Episode 1 Natural Born Winners

What does it take to be the best?

Around the world,

sports steeped in tradition

create their champions.

Men who master speed,

skill, endurance,

and the will to win.

Four modern sporting heroes

are about to put themselves to the test.

Argh!

Gareth Thomas, Welsh rugby legend...

You don't want to lose. Nobody wants to lose. It hurts.

..Donovan Bailey, the Olympic gold medal sprinter...

Every single day I get up and I have a goal.

..James Toseland, two times World Superbike Champion...

There's always a will to win. I hate losing.

I've always hated losing. But I'm not planning on losing.

..and Iwan Thomas,

whose British 400 metre record has never been broken.

I've always been a competitor.

I think I always will have that natural need to win.

They'll travel to the four corners of the earth...

Wow, look at that!

..to take on some of the world's great challenges.

Whoa!

Super dangerous.

It's like being on death row.

They're about to find out who's got what it takes...

This is combat.

..to triumph against the odds.

SHOUTING

They'll compete to be the best.

I love it. I didn't realise how much I missed it.

But who will crumble?

Argh!

I'm not in. You're not in? I'm not in.

HE MOANS

I just want to die.

And who's got what it takes to win?

That is the scariest thing I have ever done.

Winning has defined their lives.

Now four sportsmen are about to find out

who is the ultimate competitor.

In Turkey, they'll fight against the toughest opponents.

We're going to be competing in a championship.

It's not just playing at it.

In India, they'll take each other on in combat.

As soon as any competition starts,

I will want to beat that person I'm facing.

And they'll probably say exactly the same,

and that's what makes a sportsman.

And in Japan, they'll take part in a shoot out

using horse and bow.

I will always be an athlete.

I will always challenge myself.

It's a world tour to discover who has the winning edge...

You've got to completely convince yourself that you will win.

When you don't, it's devastating.

..and it all starts with a gruelling test of endurance.

The first leg of the contest will reveal

how fit the sportsmen truly are...

..as they find out who can go the distance.

Deep in the Welsh hills,

they face 21 miles of cross-country marathon...

with a twist.

The runners will be going head-to-head against horses.

They're meeting up for the first time,

but in just four weeks, Gareth, James, Iwan and Donovan

will be lining up to race the riders and each other.

Fitness levels -

I think we've all got different strengths, different weaknesses.

When was the last time you trained properly, though?

I don't train much any more, if I'm honest with you,

but I still would like to think I've got that in my locker.

The course starts and finishes in the town of Llanwrtyd Wells,

and runners race through hard and unforgiving country.

Ah, you bugger!

Straight out of town, they face sheer climbs

and drops of hill after hill

while racing on rocks and through mud.

We don't know how hard this is going to be, right?

But I'm going to mentally tell myself this is going to be hell.

The course cuts through forest and exposed countryside.

And throughout the 21 miles,

the competitors will be trying to outrun

some of the toughest endurance riders in the UK.

We're going to be on the start line all wanting to beat each other.

And, as always, every sportsman thinking it's going to be them.

Like, my maximum - I hit the wall and I'm gone at five miles.

Your body will go so far,

and then I think all of a sudden your brain kicks in,

and then your brain will take you the rest of the way.

Is this it? Two houses in the whole village? This is it, bud.

Bye, train. Goodbye, world!

Goodbye!

Nothing in their professional training

will have prepared them for a race this tough.

It's beautiful. Yeah, it is nice.

Even though they've all been at the top of their game.

I wasn't naturally good at rugby.

I played all sports.

When I was doing athletics I felt like I was on my own.

When I was doing swimming I felt like I was on my own.

But the one thing I loved about rugby

was - even though I didn't excel at it at a young age -

was the fact that I could be part of a team.

I was a kid, as soon as the lunchtime bell would go,

would run out, put my jumper down, set the game of football out.

One school sports day I attempted five events.

I broke all five school records, and a PE teacher

physically clipped me round the head and took me to an athletics club.

Three weeks after that, I'm on a plane to Korea

to the World Junior Championships, and I'm like, "What is going on?"

