220 kilometres of sand, sweat and sheer willpower. Welcome to Ultra X Jordan.
Set in the blistering beauty of Wadi Rum, this is more than just a race. It’s five days of pushing through dunes, heat, and self-doubt. It’s a battle of body versus mind, and for most runners, it’s the toughest week of their lives.
Ultra X Jordan isn’t a one-day sprint. It’s a test of endurance that demands patience, planning, and a fair bit of pain tolerance. The 2025 edition brought together runners from all over the world, some veterans of the ultra scene, others ticking off a bucket-list challenge. But they all faced the same opponent: the desert.
ULTRA X JORDAN 2025:
WHAT IS ULTRA X?
For those who haven’t come across Ultra X (@ultraxco) before, it’s a series of multi-day ultra-marathons held in some of the most stunning, and unforgiving, locations on Earth. From the jungles of Sri Lanka to the mountains of Slovenia, every Ultra X event follows the same idea: a stage race spread across five days, each one testing a different kind of endurance.
The Jordan race is one of Ultra X’s crown jewels. It takes place in Wadi Rum, known as the “Valley of the Moon”, a landscape so vast and red it feels almost otherworldly. Over five consecutive days, runners cover 40km, 39km, 56km, 47km, and 35km, battling heat that climbs above 35°C, soft sand that saps every ounce of energy, and terrain that never seems to end. It both sucks and amazes.
It’s not for the faint-hearted. Most runners are up before sunrise, setting off in the cool of dawn before the desert really wakes up. Even then, the sun finds you quickly. And when it does, there’s nowhere to hide...
Hugo Fry: Rewriting History in the Desert
This year, history was made. For the first time in eight years, Ultra X Jordan crowned a new champion - British runner and content creator Hugo Fry (@hugo.fry).
Known online for his unique personality (in a good way), brutal challenges and relentless pace, Hugo came into the event with a simple goal: to win. Over five stages, he covered the 220km course in an astonishing 16 hours and 19 minutes, averaging around 4:22/km. Which, if you run, you'll know is an almost impossible pace for that kind of terrain.
But it wasn’t easy. “Apparently it’s a very beautiful place,” Hugo laughed on the Motional Intelligence podcast afterwards. “But I didn’t look up. I’m such a competitive b******d.”
From day one, Hugo was locked in a head-to-head battle with a runner from Rwanda. The two pulled away from the rest of the field, effectively running alone for most of the week. The first 40km day lulled Hugo into a false sense of security. “The sand wasn’t too bad early on”, but the second half, uphill and soft underfoot, hit hard. By day two, the reality of running through deep sand in 35-degree heat had sunk in.
“I never felt comfortable,” he said. “I was constantly looking down at the ground, two feet in front of me, just killing myself.” The stats only tell half the story. Out there, the desert decides what kind of day you’re going to have. Blisters form fast. Hydration becomes an obsession. And recovery is everything.
Behind the Finish Line: The Physios Keeping Runners Moving
While the runners were out there battling the elements, another team was quietly working just as hard...the WYLD Therapy (@wyld_therapy) physio crew.
They’re the unsung heroes of Ultra X. Before sunrise and long after the last runner crossed the line, they were treating battered feet, strained muscles, and runners running purely on willpower. It’s a tough job in any setting, but in the desert? That’s another level.
The WYLD team used every tool they had, from massages and ice baths to tape and strapping, to keep athletes moving. SPORTTAPE products were part of that toolkit: Kinesiology Tape for fatigued muscles, Zinc Oxide for blister prevention and joint stability, and Tear EAB for quick, reliable support that could handle the heat.
When Hugo joked about seeing “crazy numbers of blisters,” he wasn’t exaggerating. Every evening, the physio tent was packed. Runners comparing battle scars, physios working non-stop to give people a fighting chance of finishing the next day.
It’s the kind of work that often goes unnoticed, but it’s essential. Without those hands, without that support, many runners simply wouldn’t make it to the final stage.
Beauty Meets Brutality
Wadi Rum is a place that doesn’t need filters. Towering sandstone cliffs. Endless red dunes. Silence that hums. But it’s also ruthless.
By the end of each day, runners would peel off their tops and realise they looked like they were still wearing a white t-shirt. The tan lines were that sharp! Sleep was patchy, food became fuel more than pleasure, and conversations turned to one thing: how to survive the next stage.
It’s a strange mix. Awe and agony in equal measure. The kind of experience that breaks some people and changes others forever.
Until Next Year
When the dust finally settled, Ultra X Jordan proved once again why it’s one of the toughest and most spectacular endurance races on Earth.
From Hugo’s relentless drive to the grit of every single finisher and the tireless work of the WYLD physios behind the scenes, this was a masterclass in human endurance.
A massive congratulations to Hugo and also to Ash Harvie who was the first female to cross that finish line too! To everyone who took part: respect. And for anyone who thinks they’ve got what it takes, check out Ultra X’s upcoming events at ultra-x.co or follow them on Instagram to see what truly unstoppable looks like.
