THE LONG GAME

A day built on consistency

From the opening lap, the team established its own Björnstrxng-inspired camp. A bike kept the legs moving, a whiteboard tracked every lap and thousands of calories kept six runners fuelled.

Around halfway through the relay at 14:00, the strategy changed to give the runners less recovery time to keep Björnstrxng moving. For almost nine hours, the team battled between second and third.

Sam from AthletIQ kept Team Björnstrxng primed with sports massage whilst Coach Joe, Sarah Dauncey, Aaron Stevens, Meg Day, Tom Price and Jack Ward continued to return to Stowe Pool.

THE FINAL HOURS

The relay race tightens

With hours remaining, Team Björnstrxng moved into joint-top. Then came the closest finish in One More Lap history: three teams entered the final hour on exactly the same number of laps.

Coach and Tom produced crucial sprint finishes, whilst Sarah, Aaron and Meg maintained awesome consistency on tired legs. Eventually, everything came down to Jack for the final shift.

At 19:59, Coach discovered a technicality: anyone still on the course when the clock passed 20:00 could complete their lap. Seconds later, Jack crossed the finish line and the vuvuzela blew.

LAP OF HONOUR

Running home the title

Jack kept running. Around Stowe Pool he went one final time, with the team waiting to discover whether 12 hours of running would come down to this final lap. The scoreboard showed 137.

Team Björnstrxng had covered 164.4km. Second place finished on 136 laps. After 12 hours, three teams had been level, and the eventual result came down to a matter of seconds and one final lap.

The title belongs to Björnstrxng for the most laps ran, and the team will return next year to raise more money for Kids' Village and fight to keep the title. £1,480 raised. One More Lap champions.

TEAM BJÖRNSTRXNG

Coach Joe, Sarah Dauncey & Aaron Stevens

Coach Joe brings an 18:54 5K to the team, although a stress fracture has put a dent in his plans. He's hoping to hobble his way around, assuming his Birmingham Hyrox partner Meg lets him.

Sarah Dauncey has an 18:38 5K to her name and recently took on 50 miles along the Cotswold Way trails. She arrives with serious mileage already in the legs for Sunday 20 September.

Aaron Stevens brings three half marathons of experience to give Björnstride another proven long-distance runner who knows what it takes to keep moving when the kilometers start to add up.

THE LOANEES

Meg Day, Tom Price & Jack Ward

With a 22:18 5K and a 46:05 10K behind her, Meg Day will have also competed in 10 Hyrox races by 2027. She may therefore be better qualified to determine Joe's partaking around the pool.

Former Member Tom Price re-joins the crew leaner, quicker, and fitter. His current 5K stands at 26:11, down from the low thirties in January - a marker of how quickly things change with consistency.

The final loanee Jack Ward has a 03:14:00 marathon behind him and has raised over £10,000 for charity through running. A serious signing and someone who knows how to run for something bigger.

ONE MORE LAP

12 hours. One team. One cause

Björnstrxng is taking on its biggest challenge yet, with Joe, Sarah, Aaron, Meg, Tom and Jack coming together for a 12-hour ultra relay around Lichfield's Stowe Pool on 20 September.

Teams of runners will compete to complete as many laps as they can from sunrise to sunset, all in aid of Kids' Village UK's initiative to build a holiday respite village for critically ill children.

Team Björnstrxng will be taking on the 12-hour shift in support of the incredible cause. You can support the team by donating here or to their individual pages through clicking on their names.

THREE OF THE BEST

Björnstrxng legends return to the studio

Three familiar faces are back in the Björnstrxng studio after more than a year away from training, each returning with different goals and fresh motivation to get right back to where they left.

Marie Griffiths returns after stepping away to have her little girl. Paula Olsson, meanwhile, will be looking to rediscover the Feats form that made her one of the names to beat in Seasons 2 and 3.

Sam Baker completes the trio, returning with a body recomposition firmly in her sights. Three different journeys, but all three are back where they belong and ready to build momentum again.

NO HALF MEASURES

Members pen their Half Marathon debut

Rob Conway and David Jordan have signed up for their first Half Marathon in Cheshire. With 13.1 miles ahead, they'll be hoping the Cheshire Cat's grin is still on their faces by the photo finish.

Rob has enjoyed a stellar year, losing 15kg, competing at the Valencia Gay Games and setting personal records inside and outside the studio. The Half Marathon is the next chapter.

David recently set a personal best of 23:34 at Birmingham's Unity 5K but has never ventured beyond that distance, so Coach Joe will be building his durability during Björnstrxng sessions.

12-HOUR STRIDE

Team Björnstrxng's biggest challenge yet

Team Björnstrxng will take to Stowe Pool for a 12-hour ultra relay in aid of Kids' Village. For Royal Mail duo Meg Day and Jack Ward, it may just be the longest paper round of their lives.

The team will be in good hands on 20 September. Meg is a Hyrox athlete preparing for four Birmingham races, Jack has completed more than 50 marathons, and Sarah Dauncey is an elite-level racer.

Alongside Coach Joe, Tom Price and Aaron Stevens, the team will keep moving for 12 hours in support of Kids' Village's fantastic initiative. If you'd like to support the challenge, please donate here.