Samuele Tonello

Ross Mallen

Martyn Stottlaw

Gemma Baird

Jamie Begg

Lucy Wood

Cordelia Hughes

Lily Beaven

Keith Maclure

Daniil Sadomskij

Caroline Reuter

Kirsty Gunstone

Alasdair Hitchen

Ailsa Beck

Steven Geelen

Sonny D'Souza

Adrian Reynolds

Michael Dennison

Martijn van Loon

Sam Asher

Frances Rawson

Jen Burns

Tom Hall

Alan Goldsmith

Richard Newey

Gavin Rogers

MediaRider Tom G

Day 11

Despite running on just 1 banana and a can of coke with 60km to go, Lucy Woods and Cordelia Hughes made it to Cape Wrath at about 5:30pm this evening, becoming the joint 6th finishers of this punishing race.  

So punishing in fact that there are now only 2 of the original 26 riders left out the course and 7 that have finished, meaning that almost two thirds of the riders have scratched... far surpassing my expected 50%. 

![IMG 7525](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3d9Do7HautQssIpzLQBYAZ/355110c895eccd097f4305510ad12100/IMG_7525.jpeg)

Both Lily Beaven and Keith Maclure are still out there battling the elements and the trail (or trail/river in Lily's case earlier today) and this genuinely begs the question of who has the tougher ride? On one hand Samuele, Gemma and the others at the pointy end, absolutely pushed the limits of what is possible on two wheels, testing their limits all the way. But by the very nature of rides like this, every rider is out there pushing their limits, and for those who are out there for longer, they have to deal with exposure to the elements, the wet, the wind and the cold for so much longer. All the while fending off the mental battle involved with a challenge like this, picking themselves up from the lows and finding the will and the grit to carry on. In my mind that's often the harder challenge to over come. 

![IMG 7527](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2D2ZK9K55HtbzrkSVb4DLv/492fbcbdb6e65204817fe36c18cf5696/IMG_7527.jpeg)

Day 11 

Sorry for the radio silence yesterday Dotwatchers, but to recap Monday, the big news was that Ross Mallon has successfully made it across the ferry from Durness without any hold ups (as far as I can tell) to become the 2nd person to finish this years race.

Meanwhile today (Tuesday) has been a tad more eventful... sometime this morning Daniil also made it to the ferry and was all set to take 3rd place, however with poor weather conditions, no sailings were on offer and he has decided to call it a day there, a tantalising 10km short of the line. I guess this is technically a scratch, but he seems happy and fulfilled with his ride and race saying *'I'm done, I think it is enough. I saw beautiful places, I met wonderful people, and it was an amazing 10 days...'* if you ask me that's the essence of why we do these things isn't it?

![RPReplay Final1724799141](//videos.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/76dYqEMKTUB7FS5pjd6sSn/a332ac8324e29fe354e2ad2e7c29efb9/RPReplay_Final1724799141.mov)

This afternoon however, Martyn Stottlaw & and Gemma Baird have gone off piste, cutting out the ferry route, possibly hike'a'biking round the western edge of the Kyle of Durness in order to make the finish, leaving Jamie Begg in Durness to wait and hope the weather improves for a ferry on Wednesday morning. I'm not sure what The Racing Collective's rules are in route deviations like this this year, but I'm guessing that this is allowed, so we have Martyn provisionally in 3rd and Gemma 1st women and 4th over all! 

Tuesday has also seen a number of riders scratching out of the race. With the consistent rain and 10days of hard back to back riding, the fatigue will be setting in with a punch. Most notably Caroline Reuter, who lead the women's field for the first few day before holing onto a solid 2nd place has been forced to pull out in order to make her return journey back home. Kirsty Gunstone has, despite making it further than last year, scratched  just south of Fort Augustus. While Ailsa Beck has also Scratched just north of the Scottish border, but promised to come back to compleat the Scottish leg, just perhaps with group friends to enjoy it with. 

Still moving Cordelia Hughes and Lucy Wood are now just 150km away from the finish line and fuelled with a couple of Chinese takeaways seem to be powering on to Cape Wrath. I'd expect to see them finish sometime tomorrow. Further back we have Lily Beaven and Keith Maclure both still battening the elements and I for one and willing them on! 

