3rd October — Backyard Ultra Marathon, Brentwood, Essex

Despite not getting home until 10pm the night before, the 3rd of October was my Backyard Ultra Marathon race. At 4am, Adelina and I jumped in the car and headed to my dad’s, where he took over the driving for the 3.5-hour journey to Brentwood, Essex.

For those unfamiliar, a Backyard Ultra is a grueling endurance race: you run 6.7km every hour, on the hour, and the race only ends when one runner remains. It’s a “last person standing” challenge — not something you attempt casually, especially after just 4 hours of sleep and a long drive.

We arrived around 8:30am and set up our roof tent base camp for the day. I had meticulously prepared — then over-prepared — leaving nothing to chance. My previous longest run had been 50km just two weeks prior, so this was stepping into unknown territory. My personal goal was 100km, a target I kept to myself.

The race started at 10am with 61

other ultra runners. From lap 1, it was clear this wouldn’t be easy. The course skirted the edge of a farmer’s field, riddled with holes — ankle-breakers everywhere. Avoiding injury quickly became a priority. Then Storm Amy arrived, battering us with sideways winds all day.

I stuck to my routine: run 45–50 minutes, quick stop for food and electrolytes, and back to the start line. No sitting, no cramping, just continuous movement. By evening, head torches were mandatory, and the course had turned into a swamp in the dark. The challenge was immense, but running alongside a few likeminded runners kept me motivated.

Kilometres ticked by: 50km, 60km, 70km. One friend bowed out at 75km, but I kept going. At 12:56am, I hit 100km— still smiling, still mentally strong, and still enjoying every step. I had nothing more to prove; I had completed a 13-week training block that took me from struggling with 5km to running a sub-20-minute 5km and finishing a 100km ultra within two weeks of each other.

I finished 6th out of 61 runners, running through the night with only six competitors left around me. Adelina captured the entire experience with incredible action and endurance photography, documenting the journey, the grit, and the triumphs. Having my dad their meant the world. Having Pete there was the icing on the cake. It was a team effort. I wouldn't have completed it without them.

After the race, we provided the organizers with 50+ professional images of the event for use across their social media channels and for next year’s event. We always give back — leaving everything we touch better than we found it.

This race wasn’t just about running; it was about mental endurance, resilience, and personal growth. Backyard ultras are where broken people go to heal — and I healed a lot that day. I won’t rush back to the course, but I’m certain there will be more ultras in my future.