I never thought I would complete a race that was longer than a marathon. (In face it wasn’t too long ago that I thought I would never run a marathon). Rather than do things half-ass, I decided my first ultra should be a multi-stage race abroad and be in the desert. For this who don’t know, any ultra marathon is anything over 26.2 miles (although some say over 30 miles). Since I completed the race in October 2018, the Wadi Rum Ultra has re-branded to be Ultra X Jordan as part of the Ultra X Co’s strategy to become the World Championship of Ultra running. This year they are hosting races in Sri Lanka, Mexico and Jordan. Next year, new locations (Bolivia and Azores) will be added.
There is no way my normal race review format can cover the complexity of this race. I am working on a vblog to show you the landscape and also have lots of kit to tell you about. To hold you over until then, here is a brief overview of the race.
What you will see along the route
Entries and fees: In 2018, Ultra X Jordan registration fee was £895 for accommodation in Amman and during race, transport to/from race plus Petra and race entry, Jordan visa, a celebratory BBQ and beer on day of finish. In addition, there were three doctors on the team to administer medication and treat wounds (mostly foot blisters) and two osteopaths to offer daily treatments such as massages, assisted stretching and foot wound care. The 2019 registration fee is £995 for individuals or £890/pp for teams of three or more.
Course and bogs: The course was 250km through Jordan’s Wadi Rum valley. It varied from day to day (and slightly year to year) with multiple campsites along the way. We ran: 40km, 55km, 70km, 50km and then 37km over the five days. No toilets along the course but two of the three camps had toilets and showers. Nights one and two were at the first camp which offered canvas shelters, light bulbs (but no outlets to charge anything) and running water in the bathroom and showers. The next camp was affectionately called ‘Rock Camp’ because we slept on a giant boulder without electricity, water or toilets. There were blankets and cushions to sleep on but it was quite windy and therefore chilly. Camp three was a magical 1980’s oasis. Proper beds (two per canvas cabin), tables, chairs, a cash bar, and running water in toilets and showers. I have never been so happy to see a can of full fat Coke in my life.
Day 1 start line
Location: The idea behind Ultra X races is to offer an amazing five day race experience so you only have to take one week off of work. Jordan’s desert valley did not disappointment. Many of the other runners added a few days to their itinerary to explore the country further. Temperature were 30 degrees plus during the day.
Atmosphere: Due to the location, there isn’t anyone to cheer for you along the course but the crew made up for this. It was ace seeing a friendly face every 10km. You also would occasionally get a 4×4 Toyota truck with tourists shout at you as they drove by.
Kieron, an osteopath from Just One Body, at work on a runner
Race bling and goody bag: Sadly, no medal this year but we did get a branded cotton t-shirt. I had lots of time to think along the way and will probably get a custom necklace off of Etsy that says “Grit”. Everyone was sad there was no medal and I sure Ultra X has taken that feedback on board. No goody bag either but we did get cold beers and dinner after the race.
Sunset stretch class after Day 1
Tips if you want to take part next time:
Learn about the local culture and what to wear: It is a conservative Muslim country and you need to be aware of that. When we were in the desert, we were a bit isolated, which allowed the cultural rules to be relaxed but in Amman and Petra, we were Amman, we needed to be respectful.
Learn about how the toilets work and carry your own toilet paper: I am still not exactly sure what the ‘bum gun’ was officially for but I do know not to flush the toilet paper. Be prepared and keep some toilet paper or tissues on your any time you leave the hotel.
Make sure to strength train to combat the shifting sand effectively: It was extremely hard to train for running in shifting sand while living in London. The best thing to do is to strength train and make sure you have strong ankles and supportive shoes.
Photo by Ben Tufnell
Wear sweat-proof sunscreen: I was shocked to spend £13 for 77g of sunscreen at My Race Kit (It is special stuff that the sand won’t stick to). However, I didn’t get a sunburn, nor did I have to carry around a sunscreen bottle to re-apply so it was worth every scent.
Book a few extra days if you can: It is a beautiful part of the world and there is lots to see (think Petra and the Red Sea). It will also get you time to acclimatize or recover.
Come with a plan B: Not many of the participant’s races seemed to go to plan. There were injuries, food poisoning, muscle pulls, and blisters galore. Approach the race with the flexibility of a Plan B in case your situation changes so you won’t be too disappointed.
