A man has completed a 42km log-dragging challenge from Ramsey to Castletown in aid of an Amazon conservation charity.

Owen Bevan completed the challenge in 15 and a half hours, hauling the log from Ramsey to the Balthane Industrial Estate in Ballasalla.

Talking about his preparation for the challenge, the 27 year old said: ‘I came back from nine months of travelling in June, so my fitness wasn't where I'd normally keep it.

‘I started with a general physical preparation phase — CrossFit at the Meadows gym in Onchan and running — to rebuild my base. Then I specialised, built the log rig and started dragging it.

‘I began with just 2km on Ramsey Promenade and built up progressively, including a 15km training drag on Douglas Promenade two weeks before the event.’

The route's hills proved to be the biggest test, with the climb from Laxey Beach towards Baldrine proving particularly difficult.

However, Owen described Richmond Hill as the hardest section of the route. ‘I was hurting from early on in the challenge, but by this point I was also very tired and moving slowly,’ he said.

‘I completed it two hours faster than I'd predicted, which surprised me. It was undeniably very difficult, but having experience with ultra-endurance events, I knew what that level of effort felt like.

‘At no point did I question whether I'd finish, and it was purely a matter of when.’

He was supported by around five vehicles throughout the day, while family and friends also joined him for sections of the route.

He said the encouragement from passing motorists was particularly memorable, with people sounding their horns and shouting support from their vehicles.

The Ramsey man had previously undertaken a major physical challenge in 2023, climbing a rope the height of Kilimanjaro in 17 hours, with his latest idea coming to him after completing the Annapurna Circuit trek in Nepal and listening to Paul Rosolie's book ‘Junglekeepers: What It Takes to Save the Amazon’.

The challenge was inspired by the work of Junglekeepers, an organisation focused on protecting the Amazon rainforest. He said he had followed Paul Rosolie's work through podcasts and books for several years and wanted to raise money for the organisation.

The log-drag has so far raised approximately £2,500 for Junglekeepers, with further fundraising planned. Owen said he is currently speaking to a number of island businesses in the hope of securing additional corporate support over the next few weeks.

‘I really believe in their cause,’ he said. ‘The detail that stayed with me was that the founders are currently in a face-off with local cartels who are funding the illegal logging — so Junglekeepers are quite literally on the front line.

‘Even if I don't make a huge difference, any difference helps. The Amazon is often called the lungs of the planet, and it felt like a very timely cause to raise money for.’

To find out more about the challenge, you can visit https://www.draggingtheforesthome.com/