Henry Compson

Tom Downes

Rhys Clarke

James McIntosh

Richard Wilson

Todd Perry

Sam Dix

Timo Rokitte

Pieter-Jan Torfs

Ross Phoenix

Rup Hoyland

Rob Weir

Tudor Gillham

Jo C

Daniel Hodsdon

Mike Dennison

Roman Perales Ruiz

Daniel O'Connor

Keith Maclure

Jessica Notzing

Peter Hannon

Paul Wilson

Henry Ingram

# Morning Video Update
![GBDURO25 Day 2 Morning A/V Update](//videos.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2ZIBFXZSeA5ucLkZ2byuHr/d66c1eea3d48429282282515127b74a2/GBDURO25_Day_3_Morning.mp4)

__Links mentioned in this video:__
Great video updates on Jess's instagram stories: [@jessnotzing](https://www.instagram.com/jessnotzing/)

Content (including videos and interviews) has stepped up a notch on the TRC instagram: [@theracingcollective](https://www.instagram.com/theracingcollective/)

I had a longer-form chat with ultra-racer Neil Henderson about the race and ultra racing in general yesterday afternoon.  It felt a bit too off-piste to include as part of a strict race update feed, but if you want an extra half hour of podcast-format GBDURO talk to tune into while refreshing that map on repeat today then check it out here: [GBDURO25 Day 2 Discussion](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0C0_OIM5RA)

# New Scratch Report
During recording we got word that Peter Hannon scratched due to ongoing back issues plaguing his ride.  Sounds like he's already got designs on taking to the startline again next year, though.  Rest up and get well soon Peter!

Day 3 Morning

# How it Began
Sunrise saw a few changes in the leaderboard based on how long each rider slept last night, the pace they were able to maintain in the dark and, in some cases, which riders didn't sleep at all.  Photographer Fergus Coyle caught Tom Downes coming over the Clifton suspension bridge into Bristol this morning, where Tom explained that he has a history of insomnia on the first night of ultra races so this time opted to just push on instead.  
![Tom Downes Describes Night 1](//videos.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/34c49HGQ9UD4zsxnyvSSiF/ec7ba618b026698afc1f2e8349dd5b79/WhatsApp_Video_2025-08-10_at_10.12.36.mp4)

At signoff last night he was in third position with Rhys Clarke close on his heels, but here we see Rhys telling Fergus that, when he woke up, he was surprised to find that Tom had put ~70km into him overnight.
[Rhys Ice Cream Interview](https://www.instagram.com/theracingcollective/reel/DNLYp3_sdxD/)
![Rhys Ice Cream Interview](//videos.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4thNd4dnX4FNN8llQXxSbm/54922a870bde4631c7ea074cc082b263/WhatsApp_Video_2025-08-10_at_14.34.06.mp4)

That also put Tom into 2nd place, moving ahead of James McIntosh (though from Rhys' report it sounds like Tom was briefly in first place ahead of Henry Compson at first light).

Morale was high for Dan O'Connor to start the day as he was pleased to report that he was back on the road with a new b-screw and a working derailleur once again.  He's worked hard all day to make up for lost time and, though he's still our Lanterne Rouge for the moment, it looks like he's making his way back into the main pack of riders.
![Dan O'Connor's Bike is Fixed!](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5y9AeISyMqUNAg5Ai2KrEy/f027d35012c9fc119eea70ef7cc7386b/Screenshot_2025-08-10_at_4.07.16â__pm.png)

Morning photos of improvised sleeping arrangements are de rigueur in most ultras, but the below from Timo Rokitte still represents a relatively new sight in the GBDURO, with this still only  the second year that riders are allowed to sleep indoors.
![Timo's Hotel Review](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/01scv5GPCzrt5cUHeFcQ3/b4721be44648153994e3d5d99f16e799/IMG_7680.PNG)

# Into Wales
Race leader Henry Compson crossed the Severn Bridge into Wales around 10am, with Tom and James not far behind - the three maintained relatively even spacing between them all day, with a bigger gap to Rhys in 4th and Rich Wilson not far behind him in 5th.  After that there's a larger gap to the rest of the field, who have mostly spent today picking their way through the hills of Exmoor on approach to Bristol for dinner time.

