|
Set in the most remote and hostile environments on earth, the Global Race Series is arguably the most brutal race series in the world. Competitors literally run for their lives to avoid being eaten alive, dying of heat exhaustion or freezing to death.
In this surreal series, runners challenge themselves by participating in brutal extreme trail running events around the globe in four different extremely harsh environments – The Ice Ultra in the freezing Arctic, the Jungle Ultra in the dense rain forest, the Mountain Ultra in the remote Tian Shan mountains and the Desert Ultra in the scorching Namib Desert.
Running from Polar Bears
Swedish Lapland in the Arctic Circle is the setting for the 2026 Ice Ultra Marathon where runners will battle across snowfields, Arctic tundra and frozen lakes with day-time temperatures as low as -40 degrees.
The Arctic Ultra marathon is described as both challenging and exposed, putting physical and mental endurance to a painful test. This is no exaggeration as runners will have to complete just over a standard marathon a day for five days through ice, snow and possibly blizzards just to finish this grueling event – and then of course there are also the hungry polar bears to consider!
But there is an upside to this harsh, remote environment. Competitors describe how as darkness descends, you feel like the only person on the planet and on a clear night will be treated to a show from the Northern lights.
Creepy Crawlies and Venomous Reptiles
In June this year, the Jungle Ultra will take place in the dense rainforest in Manu National Park, Peru. Runners will need to fight their way through suffocating undergrowth, thick mud and swift-flowing rivers all while avoiding venomous reptiles and deadly creepy crawlies to complete the 230 km route in 5 days.
Set deep in the rainforest, this race is considered one of the toughest in the world because of the impenetrable nature of the untouched jungle. Even though temperatures can reach up to 30 degrees Celsius, it is the brutal humidity that wears down the runner. The rain forest is also notorious for its deadly spiders and poisonous snakes so qualified guides and medics are provided to ensure that the athletes don’t succumb to the conditions.
Because the Jungle Ultra will test all of your physical and mental resilience, this race is considered to be the hardest of all four races – definitely not for the faint hearted!
The Mountain of Heavens
The Mountain Ultra, in the Tian Shan Mountain range in Kyrgyzstan, covers a distance of 200 kms in 5 days, effectively forcing participants to almost run a high-altitude standard marathon each day.
Set in one of the largest and least explored mountain ranges in the world, known as “The Mountain of Heavens’, the mountain trail run is technical with a total ascent of 10 500m. Adding to the difficulty, the weather in the mountains is unpredictable with temperatures ranging from 5°C to 30°C. The altitude is also a challenge and to prevent altitude sickness, all competitors are required to do a five-day acclimatisation trek to adapt to the thin air.
Despite the harsh conditions, runners will be captivated by the beauty of the deeply carved glacial valleys and breathtaking snow-capped peaks.
Beat the Heat
The Desert Ultra requires a brutal 250 km trek in five days across the unforgiving sands of the Namib Desert with day-time temperatures reaching 55°C.
Running an ultra-marathon every day for five days is a massive challenge for any runner, but doing this in the Namib Desert, one of the oldest and most hostile deserts in the world takes this challenge to a completely new level. Even though it is sweltering during the day, temperatures drop to freezing at night and the runner has to be able to adapt to the varying conditions. Even if the athlete manages to survive the heat, the dust and the cold, there is also plenty of wildlife to consider including dangerous predators like lions, leopards and hyenas that could pose serious danger to athletes.
So I know you are probably thinking that no-one would be crazy enough (or masochistic enough) to attempt these brutal events. Well surprisingly this is not the case. Currently the 2026 races are either completely sold out or only have a few places left – apparently some people enjoy suffering, risking their lives and being terrified out of their minds.
|
|
At FinishTime we have always prided ourselves on providing the latest in cutting-edge sports timing technology. In 2020 during lockdown, we decided to expand our offerings and developed the FinishTime Passport app to be used in conjunction with the FinishTime administration and timing system. This Passport app was specifically designed to make registrations fast, safe, simple and secure.
How to use the FinishTime Passport app:
1. Download the app from either the Apple App Store for iPhones, Google Play Store for Android-based phones or by direct download for Huawei phones.
2. Click “Info” and fill in your information (Info for up to five people can be stored on one phone) – at this point the data is only stored on your phone.
3. The person who wants to register for the event needs to be selected and each person must register separately.
4. To select the event you want to register for, you need to click “Races”.
5. The “QR Code” needs to be clicked and any race-specific questions need to be answered (in most cases this can only be done just before race registration to ensure race-specific data is up to date).
6. A QR code will be generated on your phone and you need to check the name of the race and the person named above the QR code is correct.
7. When arriving at registration, you need to show the QR code on your phone to the scanner at registration. Information is only transferred to the event once the QR code is scanned.
The FinishTime Passport App is a fast, secure and effortless registration process and of course fast means shorter queues which makes everyone happy.
|
|
The 2025 Comrades Marathon, taking place on Sunday, June 8, is a “Down Run” starting in Pietermaritzburg and finishing in Durban, covering approximately 89km. The race is expected to have a large field of around 22,000 runners, making safety and organization paramount. A new two-group start will be implemented, with the fastest runners, including elites, starting first.
|
 |