This is my very first set of leathers. I was 14 at the time.

As you can see, we didn't have much money when we were younger.

I had my careers interview at school, and they said,

"So what do you want to be, then?"

I went, "A motorcycle racer."

And he said, "Well, that's a bit unrealistic, isn't it?"

So I said, "Oh, I'll be a joiner like my brother, then,

"if you need to put it down."

And he said, "Willing to work weekends?"

I said, "Well, I'm only planning on working weekends, mate,

"cos you have to qualify on Saturday and then race on Sundays." HE LAUGHS

The boys are in Gareth's homeland, Wales,

for the first leg of their challenge.

The eagle has landed.

It's a chance to get to know each other

as they kick-start their training...

Keep up, fatty. Come on.

HE LAUGHS Sorry.

I'm checking out the sights.

Hello. We're here for some pain.

..and heading to join them after flying in from Canada

is the fourth member of the team,

Olympic gold medallist and former world record-holder Donovan Bailey.

It's so peaceful and serene, quiet.

I like it.

I could definitely have a country home here.

This would work.

One of the most successful sprinters of his generation,

Donovan held the Olympic record for 12 years.

I was brought up in a house where failure wasn't discussed.

I am number four of five boys in the house,

so I don't ever remember not being in competition.

We were taught and moulded to be successful

in any single thing that we did,

so the expectation was that you can't disappoint your mum and dad.

What do you drink, mate? Cider.

That's the first thing I got drunk on. That's, um...

Lime and soda water. Vodka, lime and soda.

This is...

This is, er... Wow.

This is so far removed from my life today.

There's no shower. The TV's not a flatscreen.

The mattress is a hammock. HE LAUGHS

Well, well, well. Good afternoon. How are you, mate?

I'm on Jamaica time. Haven't seen you in a while, man. How are you?

Nice to see you. You well?

As fellow sprinters, Iwan and Donovan's paths have crossed before.

He's a big dude. He is a big dude.

Donovan's someone who I've got a lot of respect for.

When I was at the Atlanta Olympics, I came away with a silver medal,

it was like, "Oh, my God."

Donovan Bailey was the 100 metre blue ribbon event champion.

So you're talking about someone who's the fastest man in the world.

Do you know what this first challenge is? I have no clue.

Oh, you don't know what you're doing? No, I don't.

You don't know what we're doing? I don't, I don't.

Let me tell him.

Right, so we're doing...

It's called Man versus Horse,

and it's an off-road fell run.

So, up the mountains. And it starts off here in the pub.

And you run literally out around the mountains and back.

Crazy! I'm like, "What?"

I don't think he's fully thought it through,

which is going to be entertaining. HE LAUGHS

You're a 100 metre sprinter,

so even a five-mile run is going to hurt, isn't it?

100 metres - you know what's far? 200 metres.

THEY LAUGH

Usain Bolt is the number one sprinter in the world.

I was that, Linford was that,

and there's a hierarchy.

Even in our sport, where, you know,

it is the jet-setting,

fast cars, nice house, pretty ladies.

That's kind of what we do. That's, uh...

Well, yeah, that is what we do. HE LAUGHS

Man versus Horse started because of a bet

over a drink in the bar of the Neuadd Arms.

I probably could get better if I shut my eyes.

We'll have a drink.

Oh!

Locals were arguing over whether a human could ever beat a horse.

Get in! Get in!

The event is now world famous

and has been running for 35 years...

and man has beaten horse twice.

Dick! How's it going?

68-year-old Dick Evans won the first race in 1980,

and has come in first three times since,

thought he's never beaten the horse.

He's agreed to take the boys under his wing.

The first mile and a half, two miles is on road.

JAMES: OK, cool. How many hills will we face?

There are some really long hills

there are a few sharper hills,

but you're going to be climbing for 10, 15 minutes at a time.

Uh-huh. What's your fastest for this particular race?

1:56.

So it's 21 miles and you're running 1:56?

- Yeah. - And it's up and down dale?

Yeah.

That's well fast. You've done it on a proper watch

and it legit is 21 miles?