# Mishaps and Scratches
Keith Maclure broke a spoke after lunch and spent the rest of the day riding carefully, with Insight Cycles in Bristol as his current destination.  Keith, our only returning finisher, had to stop at the same shop last year, so it looks like this is a new (and potentially unwelcome) tradition in the works for him!
![Keith's broken spoke](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6F0k0OclqwyBU0IfTbIcGX/974f08e1624594b38e7f0c550f1a883e/Screenshot_2025-08-10_at_2.37.25â__pm.png)

Unfortunately this afternoon Henry Ingram became our first rider to scratch - no major mishaps but he says his body is just too battered and beat up already.  Just in case we were in any doubt about how brutal this route is!  Rest well and hope to see you out on the trails again soon, Henry.
![Henry Ingram](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6Hdr0F0rGBougL1Am9ZlE1/d3c106d830d49a49bb2c14037ee1f83a/Henry_Ingram_Crop.jpg)

Paul Wilson scratched not long afterwards, so we're wishing him well too.  Incredible riding from both just to get this far!
![Paul Wilson Scratch Report](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/73CK7g0xnxf6eYCMXOmawi/48f95f36c0b1779416bf0e36c1eaa831/Paul_Wilson.png)

No updates or clarifications on what led to Roman Perales Ruiz's bandages yesterday, but it looks like he rode through the night and started the day in 6th place behind Rich Wilson, so we hope that's a good sign that he's doing alright!

# Decisions about Tonight
As most riders reach Bristol either side of dinnertime they'll all be trying to decide how much they want to avail themelves of the extensive amenities in the last real city they'll see before Manchester, versus how much they want to just keep moving to try to get as far into Wales as they can before they lose the light.  That can be an especially frustrating decision to make if riders roll in after business hours which can end surprisingly early on a Sunday evening in Bristol (I needed a new quick-link for my chain in 2023 and went to two bicycle shops that were closed before finally making it to another on the far side of town with about 15 minutes to spare!)

Then the next question facing our riders is: how much of Wales do you want to tackle in the dark?  It's decent going with ok resupply and shelter options for the first ~50km or so after the Severn Bridge, but between the 75-100km mark (500-525km on the overall route), riders will need to cross "The Gap," which is one of the most technically difficult sections of the entire GBDURO - I'm probably not the best person to make an objective assessment since I basically just got off the bike and walked the whole thing at around 2am in nonstop pouring rain, but I promise that even with the warm dry night ahead of our riders, none of them are going to describe it as easy.

Our race leaders had the benefit of making it through before last light, but it's a tougher decision for the rest.  Who will take the opportunity to stop and rest, preferring to tackle the mountains during daylight tomorrow, and who will push on to try to pick up time on their rivals?  We'll all have to wait and see tomorrow morning!


Day 2 Evening

![GBDURO25 Day 2 Morning Update](//videos.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3kGtlbbyj8V4tsBlP1iQlO/23284dd1aa225ce6edcca367d3e56351/GBDURO25_Day_2_Morning_Update.mp4)

Day 2 Morning

# Overview
Riders had a bright and dry start this morning with a prevailing tailwind that has helped them along throughout the day.  It's been dry and warm which means that, so far, the big challenge has just been the route itself.  Riders generally seem to be in good spirits and are making decent progress across the board.

At time of writing (about 5.30pm) our 4 leaders (Henry Compson, James McIntosh, Tom Downes, and Rhys Clarke) were all through Great Torrington, with pairs entry Todd Perry and Sam Dix seemingly stopped in the town for resupply.  Richard Wilson, Daniel Hodsdon, and women's leader Jo Clapp weren't far behind.  Great Torrington stands out for being roughly halfway to Bristol, and the point after which the terrain starts to transition from countryside paths and lanes to a bigger, more open, and wilder part of the route.

At the pointy end, the gap between Henry and James has expanded slowly throughout the day.  Likewise with the gap from James to Tom, though Rhys has kept pretty close on Tom's heels all day and might even be closing in after recovering from his earlier spill (see below).  Further back, the field is pretty evenly spaced, with riders likely seeing each other fairly regularly when stopping to resupply.

