{"id":2716,"date":"2025-07-07T14:11:23","date_gmt":"2025-07-07T14:11:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/onestopultra.co.uk\/?p=2716"},"modified":"2025-07-10T11:07:35","modified_gmt":"2025-07-10T11:07:35","slug":"my-worlds-toughest-mudder-journey-aiming-for-the-buckle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/onestopultra.co.uk\/index.php\/2025\/07\/07\/my-worlds-toughest-mudder-journey-aiming-for-the-buckle\/","title":{"rendered":"My World\u2019s Toughest Mudder Journey: Aiming for the Buckle"},"content":{"rendered":"
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It\u2019s either meant to be or it isn\u2019t, call it fate, call it timing, call it whatever you like. After finishing Europe\u2019s Toughest Mudder last year, I had no plans to fly to America for World\u2019s.<\/em> But then they dropped that big announcement, didn\u2019t they? World\u2019s Toughest Mudder is coming to the UK.<\/em>
Well, there was only one thing for it\u2026 We\u2019re going to World\u2019s in 2025, aren\u2019t we!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Why 75 Miles?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

So why did I go for 75 miles?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Honestly, when I entered World\u2019s, I didn\u2019t fully know what I was letting myself in for. I just assumed it would be like Europe\u2019s Toughest Mudder \u2014 but twice as long. Simple, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, not quite. It quickly became clear that World\u2019s<\/em> is its own beast \u2014 bigger, longer, colder, and, as the name promises\u2026 tougher<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019d managed 40 miles at Europe\u2019s TM, and after doing a bit more reading, I came across a rule of thumb that many seasoned Mudders seem to use:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cWhatever mileage you hit in the first 12 hours, cut that in half \u2014 that\u2019s your predicted total.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

So if I could repeat my 40-mile effort in the first half, I might be looking at 60, maybe 65 miles in total. Not bad.
But\u2026 if I could push a little harder \u2014 just find a bit more pace, move a bit more efficiently \u2014 then there was something even bigger on the table:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\ud83c\udfaf 75 miles.<\/strong>
The Bib. The Buckle.<\/strong>
That\u2019s when the target was locked in.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Giles Chater revealing the Belt Buckle back in 2024<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

The Training Plan vs. Reality<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

My training plan for World\u2019s? Solid. Sensible. Structured.
Join the gym in December.<\/strong> Tick.
Keep the ultra training going strong.<\/strong> Tick.
Add regular upper-body sessions all the way through to June.<\/strong> \u2026Yeah, about that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The plan looked like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  • January: 30-miler and a 100-miler \u2705<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • March: Backyard Ultra \u2705<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • April: Mountain Challenge \u2705<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • May: Transylvania 100k with 6,500m of climbing \u2705<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Strength work from January through to June \u274c<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Despite paying for a gym membership for six months, I didn\u2019t step through the door once until about four weeks before World\u2019s<\/strong>. That\u2019s when I panicked slightly, started doing some pull-ups, dead hangs, and eventually moved some weights around like I knew what I was doing \u2014 all in the name of building grip strength.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    With the ultra races I had lined up, plus the usual work and life commitments, my build-up to World\u2019s wasn\u2019t exactly what I\u2019d call perfect. But sometimes you just roll with what you’ve got and trust the engine you\u2019ve built along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n

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    Mudder’s working together on the Mudderhorn<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

    Race Weekend \u2013 The Setup and the Gamble<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    I booked the Friday off work so I could drive down early, get set up, and hopefully take a look at the course and obstacles in the daylight.
    For the most part, that plan worked out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    One thing I still needed to sort was a surf suit or wetsuit for the night section. I usually run hot and figured I might not need it, but this was World\u2019s Toughest Mudder<\/em>, and I didn\u2019t want to take unnecessary risks. Still, I was on the fence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    After checking in, setting up the gazebo in the pit, jogging the course for a quick recce, and sitting through the race briefing, the evening started slipping away. It was already getting late and I still had all my gear and nutrition to organise for the next day. Sorting a wetsuit would mean another couple of hours lost, and I really wanted to prioritise some rest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    So, I made the call:
    No wetsuit. No surf suit.<\/strong> Just layers.
    A bit of a gamble, but I figured I\u2019d bank the early night and hope for the best.<\/p>\n\n\n

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    Not really got the body for this, but needs must in this heat<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

    In Reflection \u2013 Should I Have Taken It More Seriously?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Looking back, maybe I should have checked myself a bit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This was World\u2019s Toughest Mudder<\/strong>! The first time it had ever been held in the UK and honestly, I was a little blas\u00e9<\/em> about the whole thing. The build-up, the prep, the atmosphere… I could\u2019ve soaked it all in a bit more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Or maybe I had it right.
    Maybe if I\u2019d overthought it, I\u2019d have made myself nervous and messed with my head, or worse, my gut. Staying relaxed might\u2019ve actually been my best tactic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Either way, I showed up with everything I needed (apart from the surf suit) and I had:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    • Plenty of food options<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Pit crew legend Nick Kendall<\/strong> on hand to keep me sane<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • And two clear race plans printed and pinned, straight from my Excel sheet:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n
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      Pit Crew Chief Nick Kendall<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

      Plan A:<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

      Hit 75 miles within<\/em> 24 hours, leaving room for an extra lap if things went really well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Plan B:<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

      Crawl it home with minutes to spare and just scrape the buckle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      I\u2019d mapped out estimated lap times, pit stops, and checkpoints so Nick could keep me on track, when I should be in the pit, when I should be back out, and whether I was trending ahead or behind schedule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Beyond pacing, my strategy was all about efficiency<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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      • Get help on obstacles whenever possible to save energy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Quickly identify which obstacles I could consistently complete solo, and which ones weren\u2019t worth the energy or risk.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Know how to use my Bypass Bands<\/strong> smartly (one earned after completing 25 miles and one for every additinal lap completed) to skip the right obstacle at the right time.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        Going into the race, I figured Lucifer\u2019s Luggage<\/em> or Mud Mile<\/em> would be the ones I\u2019d save those bands for\u2026
        But read on to see how that actually played out in the later stages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Wil Chung Interview<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        I said Hi and thanks for the Podcast info Wil Chung and the various podcasters had released recently and he roped me into an interview, I laid down the 75 miles in here and hoped I wouldn’t live to regret it on Sunday. Check out the video below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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