I entered an ultramarathon race and it was absolutely brutal.
Watch in 4K & with subtitles for best effect (windy at times)
Last month, fitter than I'd ever been before, I decided to enter my first ultra marathon: the Amberaid 50 in Derbyshire. A scenic but very hilly fell run through the gorgeous patchwork countryside to the east of the peak district. On a normal day this would have been tough, but would you believe it, it had been raining a lot before the race, and the mud was everywhere. Throw into the mix some very temperamental weather and a few wrong turns, and this novice ultra runner was in for a tough time. Join me as I fight my way through the field, teaming up with some competitors and battling others in a race that had me limping for a week.
PS. the square aspect ratio isn't permanent. It's one of the main settings on the new GoPro and I didn't have time to crop it all. Man vs Kayak coming in a week! (It's a belter)
Let me know what you thought of this one in the comments in the mean time.
Cheers everyone!
I entered an ultramarathon race and it was absolutely brutal. (YouTube)
Comments (44)
Great video Tom. Harsh conditions for your first ultra marathon but you pulled through!
Fun to watch as I do an easy 5k at the gym. Solid effort! Well done.
For those checking in for Man vs Kayak - I tried to make tonight, but it's going to be tomorrow now. Completely forgot about subtitles and these ones are proving tricky. Tomorrow it will be done and it will be worth it. 45 minutes of fun!
Another great video Tom! Shame about the England-Brazil result!
Keep it up Tom , loving the content !
Loved this! Incredible determination as always! If you fancy a shorter but absolutely beautiful trail run this summer, I can't recommend the Belper Rover 30 in Derbyshire enough!
Tom vs 50yo lady, two cheats and groin man :D Congrats on finishing!
nice work this was right up your street, i wonder if there are any arranged 'hikes' like this? no need to blaze through it all then.
So did you officially get disqualified?
nah they never checked!
Being over 30 and saying you're fitter than you've ever been really is something to strive for. And I think you can be proud of yourself to be in that position. I'm 31 and while I'm not as fit as I was when I was 21 I'm definitely fitter than I was when I was 28. And quite frankly your videos are one of the reasons why I started exercising more. I've also noticed that life is mostly an uphill battle (both physically and mentally) and being in good shape helps so much.
Tom, check your private messages. You accidentally put personal info in your newest upload.
Well done mate! Showed proper determination to finish it
It’s been a horrible week for me with a 100 foot beech tree almost crushing my nursery room. I haven’t been running and have been moping around like a wet fish. This is what I needed. You are so inspirational. Every time I watch one of your amazing human endeavors it helps me to pick myself up and try. Because ultimately it is in the attempt that we find ourselves and become more than we were. Thanks for all you do (and for the fact you make it damn interesting too!).
Hope all gets better soon mate
Congratulations on your first ultra Tom! This really brings Russ his daily average in Africa in perspective. I am pretty sure he is not human!
More great content Tom, can't get enough of your output... hmm that doesn't sound right.
Only a few weeks ago my 53yr old husband completed his first 100km ultra at Noosa in Queensland Australia. Took him 15 hours through mud and 2500 meters elevation. He was absolutely stoked to watch this video and completely related to every mud puddle, every cramp and the constant desire to stop at the local pubs for a beer. And the oh, oh, no...it's a muddy uphill field. Thanks for such great content Tom, you never fail to entertain and impress. 🏃♂️🍺 🏃♂️
Wow I can only imagine how horrid that must have been. Hats off to him and thanks both for watching :)
Can't wait for straight line England, can you say roughly where you started/ended? I'm not too far from Newcastle myself, hoping to see some familiar places
Thanks Paul. I can confirm I started near Carlisle but that's about it for now.
well done tom.
Inspirational effort Tom. Also vibed with the square ratio - looked great on the phone.
Interesting!
Really an incredible finish in my estimation! Made it under 7 hours. I know I couldn't do it. Those conditions were horrible. Of course I can't even finish a 5k.. 😁
Cheers! I reckon it would have been sub 6 easily if not for the mud!
If you haven't worked it out already, you can zoom in on the map on your Coros! One of the only feature that uses the touch screen
Thanks Owen yeah I did figure it out after the race. Loving that watch though!
Hardest Geezer of the West Midlands
I'll take that! I'm up against some stiff competition
Well done!
That was a great watch, grats on the time, what a feat!
well done tom cant wait to see more great vids like this :)
Thanks Fergus! plenty more where this came from
Gettttt innnnnn
Excited for straight line across England!
Thanks Harry, I hope it doesn't disappoint
Get in
Brill, that's my next 30 mins sorted "do me Joe"... Ooo errrr
I heard that too haha
Ah great, I’ve got UTMB Snowdonia in 3 weeks and I’m bricking it 😂
Sounds epic Rhys. Just go steady and keep fueling regularly! learn from my mistakes haha
Get in!
Yes finally!