Tom Downes

Rhys Clarke

Timo Rokitte

Richard Wilson

Ross Phoenix

Rup Hoyland

Daniel O'Connor

Rob Weir

Jo C

Roman Perales Ruiz

Mike Dennison

Sam Dix

Todd Perry

Pieter-Jan Torfs

Keith Maclure

Henry Compson

James McIntosh

Tudor Gillham

Daniel Hodsdon

Jessica Notzing

Peter Hannon

Paul Wilson

Henry Ingram

Just after midnight Roman Perales Ruiz became the 10th and final finisher of this year's GBDURO.  That's 10 out of 23 that took to the start line, or a 57% scratch rate, just to remind us how brutal this course is whether or not you're racing for the top spots.

![Roman Painface Brecon Beacons](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/GtZIJzSeDRp2Ery8rLaEc/b0e827e3feef9791907f5bb22d20754e/GBDURO_Day_03_Brecon_Offroad_Drummondphoto-11.jpg)

Incredible efforts by all and all 23 have reason to be incredibly proud of their efforts whether they managed to finish or not.  I've really enjoyed getting to know the personalities in a small way and following their journey through the last two weeks.  Here's wishing everyone a well-earned rest, safe journeys home, and looking forward to see what GBDURO26 has in store!

Day 13/14 Overnight - Over and Out

[Day 13 Morning](https://youtu.be/2EaHebfNYgo)

Photographer Michael Drummond made an impromptu return to documenting the race as he happened to be at John O' Groats at the same time as yesterday's finishes.  I've stitched his interviews into this commentary since they're closer to the action than anything I could do this morning.

One last update when Roman finishes, but otherwise this is my GBDURO coverage wrapping up.  Thanks for joining me!

[Drummond Photo](https://www.instagram.com/drummondphoto/)

Day 13 Morning including on-location interviews with Dan, Rob, Rup, and Jo

Since Tom and I spoke this morning, Dan O'Connor rolled in around 11.30am, this time greeted by Rup as the head of his welcoming committee.  At around 3.30pm it was Rob Weir's turn to be welcomed in.  It seems all the recent finishers are making an extended party of it, greeting each new arrival with more enthusiasm than the last.  I'd say it's a well-earned celebration for all!

![Welcoming Committee](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6JdZkTtvUWwzVNuGVtsses/529e996450e7ac84c04047d98f277288/Screenshot_2025-08-20_at_3.30.13â__pm.jpeg.png)

![Rob's Finish](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5ruaJQZbW0K79xw2eLIxb/21297ecf11269a601bdc546cf7b30385/WhatsApp_Image_2025-08-20_at_15.36.05.jpeg)

It's also the best example I think I've seen of Rule #10 - the final rule on the list for all of The Racing Collective's various events:

> Buy your fellow racers a beer.  Tradition has it that the first home buys the second place finisher a drink; the second place rider buys the third place rider a drink; and so on, until the whole field of finishers are catered for.  That is, all apart from the rider first home.

What a great way to keep things in perspective, eh?

The rider WhatsApp group has also just generally been an outpouring of gratitude, positivity and encouragement from finishers and scratched riders alike all day.  It's really wonderful to see.

# The ride in (non metric) numbers

Nearly all our chat has been in km's and metres, so it was nice of Rup to collate everything into miles and feet here.

![Rup's Stats](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1QLusEClfb4s09rjaN8uRO/9da0ac3890e0575c2a443fd73dbb1b49/Screenshot_2025-08-20_at_3.34.04â__pm.jpeg.png)
![Rup's Finish](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7rxyQURvXs0xdcunBe1tZ0/d853078a2e7b7907e28d989a5430a4fc/Screenshot_2025-08-20_at_9.23.38â__am.jpeg.png)

# Two to go!

Jo is currently into the tarmac lanes with about 75km to go so, while it looks like she's going to miss dinnertime, she should be in early enough for most of the crew to stay awake and meet her.  And if that wasn't reason enough for them to make the effort, it seems that today is her birthday too - happy birthday Jo and congratulations!

![Jo Birthday Wishes](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/pkLGrVtMn4xtZQBeQKmDE/b1185b0ad94ba47c2c72ef155c5f0c80/Screenshot_2025-08-20_at_1.15.08â__pm.jpeg.png)

Roman is still in the Alladale estate with about 250km left in his ride, so it's going to be tomorrow for his finish now.  I certainly hope some of the other riders are able to stick around to see him in.  I'll update on his progress in the morning.


Day 12 Evening - Party at the Finish!