JAMES LAUGHS On a proper watch!

- Well, the timekeeper... - Not like your one!

JAMES: 'He runs every day. He runs 60 miles a week, still.

'Most 68-year-olds are putting their feet up'

and having a cup of tea and watching afternoon television.

He's just told me what he does, and all of a sudden I've...

I'm going to suck it in,

stop being nervous, and he's been a bit of an inspiration.

On their first evening,

Dick suggested they get cracking with training.

I'm just getting ready.

And putting my wife's headband in,

which is really embarrassing.

HE LAUGHS

But only James is up for it.

James is, mentally, a machine.

I think people will say, "Didn't he ride a motor bike?

"Surely you don't have to be fit for that." You do.

COMMENTATOR: James Toseland is king in Britain!

What a race.

James is the two times World Superbike Champion.

To win races, he'd push his bike to 226mph.

I always wanted to go faster and faster and faster.

I don't know if there was ever going to be a limit,

but I never found that limit.

I loved how you crashed and you broke your leg,

but you still dragged yourself back on a bike again to finish the race.

I used to be the kid that smashed his tennis racket on the floor,

if I wasn't good, and smashed that and walked off.

Naturally you've got to be competitive.

That drive and competitiveness to want to win -

but then there's another level of needing to win,

and I think that is what I had.

The next morning's training is not optional.

To get them used to the tough terrain,

Dick's arranged a session at Tony Griffiths' hill farm.

Well, they'll want to get a bit of belly off for us, won't they? LAUGHTER

Typical farmer! Always sticking the knife in.

Yeah, just because you're retired and you think,

"Ah, I can put on a few more pounds now."

LAUGHTER Yeah, yeah.

IWAN: Make sure you're in front of me, JT, I've got bad wind.

JAMES LAUGHS

Oh, my goodness!

JAMES LAUGHS That was really deep!

Yes, bud!

That's why they you won the 100 metres - you walk on water.

Dick's giving the boys a baptism of fire.

The boggy hill he's got them running up and down

is one of the tough final sections of the Man versus Horse race.

Today we're going to do six reps on the hill.

When the race comes, you should have no problem.

We can do this six times if we have to run for four hours.

So it's going to be about two minutes recovery.

Walk back and go.

Like the old days, come on. What are you guys talking about, man?

Take yourself back, man. Champion, come on. Let's go!

Jeez.

Iwan's getting the hang of it.

'I always want to win in anything I do.'

I play beat the sat nav, so wherever I'm going, any journey,

my sat nav will say, "You will arrive at 4:14."

I'm like, "Nah, I'll beat that." I'm just a competitor.

I can just cut out crisps, chocolate and cola.

That's 90% of your diet, though, pal. I know. I'll waste away.

You're going to die.

I think James is much lighter than any of the other boys.

I think he's going to enjoy it.

It's the course, I think, will suit him.

Come on, JT.

Iwan and James are in their element.

I am tired.

But it's a whole new world for the Olympic 100 metre champion,

who's all about short bursts of energy, not stamina.

OK. All right.

Let's try this, baby.

I just hate mud and dirt.

Oh, I hate this.

Oh, no, it's getting worse.

Come on, Donovan. Keep going, mate!

Man, this is crazy.

What am I thinking?

"Oh, marathon - no problem!

"Marathon in Wales up the hill - no problem!"

I'm screwed.

'I think it's going to be toughest for Donovan.'

He's never been in something like this before,

so he's going to experience fatigue early on -

and he's going to have to carry that fatigue for hours.

Today is day one. And it's not race day, you know? It's practice.

I've never been known for practice.

Ah!

Last two reps. Come on, guys.

As my old training partner would say,

when it hurts,

they're the sessions that count, cos they're in the bank.

Gareth is gone already?

GARETH: I'm the pacemaker!

DONOVAN: Team-mate!

GARETH: Mate, I'm always on your team.

One more, boys,

and then Donovan's putting the kettle on.

Come on, boys.

Despite his size, Gareth is staying focused.

He's a machine, you see.