# Plastic Free Time
Yesterday I mentioned The Racing Collective's past efforts to track riders' rubbish and raise awareness of the amount of single use plastic ultra racers get through, but I've since learned that rider Mike Dennison has taken the [Plastic Free Ultra Pledge](https://theradavist.com/ultra-distance-plastic-resistance-pledge#:~:text=We%20all%20know%20about%20FKTs,2%2C600km%20Pan%20Celtic%20Race.) as part of his race this year.  That would have been an obvious thing to mention if I'd known.  Chapeau Mike and good luck!
![Mike Dennison PFT Pledge](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3nIcTk3EGjPqgwWB5gAtaf/c1fabbc30e4c2a8820d963542b5f1207/Screenshot_2025-08-09_at_8.59.44â__pm.png)

# Crashes and Mishaps
We're aware of a few mishaps so far - 

![Rob Weir Seatpost 1](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5Zdbt2Cd4usMSBgZeSNvl8/ccd61b401b59560bcc8c20f28a111389/WhatsApp_Image_2025-08-09_at_10.56.37.jpeg)

![Rob Weir Seatpost 2](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/48JGoJ6AlrvxdpsCef6d62/c9e53ed50628a02d855226d6221496dc/WhatsApp_Image_2025-08-09_at_11.16.23.jpeg)
Rob Weir cracked his seatpost pretty early in the day, but luckily wasn't far from Hayle Cycles who had a suitable replacement - lucky for Rob that happened here instead of in Mid-Wales or the Highlands!

![Rhys Clarke Crash Story](//videos.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4pqwwoBq87n0to0UFG9fFl/3ebb805f7ecb11601738924e0095f704/IMG_6269.Mp4)
Rhys Clarke had a crash pretty early on but was in good spirits recounting the story for Alex Boswell here.

![Roman Perales Ruiz Bandages](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1GE9JogJwr9UGDXN6CHSCl/5a42101630065f76395917177d6709b1/IMG_6289.jpg)
Alex also met a well-bandaged Roman Perales Ruiz, but we don't have many details on what happened or how he's feeling, though he looked to be in good spirits.  Here's wishing him all the best!

Thanks also to Alex for getting some photos of today's riders after having to miss out on the start line this morning.

# Overnight Expectations
It's tempting to look at the leaderboard at the end of Day 1 and extrapolate conclusions about how the race is playing out but let's remember that, so far, all we're seeing is how fast these riders move when they're moving.  Overnight sleep schedules can change things up quite a lot so we'll have to see who stops to sleep and who rides into the night, and where everyone ends up in the morning!

Day 1 Evening

![GBDURO25 Day 1 Expectations (Route and Weather)](//videos.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/147uoRDuA4yFPCaGLWCZs8/77419270cdc9e2771e7e75e15de53832/riverside_alex___aug_9__2025_001_alex_fthenakis-s_st.mp4)

Quick experiment with an A/V format update here.  Daily longform written updates will continue in normal dotwatcher style, but if this is of interest then I can do some of this kind of stuff in addition (ideally including some guests to discuss how the race is unfolding!)

Day 1 Expectations (Route and Weather)

If there were a competition for the title of "Toughest Ultra in the UK", the GBDURO would almost certainly be in contention for the top spot.  It's long (~2000km), it's hilly (~30,000m), the terrain can be technically challenging, and the weather can be horrendous.  Sure, it's not hard to find other UK races that can challenge the GBDURO for toughness in any one of those categories, but what makes this one so difficult is just how brutally it combines all those elements into one single feat of endurance.  This is perhaps best seen in the attritional nature of past editions, with a scratch rate around 50% seeming almost normal at this point.

# History and Ethos
The race isn't just about route-planning sadism though (even if it felt like that at the low points when I rode in 2023!) Since its inception in 2019, the GBDURO has focused on environmental awareness and activism almost as much as it has on the race itself.  In particular, organisers The Racing Collective are always coming up with new ways to challenge both riders and spectators to consider the environmental impact of racing bicycles, highlighting the disconnect between the green-ness of actually riding a bicycle and the less-desirable impact of all the other non-pedaling activity that goes into a bike race, from the carbon emissions of getting to and from the start/finish to the single-use plastic waste of a classic ultra-racer's "smash and grab" food stop at a corner shop.

The GBDURO was an early adopter of the "no-fly ride" rule now becoming more common in the ultra scene (no rider may travel by air during any part of their journey to or from the start/finish).  Several editions of the race have included a ban on riders sleeping indoors (or under any manmade shelter they didn't transport with them on the ride), and in a couple of editions riders were required to carry all their rubbish with them not just to the nearest bin, but to the next official checkpoint or even to the end of the whole ride.

Even beyond constantly trialling new environmentally-motivated rules, the race has traditionally included several other unique and/or experimental quirks in its structure, most notably the 4-stage format used through 2023, where each rider's race clock stopped on arrival at the next of 3 checkpoints marking the end of a roughly 500km 'stage' of the race (inspired by early editions of the Tour de France).  Most years held all riders at each checkpoint and set them off again in a mass start for the following stage, meaning it was one of the few ultras where midpack finishers got more than one opportunity to socialise with the race leaders during the event.

