ODLO-sponsored ultra-distance athlete Jake Catterall is gearing up for his ‘Way Beyond: Running the Alps’ challenge, which starts on July 8th, 2024.
This ambitious project will see Catterall running 2,500km (1,553 miles) across the entire length of the Alps, facing 170,000 vertical metres (106 miles) of mountains from Trieste, Italy, to Monaco.
Supporting Catterall in his journey are performance apparel brand ODLO as the main sponsor, Garmin as a technical partner, HOKA as a footwear provider as well as the hundreds of runners that will be joining him on stretches of his momentous feat.
‘Running the Alps’ is the latest chapter in the runner’s ‘Way Beyond’ life project, dedicated to encouraging people to push their limits and pursue their dreams. The project’s ultimate goal is to see Catterall attempt a solo traverse of Antarctica in record time. Every challenge leading to that moment is being documented and will be collated into a documentary called ‘Way Beyond – Steps to the Arctic Dream’.
Growing up in Leicester, UK, now residing in Amsterdam in the Netherlands, Jake Catterall, a 32-year-old ultra-distance athlete, is no stranger to extreme endurance feats.
In 2023, he ran the entire continent of Europe in record time from northern Norway to the south of Spain (5,600 km/ 3,490 miles), averaging an ultra marathon (60 km+) every day for 93 days.
Armed with a GPS tracker that showed his position during the three-month challenge, Catterall had hundreds of runners join him across sections of his European run, many of whom went on to achieve personal milestones such as completing marathons or overcoming mental health issues.
He will be supported in his latest Alps challenge by a crew who will document progress and post daily updates on Instagram and TikTok, as well as encouraging others to join him along the way or support him online. His progress can also be followed through a live GPS tracker once he gets under way.
Jake Catterall said “We have become accustomed to creating boundaries for ourselves, celebrated for saying no to engagements, but where does ‘yes’ come in? Sometimes, you have to start something alone to do things together.
“I fully believe it takes time to build something great, and in our fast-paced world, committing yourself to a journey, spending time to craft yourself, your ideas, and dreams is the key to success in life. When we say yes to what we love, it inspires positive action for others to say yes to more, too.”