Day 9 & 10

![IMG 7497](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6bLL1N6rBDRcv0kVwVVxSw/af47388aef3baf912106cd8d302de145/IMG_7497.jpeg)

He's only gone and done it hasn't he... After a 24hr delay waiting for the world's smallest ferry, Samuele Tonello has made it to Cape Wrath and is our first fininher of the new look GB DURO, in a fraction over 8 Days. He's put in an absolutely dominant performance and a well deserved winner, celebrating with Scottish YHA kitchen dinner.  

![IMG 7496](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/35IbXVde9920oA29uGRq3T/6e301f2d7f9b4afc69b6c123ba457470/IMG_7496.jpeg)

At time of writing (11pm Sunday) Ross is showing as approximately 100km back, but with no updates for 5hours and Daniil another 80km behind Ross.

Meanwhile Jamie Begg, Martyn Scottlaw & Gemma Baird are all approching Fort Augustus. Gemma now leads the women's field by approximately 90km at the end of Day 8, possibly energised by a road side greeting from her family.

![IMG 7490](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5SGu9G9LMwfFV18RSHxHwU/a2e65cb8752b90660715e3c5fb142b15/IMG_7490.jpeg)

Further south Kirsty Gunstone and Lilly Beaven have been pressing on through the harsh weather, with Lilly opting for a hotel over night to dry off and recover a little before continuing North. 

Again today there have been no news of any scratches (we clearly have a very dogged and determined set of riders remaining out on the route), but we do have news from Martijn van Loom, who having scratched a few days ago, has made it to John O'Groats to round off his alternative route. 


Day 8 - First Rider to Cape Wrath

I was fully expecting to be writing this post with the news that as of early this morning (Saturday 24th), Samuele has made it to Cape Wrath, completing the 1892km route of the GB DURO in bang on 7 days. However, this isn't the case... He's currently stranded just a mere 20km short of the finish line, on the western bank of the Kyle of Durness, due to a cancelled ferry service. With no known reason for the cancellation, he's hopeful and confident that ferries will resume sailing again on Sunday morning, and that given his astonishing lead, the final result will not be affected. 

By late Saturday evening and some 240km of challenging, predominantly off road highland trail further back Ross Mallen is now comfortably in 2nd place after Ali scratched out yesterday, with Daniil Sadomskij approximately 100km down the trail rounding off the top 3.

After days of back and forth with each other Jamie Begg has pulled away from Gemma Baird, who is still leading the women's field, now by just 40km or so, as Caroline Reuter seems to be making a move to reel her in. Meanwhile Lucy Wood and Cordelia Hughes are making steady progress, despite not making it as far as Biggar as planned, and are now off route having found alternative accommodation and for the first time been forced to purchase food (a vegetable curry) with plastic take away packaging. Seriously impressive to have made it this far without! 

Most of the riders are now north of the Scottish border, and with no news of any scratches today, I think it's safe to assume that all are going well and taking in the beautiful terrain the route traverses as it heads north. 

Day 8 - The End Is In Sight But Out Of Reach 

The big news today is that Ali Hitchen, having been in an epic battle over 2nd place throughout the entire race with Ross Mallen, has scratched this afternoon, just north of Edinburgh. Since crossing the border in to Scotland he's faced multiple issues, including battling against the weather and a dead garmin providing navigation woes, but despite this and at times looking like he was mounting an attack on Samuele's dominant 1st place position, it was a niggle with his knee that's has ultimately gotten the better of him on this occasion. Thank you Ali for keeping us entertained and making this such an exciting race to follow. 

At 10pm Friday evening Samuele has just 160km to go to the finish and a near 300km buffer between him and Ross. Unless something drastic unfolds, Sam will be the first home some time on Saturday morning. 

80km down the road from Ross and now in 3rd place sits ultra endurance rookie Daniil Sadomskij, who's road side AXS bodge/hack seems to be going just as strong as his legs. 