[Day 12 Morning with Race Winner Tom Downes](https://youtu.be/5Sv-N-ZIaow)

Now that he's made it home, had a full night's sleep in his own bed, and got access to reliable internet again, I had a wonderful chat with 2025's race winner Tom Downes this morning about what it was like for him riding and winning the GBDURO as well as some of his thoughts about various sections of the route, how the remaining riders are progressing, and what's next on his race calendar!

Day 12 Morning with Race Winner Tom Downes

The end of GBDURO 2025 just keeps inching ever closer, and conditions remain incredible!

![Richard Wilson finished between 1 and 2am](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2dlXncg4iIce5TPHFcxWjj/ea286ec5d2ce931777529c5964c34d1e/DSC08337.jpg)

With Timo finishing last night and Rich in the small hours of this morning, that left 6 on the course at the end of the morning update.  Ross Phoenix rolled in just before 1.30pm this afternoon to take a 5th place finish.  As a longtime supporter of the GBDURO and The Racing Collective, having hosted race gatherings near the start for many years, it was a huge milestone and an emotional moment for Ross to finally complete the race himself.  Big congratulations Timo, Rich, and Ross!

![Ross finishes 5th](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1m4EcjA5pW9suTXiKvMYC5/d70bd9900478cca0d7505d6e8ed22361/DSC08354.jpg)

The most recent finishers are all now enthusiastic dotwatchers themselves, eagerly awaiting Rup Hoyland's arrival as the next finisher.  His updates today have certainly made me jealous!

![Final GPX](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/58KHKFAqOVbQiRTMMtWQ3k/196273fed78c5b345fcb85bad68e3743/Screenshot_2025-08-19_at_9.03.09â__am.jpeg.png)
![HaB Begins!](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/JM81ABJkkuV5QIvHi0pYe/d0a6a08b95296d70e5688d650ade449a/Screenshot_2025-08-19_at_1.30.47â__pm.jpeg.png)
![This bridge looks perfectly fine](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3sPUrkQY2ZuQTByk1vfva1/4f377af23c83f6a0c2b107bb5ac1939c/Screenshot_2025-08-19_at_4.43.42â__pm.jpeg.png)
![Worth it!](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4M8dL7OgopfQClZ24Of7W8/8f5cadca8dd48ff08be4ad1dfa3bc6eb/Screenshot_2025-08-19_at_4.43.22â__pm.jpeg.png)

Now he's in that last gravel secteur before the rolling lanes descent to the finish with about 60km left in front of him, so it looks like he'll miss sunset but there's evidently still a bit of a party in the works for his arrival:

![Rup's Party Planning](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2EYLv3yJzelC8wq9053Tuc/500032abdc08d7c1df04f1ce355bbf48/Screenshot_2025-08-19_at_7.19.57â__pm.jpeg.png)

Sounds like a fun night if Rup can stay awake long enough to enjoy it after the ride he's put in today!

# A Sentimental Souvenir?
Sam (who scratched due to a cracked rim) sent this through today and I thought it was pretty cool.  Well - the idea is cool, even though the warranty situation isn't.  It seems Sam got those wheels secondhand so wasn't able to take advantage of Zipp's comprehensive crash replacement warranty.  If anyone wants to send Sam a new wheel I'm sure he'd be very grateful!

![Sam's Souvenir Wheel](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6xMppoxEO8aLDhwBxVp5ON/c168bd7c0fc8fc68362d10b1d57ce12c/Screenshot_2025-08-19_at_7.21.11â__pm.jpeg.png)

# Get Your Race Drama Here
Just in case any of our dotwatchers thought the placings were a foregone conclusion and we were just watching our finishers roll in from now on, today has kept us on our toes with a pretty exciting race shaping up to secure 7th place.  Dan O'Connor has been on a mission all day, closing the gap to Rob Weir in front of him at a pretty alarming pace.  Now, just since I've begun writing this update it looks like he's finally overtaken Rob a bit before Altnaharra.  Both riders will reach the Loch Choire hike-a-bike around dusk and probably have to navigate a good portion of it by artificial light before pedalling their final 100km into tomorrow's sunrise.  Insomniacs, these are the two dots to watch tonight!

The other big unknown at the moment is where exactly Jo Clapp has got to.  Her tracker last updated 6 hours ago at the final resupply at Contin Stores but we know she's ridden on from there.  That means there's obviously some kind of technical issue going on and it will be a surprise to all of us once she notices and gets things up and running again and we find out what kind of progress she's made.  My guess is that she's done something like change the batteries in the tracker and then forget to turn it on again (perhaps only because I made that mistake once during my ride).  It could also be dead batteries or even just a gremlin requiring a reboot.  We'll all be glad to get an update from her when she's able, though!

