In Pursuit of Hadrian's Wall (WATCH)

In Pursuit of Hadrian's Wall

When The Running Channel approached CamperKing with its epic idea of attempting an ultramarathon relay across the UK and using a CamperKing campervan as a support vehicle, we just knew we had to be involved. And of course, there was only one vehicle for it, the CamperKing Pursuit!

Our newest vehicle, the CamperKing Pursuit features go-anywhere, do-anything abilities and it is made for people who like to break the norm, do things out of their comfort zones, and get involved in activities that get the blood pumping every once in a while. That's why it made for the perfect choice for The Running Channel team as they took on the immense challenge of running the length of Hadrian's Wall. 

The Running Channel's mission is to bring great content to those who love to run, and that's exactly what it did with this latest challenge. This challenge saw The Running Channel team, comprising Jess Furness (@jessecafurness), Sarah Hartley (@sarah_adventures), Mae Thompson (@runwithmae), Sophie Power (@ultra_sophie) and Kalia Lai (@kalia.lai), pushing themselves to see how fast they could run the width of the UK as a relay team.

In Pursuit of Hadrians Wall - 1

Following the route of Hadrian's Wall to complete this epic challenge, each member of the all-female relay team moved from checkpoint to checkpoint, passing the baton to the next runner, whilst the rest of the team travelled in comfort in the CamperKing Pursuit. Showcasing the vehicle's capabilities, the team was able to change in it, eat in it, rest in it, and of course, use it to travel to the next checkpoint and wait for the current runner to complete their leg of the relay. Summing up the experience of utilising the Pursuit to complete this ultramarathon relay, team member Jess Furness had the following to say:

"CamperKing provided us with a Pursuit to assist us in taking part in our challenge of running the length of Hadrian’s Wall - that’s 137km and over 2000m!

The CamperKing Pursuit was a 7-seater which had plenty of space around everyone to keep our kit for a whole day of relay running as we took on Hadrian's Wall. The leisure battery was amazing, as it meant that we had lighting on in the van once it went dark. It also meant we were able to charge our equipment easily. 

The van was easy to drive and felt very comfortable after our epic challenge!"

Whilst Jess' teammate, Sarah Hartley followed this up with these comments:

"The CamperKing Pursuit was a great addition to our filming day! Lots of space to accommodate people changing, charging, refuelling and generally just hanging out between filming and running. The colour of the van was so lovely and we all looked out for the blue when approaching a checkpoint whilst running the length of Hadrian's Wall. We'd highly recommend this van for road trips, it's comfortable and easy to drive, making long journeys much more fun!"

In Pursuit of Hadrians Wall
The Running Channel team member, Kalia Lai poses beside the Pursuit whilst at a checkpoint
In Pursuit of Hadrians Wall
The Running Channel's Mae Thompson passes the Pursuit as she sets off on her leg of the relay
In Pursuit of Hadrians Wall
The Running Channel's Jess Furness shows the kit capabilities of the Pursuit
In Pursuit of Hadrians Wall
Making easy work of getting changed for your next adventure
In Pursuit of Hadrians Wall
The Sycamore Gap Tree, unfortunately discovered to have been felled just before the run took place
In Pursuit of Hadrians Wall
The ultimate support vehicle
In Pursuit of Hadrians Wall
Jess runs the wall

In addition to making fantastic content and encouraging people to get out and run, the video of this colossal challenge also raised several very real safety concerns that female runners unfortunately face. Whilst the run had been planned months in advance, it just so happened to take place the very same day that the Sycamore Gap Tree was discovered to have been felled, giving the run poignancy as this would have been a landmark that the runners would have passed.

All in all, the challenge was very inspiring and thought-provoking, and something that CamperKing was very proud to be involved with.

How long do you think it took the team to take on Hadrian's Wall? Find out by watching the fantastic video of the challenge...

We Attempted An Ultramarathon Relay Across The UK


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