For a big fella, he's running well, isn't he?

Gareth, he's got that mental toughness.

That's your best of the day!

'Each one we did, he was getting faster,'

even though he would have been getting more tired, more fatigued.

That's a man who won't quit. He'll run through walls.

Well done, big G. Great stuff, mate.

That's a great effort, mate.

That's a great effort. Great effort.

His bulk may work against him,

but Gareth completes all six reps of the hill.

Good lad!

I believe Gareth will be mentally ready for anything,

and I think pride will be a big part of his make-up.

You know, if it hurts, he'll keep going.

To be the best on the field,

Gareth's rugby training regime

was focused on strength and power.

Rugby was very much a game

where you'd have to run for short periods of time,

and the fitness would come in how quickly you could recover.

So the challenge is completely changing my mental attitude

from short burst, stop, short burst, stop,

to keep going for as long as you can without stopping.

In his 17-year career,

Gareth had a record 100 caps for Wales.

When you represent your country,

you have to have this strong inner belief.

I trained every day, because on that Saturday,

I wanted to be the best rugby player.

And for me, if I could have played New Zealand every week,

then I would have loved that, cos I want to play against the best -

because if you play against the best constantly,

you become as good as the best.

Is this more exhausting than rugby?

Oh, man.

There are no hills on a rugby field.

No, you're quite right. Oh, God.

Correct.

None of the boys have faced an endurance challenge

like this before,

but James and Iwan are looking like the frontrunners

after their first taste of fell running.

I'm quietly confident about the endurance side of it,

because they're all big guys.

I wouldn't have signed up for this

if I didn't feel that I had a chance of winning.

This first kind of leg of the journey

is the scariest one, because it's something

that I feel is going to really hurt me.

But I'm actually really comforted by the fact

that I'm doing it in the heart of Mid Wales.

You know, it would push me to potentially go a little bit harder,

go a little bit further than I would if it was in any other country.

One thing I've learnt, I still have got that switch when I need it.

I know I can still switch it on. I could have carried on going today

for another five reps at that pace, easily.

So I've got to just hold back a bit, because even today, I went,

"Come on," and I looked round and thought, "Where is everyone?"

Because they're sensible and I'm not.

And it's been a wake-up call for the short distance hero Donovan.

Where's your butler?

'The next couple of weeks is going to be crazy.'

I will get out and be as physically prepared as possible

for this big challenge

of Man versus Horse -

but to me, in my head, I'm thinking,

21 miles of marathon hills.

Which will be crazy. Crazy.

Au revoir. Thank you for everything.

See you in a few weeks, yeah?

'These boys were superstars a few years back,'

but if you're not mentally prepared,

it'd be so easy to pack it in and stop.

They should be ready for it, and really prepared for the hills

and what lies ahead, you know?

Prepare yourself mentally, boys. Yeah. Right?

Back home, the sportsmen have just three weeks

to get ready for the big race.

Does anyone ever beat the horse?

Somebody has beaten the horse. I think they said...

I think it's three times. There are people who take it seriously

and there are people who do it just for a bit of fun

to say they've completed it,

and then there's Donovan.

THEY LAUGH

All his life, he's had everything arranged for him,

everything done for him,

and I can understand how a lot of these sportsmen,

once that regiment is taken away from you

and you have to see to it yourself,

then it must be a big shock.

When he goes on a train up to London,

I always do a roll

and some crisps and a bottle of water.

SHE LAUGHS

We got this guy called Dick, right, who was our, like, trainer,

and a really nice guy. Dick said you have to constantly be concentrating.

Yeah, you've got to watch your footing.

The terrain, and 22 miles - think how far that is.

Is it from here to Cardiff? Yeah, here to Cardiff, that is.

This challenge that he's doing on this programme

is nothing compared to the challenges

that he's had in his life.

Gareth came out seven years ago.

I don't think me being gay is an issue.

I'm very proud of what I've achieved,

and I'm very proud of people who look at my story and...

and take strength from it, and take courage from it.

But actually, I think a lot more people take a lot more strength

and courage from it not being an issue.