Pack a variety of food. Nutella is a good chocolate substitute: I met Steven via a Whatsapp group as five of us were arriving one night early. The day before we set off for the desert, Steven and I were discussing our concern for the lack of chocolate in the desert (chocolate and high temps don’t mix). We soon discovered that Nutella is an excellent compromise.
Don’t drink the water but don’t be wasteful either: If you are not a local, it is not advisable to drink the tap water in Jordan. During the race, you are provided with bottled water. There are a lot of resources that goes into bottling the water, transporting it to the race camps, and then disposing of the bottles that I encourage you to drink what you need in a eco-conscious and responsible way.
Photo by Ben Tufnell
The Ultra-X Jordan race wasn’t like anything I had every experienced before- either in my travels or in a race. Registration for 5-13th October 2019 race is now open. Let me know if you have any additional questions in the comments below and I will do my best to answer them. A short vlog will be up on my YouTube channel soon.
You may have noticed that my Events tab to the right is looking a bit full. This year I have lots of exciting things happening and I would love for you to join me on some of them.
February To celebrate my 40th birthday, I am taking part in the Run Through Queen Elizabeth Park Half Marathon* on Sunday 10 February. We are away for my actual birthday this weekend (off to Norway to see the Northern Lights!), so this is the best way for me to celebrate with my London friends. Many of my running buddies from Advent Running will be there too. You can still register for the race here. Afterwards, we will head over to Crate Brewery for pizza and cake baked by yours truly. I would love to see you running, cheering or eating at some point that day.
March Although my big goal is to run a Boston Qualifying time, I decided to focus on half marathons for the start of 2019. I am trying to run one a month. In March, I will be running the Croydon Half * on Sunday 31 March. It is a small local race and we will be visiting friends who live near by as we rarely make it south of the river these days.
April This month, I am travelling abroad to run the Budapest Half marathon on 14 April by travelling with Run Hungary**. They are a new company of locals who want to show off their country through running events. The trip is just a long weekend and includes a pasta party and free beer post-race. I always try to run a race when I travel. So far, I have medals from France, Germany, Czech Republic, South Africa, Ireland, and many of the states in the USA. I am very excited to be adding Hungary to the list! Please check here for all of the info, including hotel options (accommodation and breakfast is included in package price). Non-runners are also welcome to join us.
May I am still researching options for half marathons this month. Hackney Half is very appealing due to the proximity to home. I did it the first year so maybe it would be a chance for a new course PB.
There is also the Ragnar Relay Sweden event in May, which I totally want to do. Ultra X is putting together a team but I need to look at if I can get off work and then at how much the flights cost. I loved the UK Ragnar Relay White Cliffs and think the first ever Swedish one (where the Ragnars originally hailed from) would be epic.
June This will be my last half marathon for the year. A good friend lives in Italy so I am looking for a race close to her to mix a visit with a run. She isn’t a keen runner so I will have to accompany her to the beach during my stay too. Oh darn.
July I am super excited to announce I am an ambassador for Run Bulgaria**. This summer, they have a five day camp in Bansko which includes:
Accommodation (1 Bedroom, 2 sharing)
Airport Transfers
Breakfast and Lunches
Guided Run 2-3 Times Per Day (Mixture of Trails, Road, Long, Short, Intervals, Mountains, all optional)
Seminars and Talks (Running, Stretching, Nutrition )
Films Shown Each Evening in The Bar
Spa Facilities Available (For Free or For a Very Small Charge)
Swimming day at the mineral hot springs.
Mountain Hike including lunch, Enjoy the most beautiful views in the mountains.
Mountain Bike (MTB) Tour along beautiful trails including bike hire.
Basically, if you love the outdoors, this trip will be ace (the poster also mentioned wine tasting. No idea if this is an extra fee though). Spots are going quickly, so I encourage you to sign up today to enjoy mountains, sunshine, and more. Get £75 discount on your registration to their five day run camp at the end of July using my code AMB19MOL. Note, you will need to purchase your own flights.
December Still in planning phase, but Valencia marathon is a top contender to keep me in shape during the autumn. Price goes up 30 June, so I have time to decide. In an ideal world, I will be running Tokyo Marathon in March 2020 which means Valencia would get me fitter and faster. I then just need to keep it up until March 2020. Easy, right?
Please let me know if you have any races you would recommend, no matter there they are. I am always looking to explore the world in different ways.
