Vertical climbs for Amazon ultra-marathon runner

James March (front, pictured with fellow runner Greg Garner) took part in Jungle Ultra by Beyond the Ultimate in Peru

"It was remote living and I don't think you can prepare for it."

James March, 24, has been reflecting after finishing his latest challenge, a gruelling ultra-marathon in the Amazon rainforest.

With fellow participant Greg Garner from Newcastle-under-Lyme, Wolverhampton resident Mr March took part in the 230km (140-mile) Jungle Ultra over five days in Peru.

The runner has been inspired to take on extreme events in honour of his mother, Wendy, who has multiple sclerosis and has lost a lot of her mobility. The athletes form a community and host events his mother can attend.

He said he was on his feet for sometimes eight or nine hours a day and then bathing in a river.

"Then [you] do your admin under a red torch in your hammock without trying to wake everyone up."

"You're on your feet sometimes eight, nine hours a day," James March said

The toughest part was day three, the shortest day, only 24km (14.9 miles).

"That might have been what looked like the easiest," he said.

"But it was a brand new day, they'd just been given a fresh part of the jungle which the race organisers [Beyond the Ultimate] were now protecting and so they'd made [a] fresh trail for us, which sounds amazing, but what it actually means is it's very narrow track.

"You're in the thick of the jungle and for the whole 24km it was vertical climbs and vertical descents, climbing up waterfalls, going down rivers. [It was] really muddy, really thick.

"And it was extremely humid that day. It was over 30 degrees."

The pair prepared for their race by using an environmental chamber at the University of Wolverhampton to acclimatise to the intense heat and humidity of the rainforest.

"The combination of heat, humidity and altitude provides a unique challenge, and it's clear why people consider it one of the toughest physical challenges on the planet," Mr March previously said.

The men navigated jungle and rainforest amid heat and humidity

His mother, who has lost her mobility and a lot of her ability to communicate, was his motivation.

"What we've tried to do is find the toughest physical challenges or endurance events that we could possibly find and enter them as a testament to her, but also other people suffering with mobility issues.

The great thing with such an initiative was "the community that it brings together" - friends and family supporting him, the runner said.

"Hosting events that mum can go to.... she can catch up with old friends and that in itself gives a lot more than just the events."