![Jo keeps going](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1YHT1mwYpIh7c8CvcVBmIX/6db1d9a16733fabb10db163e8887e210/DSC08405.jpg)

And the final nail-biting finish may come from Roman Perales-Ruiz, who hasn't long departed Fort Augustus and still has 380km in front of him.  That's a pretty tall order to complete by 8pm tomorrow, which marks the cutoff for riders to be given an official finishing time on the GC leaderboard.  Riders rolling in after the cutoff will still be classed as finishers, they just won't be given a time after their name.  So it's not all or nothing for Roman to cover that ground in the next 24 hours, but there's reason enough that we might well see him make the attempt.  That would make for a very exciting final day of official GBDURO coverage!

Day 11 Evening - 5 left on course

[Day 11 Morning](https://youtu.be/lyyCI9ttKeI)

Timo finished in 3rd as predicted not long after yesterday's evening update.  Rich Wilson finished in 4th place overnight around 1.30-2.00am.  Congratulations to both!

Day 11 Morning

# Overview
Timo Rokitte is less than 20km from the finish and it's all a tarmac'ed rolling descent to the end, so while nothing is ever guaranteed in ultra-racing, it looks about as certain as can be that he'll be our 3rd place finisher in an hour or so.  Congratulations Timo when it comes!

![Timo Rokitte](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/9t8ckwPw5NdOELUpgY4m4/cc98e67774d59d31adcd1be8f14fcbcd/Timo_Rokitte.jpg)

Rich Wilson is through the boggy bit of Loch Choire so now has just over 100km of relatively straightforward riding to the end.  Ross Phoenix is at Altnaharra with ~150km to go, with that same boggy section as his biggest remaining challenge.  I'd guess both will push on at this point and we'll see overnight or morning finishes for those two.

![Rich on Ascent](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7cuXzGSAo0y2tGdB3Azcd2/52720c73d0da2d449bf7d9f8cb0ed042/Rich_on_ascent.jpg)

![Ross in the Distance](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1AwVfMnjWl505numxZu6z9/65625abe176bc3d2c2f49f584979de53/Ross_in_the_Distance.jpg)

Rup Hoyland is further back - possibly following Timo's example from last night by having dinner at Oykel Bridge.  That would suggest a finish a bit more than 24 hours from now if he follows similar pacing.

![Rup's Party](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2dNejBkE30H4GioJF9tjUW/2be1e0fdeae66708b0f8c93be7849459/DSC06082.JPG)

![No Reality Please](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3i9pbSiNT0ycuwryi52t0n/74523651f44fda329c805b3edf277506/Screenshot_2025-08-18_at_8.03.59â__pm.jpeg.png)

Rob Weir and Dan O'Connor are both still this side of Contin.  Rob is on the Marybank descent but the Contin Stores are already closed.  Since that's the last resupply I sort of expect both riders to take an overnight there and stock up before knocking out the last ~300km.  Dan is still making his way out of the puddles - perhaps he'll draw a similar conclusion to the accusation Rup leveled earlier below:

![Puddle Accusation](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5Uv0nfbaJ9cr1do8LwEv0k/1b9668c45aa9a485672d1f34625fddc5/Screenshot_2025-08-18_at_12.04.29â__pm.jpeg.png)

Jo's dot is stationary at Fort Augustus and Roman is on Loch Laggan with the Corrieyairack Pass still to cover.  I'd guess both of them spend the night in or near Fort Augustus tonight and start before dawn tomorrow.  Roman may even choose to save the pass til morning if he's carrying enough food - this would be a lovely night to spend in Melgarve Bothy at the foot of the main climb!

# Looking Ahead
Whilst it looks like riders are still generally concsious of their placings (and ensuring they reach John O' Groats by 8pm Wednesday to get an official finishing time), I think conditions and scenery are just so incredibly wonderful up in the Highlands right now that riders really are taking a bit of extra time to drink it all in and ride at a pace that keeps things fun.  I'll be curious to hear more stories from the finish line as more riders roll in, but I genuinely think this year might end up being the most joyous finish ever, with more riders wishing they could continue riding than are just grateful to have it over with.

Day 10 Evening: Timo Rokitte rolling in for 3rd

[Day 10 Morning](https://youtu.be/53-wcFwvAwc)

With a few exceptions I'm trying to make sure I stick subtitles onto the video itself - mostly because dotwatcher is generally written-first so I want people to be able to watch with the sound off if that's their preference.  AI is pretty good at giving me a decent transcript, with the exception of proper names and especially Gaelic place names.  With Gaelic it usually just transcribes gibberish, but this morning I feel the need to note down the fact that I apparently told the world that Rich camped out in Compton last night 😇.