Gemma Baird is slowly, but surely securing her 1st place position in the women's field, making steady gains over Caroline, Lucy and Cordelia, who all seem to be riding together as they approach the final quarter of the race, with Cordelia's Instagram stories documenting her continued plastic free updates... which if you've ever tried to race one of these things is no small feat. 

![Plastic Free 4 Life](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/dwMCX0GFL5pDs5JrEaFj5/fd3f96dc1688496698394b34dcacbf90/IMG_7463.jpeg)

With just 14 of the starting 26 riders remaining out on the road, demonstrating just how attritional this route is, it is a fair question to ask, just how many will finish... 

Day 7 - Ali is out! 

![Ross's Phone Box Bivvy](//videos.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/20HVZ6S9xgcOUWhtbRwoFq/b4840231f9adb7b81229c3a30905878e/8e200edf-3edb-4ec2-a310-5beb54ff55d6.mov)

Despite hiding from the storm in a public phone box, Ross Mallen must have put in a big shift over Wednesday night and into Thursday morning, bringing the race for 2nd place back into contention, while Ali Hitchen opted to get some decent rest and recover from his efforts on Tuesday and Wednesday. The two are now neck and neck once again, although both off route this evening seeking shelter after a hard day on Scotland's trails. Meanwhile, Samuele Tonello is looking ever more secure in 1st place with just 350km to Cape Wrath... possibly looking to finish sometime on Friday, and despite the weather, set a high bar for the new route's FKT.

Gemma Baird is also looking dominant in the women's field, maintaining a 60-70km lead throughout the day, over Caroline Reuter, Cordelia Hughes, Lucy Wood and Kirsty Gunstone, who all appear to have sought shelter, having broken the back of the Dales, at a bunkhouse in Horton in Ribblesdale, with Lily Beaven looking like she may join them in the early hours of Friday morning. 

![Bunkhouse Shelter From The Storm](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7iGCXcmU3AYw9HFh6vg7cS/3d044558f2c092054481a8f45404713e/IMG_7425.jpeg)

Further back, we've had a few more Scratches from friends and rivals Sonny D'Souza and Sam Asher, both putting in a commendable effort on their first Ultra, while Frances Rawson also choosing to end her ride after suffering from swollen joints and a dog bite in the Welsh mountains. Hats off to all of you. 

Day 6 - The Race For 2nd Is Back On

As the weather continues to roll in and met office warnings issued in the North, it's been an eventful 24 hours in the GB DURO. 

![Samuele Tonello leads the GB DURO](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3byoX1sSDb4PaLK0LlTLQu/0561b7cc7057cc97ba2bb8d19d0b7da9/IMG_7396.jpeg)

Some time yesterday it appears that, race leader Samuele Tonello, took a wrong turn and pedalled a good 50km in the wrong direction out of Manchester, before retracing his pedal strokes and returning to the correct route with an extra 100km in the legs. Somehow, as of 10pm this evening, he's still the best part of 150km ahead of Ali Hitchen in 2nd place. That said, Ali's dot has not updated for 3 hours, so I'd guess that if he's still moving, it would be closer to 100km in reality. 

Over the course of the day Ali has also managed to pull away from Ross Mallen in the fight over 2nd place and even eaten a little into Samuele's lead. It appears from the riders group chat that Samuele is having a rough time in Scotland and made less progress than he may have liked. Ali too has been struggling against adverse weather, but seems positive and could be choosing to capitalise on Samuele's struggles. Either way, as they head into the final quarter of the route, it's going to be a big, but never say insurmountable, challenge to reel him in.

![Gemma holds the women's lead](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/cvoSTozPxm5HwoPqIwrKb/1bbdf3455a903a93ee657668d218515f/IMG_7397.jpeg)

The women's race has remained just as lively and exciting as ever, with Caroline Reuter closing in on a resting Gemma Baird earlier this morning. However, as of this evening Gemma still leads by approximately 20km, while Caroline is followed very closely by Cordelia Hughes and Lucy Wood, just another 5km or so further back. That said it's hard to get a truly accurate picture at present, as Gemma's dot has not updated for 4 hours, while Caroline's, Cordelia's and Lucy's have all remained inactive for 2 hours. Perhaps all choosing to take shelter and recuperate before heading into the Dales and weather warnings, North of Manchester in in Scotland.    

