At our Yorkshire event 2022 we were all lucky enough to witness Leon Hardwick complete yet another finish line (make that his 100th finish line) YEP you heard. After running 100+ Tough Mudder events Leon was crowned with a brand new gold metal headband and has joined the elite 100 timers club.
But what drives Leon to run as much as he does? How does he keep going? What’s the motivation? We caught up with Leon after his race to get all the answers.
Q1) Why do you love to run Tough Mudder?
A) I run Tough Mudders because I enjoy leaving my worries of life at home and getting out to play in the mud and test myself mentally and physically.
Q2) What do you enjoy the most about running a Tough Mudder?
A) Seeing the smiles and enjoyment on everyone’s faces especially when they cross the finish line, the sense of achievement and conquering their goals is one of the reasons I love to volunteer on the finish line.
Q3) What is the hardest Tough Mudder you have run?
A) The hardest tough mudder I’ve done was Europe’s Toughest Mudder 2021 having not planned on even competing or training for and whilst going through radiotherapy. I was given the opportunity to run so I took it. I had my last and biggest dose of radiation 2 days beforehand. That was all the inspiration I needed to get out there and try to achieve some distance as a distraction. I managed 20 miles that night, each mile was just so hard but I got my head down pushed on. I had to be thrown over obstacles by my mates because I didn’t have the strength to pull myself up or over but with some teamwork and stubbornness I managed it .
Q4) How do you train/keep fit for Tough Mudder runs?
A) I keep myself active and fit. I regularly use the gym, swim ,cycle and run.
Q5) What keeps you going/pushing forward when running a Tough Mudder?
A) before I got diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer I used to find Tough Mudder’s challenging, now the challenge is even harder and my motivation to keep me going forward is now my illness. My mission is to spread awareness! I’m not as fast or fit as I was nor strong so each time I go out there I rely on others to help me complete obstacles and finish. I know each time I run I hope to inspire and motivate others to do the same. If I can do it while receiving palliative treatment for cancer, I’m sure they could. I love the challenge of obstacles in life as well as Tough Mudder.