[Rup Hoyland's Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/rup_hoyland/)

Day 10 Morning

# Overview
Since Tom's finish around 9.40am we've seen lots of congratulations rolling in and spirits have been high for the rest of our field now that the achievability of this route in 2025 has been proven.

![Tom's as gracious as ever](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/1U4Ka9HIT8yTOFtkM3KbeB/fab68ab6a7dd75cb50b84d0ad6ca37b1/Screenshot_2025-08-17_at_10.27.37â__am.jpeg.png)

Rhys Clarke rolled into John O' Groats at 7.59pm to take 2nd place, for a total of a minute shy of 8d12h (could vary a bit depending how official timekeeping works out).

![Rhys takes 2nd place](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7zMTdv74DICNt3nQ71BJTK/a4d914378e91c6453c13b81c7be14d8b/Screenshot_2025-08-17_at_9.32.25â__pm.jpeg.png)

Timo Rokitte has left the final resupply in Contin and thankfully found a hotel near Oykel Bridge to get some dinner, because it looked like he didn't reach Rosehall until around 9pm - almost certainly after the kitchen closed (if not the bar as well!) As one of the few riders who has pushed through the night on this race, I expect he'll take little or no sleep tonight and aim to finish ASAP, so we should get to watch his dot roll in for that final podium spot sometime tomorrow morning.

![Timo's last meal before the finish?](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3WTFWJmRSGYb4e4VcY2tOy/9c6e173417979462415f6b689e022096/DSC08319.jpg)

Rich Wilson appears to have bedded down in/near Contin which is probably sensible - it means he'll get a fresh start for what will undoubtedly be an incredible final day of riding tomorrow.  It's 300+km so still a big shift but it's doable.

It's another ~50km back to Ross Phoenix and again to Rup Hoyland behind him in Cannich and Fort Augustus, respectively.  I can't tell whether either has stopped for the night or what their current goals are in terms of a finish time/date.

![Ross's Best Night](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/iiYuAHSfhkc1DAuy8u55y/6cce89b19963ac0411e1ed2367ca499c/Screenshot_2025-08-17_at_3.34.32â__pm.jpeg.png)

Rob Weir may be camping out between Lochs Ossian and Laggan and Dan O'Connor is on approach to Bridge of Gaur.  Jo said she'd booked digs in Strathyre, though her dot is still lagging behind in Callander.  Roman is the last rider still making his way through the central belt, currently on approach to the Falkirk Wheel, which must look incredible on a clear night like this!

# Mike Dennison Scratches
Unfortunately that arthritis flare-up I highlighted in the morning update forced Mike to abandon the race at Stirling mid-afternoon.  He'd become a fan and peloton favourite, not just for his plastic-free pledge efforts, but also for just generally being really helpful and encouraging to riders and everyone else he met along the way.

![Mike's Scratch Message](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7ximWRzV1sgI4vBElEQFKW/ee439745250e0c30002461730a0efc00/Screenshot_2025-08-17_at_9.31.37â__pm.jpeg.png)

# Jo's Equipment Issues Continue
Jo started the day reporting this failure with the frame of her tailfin bag - it seems she just can't catch a break!  This slowed her down again today but I caught her briefly at the Callander Tesco around 7pm and she said her bodge repair was really sturdy and stable so far.  More importantly, she looked and sounded far too fresh, coherent, and upbeat for someone on day 9 of an ultra so, equipment issues aside, she seems unstoppable.

![Jo's Broken Bag 1](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6nyxPDqwTbJliGDAePkFTe/cc878e556c423cfc2429812c51b40032/Screenshot_2025-08-17_at_9.29.49â__pm.jpeg.png)

![Jo's Broken Bag 2](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/77lFJkrAHv811CYwgzLPzr/1ebcfb6cfa0196681ba38fe9775040d5/Screenshot_2025-08-17_at_2.56.45â__pm.jpeg.png)

# Looking Ahead
With the worst of the heatwave behind us, still no rain in sight, and the weekend tourist traffic calming down, these next few days should be some of the most wonderful days of bikepacking in the Scottish Highlands that anyone could possibly hope for, so I just hope all our racers are able to drink it all in.

Day 9 Evening - Rhys Clarke Takes 2nd Place

[Day 9 Morning](https://youtu.be/l2OSfVQRNho)

Congratulations to winner Tom Downes! No official time yet but looks like probably around 8d1h40m.  Full race update in the video and more as the day progresses.

A Correction: I called the wind farm to the north of Fort Augustus "Dalreoch" or "Dalrioch".  I was misremembering the name "Dalchreichart" which isn't even the name of the wind farm - it's the village in Glen Moriston below.

Day 9 Morning - Tom Downes wins GBDURO 2025

 Alex Fthenakis

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.


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


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