*Thanks the organizers for a complimentary race entry. #gifted ** These are affiliate relationships which cost you nothing additional for using my referral codes. More info about these partnerships will be detailed in my blog post on Thursday.
You may have noticed that my Events tab to the right is looking a bit full. This year I have lots of exciting things happening and I would love for you to join me on some of them.
February To celebrate my 40th birthday, I am taking part in the Run Through Queen Elizabeth Park Half Marathon* on Sunday 10 February. We are away for my actual birthday this weekend (off to Norway to see the Northern Lights!), so this is the best way for me to celebrate with my London friends. Many of my running buddies from Advent Running will be there too. You can still register for the race here. Afterwards, we will head over to Crate Brewery for pizza and cake baked by yours truly. I would love to see you running, cheering or eating at some point that day.
March Although my big goal is to run a Boston Qualifying time, I decided to focus on half marathons for the start of 2019. I am trying to run one a month. In March, I will be running the Croydon Half * on Sunday 31 March. It is a small local race and we will be visiting friends who live near by as we rarely make it south of the river these days.
April This month, I am travelling abroad to run the Budapest Half marathon on 14 April by travelling with Run Hungary**. They are a new company of locals who want to show off their country through running events. The trip is just a long weekend and includes a pasta party and free beer post-race. I always try to run a race when I travel. So far, I have medals from France, Germany, Czech Republic, South Africa, Ireland, and many of the states in the USA. I am very excited to be adding Hungary to the list! Please check here for all of the info, including hotel options (accommodation and breakfast is included in package price). Non-runners are also welcome to join us.
May I am still researching options for half marathons this month. Hackney Half is very appealing due to the proximity to home. I did it the first year so maybe it would be a chance for a new course PB.
There is also the Ragnar Relay Sweden event in May, which I totally want to do. Ultra X is putting together a team but I need to look at if I can get off work and then at how much the flights cost. I loved the UK Ragnar Relay White Cliffs and think the first ever Swedish one (where the Ragnars originally hailed from) would be epic.
June This will be my last half marathon for the year. A good friend lives in Italy so I am looking for a race close to her to mix a visit with a run. She isn’t a keen runner so I will have to accompany her to the beach during my stay too. Oh darn.
July I am super excited to announce I am an ambassador for Run Bulgaria**. This summer, they have a five day camp in Bansko which includes:
Accommodation (1 Bedroom, 2 sharing)
Airport Transfers
Breakfast and Lunches
Guided Run 2-3 Times Per Day (Mixture of Trails, Road, Long, Short, Intervals, Mountains, all optional)
Seminars and Talks (Running, Stretching, Nutrition )
Films Shown Each Evening in The Bar
Spa Facilities Available (For Free or For a Very Small Charge)
Swimming day at the mineral hot springs.
Mountain Hike including lunch, Enjoy the most beautiful views in the mountains.
Mountain Bike (MTB) Tour along beautiful trails including bike hire.
Basically, if you love the outdoors, this trip will be ace (the poster also mentioned wine tasting. No idea if this is an extra fee though). Spots are going quickly, so I encourage you to sign up today to enjoy mountains, sunshine, and more. Get £75 discount on your registration to their five day run camp at the end of July using my code AMB19MOL. Note, you will need to purchase your own flights.
December Still in planning phase, but Valencia marathon is a top contender to keep me in shape during the autumn. Price goes up 30 June, so I have time to decide. In an ideal world, I will be running Tokyo Marathon in March 2020 which means Valencia would get me fitter and faster. I then just need to keep it up until March 2020. Easy, right?
Please let me know if you have any races you would recommend, no matter there they are. I am always looking to explore the world in different ways.
*Thanks the organizers for a complimentary race entry. #gifted ** These are affiliate relationships which cost you nothing additional for using my referral codes. More info about these partnerships will be detailed in my blog post on Thursday.
As you read in my 2019 goal blog earlier this week, I am aiming to create more videos for my You Tube channel this year. I will be creating video recaps for each of my 4×4 Challenge races. Here is the first one for Marathon du Medoc. You can read my full race review here.
As you read in my 2019 goal blog earlier this week, I am aiming to create more videos for my You Tube channel this year. I will be creating video recaps for each of my 4×4 Challenge races. Here is the first one for Marathon du Medoc. You can read my full race review here.
