Ten Months. Six Ultras. One Mission.
Ioana Barbu is doing something that has never been done before. Her passion for nature and extreme adventure has led her to embrace the world’s toughest endurance challenges. In 2025, she’s taking on a once-in-a-lifetime mission: to become the first person ever to complete all six of the world’s hardest self-sufficient multi-stage ultra marathons – from the Arctic Circle to the Amazon Jungle – in a single calendar year.
She’s racing 1,295km across six brutal environments – carrying everything she needs on her back – to make history, and raise vital funds for Global’s Make Some Noise. Helping us to make sure nobody in the UK is left to face life’s toughest challenges alone.
You can support Ioana’s extraordinary challenge by clicking here.
The races:
The FULL Beyond the Ultimate Global Race Series – the 4 hardest ultras in the world in extreme environments (Arctic, Jungle, Mountain, Desert), plus two other legendary ultras (Rangers, Highland).
❄️ Ice Ultra (Sweden – Arctic, 230km) Challenge: arctic tundra, temperatures down to -40C
🥇 Win, Feb 2025 – 2nd overall after men’s winner
🏴 Highland Ultra (Knoydart Peninsula, 125km) Challenge: mountain race with large elevation gain
🥇 Win, April 2025
🌴 Jungle Ultra (Amazon Rainforest, 230km) Challenge: heat 36C, humidity 70-100%, altitude 3200m
🥉 3rd, June 2025
🏔️ Mountain Ultra (Tian-Shan Mountains, 230km) Challenge: high altitude > 4000m – July 2025
🦓 For Rangers Ultra (Kenya, 230km) Challenge: desert race, extreme heat – September 2025
☀️ Desert Ultra (Namib Desert, 250km) Challenge: desert race, temperatures up to 53C – November 2025
The Records:
1. First person ever to race the whole Global Race Series in one calendar year (2025)
2. First person ever to race all 6 Beyond the Ultimate extreme ultras in 1 calendar year (2025). Due to someone dropping out, Ioana is the only person still attempting this!
3. Ioana will become the first British woman, and only the second woman ever, to complete the Global Race Series (only one female athlete has ever completed the series, and she has done this over several years). Only 7 people (6 men, 1 woman) have ever completed the full series, so she is hoping to be the 8th person.
Elite Research:
Ioana is working with Dr Freya Bayne at London Southbank University’s elite Sports Department on groundbreaking research in human adaptation to extreme environments – heat, cold, humidity, altitude – especially in female athletes, where data is sorely lacking. Dr Bayne previously supported Spencer Matthews’ Guinness World Record of 30 Marathons in 30 Days in the Wadi Rum desert in Jordan.
Ioana sat down with Jenni Falconer on RunPod following her Ice Ultra win, you can listen to the full episode here.
And you can hear more about just how challenging this is, in our Q&A with Ioana below:
What inspired you to take on the Global Race Series?
It started back in 2022 while I was working with Spencer Matthews on his podcast Big Fish as he was training for the Jungle Ultra. I said I’d love to do something like that “someday”. He wasn’t having any of that “maybe” and encouraged me to commit and sign up straight away, so I did. The Jungle was my first ultra in June 2024, and although I ended up short coursing it, I discovered my love for ultra running. Kris King, the Race Director – who’s since become one of my best friends – sat me down at the end of the race and told me I should take on the full series. I ran the Desert next, but short coursed again. So I had unfinished business.
Kris put the challenge on the table: go for the full Global Race Series in one calendar year in 2025… and go even further, take on all 6 Beyond the Ultimate races in one calendar year. So I went all in – I want to prove what’s possible, inspire others, and build something real from it.
And what inspired you to do it for Global’s Make Some Noise?
Make Some Noise is really close to my heart. I love how it supports small charities making a real difference in their local communities – especially those helping young people and families. These charities are often a lifeline doing that work in their area, and without Make Some Noise they wouldn’t have the voice or platform or fundraising power to keep going.
What do you love most about doing these challenges?
They’re empowering. There’s nowhere to hide, and they’ve shown me I’m stronger than I could have ever imagined – physically, mentally, and emotionally. These races are self-sufficient, so the learning curve is steep. I’d say they’re 1/3 physical, 1/3 mental, and 1/3 admin… and they’ve helped me grow in every way.
What’s the scariest moment you’ve experienced so far?
This is going to sound mad, but the stray dogs in the Jungle Ultra villages you run through – rabies is a real risk, and the nearest hospital is 6 hours away. So if you get bitten, you’re out of the race. Some of the dogs are very enthusiastic and will follow you, barking aggressively. That was genuinely nerve-wracking. I did meet a snake in the jungle – heard it before I saw it, so it was right by my feet by the time I saw it. You get briefed on the wild life, so I knew it wasn’t life threatening – that snake was chilled compared to the dogs.
What’s been the toughest race so far, and why?
The Jungle in 2025, hands down. It’s the most hostile environment on the planet – heat, humidity, altitude. Kris “kindly” made Stage 3 three times harder this year and took a few souls – 13 people didn’t finish that day. Let me put it this way, Stage 4 was notoriously known as the most brutal… Stage 3 makes it look easy now.
What’s been the best moment so far?
The Arctic. I was in my element out there from the years snowboarding. You run across big open frozen lakes at times, which are some of the coldest parts as there is no tree cover – you’re fully exposed to the wind. I had a moment coming off one of the lakes at the end of one of the stages, with the sunset above the tree line I was running into as Coldplay’s “Paradise” started playing in my headphones. Still gives me goosebumps, that was a moment I’ll remember.
Where is the most amazing place you’ve run through so far?
The Jungle. It’s utterly stunning and brutal in equal measure – waterfalls, butterflies, colourful birds – all while sliding through mud, wading through rivers, and questioning your life choices on cliffside trails.
What is one thing you always pack in your race kit?
Wired headphones. In the Arctic, anything battery-powered dies instantly – and battery life is precious in every race. The races are self-sufficient, so you carry everything you need for the week, and every gram matters. I’m a 44kg slight woman, so my pack to body weight ratio is less than ideal if I’m not careful. My first ultra, my pack was 1/4 of my body weight 😂 ERROR! Headphones are my “luxury item” for the dark might of the soul moments when you really need music.
Do you have any interesting pre or post race rituals?
I hate the nerves at the start line – and in stage races, you get five of them! I channel my old snowboard coach’s advice: “Don’t think, just do – or you’ll catch fear.” So I try to clear my head and just run… some of the best advice Kris King ever gave me. Post race? Eat everything. After a week of dehydrated meals and a calorie deficit, any food tastes like heaven.
Have you got any learnings you can share with us from your challenges and training?
If you want something badly enough, you’ll find a way. That’s what ultra running has taught me. I can do things my past self could’ve never imagined. It’s just about putting in the work, being willing to learn, and surrounding yourself with the right people. When I started, I had no idea what I was doing – but asking questions, learning from the experts, and surrounding myself with the best people was life changing. That applies to anything in life. Your environment matters – especially the five people closest to you. Make sure they lift you up.