# 2025 Edition
Starting last year, many of the above rules began to be relaxed in the interest of making the GBDURO more inclusive.  Most notable are probably the change to a single stage format (no more checkpoints/stages) and allowing riders to sleep indoors.  The idea here is to give riders a bit more flexibility to look after their own safety and security, both in terms of pacing and choice of shelter.  That still won't make the race easy by any means, though, as evidenced by the 2024 results list which was as attritional as ever.

The biggest change we see from last year to this year is a return to the original route's finishing location at John O'Groats (2024 trialled a finish at Cape Wrath).  That means it's the first time since 2020's 'self sufficient' edition (carry everything from start to finish with no resupply) that we'll see the GBDURO raced in a single-stage format with the original route finish.  There are a couple of route tweaks which mean it won't be an exact comparison in terms of setting an uninterrupted FKT, but it's still close enough to be a really exciting watch!

The other big change to watch out for in 2025 is climate change itself, which has generally made weather conditions a little bit more difficult year after year.  Major storm damage has forced some minor diversions to the route in Wales which will serve as a visual reminder to past riders and dotwatchers, and the recent truncation of the London-Edinburgh-London Audax event in the face of storm Floris will certainly be on the minds of the organisers, if not the riders and dotwatchers, as we all intently watch the weather forecast alongside our race trackers for the next week-and-a-half.

# A Look at the Startlist

We're currently expecting 23 riders on the startline tomorrow, hailing from all over the UK as well as from Belgium and Germany.  With the no-fly rule still firmly in place, sometimes just getting to the start can be a kind of ultra-endurance race in itself, though thankfully this year we're not aware of any major transit mishaps thus far.

## DNS

Unfortunately Alex Boswell is unable to start the race due to an ultra-racing-induced nerve issue in his hands.  After coming out of the gate with the leaders in 2023 and scratching early on due to an equipment issue, followed by a DNS last year, he hoped his third attempt to start the race would be the lucky one, but alas, 2025 wasn't to be.  Alex has a number of ultra-racing wins and other great results to his name, so we hope to see him lining up on the start again in 2026.

Nathan O'Neill joins Alex on the DNS list and we wish him well too.

## Ones to Watch

In the women's field we'll hopefully see a competitive race between Jo Clapp ([@jolo.io](https://www.instagram.com/jolo.io/?hl=en)) and Jess Notzing ([@jessnotzing](https://www.instagram.com/jessnotzing/?hl=en)), at least until Jess has to take a quick mid-race pit stop to attend her best pal's wedding (which, she's keen to emphasise, was scheduled AFTER she entered the race!) She plans to get right back into the race afterwards though, so we'll be watching closely to see just how energising and motivating that mid-race break proves to be for her. I suppose the dotwatcher's dream would be to see a post-wedding chase that comes down to a sprint finish on the North Coast - fingers crossed I guess?

In the men's race I expect we'll see Rhys Clarke [(@bigfatrhys96)](https://www.instagram.com/bigfatrhys96/?hl=en) and James McIntosh ([@mcintoshjames49](https://www.instagram.com/mcintoshjames49/?hl=en)) amongst the leaders.  Rhys finished 2nd, less than an hour behind Alex Boswell, at the Southern Divide in 2023 and has put in a handful of strong performances elsewhere too.  James put in an impressive finish at the Tour Divide last year so definitely has the legs to do the distance at the GBDURO, plus he's got top-10 results in some other MTB ultras too.  Tom Downes' ([@_another_tom_](https://www.instagram.com/_another_tom_/?hl=en)) ultra palmares are all top-5 results, so we're certain he'll aim to stay at the pointy end of things here as well.  Henry Compson ([@henry_compson](https://www.instagram.com/henry_compson/?hl=en)) will probably also push the pace, with some impressive TCR and TAW results under his belt.

Keith Maclure ([@keefmac367](https://www.instagram.com/keefmac367/?hl=en)), Richard Wilson, and Timo Rokitte ([@timo.on.a.ride](https://www.instagram.com/timo.on.a.ride/?hl=en)) also have the experience and past results to remain in the leaderboard, though of course with a route this tough, the front of the race is far from predictable and it's never a surprise to see some of the first-time ultra-racers up there on the leaderboard and some surefire favourites struggle just to keep moving forward.

