大象传媒

Most people who complete Dorset's coastal path on foot take several days to walk it.

But a challenge for the super-fit (and the brave) attempted to cover the 78.6 miles from Lyme Regis to South Haven Point in less than 24 hours.

Winner Tim Holsgrove spoke to 大象传媒 Radio Solent's Jon Cuthill about the difficult conditions runners faced following recent bad weather.

Says Tim: "It was tough actually, and the weather was so bad the organisers had to stop the race for a few hours at the first check point, and a few people decided not to carry on at this point."

This is the second time Tim has won the challenge but he isn't yet sure if he'll go for the hat-trick.

The race passes spectacular scenery.

Tough terrain

Even without the hindrance of bad weather, the Jurassic Coast Challenge is already very tough.

Event Director Ben Mason says, "I don't think there's anything else that asks you to run three marathons in 24 hours, navigating through the night and over this terrain. I don't think there's anything quite at this intensity or as arduous."

Setting off in the evening, the runners have to navigate the South West coast path in the dark, using just a torch and compass for guidance over tough cliff-top terrain. The first big hurdle is Golden Cap but the biggest challenge is around Lulworth which has the steepest slopes on the route.

Runners have to maintain a speed of at least three miles an hour if they want to stay in the race.

Checkpoints, 10km apart, are set up and if a runner fails to reach those check-points in time, they'll be disqualified.

Of the 20 runners who took part in 2007's race, only five finished the race. This year, 35 people took up the challenge, with 21 going onto finish.