By The Numbers
40, SHEFFIELD, ORGANISED A RUN ACROSS ICELAND
More than 200 miles through Iceland in 10 days
‘YOU’RE SHIVERING.
Your legs are in bits. Your ankles are swollen.’ Danny Bent is describing the physical toil that crossing Iceland on foot takes on the body. He recently led an 18-strong group of runners on a north-to-south adventure through the ‘Land of Fire and Ice’, covering 209 miles in 10 days. But, as all runners know, there is a magic in misery. ‘When you’re in a landscape that’s so harsh, doing an activity that’s so physically demanding, you’re stripped back to the rawest version of yourself and all other worries fade away,’ says Bent.
There were two rules on the trip, he adds: don’t be a d*ck, and look after each other. The latter was vital in the treacherous conditions – indeed, the trip almost didn’t happen. ‘The week before we set off, there were massive downpours and the roads were closed,’ says Bent. Fortunately, on the morning of the first day, the roads were reopened, giving the group a choice: take a safer but duller route, or go with the original, riskier – but epic – one. They all opted for the latter, and were rewarded handsomely: sweeping Arctic deserts, craggy mountains, piping-hot geysers and multiple sightings of the Northern Lights. ‘The aurora was incredible,’ says Bent. ‘It was like watching classical music: slowly building and then exploding into life.’ Of the 19 starters, 18 finished – a staggering achievement given that six of these had never run a marathon before. ‘This was about finding out where our limits are,’ says Bent. ‘You come back from an adventure like this realising you can achieve far more than you think you can. And, hopefully, you then look at the other barriers and limits in your life, and think about whether they can be pushed to a new level – whether that’s at work, at home or with your running.’ Once you’ve stopped shivering, of course.