We’ve just got back from Africa’s Skeleton Coast and our first race of 2009. This year we’re lucky enough to have Berghaus and Men’s Fitness sending us around the world to compete in some of the most extreme adventure races on Earth. We’re part of a three man team with our best mate Darren Roberts. First up was the Namibia 24 Hour Ultra Marathon – a 78 mile race along the hostile desert coastline organised by Across the Divide Expeditions.

The ground out there is normally pretty solid, but a couple of weeks of rain had made it powder-soft underfoot. Even our bus couldn’t get us all the way to the camp, so we transferred onto the monster truck in the pictures below. Sweet.

Camp life was awesome. We played Shithead, avoided the long drop toilets, sweated through the nights, ate four-legged chickens, played with our GPSs and talked about all the ways we could die.

Race highlights included: Jerry Haywood being hunted down by a pack of jackals at 2am, then being tracked and jumped by Darren at 3am. (Nice work Darren). Tom Maguire insisting a Kipling Slice would see him through 52 miles of desert. Tom Adams running a 2.10 last half-marathon. Alex Bamford doubled up and weeping in agony at check point 2, but insisting the race was still his for the taking. And Nick pissing blood on the roadside at mile 72 just to keep the passing fishermen amused.

With temperatures hitting 42 at midday, and elite runners coming through the first marathon in over 7 hours, the course was crazy. In the end Darren won the race by just 30 seconds after a 13 mile sprint finish! The man’s a machine, and it’s an honour to race with him.

The next big one is the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc – 100 miles of running across the Alps.

Seriously, who thought this would work?

Namibian Health and Safety ruled only 10 of us could ride on top. Genius.

Truck roof riding. Nick rides hands free.

Jerry Haywood looking dangerous…and minty fresh

Tom Maguire, Darren Roberts, Tom Adams.