Ultra X Jordan - A Scorching Test for Runners and Physios

You think a normal ultra marathon is ungodly difficult. Try doing one through the Wadi Rum Desert in Jordan! Unthinkable, right? 

Well, that's exactly what Ultra X offers to their competitors each and every year, and this year's event, which took place over the duration of five days, saw 95% of their athletes complete the series. Which, even in the soaring heat, was their highest for an event in Jordan.

It absolutely was no easy task, but with the help of the WYLD Therapy team, the runners received the very best support during their time in Jordan and this is exactly how it all unfolded...

Since 2018, Ultra X (@ultraxco) have been putting on some of the biggest and, frankly unforgettable, ultra marathon races all over the world.

The race series has built up its profile by offering a totally unique running experience, which can take athletes to all different corners of the globe. Trekking up mountains, slipping through jungles and hurrying through deserts. All they want is to make the world of ultras more accessible to all.

Now, years on from their first event, they've built a really strong community of athletes that only seems to grow.

A must-have at Ultra X events, that's for sure!

WYLD Therapy (@wyld_therapy) are the definition of therapy, mixed with adventure. Most physios tend to keep their practices in-clinic. Not these guys. Their organisation has taken them all over the world, providing athletes, of all backgrounds, the very best support.

Founders Harry and Jodi have been working with Ultra X for the past two seasons, ensuring that as many of their racers cross the finish line as possible. Easier said than done, given some of the conditions they face. And that brings us to Jordan...

It's no understatement to say that, in an Ultra X event like this, the atmosphere and emotions are all over the place. After speaking with WYLD Therapy's Harry, it sounds like that first day was a solid mixture of excitement and nerves.

"Day one is the wake-up call for anyone one who hasn’t done a race like this before. The realisation of having to run 40km plus, in the desert heat and soft red sand kicks in, and the thought of having to do it for another 4 days can be intimidating to say the least."

Thankfully, it doesn't take too long for the body to adapt to your conditions, so by day two, the runners had found their runner's high and the group camaraderie was on full display.

By day three, tiredness begins to really creep in. Especially when they're having to run in the pitch black of night. As Harry told us, once they'd gotten through those first 72 hours, there was a real sense of, 'wow, I really might finish this'.

Pain becomes very real on that final day of marching, so as you can imagine, the emotion seeing these athletes crossing the finish line was 'magic'. The victory is in the completion. "And what a victory it is".

220km covered. 2500m of elevation. Highs of 34 degrees. Mental!

On this occasion, Jordan was slightly too far for anybody in the office to put their names on the signup sheet for this year. But, we were there in spirit!

As the Official Tape Supplier for Ultra X, we helped supply the WYLD Therapy team with all the tape that they needed for the full five days of the event. And we can tell you, a lot of Kinesiology Tape, Zinc Oxide Tape and EAB was used in the desert!

As you'll be aware, injuries in running can vary greatly, depending on the type of terrain. "In the desert you’ll see a lot of knee ligament issues, as most people aren’t used to running on sand and the instability makes stabilising muscles, tendons, ligaments work harder.

"Later you’ll see a lot of Achilles issues due to the soft terrain again. Muscles wise, hip flexors and quads take a pounding in the desert. Stress fractures are less common in Jordan, than in other races, but they can happen occasionally."

Of course, the Ultra X runner's are the star attractions at these events, and understandably, but you can't forget the work going on behind the scenes and in this case, we're talking about the physios.

It's a lot of early mornings and a lot of repetitive taping and massaging. But on the flip side of that, it's a completely awesome experience, which, in Harry's words is "lots of laughs, exploring and s**t jokes".

We had to take the opportunity to ask Harry some questions about their time in Jordan...

"Jordan is an incredible country. I’d recommend it to anyone. Amman is vast, with lots of different regions to explore and beautiful places to eat and drink. We always stop at Petra, which is truly jaw-dropping, as any good wonder of the world should be. You also have the Red Sea and the Dead Sea to explore. I've only met friendly Jordanians."

"SPORTTAPE Adhesive Spray was invaluable and an electric beard trimmer is also helpful for hairier knees.

"We often use Kinesiology Tape as a base, as it’s much more absorbent, then apply Zinc Oxide over the top. Not only is this helpful for heat/sweat, but when working on multi-day events, you also have to think about psychology. I tend to recommend starting with lighter strapping, like Kinesiology Tape. If you go straight in with the tougher strapping, then there's no plan B for later in the event. 

"Obviously, there are exceptions."

"It can get emotional. By day 5 everyone's slightly sleep deprived, so emotions can run high. When you see a runner who you have helped a lot or has particularly struggled to get through 5 days of slog, you feel incredibly proud, full of admiration and humbled by the human spirit, which is why it’s not just the competitors which shed a tear by the end.

"Overriding all of this however is the unquenchable desire for a pint."

Congratulations to all of the runners who competed at Ultra X Jordan, the whole WYLD Therapy squad and thank you to both Harry for taking the time to tell us all about it and Ultra X for the amazing photography!

If you're tempted to sign-up for next year, check out their website now!