What is the longest distance you’ve ever ran? Have you ever considered pushing your limits to see how far you can go?! Well, that’s the main idea behind Wacky Races: Endure – a trail race organised by Miles into Memories and supported by Mochika – Outdoor Life.
Here’s what goes down!
Taking place on Saturday 12th December 2020, the most recent edition of Endure saw 45 athletes from nine countries taking part. The aim of the race is simple: there is no distance planned – your race will end when you run out of steam or give up!
The race is made up of one marked 4km lap around the gorgeous trails of Majjistral Park, and athletes must complete the loop before a generous 30-minute cut-off. If you miss this time cap, your challenge ends there.
Once the official timer hits 30 minutes, a five-minute refuelling break begins. After that, everyone who completed Lap 1 then sets off for an identical Lap 2. This is repeated for an undetermined amount of time. The event continues until one person is left standing. This athlete must be the only person to complete the final lap within the 30-minute time frame.
December’s winners
The top performances were truly mind-blowing. Niki Micallef, who had also won the 2019 edition, was once again the last man home, with a staggering 125km performance (31 laps x 4.06km). Fellow running buddies Claudio Camilleri and Patrick Tabone took home the silver and bronze, with 30 and 29 laps respectively.
To put that into perspective, the top runners were out there for a whopping 18 hours of running! And that’s not to mention that the weather also took a turn for the worse, with gail force winds and driving rain accompanying the athletes throughout the night.
A remarkable seven athletes beat the 100km mark this year, including the women's winner – Stephanie Smith – who nearly doubled her previous year’s distance with an inspiring 101.5km run, just nudging out fellow superwoman Dzintra Grech on 97km. Charmaine Mifsud sealed the women's podium with a 73km ultra.
While the big numbers stole the show, each individual athlete took on their own personal challenge that weekend. Distance is relative to your current abilities, and many of the budding athletes went beyond their personal bests out there. Everyone endured and exceeded their limits!
Looking for the next challenge?
While Endure only happens once a year, if you’re looking to test your limits, we’ve got just the thing: the next in the series is Wacky Races: Vertical K & 2VK, happening on Sunday 31st January.
The race consists of a 1km long 100m high hill in Fomm ir-Rih, run up and back down. Repeat this for ten times (a total of 20km) and you will have completed 1km of vertical ascent (i.e. your first Vertical K race!)
Want an even bigger challenge? The 2VK doubles that, with 42km of running 2km worth of climbing. Sound like your cup of tea? Places are limited, so sign up now!
What do you need to tackle such challenges?