Dotwatchers and previous riders will also be excited to see Ross Phoenix ([@roscophoenix](https://www.instagram.com/roscophoenix/?hl=en)) riding this year - many of us know Ross as the host of the pre-race camping that's made available to riders the night before the start.  He's no slouch on the bike either, so hopefully he's still able to get some sleep tonight and we'll see a strong performance from him in the morning!

That's what my research has turned up so far but I wouldn't count on myself to make the bookies' odds here!  I'm going to be watching those dots from 8am tomorrow to see if I can get a better sense of things then.  Who are your 'riders to watch'? Let us know in the comments on the organisers' socials at [@theracingcollective](https://www.instagram.com/theracingcollective/?hl=en)


GBDURO 2025 Race Preview

# Overview
Well, the top headline is that it has been a long and very hot day out in Wales for all our riders!  The terrain hasn't made things any easier, and two more riders have had to abandon the race, including one of the leaders.  In general, though, the field seem to be in good spirits, preferring this heat wave to the wet Cambrian conditions we might normally expect.  The good(?) weather has also given way to a steady stream of incredible photos coming in from both photographer Michael Drummond and riders alike, showcasing the incredible beauty and vast scale of vista and landscape that really present Wales at it's very best!

Here are just a few photos from the day - and with limited signal in the area, we're almost guaranteed to see more trickle in through the evening!

![Peter Hannon and Ross Phoenix in the Brecon Beacons](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7f3OtSoIxhDGVfBD37Uytj/59d629d30bbc75518a53b64e028fa0e3/GBDURO_Day_03_Brecon_Drummondphoto-10.jpg)

![Rup Hoyland Bike Lean](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4A1aeaRQRioP3CtQLS1I8j/d3b2f099bd175b3f4d34b6a9077e9fda/Screenshot_2025-08-11_at_5.52.38â__pm.jpeg.png)

![Rup Hoyland Landscape](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/ZuPF96CgPKHBm6rumv9cu/c0308fc99e5c9012ee42c189d8d9520c/Screenshot_2025-08-11_at_5.52.44â__pm.jpeg.png)

# Through The Gap
This morning saw no major changes in our placings, as most riders opted to sleep for at least a few hours last night and everyone seems to have settled into their pace a bit by now.  Our three leaders, Henry, Tom, and James, made it through The Gap before dark last night and Rhys Clarke tackled it early in the night, but everyone else waited until breakfast time to take on the major technical challenge of this leg of the route.

Fifth place rider Rich Wilson led the morning charge into the hills and pairs entry Todd and Sam, Timo Rokitte, Pietr-Jan Torfs, and Ross Phoenix emerged from the pass before lunchtime in joint-6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th place, respectively.  Women's leader Jo Clapp led the most tightly-spaced chunk of the field through in the heat of the early afternoon, with Dan O'Connor, Keith Maclure, and Jess Notzing some distance behind and working hard to close the gap to, well, The Gap, having each dealt with major mechanicals over the last couple of days.

# Scratch Reports
Unfortunately, around midday James McIntosh told the other riders he'd decided to scratch, with an official confirmation coming a few hours later.  James put in an incredibly strong ride and was still firmly in third place at the time but said he'd been fighting cramps and illness since Day 1, so while we're sure it wasn't an easy decision to make, we commend James for looking after his long-term health and living to fight another day.  Recover well, James!

Jess Notzing also took the tough decision to scratch later this afternoon.  After overcoming last night's mechanicals with help from a Bristol bike shop this morning (and then fixing an issue with a cleat later on), she found herself in great spirits with great legs and plenty of motivation, but with so much saddle discomfort that she had to ride all the way from Bristol to the Severn Bridge without sitting down!  Get well soon, Jess, and hopefully you'll consider returning in future (ideally without any wedding invites to conflict with your ride next time!)

# Other Stories from the Day
Dan O'Connor was the victim of a mid-morning burglary - we're pretty sure the thief is still at large 😉🐶

Jo led the afternoon crew in a bit of a detour...

Roman Perales Ruiz found today too hot, and he grew up in Spain! (warning: there's some swearing in this clip)

The Mechanicals
James Scratch - and Jess?
The Gap
Heat
Detour
Stolen Ice cream


Day 3 Evening - An Attritionally Hot Day in Wales

Gemma Baird

Samuele Tonello

It's often referred to as the "scrappy rolling picnic through Britain's ever-changing landscapes". This year, the race is one full stage rather than split as in previous years.


GBDURO25 Tracking + Commentary

It's often referred to as the "scrappy rolling picnic through Britain's ever changing landscapes".


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