thermal Strategy: Lightweight layers ready for pass winds and valley heat, integrated with drink volume changes.
Crew Comms: One-line check-ins—“bottle, gel, bar, go”—to minimize noise and keep Ruth moving.

What to Watch in Chamonix

When the gun goes at 6 p.m., settle in for the long game. Ruth’s hallmark is discipline: no panic if a pack goes hot, no rush if the tempo drops on a climb. Key inflection points will come on the signature passes and in the deep-night lull when the brain craves shortcuts. That’s when a practiced fueling routine is worth minutes an hour—when it keeps stride length intact, decisions sharp, and quads prepared for the late descents into the lights.

By Saint-Gervais and Les Contamines, you won’t see fireworks. By Courmayeur, you might notice a runner who hasn’t had to fix anything. By La Fouly and Vallorcine, you’ll see the value of small, correct choices. That’s Ruth’s way.

Why This Partnership Works

Ruth’s professionalism meets our product philosophy: keep the variables few, the dosing clear, and the gut calm. She brings an engineer’s mindset to training, a racer’s instinct to competition, and a human touch that resonates with athletes from first ultra to first podium. We bring a system built for exactly these moments—modular, measurable, and proven at the sharp end of the sport.

Join the Journey

We’ll be in Chamonix throughout race week with product on hand, practical fueling advice, and updates on Ruth’s build to UTMB 2025. Follow along as we share training insights, on-course strategy, and behind-the-scenes looks at how an elite athlete turns a plan into performance.

Welcome to the team, Ruth. Big mountains reward simple, repeatable excellence—and we can’t wait to help fuel yours.