This year, the Pace Cowboys, a running crew from Amsterdam, stepped up. Eight runners, two support crews and 436 kilometres of grit. With nothing but strategy, stubbornness and STOX compression, they fought heat, climbs and the kind of sleep deprivation that eats you alive.
The brutality hit straight away: “After the first 10 kilometres, the bike (who accompanied us) couldn’t keep up on the steep trail. Wan even threw it over a fence, but eventually I had to continue alone. It was pitch dark, with sheep and three big dogs on the path, and my headlamp was dying. I got lost at least five times and ended up running 17 kilometres straight, while normally we switch every one or two kilometres,” recalls team captain Gijs van Willigen.
But it wasn’t just the physical fight. “What struck me again is how emotional ‘just’ running can be. Most of the team cried at some point: seeing the sun rise after a sleepless night, the moment we realised the finish was near, or from fighting side by side while raising funds for a cause close to one teammate’s heart,” says Gijs.
That is The Speed Project: relentless, at times dangerous, yet defined by teamwork, resilience and moments of raw beauty that cut straight through exhaustion.
The Pace Cowboys finished 11th overall, proof that performance is no accident. It’s preparation. It’s mindset. It’s gear that works as hard as you do. With STOX compression boosting blood flow, fighting fatigue and speeding up recovery, the Cowboys went the distance. All 436 kilometres of it.