I didn't have to have a discussion, for instance,

with Donovan about being straight

and, "What's it like to be a straight sprinter?"

And Iwan, "What's it like to be a straight runner?"

"What's it like to be a straight motorbike rider?"

I think people would take a lot more strength in it not being a subject,

and people knowing, and it just being in the back of their mind,

cos if it's the back of the mind, then you know, it's like,

"Whatever. We knew about it.

"Wow, but this is interesting - look what else he can do.

"Look what other talents he has."

So that's what we want. You know, that's perfect.

James is pounding the countryside around Sheffield.

He's on the same hills where he learned to ride

his first trials bike.

The adrenaline buzz that I used to get

from riding over 200mph most weekends

is very, very hard to replicate.

Walking out on stage now in the band

is a really massive, massive buzz,

and that fulfils my life now,

but it still can't replicate the danger.

But for now,

James is putting everything he's got into Man versus Horse.

For me, it's going to be really, really tough, don't get me wrong -

but I did have to train for endurance with my sport.

Iwan was a bit more long distance.

Gareth with his short bursts, definitely not.

And then Donovan, 100 metres - I mean,

he never ran more than 200 metres at his height, kind of thing.

So it's going to be interesting to see how he gets on.

PHONE RINGS

Hey, Donovan. How you doing, mate? James, how are you, man?

What's up? I'm all right, my friend.

Nice to see you again. Whereabouts are you?

I'm in my Jamaica house.

JAMES LAUGHS And you've got a lady bringing you tea!

Yes, yes. That's amazing! I want one of those.

Mind you, I must admit, I am at my mum's house at the moment,

and the service is probably just as good. She's still got it, my mum.

We're all momma's boys, that's just how it is. JAMES LAUGHS

How's training going? Training is going great, actually.

I did get a chance to go out

and go for a few evenings of jogging,

so, looking forward to raising my hand.

Hopefully I have enough energy to do that when I cross the line.

Well, it's great chatting, Donovan,

and look forward to seeing you next week, mate.

Cheers. Cheers, mate. Bye-bye.

Iwan's pushing himself hard, with eight days to go.

He's been running for miles every day

at his old Southampton training ground.

'When it goes well for you as an athlete,

'I used to love coming back to Heathrow Airport and the security'

guy's going, "I watched you last night.

"Well done, beat the Americans. Awesome race."

But then, on the flipside, you'd have a bad couple of races

and you'd come back and you'd equally get,

"What's happened to you? You've well gone off the rails."

HE BREATHES HEAVILY

Aw, man.

PANTING: I wish I were still 24.

Not 24 stone.

Oh, God, I'm hurting. Aw, mate.

OK, let's go.

HE SHOUTS

Oh, I've hurt my hamstring. Seriously.

HE LAUGHS I've just hurt me hamstring!

Aw, mate!

I've hurt my hamstring.

No, mate, I've done it. What, it actually went? Yeah.

As soon as I hit that second stride on that hill.

I'm not... It's not torn, but I've definitely tweaked it up.

There'll be no Man versus Horse for me, 100%.

This is an injury that's going to take three weeks, at least.

I don't know what I'll do now,

because obviously we go to Wales in a few days' time,

so I don't even see the point in me coming.

I don't know what I should do.

HE SIGHS

CROWD CHEERS 'Here's Thomas now, in the lead.

'Thomas for Wales and Richardson, his great rival,

'coming through... Here's Iwan!

'Thomas is holding on through sheer strength...'

I found it really tough when I stopped

because I didn't get given that choice.

I didn't say, "Right, I've won a championship

"and I'm going to retire."

It was taken out of my hands because I had loads of injuries

and I kind of just fizzled away.

I've never had that chance to say goodbye

and finish where I wanted to.

It's taken me a long time to realise I'm not Iwan Thomas

the athlete any more.

In just three days,

the four sportsmen will compete in the first of their challenges,

and they'll see what their rivals are made of.

Gareth's the first back in town for a Man versus Horse.

HE GROANS Hello, boys! How you doing?

Hola, Gareth! How's it going?

