· Extreme endurance adventurer Sean Conway undertaking the world’s longest recorded triathlon along the entire coast of mainland Britain
· Sean cycled 3,200 miles in 36 days, and is now running a marathon a day to Brighton before swimming back to Dorset
· Sean Conway: On The Edge to air exclusively on Discovery Channel later this year in a three part series
Extreme adventurer Sean Conway is over halfway through the greatest challenge of his life as he attempts to be the first man to complete the world’s longest recorded triathlon.
The 4000+ mile British Ultra Triathlon circumnavigates the entire coast of mainland Britain and Sean is doing it completely self-supported.
Currently in Orford, Suffolk, Sean is running a marathon every day until he reaches Brighton seafront. Once there, he will start a 390,000 stroke swim across two intensive weeks with only a self-made raft as support back to Lulworth Cove, where he started his challenge some 54 days ago.
Having cycled clockwise around England, Wales and then Scotland, Sean has overcome missed ferries, treacherous mountain roads and mechanical issues along the way. He spent his 35th birthday camping alone in a field on Cornwall’s border with Devon and has slept in everything from woodlands to an advertising trailer so far.
In Liverpool, Sean met supporters in the first public event of the trip, where he spoke to cycling groups, talking about his journey so far and what it takes to prepare for an endurance cycle. Other events are planned for Southend and Lulworth Cove with Sean tweeting and Instagramming fans with updates and invitations for them to join him along the way. Social media support has been invaluable to Sean, giving him much needed moral support as well as more practical help from washing his clothes and finding find free sports massages!
Needing to take in the required 5,000 calories each day, Sean has foraged wild garlic leaves, tried dog treats due to their high protein content, and even liquidised roast dinners: “We found a pub on the route that was happy to blend up my Sunday roast, made up of peas, cabbage, mash, beef, Yorkshire pudding and gravy”, Sean said.
“You can absorb nutrients faster and waste less energy drinking food when it’s liquid. Who knew a roast dinner was three pints?”
Following his 3,200+ mile cycle, Sean swapped his beloved bamboo bike, Matilda, for running shoes at Scarborough. An 800 mile run is now underway, with Sean battling the terrain and his troublesome knee needing to average close to a marathon each day in order to keep to his punishing schedule.
Discovery is measuring Sean’s ongoing physical and mental wellbeing including his daily steps and heart rate. Viewers can track Sean live at DiscoveryUK.com.
Sean added: “The weather’s been pretty tough and it’s been relentless. There were headwinds as I was cycling north and now there are headwinds now that I am coming south, but I am feeling good, positive and confident. There is still a long way to go.”
Discovery Channel is following Sean’s incredible journey for a three-part documentary series scheduled to be broadcast on the channel in the UK and Ireland later this year.