The Jungle Marathon is a 125-mile marathon over seven days, across harsh terrain including raw jungle, jungle tracks, beaches and villages, swimming across rivers alive with piranhas, not to mention all the 'usual' hazards like insects, snakes and scorpions. This was not for the faint-hearted and certainly not for the ill-prepared. The runners have to be self-sufficient from the moment they arrive in Brazil, needing to carry hammocks and provisions, as well as a whole week’s supply of food. The only sustenance to pick up along the way would be 2.5 liters of water at each checkpoint.

Like hell and paradise wrapped into on, it takes a while to acclimatise to the humidity. The terrain itself is a huge challenge. It was extremely hot, humid and we had to clamber over roots and wade through streams, swimming (dodging piranha and caiman crocs), clambering up and down muddy slopes - all of it carrying our own food, medical supplies and hammocks. The pressure on knees and ankles was immense. The Jointace^® Gel helped me and massaging into the joints before and after a hard days running was a must. The jungle is a hard environment in which to race - the heat and humidity of the forest make it extremely demanding so my Jointace^® Sport tablets became my very valuable friend and kept me from losing my sanity!
Tom Bird (Participant of Jungle Marathon
October 2009 ( 200km race over 6 stages)
www.iamtombird.com