The Racing Collective

The Racing Collective A community of self-supported racers who love wild places. The Racing Collective host self-supported races for people who love wild places.

Members of the collective compete in point to point self-supported races across the UK such as the TransEnglandRace, TransWalesRace, and TransScotlandRace. We also race off-road, taking the best elements of a MTB enduro, with a cyclocross/gravel grinder-style road race: CrossduroEngland, CrossduroWales, and CrossduroScotland.

First woman Ella Brown, superstar! She crossed the line buzzing, having ran out of food and with only 3 hours sleep last...
23/08/2026

First woman Ella Brown, superstar!

She crossed the line buzzing, having ran out of food and with only 3 hours sleep last night has been fighting the urge to curl up on the side of the trail for last 4 hours riding.

She rode the Loch Choire section in the daylight, and got the full stunning view down into the loch, realising she’d taken her tech skills up a notch descending from the bealach - the bog was however brutal, at one point ending up knee deep in mud and losing her shoe.

She was within 20km of the front two on Friday and thought she could catch them, but hit the wall and decided to focus on her own ride, making the crucial Contin stores resupply with an hour to spare, and finishing with a brilliantly well measured effort.

Chapeau!

Photos 2&3: Dan Monaghan
Photo 5: Michael Drummond
Photos 6-8: Alan Danby

Bash has just made it to the iconic JOG signpost finish line having lit up this year’s GBDURO. Leading much of the secon...
23/08/2026

Bash has just made it to the iconic JOG signpost finish line having lit up this year’s GBDURO.

Leading much of the second half with Luke and Ella on his tail, he couldn’t afford to put a foot wrong whilst navigating the various challenges he dealt with over the 2000km route.

He made the wise decision to sleep in Altnaharra last night before setting out on the infamous Loch Choire traverse to cap off an incredible ride.

At 19 he is joint youngest finisher (shared with Jack Williams, class of 2021) and will be an exciting prospect to watch in ultras over the coming years 👊

Photos 1-3: Dan Monaghan
Photos 4-5: Alan Danby

And just like that, it’s done!An amazing finish to an incredible ride, Luke played the long game to perfection, edging a...
23/08/2026

And just like that, it’s done!

An amazing finish to an incredible ride, Luke played the long game to perfection, edging ahead of Bash yesterday afternoon after days of cat and mouse, ahead of a long night to reach the finish this morning. That Loch Choire traverse must have been quite an experience under those conditions.

Congrats Luke

It’s tight at the pointy end of GBDURO… Bash (Sebastian) took over at the front from Jake in Manchester but has since be...
22/08/2026

It’s tight at the pointy end of GBDURO… Bash (Sebastian) took over at the front from Jake in Manchester but has since been trading positions with Luke for the top spot throughout Scotland.

With over 1700km in the legs they’re now less than 10km apart. In addition to their current state of body and mind, their bike choice is also likely to be critical… Bash is on a gravel bike whilst Luke is on a XC hardtail. Meanwhile Ella is not far behind in 3rd also opted for a hardtail over a dedicated gravel bike.

Most of the remaining terrain (arguably the most beautiful and remote of the whole route) favours a mountain bike but the last 100km or so is a brutally mundane straight drag on road to the finish. Happy dotwatching!

Photos: Dan Monaghan

Previous GBDuro finisher back in 2023, Cameron has been closing the gap on the riders ahead since temperatures took a tu...
20/08/2026

Previous GBDuro finisher back in 2023, Cameron has been closing the gap on the riders ahead since temperatures took a turn for the cooler on Monday evening. Halfway up a sizeable climb towards Blaenavon and wilting in the relentless heat, he opted for a nap on a stone wall, seeking a moment of respite before making his way up the remainder of the climb.

Later that evening and after temperatures dropped, he had returned to his former sprightly self and began to make up for some lost time, pushing into the night and dancing up and over The Gap before rolling out his bivvy on the descent on the other side.

Fuelled by his mum’s Christmas cake, which has been living in the back of his tardis-like jersey pocket since the beginning, he continues to make good, steady progress and has now passed Manchester.

He’s also occasionally been catching Nikki, who crossed paths with him early yesterday morning as he crawled out of a hedge somewhere in Penllyn Forest near Bala. Just another average morning on GBDuro.

Photos: Ceri Belshaw

Nikki, sitting comfortably in second place in the women’s race, has been making steady progress north. Describing hersel...
20/08/2026

Nikki, sitting comfortably in second place in the women’s race, has been making steady progress north. Describing herself as “not fast, but steady like a tractor” which, given she came fourth in the women’s field at the Dragon’s Back, might be doing herself a bit of a disservice.

There have been some bittersweet moments along the way. Nikki is riding GBDuro to raise money for CALM in memory of Little Dave, and passing through the Berwyn Mountains brought back memories of the last time the two of them ran here together.

She’s feeling good and going steadily, and prioritising quality rest, although apparently the first couple of hours each morning are the hardest, particularly after a longer sleep due to seized and achy legs.

She was also the lucky recipient of an extra helping of chips from fellow adventurer Ben at Llandegla Cafe, which is now travelling with her in her feed bag, and judging from the size of it, may keep her hunger at bay until Scotland.

If you would like to consider donating to CALM, please follow the link below.

https://www.justgiving.com/page/nikki-rides-gbduro?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL

Matthew opted for a lighter set-up for his GBDuro ride by simply omitting all gears bar one.The one-speed wonder has bee...
19/08/2026

Matthew opted for a lighter set-up for his GBDuro ride by simply omitting all gears bar one.

The one-speed wonder has been steadily steamrollering his way along the route, sitting in fifth position, and is now just a whisker away from Manchester. This also marks a momentous occasion, as he’s the first person to have made it this far along the route on a single speed.

He’s been in good form over the past couple of days, only occasionally questioning his life choices on the hillier parts of the route. But with no easier gear to reach for, there’s not much else for it but to push on.

Photos: Ceri Belshaw

Luke, currently in fourth position and hot on Ella’s heels, was also in high spirits this morning as he made his way tow...
17/08/2026

Luke, currently in fourth position and hot on Ella’s heels, was also in high spirits this morning as he made his way towards the military training area. With the sun beginning to break up the morning mist, he stopped briefly to delayer and devour some Oreos before pushing on and upwards, motivated by the thought of stumbling across a decent coffee somewhere along the way.

Photos: Ceri Belshaw

Jake Turner leads the field into the Mendips this morningPhotos: Michael Drummond
16/08/2026

Jake Turner leads the field into the Mendips this morning

Photos: Michael Drummond

Front runners hit Exmoor and Dunkery Beacon last night Photos: Alan Danby
16/08/2026

Front runners hit Exmoor and Dunkery Beacon last night

Photos: Alan Danby

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