Holdfast Training Services Trial Blog

Original article written for Sapper Mag:

On Sun 31 Jan 16 members of the Professional Engineer Training (PET) course embarked on the ultimate test of civilian toughness – Tough Guy 2016. Four elite members of the cohort were selected to compete; Captains Grant, Kiddie, Palmer and Parton had trained for literally hours and were in peak physical and mental condition as they journeyed over to the exotic lands of Wolverhampton for the event.

For those unfamiliar with the Tough Guy Concept the event calls for competitors to cover 15km of cross-country running interlaced with wet and muddy obstacles and hill sprints. The theme for this year was “The Somme” with the course culminating in an obstacle course named the ‘Killing Fields’ with electric fences, burning hay, concrete tunnels, a lot of cold water and endless mud.

Morale remains high for Kiddie and Grant. 

The ‘Toughened’ PET team celebrate.

Unfazed, the team donned their lycra, neoprene hats and X-Country trainers and fought their way to the front of the 3000+ people starting the race. At the starting cannon the team was immediately split into two groups and ran hard to get to the front of the pack; myself and Capt Parton found ourselves in a group of crazy Germans and Danes who remained with us for the rest of the event.  The next 10 miles blended into a haze of throbbing legs, ice-cream headaches and a lot of bruises.  Particular highlights of the course include seeing a fellow competitor dislocate his shoulder, a series of twenty 50m hill-sprints (some carrying a car tyre) and an alternating ditch-hurdle arrangement called the ‘Gurkha Grand National’.

Special mention is due to the commitment of Fred ‘the tank’ Kiddie who was running the race as part of his first weekend as a married man, fuelled only by a bottle of Lucozade and propelled by a pair of inadequate flat-soled CrossFit trainers. Also credit is due to the old man of the group, Capt ‘Eton’ Grant, who was competing on his 32^nd birthday and only managed to get round as he was following a young lady dressed as a bunny girl (whom he followed from Mile 1).

The team conquers another obstacle within the ‘Killing Fields’.

Three hours later the last of the PEW cohort had made it through the finish-line. Two of the group had finished in the top 150 runners and the team average time was in the top 25% of the field … not too bad for a group who spend most of the week in a classroom.

Thanks are due to Mid Kent College and 1 RSME Regt for supporting the team and allowing them to make such a good effort. Lastly, for anyone brave enough to take on the Tough Guy challenge next year a few tips; issued builders gloves are a must, neoprene hats are advised and more than two pints the night before should be avoided!

Capt Mark Palmer RE