How many times can a Welshman sit outside a pub with his shorts on?

Mate, this is how you sunbathe in Wales. This is how we do it.

Where's the other amigo?

We're a man down. Good to see you, bud. We're a man down.

We're a man down. Where is he? He's...

He went training and he's done his hamstring.

He's going to make a decision, I think. There's no decision to make!

Man up and do it! So we're not having any sympathy at all then? No!

None! None!

The middle of Wales is famed for its lush valleys.

They're the perfect place for the boys to enjoy

a night in a tent under the stars before the big race.

Hurry up, man, we're freezing! Put this tent up!

Here's the instructions. Aw, come on.

"Instructions if you're a Canadian 100-metre Olympic champion.

"Get the butler to put the tent up for you."

THEY LAUGH

Has anyone here ever put a tent up before? Never.

We're going to need planning permission for this one.

Here's the door, cos this is the groundsheet.

Which one's the front door?

LAUGHING: Which one's the front door!

There's two doors here, right?

This is all right. How about here?

There's the dining room sorted out. Ooh, look at that!

Where's Iwan? We need a paper cut-out of Iwan.

Can you make yourself useful and go and get us some water, pal?

Don't be too long. The sun's going down.

Don't be standing in a cowpat in your Pradas, Don!

He's fitting in a treat. You belong here!

It doesn't look like a night under canvas is on Donovan's to-do list.

If my goal is to compete on Saturday, then it's extremely

important for me to prepare as best as possible for me,

and I'm going to get a cab and sleep in a bed, a warm bed.

When was the last time I camped? Erm... Hold on, let me check.

Never. Never! Go get 'em, Don.

OK, see you guys tomorrow. See you in the morning, bud.

Donovan's lived the good life for too long.

I don't think he was ever going to stay.

He doesn't like slumming it at all.

Goodnight, bud. Night, mate. Sleep well. And you, pal.

I didn't sleep very well. HE LAUGHS

I might struggle today.

There's just two days to go before race day.

My biggest worry is being able to finish it.

Cos I've never run for such a long time.

I've never done a fell run ever, and this is going to be really tough.

It's just like the pain

that I'll have to go through to be able to finish it.

That's what's going to scare me.

22 miles over terrain that you have no idea what it's going to be like.

It just seems nuts. It really does.

What I'm trying to convince myself is that I'll just dig in and do it.

But I think I can only dig in and do it

if I really believe that I can dig in and do it,

and right now I don't really believe I can dig in and do it,

so it's kind of scary.

Man versus Horse isn't the only event

in the Llanwrtyd Wells sporting calendar.

Every year, the ancient peat bogs on the edge of town

play host to the world championships of a unique sport.

Bog snorkelling.

Well, my forefathers have been here nearly 150 years

and they used to cut peat on this bog which you see here.

I was just wondering, if they came back, well...

What on earth would they think? They'd be mystified.

It's an odd sport, isn't it?

It's not quite like the Olympics, is it?

The locals have got a warm-up task for the boys.

They've challenged them to go head-to-head in the bog,

and if they can conquer the disorientating conditions

of the trench swim,

it will help set their attitude for the extremes of Man versus Horse.

You can't see anything, so you are basically going as fast as you can

into total blackness, and that's quite a hard thing to do, really.

Taking tips from world champion bog snorkeller Jo Pitchforth,

the athletes will compete to do two lengths

of this three-foot deep bog - fastest.

The best technique is to keep your hands in front of you.

You're not allowed to lift your head up -

and when you get to the other end, touch the pole,

do a quick turn and head off back.

It's the coming back that's the hard bit

because the legs really start to burn.

But before they take on the muddy trench challenge,

Iwan's on the phone and he's facing a dilemma.

IWAN: Hiya. Now then.

Now then, soft lad, how are you? How's the invalid?

All right, mate, I was literally just

rushing around getting my bags packed, I'm on my way to you guys.

So your hamstring's better if you're rushing around.

Rushing around at a very leisurely pace.

I've been all around the country getting injections, scans,

doing what I can so I can be with you boys, but...

