The Endure24 race experience

Profeet’s Paul gives us the run down on this 24 hour event – the weather, the camaraderie, the fantastic atmosphere… and the footwear suitability!

At first, I thought this is Glastonbury meets ultra running. And honestly, I wasn’t far off. Because at one point, it had turned into a full blown mud fest, packed with excitement, energy, and a lot of soggy shoes.

Where it all began

Friday was setup day. The team gave me the tents and kit, and I drove out to Wasing Park to claim our patch of grass. After what felt like hours of sweaty laps between the car and the campsite, and with three tents and a gazebo finally built, I had our base camp sorted. That alone should have counted toward my lap count in my opinion.

Party central

Friday night, the place was buzzing. DJs were playing, the firepit was blazing, and for some the beers were already flowing. I remember thinking, these guys are going to regret that in the morning. But the atmosphere was great, somewhere between a music festival and pre race nerves.

I camped overnight while the rest of the team arrived fresh faced on Saturday morning. I missed my bed. Nothing quite reminds you of your age like a slow leak in your air mattress.

Kitted up and ready to run

The Wasing Park course is a mix of gravel paths, long steepish hills, and forest trails that only got muddier as time went on. We brought a full mix of shoes to cover all bases, but based on the dry weather in the days before, the assumption was the ground appeared good to firm and we figured road shoes would be fine. Spoiler: they weren’t!

Our team was a mix of current Profeet staff and a few returning legends. Johan, George, and I made up the current crew. Morgan, Rosie, and Richard AKA Dave (don’t ask, and definitely don’t tell Threshold) were the legends.

Off we go…

Saturday started off strong. George, our newest recruit, kicked things off with a solid first lap. The weather was still kind. Then Johan took over, and with him came biblical rain. The skies opened, the trail turned muddy, and it quickly became clear that every time Johan ran, the rain followed.

Good thing we had all the shoe options. Trail grip became essential within minutes.

Rosie, Morgan, me, and then Dave followed in rotation. That was the plan for the full 24 hours. Some of the team are seasoned ultra runners. Me? Not so much. I’d managed a few short runs beforehand, plus had some nostalgic confidence from past Threshold events.

And honestly, it was hard but great fun.

The rain turned the course into a bog. Ankles rolled, shoes disappeared into puddles, and the night runs were a whole different beast. It was pitch black, illuminated only by head torches, quiet, and surreal. The process of running, stopping, trying to rest, then getting up to go again was the toughest part. Threshold clearly planned to keep us smiling when it got tough. Along the course, they added inflatable flamingos, a singing Elvis, Batman, and some hippie folk to cheer runners on.

Team spirit

Our team support, in the form of Katy and Charlotte, was incredible. Along with the team members who weren’t running, they were there waiting and cheering every time one of us came in. At least, until the rain and fatigue really kicked in. Then they wisely relocated to the beer tent or base camp for some well earned rest.

One of the most entertaining aspects of Endure24 was the variety of runners. Some were serious soloists out to win. Others were walking for charity or dressed in full fancy dress costume. There was even a guy lugging a fridge around the course on his back. Utterly ridiculous and completely perfect for an event like this.

Our younger, fitter team members were incredible. Most of them doubled the distance I managed. In honesty, they carried me. I did what I could, but I was done and pulled out early Sunday morning.