![Cordelia & Lucy get a Prem Inn](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5rlPGTG8HxZCPiRqL9Cnh1/474a5dcb433d11509a35a4a5dc33b821/IMG_7399.jpeg)

There have been three scratches today with the weather and strain on the body taking it's toll. Adrian Reynolds, who'd been solidly in 4th place and having a sterling ride, is out with an Achilles injury, while Martijn van Loon and Mike Dennison are both withdrawing, but making the most of it and carrying on on alternative routes. 

![Adrian Scratches with Achilies injury](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/rzAPVZQYRnSbagSMVLmO1/eda292a1cdc214c9b7749ffe9b233228/IMG_7395.png)


An Eventful Day 5 Round Up

With poor conditions throughout yesterday and overnight, most of our riders sought cover and called it early. A large group of riders including, Alan Goldsmith, Caroline Reuter, Cordelia Hughes, Michael Dennison and Lucy Wood to name a few, taking shelter with a social pub dinner in Llanwrtyd Wells... Gemma Baird on the other hand showed her Scottish grit and faced the elements, taking the lead of the women's race and moving up into 6th place over all.

![GB DURO Pub Club](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3gZhBgDKIXGhKOnqnBdSx5/9907cb86ad29dc67e45f6aa58131ed26/5b227672-233d-43e2-8c4d-da54c13846b6.jpeg)

Out at the front, and now with a fully functional spot tracker, Samuele Tonello has pressed on and by this morning had made it to Manchester, pulling a good 160km/100mi ahead of 2nd place and has even been spotted crossing paths with Rhys Clarke, a rider on the Perfidious Albion. 

![GB DURO Crossing paths with Ther Perfidious Albion](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2Si19uu7TqkMTJjehWRyM3/340cae92235df651a32e699e2d97d7a7/IMG_7376.jpeg)

Yesterday, Ross Mallen had also built up a significant lead over Ali Hitchen in the battle of 2nd and 3rd. However with Ross suffering a dead phone battery and unable to find his hotel, coupled with less technical terrain now the Cambrian Mountains are behind them as they cross back into England, Ali has closed the gap. As of 3pm the two are once again neck and neck, with Ali's tracker currently showing as 2nd place on the road. 

![Ross & Ali hit Manchester](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4ruDq5NGB6BSKIGSlaLAJ4/93a31af44f5fe7f3162b7a264d51185c/IMG_7383.jpeg)

Returning to complete unfinished business from last year, Kirsty Gunstone is going strong, having climbed a few places today and is making good progress. Meanwhile, two very experienced riders have scratched, the Highland Trail 550's Allen Goldsmith deciding not to carry on from Llanwrtyd Wells and Tom Hall calling it a day just North West of the Elan Valley, both citing that all is well, and Allen is even looking forward to a slow ride home without any time or train stresses to affect his ride. 

![Cordelia's plastic free swag](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1Pcq3lgamuaJ7mWxLGcgPp/2b4a7853c66e080c2c8c34eea96739fb/IMG_7377.jpeg)

With today's better weather all riders all seem in good spirits and WhatsApp chat has become more active with updates, photos and stories. I'm also pleased to see updates on riders Plastic Free Ultra, Caroline Reuter saying 'Day 3 and still plasti-free! I love it even if it's more faff'

Night 3 & Day 4 - Gemma Baird Takes The Lead

As of 9:30am this morning Samuelle's tracker has updated and he is well over 110km ahead of his nearest rival. He's clearly pedalling at some pace and must have had very little down time, whereas the rest of the front 4 have all bedded down for at least some time every night thus far. It's still early in the race and a lot can happen, so the question is, can he continue to pull away or will fatigue set in and his lead begin to diminish? 

Meanwhile, in the battle for 2nd place Ross Mallen has made a move and pulled away from Ali Hitchen over night, after being neck and neck throughout the race thus far. Ali commenting: 

'We're leapfrogging constantly, very evenly matched! I think he's faster on the technical rough stuff and I'm faster on the road.'

