Pursuit of the Impossible
Tag: runners
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The Manchester Backyard Ultra. My final race of the 2025 season, and my second attempt at this brutal, beautiful format. After finishing 4th last year with 25 loops, I came into this race ready to dig deeper and go further. No targets this time though. No ceiling. Just me, the trail, and the will to…
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In every ultra I’ve run, Chester 100, The Bacons Way 100, Race Across Scotland (RAS) 215, among others, there have been many things that tested me. The miles, the heat, the elevation, the night, injury. But if I had to pick one common thing that carried me through more than any other, a place that…
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I still remember the moment I passed the marathon mark in my first 100 mile ultra. My watch clocked over at 42.2km, and for a split second I felt that familiar satisfaction of finishing a marathon. Then reality hit me, I still had another 120km to go. The legs were fine, but the voice inside…
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I arrived Friday at lunchtime, checked into my hotel, and dropped off my bags. After helping the GB Ultras team set up the race HQ, I grabbed a pizza, then returned to my room to organise my race kit and drop bags. Registration started at 5:30pm, so I picked up my race number, caught up…
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Running an ultramarathon isn’t just a longer version of a marathon, it’s a completely different challenge. Distances of 50K, 100K, 100 miles, or even multi-day stage races push your body, mind, and gear to their limits. Having the right equipment isn’t optional; it’s a survival strategy; it’s the difference between failure and success. In this…
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UTMB 2025 is just around the corner. Every August, the French town of Chamonix becomes the beating heart of ultra-trail running. The Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) isn’t just a race, it’s the ultimate endurance challenge, the world cup of ultra running! What is UTMB and Why is it the Holy Grail of Trail Running? The…
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If 2024 was the warm-up, 2025 is the full send. The Backyard Ultra, those deceptively simple, soul-crushing endurance events, have exploded across the globe this year, and it’s not just the elites chasing glory. From scout huts in Manchester to sun-scorched loops in Madeira, runners of all levels are toeing the line for a race…
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That’s race 3 out of 4 races completed for the GB Ultras 2025 100-mile Grand Slam series. The Race Across Bannau Brycheiniog, the Brecon Beacons National Park! The Beacons Way 100 mile ultra is just over 100 miles starting from the ruins of Abergavenny Castle and following the Beacons Way National Trail all the way…
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A full ten years ago, the Clifton arrived as Hoka’s first everyday road shoe to disrupt the market. Its oversized midsoles, pillowy softness, and curved geometry felt alien but worked so well that competitors soon adopted the innovations. Today, Hoka refines rather than reinvents, focusing on perfecting comfort, protection, and guided transitions rather than raw…
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When I reflect on my own recent first DNF at the UTS 100km, the reality of post-race depression hit me with a force I never anticipated. I’d always kind of dismissed the idea, how could not finishing a race possibly leave such a mark? But after succumbing to heat exhaustion 20 hours deep into a…