“Homegrown,” a movie by The North Face and Sports activities Sneakers, introduces U.Okay. rising star Josh Wade and follows his preparation for the 2024 UTMB.
Wade has lately made headlines internationally by inserting third within the 2025 Transgrancanaria, having held second place for a lot of the race, however he has been making waves nearer to residence for just a few years now. In 2023, he gained the arduous Extremely-Path Snowdonia 100 Mile by near 90 minutes, setting a brand new course file. He additionally gained the 2022 Backbone Challenger 110 Mile and positioned third within the 2023 Eiger Extremely-Path 101k.
[Editor’s Note: If you can’t see the film above, you can watch it at this link.]
The movie opens with a candid introduction to Wade — from Kendal, England — who’s busy working his day job as a gardener. He says cheerfully, “I’m pushing lawnmowers up the hill sweating, that is train and dealing, and I feel it’s undoubtedly helped.”
The movie tracks Wade’s arrival in Europe first for coaching and ultimately for the race and his journey round Mont Blanc, with help and insights from spouse, Mel, and brother, Jamie. He suffers abdomen points within the earlier a part of the race and is ranked 117th in Les Contamines, 31 kilometers in, however has turned a nook a labored his method as much as 58th by Courmayeur — roughly midway by way of the race.
A screenshot from the movie “Homegrown” of Josh Wade coaching at residence in England.
Within the race’s second half, Wade finds his rhythm, and it’s satisfying to observe him grind his method up the sector to complete eleventh, as his spouse and brother beam with pleasure.
In his abstract on the finish he says, “I’m only a man from Kendal, coaching actually arduous to attempt to race one of the best on the planet.” And following each this race and his newer one at Transgrancanaria, his is a reputation that’s certain to be repeated within the historical past books of ultrarunning.
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A screenshot from the movie “Homegrown” of Josh Wade’s bib for the 2024 UTMB.