![Daniel's trail side AXS fix](//videos.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3buqDH85lPE4kXhFxdZP3I/2bca6250d5e565a35abb7ca2bce92722/Automatic.mp4)

Still doggedly chasing the front 4, Daniil Sadomskij had an eventful day yesterday with a broken SRAM AXS battery connection on his rear mech, almost leading to our first scratch report. However, with an ingenious trail side fix involving scavenging some wires from an abandoned agricultural trailer, his mech is shifting beautifully and he's on the move again! 

![Gemma Baird](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1qd9JVCo3vG4y9HnNDygA8/5b94aef50d8dbea143241c360591f9fb/IMG_7355.jpeg)

The women's race is also hotting up as Gemma Baird relentlessly continues her hunt to track down Caroline Reuter, with the two of them in 6th & 7th position over all and as of lunchtime on day 3, just 30km or so between them.   

With the stereotypically wet Welsh weather, now set in with a moderate tail wind too, most of the field are well into the Brecon Beacons. But with damp conditions the trails will be slower and more treacherous, making it harder for those further back to close the gap. Day 3 has also, much later than I was expecting, brought our first scratch reports with Richard Newey & Gavin Rogers pulling out, reasons unknown at present.

Our youngest rider, Sonny D'Souza, also seems to be going strong having distanced his friend and rival Sam Asher who's suffered a cracked rim and is sourcing a new wheel in Bristol. Keith Maclure, suffering a similar fate with a freehub failure, also sourcing a repair in Bristol. With the trail taking it's toll on their kit they've got some ground to make up. 

Day 3 - Race Moves & Mechanicals

As the light begins to fade on day two, there are 4 clear front runners who've broken clear of the rest of the race. On the map a hairs width separates Ali Hitchen, Ross Mallen & Adrian Reynolds as they all seem to be making their way along the Long Pass over the Brecon Beacons, while Samuele Tonello's tracker sits in 4th place but without an update for 8hours, I imagine he's built a decent lead over the chasing three, but we'll have to wait for an update to see by what margin.

![IMG 7357](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1bEfxfEiMJLqWeJZqbaBNG/1c3f2960d15d2b21b1f99089a89f5a49/IMG_7357.png)

The best part of 60km back from the front 4, sits ultra endurance rookie Daniil Sadomskij, still going strong, but with Martijn van Loon and Caroline Reuter close on his tail.

![IMG 7356](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6MRlYojb0NZN0vCBWdgIyi/8dee3fe12616921ffe24a2c4eb14ceb5/IMG_7356.png)

Caroline still holds a dominant position in the women's field. However, her lead has reduced to approximately 40km over the course of the day, with Gemma Baird, Cordelia Hughes and Lucy Wood all currently in Bristol (9pm Sunday night). With a wide selection of places to stay and re-supply, I would expect to see quite a few riders stop here for the night, but it might be a bit early in the day for those already there.

![IMG 7354](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5cWYHnjL6GAJlwzsFoQpyW/4c543edfed70cf282fcdab278b4cbbd4/IMG_7354.png)

Over the course of the day I've I've seen various updates from riders, some posting on their plastic free ultra progress, while others their charitable fund raising goals and even Sonny D'Souza & Sam Asher's race within the race. The weather too has been favourable and warm, but with the forecast set to turn a little wetter tomorrow, so riders may have little time to enjoy what's left of the fairer conditions. 

Day 2 Round Up - The Front 4 Break Away

Alex Boswell

GBDURO24 Tracking + Commentary: It's often referred to as the "scrappy rolling picnic through Britain's ever-changing landscapes". In more detail, the 2024 no frills edition of GBDURO is a 2000km single -stage self -supported gravel reliability trial from Land's End to Cape Wrath.



GBDURO24 2024 Tracking

It's often referred to as the "scrappy rolling picnic through Britain's ever changing landscapes". In more detail, the 2024 no frills edition of GBDURO is a 2000km single -stage self -supported gravel reliability trial from Land's End to Cape Wrath.


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