ITERA

Team Leaping Fish Win ITERA 2025

Rob Howard / 13.08.2025

Team Leaping Fish crossed the finish line to win ITERA 2025 at 12.30am on Thursday morning, recording a time of 84 hours and 30 minutes.  They rode into the Badaguish Outdoor centre and set their bikes aside to run across the finish line and take the ITERA title and a World Series Qualifier win which secures their place at the 2026 Raid in France World Championship.

For team captain Nick Gracie, it was an incredible 11th Qualifier win, one of those being ITERA in 2014!  For his team mates; Wouter Houtzing, Tom Davies and Clare Dallimore it was a first win and a delighted Davies said on the finish line, “That win was a long time coming.” 

Gracie pointed out that Huitzing is the first ever Dutch racer to win an ARWS race and praised Dallimore’s navigation, which was a key factor in the team’s success.  Huitzing was a late addition to the team and said, “I’m an ultra runner so  would have preferred more treks, and prepared by scaling back my running, putting in some kayak training and going everywhere on my bike!”

Dallimore said her work as a doctor meant she was used to long hours and sometimes going without sleep, but Davies said the lack of sleep was the worst part of racing.  “On the second bike ride I was falling asleep on my bike all the time and kept jerking awake” he said.  Dallimore added she was looking forward to some female company again now the race was over.

The 600km course included a lot of biking, and Gracie said, “We thought we were stronger on the bike and knew Endurancelife were quicker on foot, so the route played to our strengths, as did the conditions on Loch Ness.  We were stronger paddlers and that stage helped us get ahead and control the race from the front. We kept to our strategy of around 4 hours sleep and had shorter sleeps on the second half of the course.” 

He added, “Endurancelife pushed us hard, and lead at the start of the race, and it’s much more satisfying to have a close race than one where you have a big lead.  It keeps the racing honest and we know them and have raced with Nathalie before.”

Team Endurancelife finished in second place just over 2 hours later with a time of 86 hours 40 minutes.  Nathlie Taylor said, “With so much biking, and the Loch Ness paddle the course and weather didn’t play to our strength, which is running.  Andrew has had an achilles injury for the last day, and we had major problems with my bike as well, but that’s racing!”  Furlong added, “We feel we did the best we could and we were also learning to race together as a team as it’s our first race.”

Both teams were given Durty Brewing beers on the finish line and enjoyed some Pizza in race HQ before heading for a bed and a well deserved sleep.  Third placed team Rachel’s Irish Adventures are a further 10 hours back and should finish tomorrow morning to complete the expedition race podium.