I am so excited I found some time to share with you some of my favorite kit from this year. A few pieces (marked with *) I was gifted to try out, while others I discovered on my own. This year, the items selected fall into travel, active, and/or eco-friendly categories. Hope you discover a few new things to put under your Christmas tree.
Hydroflask True Pint* – This item falls into the eco-friendly category. The True Pint holds beer, coffee and even soup. Fantastic vacuum insulation means your drink stays the temp it needs to and so do you hands. Great for camping and festivals.
Venus Gillette Precision Bikini Trimmer*-This small battery-operated electric razor keeps your bikini line tidy from all angles. It includes a 5mm plastic comb to ensure uniform hair length too. I think it would work on trimming hair on the back of your neck too but my husband won’t let me try it out on him. The perfect size for your travel bag.
B-twin hydration bladder cleaner*- Lots of runners and cyclists have water bladders but don’t take the time to clean them properly after use. This is a great gift because it isn’t something the athlete in your life would buy for themselves, but they will definitely use it.
Salomon Agile 6*– A great little backpack to hold a lightweight jacket, book, sunscreen, and whatever else you will need for a day exploring a new city. It includes two 500ml soft flasks in case you decide to run instead of walk. This bag’s capacity is only seven liters so your kids can use it too. SKINS Compression calf tights*– Wear these calf tights on the plane or under your trousers if your legs ache from too much walking on your holiday. You can also wear them when out on a run or for recovery. I wore mine during my five day desert ultra back in October. There is a large range of colors available.
Rite in the Rain notebook -This is a travel essential for keeping track of what happens each day you are away from home. It doesn’t matter if it gets wet, which makes it all the better for outdoor adventures. I brought one with me when I climbed Kilimanjaro and to Jordan because I knew there wouldn’t be electricity or wifi. I had to go old school with a pen and paper. My preferred nnotebook style is A5 with a spiral spine but there are many to choose from.
Smith Overtake bike helmet*- With their MIPS system and Koroyd(R) honeycomb insulation, this will protect your brain during a collision, which is the point of a helmet (think about how much money and time you have invested in your brain!). There is still maximum ventilation and excellent aerodynamics in the design. Nothing is compromised.
Wonderbag slow cooker*- This portable slow cooker was developed to help women in developing countries cook without tending a fire. It saves them time as not as much fire wood needs to be collected. It is also better for their health because they are not inhaling smoke while tending a fire. I think it is perfect for camping, tailgating, and hosting dinner parties as it retains heat for up to 8 hours. Full review will be up later this week.
Bamboo straws from Bare Vida – Plastic straws are a hot topic right now, so why not start carrying your own reusable straw? I have one made from bamboo and another from stainless steel. I keep one in my lunch box and one in my purse so I am always prepared for my next beverage.
Margaret Dabbs foot cleansing wipes and foot hygiene creme*- I was sent some lovely foot wipes and lotions to help my feet prepare and recover from my desert ultra. These are a nice treat for those who spend a lot of time on their feet but aren’t necessarily into pedicures. The wipes are perfect for travelling to climates where you will want to wear sandals or flip flops too.
On Cloud lightweight running hat– A lightweight and ventilated cap to help keep your head cool and dry in sunshine or in the rain. The perfect stocking stuffer for just about anyone.
Icebreaker merino wool base layers– As my regular readers know, I live in merino socks year-round and have a heavy rotation of tops for the winter. Both the 150 Zone long sleeve crewe top and BODYFITZONE (TM)150 Zone leggings are designed to help you regulate your body temperature so you are not too hot or too cold no matter what you are doing. Icebreaker garments are also biodegradable when buried in a landfill, making them a eco-friendly gift choice.
Black Diamond Creek 22L rucksack– A super stylish way to carry everything you need for work and the gym while day commuting. It has a waterproof shell and holds a 15″ laptop. Lots of internal organization options too so you can easily find what you need.
Leki Hot Shots ski poles– How crazy is this? These ski poles hold your favourite drink inside the pole, up to 200ml. They even have their own funnel to help you pour. Please remember to drink responsibly when participating in sport.
What is on your Christmas list this year? Let me know in the comments below and I will put in a good word for you with Santa.
Thanks to Hydroflask, Venus, Decathlon, Salomon, Skins Compression, Smith, Wonderbag, and Margaret Dabbs for gifting me the items above. All opinions are honest and my own. This post also includes affiliate links, which costs the buyer nothing but helps run this website.
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