5 athletes, 5 islands, 5 days and 5 ironman followed · First Spanish participation

Josef Ajram is dedicated to the ultra-fund with such commitment that has ended up making it his main activity.

A Red Bull athlete for a few months, he now faces a mythical test that is accessed by rigorous invitation: the Epic 5. It is a race divided into five stages, across five islands in Hawaii and in which only five scrupulously selected athletes from around the world participate. Josef is the first Spaniard to accept the challenge.

The challenge is colossal. Ajram and his teammates will have to cover the distance of a mile each day. Ironman: 3,8 kms. swimming, 180 kms. in bike and the 42 km marathon. There is no rest period in between and transportation is included at the end of each stage.

To the distance we must add other figures that increase the toughness of the test because in Hawaii the temperatures will not drop below 35 degrees, with a humidity of 85%. The accumulated gradient on the bicycle will be 8.000 meters and the estimated energy expenditure for the human body is about 40.000 kcal.

Josef Ajram refines his preparation these days before the date of May 5, when Epic 5 will start: “How do you train for a race like this? We cannot speak of a specific preparation. Mine is a preparation of years. You are covering stages. You start with an Ironman, you go through the Marathon des Sables, the Ultraman and you end up getting into the Epic 5, which for me is something like Everest.”

Mind's power
Beyond the physical challenge, Ajram explains that the fundamental thing is in the head: “Mental strength will be key. You can't go thinking that you have five Ironman left to do. You have to divide the race. I, for example, don't look beyond the next fifteen minutes. And at the end of each section, I give myself a prize. It could be a piece of energy bar, a drink... And I focus on the next fifteen minutes. If you think about it, anyone can run for a quarter of an hour.”

Source: brand