****If you're interested in tracking us at all, you can follow along at this link: https://btu.extrac.uk/ ****

Paul is a record holding, multi-podium ultrarunner with some serious KMs in the bank.

Hellie had never run more than 5km (unless unknowingly whilst chasing a ball around a lacrosse pitch).

We were looking for a big challenge and so naturally we've "met in the middle" and are running 230km across Kenya over 5 days across 5 nature conservancies! We even managed to pick a "self-supported" race, so we'll be carrying food, sleeping bags and clothing throughout as a bonus! How this came about is really quite simple - Paul showed Hellie a well edited video of people running with an adorable baby rhino (?!) and she forgot to ask the distance.

It's going to be a very different challenge for each of us though:

For Hellie, it's obvious - persuade her mind and body, including her 2 operated on knees, to carry her the distance. Ouch.

For Paul, you may be thinking, I'm not sponsoring a guy who is practically a duracell bunny and cracks out midnight marathons for lols. But this time he's got to have the patience to run at Hellie's pace (approx, half speed for Paul), is tasked with being the team cheerleader and ultimately not being tempted to run off and leave her to the lions. Arguably a harder feat...

So why are we doing this? Admittedly the initial driver was one of personal challenge but over the past year we've been learning about the unbelievable cause this race is dedicated to. We're going to be supporting ForRangers and Save the Rhino International because the rangers desperately need our help.

Sadly, the data is just terrifying. In the last 10 years alone, over 1000 Rangers have been killed in the line of duty, predominantly from the threat of poachers. They're doing critical work for anti-poaching and protecting an incredible ecosystem that other humans are destroying. Yet, they are vastly under-funded and often lacking even just basic kit. Any donations go straight to purchases, for them and we'll be seeing some of what previous races have funded. We're looking forward to having a tangible impact and you'd be surprised how quickly you can help us make a difference:

£17 | $20 pays for a life-saving first aid kit.

£35 | $43 covers life insurance for one ranger for a full year to support their family.

£38 | $46 buys a portable stove so rangers can cook a hot meal in the bush.

£82 | $100 will buy a smartphone so rangers can communicate and capture data in the field.

£180 | $218 could provide a three-person tent to provide cover from the elements during the night.

Or as a bit of a step up: £3,200 | $3,800 could provide a new patrol camp to give rangers safe locations to rest.

One of the parts of the trip we're most looking forward to is getting to know the rangers who will be with us every day along the route, protecting and looking out for us. We'll have the opportunity to hear about their experiences and learn about what it takes to be a ranger.

Whilst our day jobs behind laptops don't come close to comparing, the 5 days we're out in the bush will give us a flavour. Needless to say, this is going to be a monster physical challenge that will test, at least one of us, to our limits. Training has been intense and the race itself will be even more so. If you reckon we'll make it out the other end, or just want to encourage us to try then we'd appreciate whatever you feel comfortable donating and any positive vibes you can send us - 2nd September we'll be at the start line 🏁

If you want to learn more about the race and have 20minutes to spare, we recommend this cracking watch: https://youtu.be/A68HNsOUOTA