The LDWA media team has released a compelling three-part documentary, telling the story of the organisation's 50th annual 100-mile challenge event - the Elephant, Bear and Bull 100, staged in the West Midlands in 2023.

Part 1 covers the Saturday, and introduces entrants whose stories feature throughout the documentary: the young, the old (three of them aged 81), the newcomers and the regulars - some overcoming adversity to reach the start. From the start at Moseley - captured on drone footage - the cameras follow them out of the city, over the Lickey Hills and across the ancient Forest of Arden. By evening most are arriving in Shakespeare's home town of Stratford-upon-Avon.

Part 2 rejoins the event on Sunday morning, with walkers grateful for the return of daylight. As they progress through historic Warwick, Kenilworth and Coventry, the spirit of the LDWA 100 starts to shine through: participants fall in together for moral support, while the ever-cheerful checkpoint marshals offer encouragement as well as sustenance. By the afternoon, the runners are already finishing, followed in the evening by the faster walkers - while the main pack are spread along the Grand Union Canal and the stretch of countryside between the two cities, knowing that they still have several hours' more walking ahead of them.

Part 3 covers Sunday night and Monday morning. Regular entrants are used to the sleep deprivation and sometimes hallucinations which come with spending two days and nights on their feet, while newcomers are experiencing them for the first time. Some have been slowed down by injuries but battle on, determined to reach the end. In true LDWA fashion, the biggest cheers are reserved for the final finishers: after all, they've been out there longer than anyone else! Among them is Len Fallick, equalling Roger Cole's record 41 completions.

At times, it makes emotional viewing.

With 2024's Speyside 100 now less than two months away, the series should whet appetites for the 51st edition - and for anyone who has not yet entered a 100, perhaps it will inspire you to attempt a future one.

We would like to thank Simon Pipe and David Morgan for their work in producing the videos, along with Andy Todd and Matt Parker, who contributed footage.

Watch on your TV by finding the Long Distance Walkers Association channel on YouTube, or click here to view on a personal device:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzKqxzM4YdMjudVaEiEciTUb5fn3-eMCW

Michael Jones, EBB 100 organiser
April 2024