Jonny Pain Completes First Round of Beyond The Ultimate Challenge

Jonny Pain is an ultra runner and coach who is one-quarter of the way through an incredible challenge – completing all four Beyond the Ultimate terrain runs.

From the ice and freezing temperatures of Sweden to the fierce heat of the Namib desert mixed with races in the jungles and mountains, this will be a phenomenal feat when Pain completes them all within 12 months. 

He has already completed the Ice Ultra this year; in the arctic wilderness of Swedish Lapland. It is Europe’s last remaining arctic wasteland and the heartland of the indigenous Sámi people.

The Beyond the Ultimate Ice Ultra, which Jonny completed in February, reaches a temperature of around minus 40 degrees Celsius and takes place over five days with a distance of 230km. On day two of the race, Pain was warned about the dropping temperatures and sideways winds of up to 50mph.

“What drew me to these challenges is that when you look at race schedules, and you think you can do it, it is probably the wrong race to pick,” he said.