Is the doctor coming to give you an injection on Saturday morning?

There is a doctor available,

so, the pros and cons are,

if I have an injection it'll hide the pain, which is good,

but the bad thing is I might go and rupture it

and I'll be out of all of it.

Yeah, I don't know how long it's going to hold out.

Take it easy, pal. See you, boys. Goodbye, pal.

Iwan's coming back to Wales but there's no guarantee he'll race.

Meanwhile, there's still a bog to be conquered.

Guys, it's like being on death row.

Happily, they've got plenty of support.

HE SNEEZES

LAUGHTER

A good start!

That's before you get in.

LAUGHTER

What's everybody from the village doing in the field?

Rachel? Hello. How are you doing? Fine.

Hello. Pleased to meet you.

You guys know the rules for this?

No. You've got to keep your mask under, you can't use your arms.

Right. So there's no overarm... You can't use your arms?! No.

You can either have your arms by your side... Uh-huh.

..or your arms out in front of you.

What's the champ's technique?

The champ's technique is to put your arms out in front of you.

You are allowed, even within the rules,

to keep popping your head above... Oh, right.

..to see where the post is.

You are allowed. Cos you can get a bit disorientated.

Jo was the 2007 bog snorkelling champion

and beat the 150 competitors to set a new world record.

JAMES: Don't kill the tadpoles.

GARETH: Oh, look at the mud. Oh, my God.

I can't figure out how you can swim like that.

I'm not a very good swimmer.

Three, two, one, go!

That's like an outboard. That is hard.

This is going to take ages and ages.

What do you think you're going to do?

If you do that in less than three minutes, I think you're doing well.

Mate, three minutes. That's going to take about ten minutes.

I'm going to need a competitive spirit

just to get my snorkel on and get in there.

Come on, Jo!

World record, world record, world record.

Dirt, mud and weeds and tadpoles.

Jo! Jo! Jo!

Yeah!

APPLAUSE

1:41:94

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

It's harder coming back. Is it?

Yeah. Because you've created the current to go that way?

No, it's just your legs. They start burning.

First into the bog is James.

Are you ducking under? No, I don't want to, actually.

LAUGHTER

Are you sure? Actually, funnily enough, no, I don't.

Hand on the post. Go!

Go, go!

Whoo!

Go on, James!

That's pretty awesome.

That is good. He's just good at everything.

We're watching for John's hand.

Did he? Yeah.

He hasn't put his head up. Good turn, very good.

He's unbelievable.

He's very good.

Just doing it perfect, as well.

Just a bob up, just to check his bearings.

Come on, James!

It's getting hard now. Come on.

It's a comfortable swim for James,

who finishes the job in under two minutes.

Well done, well done!

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

1:49:88

Perfect. Fantastic!

I think I was that fast just to get out of the thing! LAUGHTER

Come on, pull them knickers up, Gareth.

HE SWEARS OK? Ready to start.

LAUGHTER

OK...

Just check John's ready down at the bottom.

HE GASPS BLEEP

LAUGHTER

Concentrate on breathing OUT.

It was every fear that I've ever had to come across

but there was no way in the world was I not going to do it.

TAKES DEEP BREATHS

That's better. Are you ready?

James didn't want to do it

but he did it because he knew I was going to go in after.

So it's like this relay motion of I have to get in there

because James has done it.

No, long breaths out.

LAUGHTER

All right. OK!

Give us a nod when you're ready for a countdown.

Go on, Gareth, pull your knickers up. I'm ready.

I'll keep your head warm for a minute.

BREATHES DEEPLY

Oh, man.

LAUGHTER

He's got to go. He's got to go. He wants to go.

Three, two, one, go!

LAUGHTER

Oh, man!

You're disqualified.

No, no! Come on.

GARETH SWEARS

I swallowed!

LAUGHTER

The biggest man I've ever met.

No! Get your mask back on.

You're in Wales. How can a Welshman perform like this in Wales?

Uh-oh... Oh, he knows the fighting words.

My flipper's come off.

DONOVAN: Go without the flipper.

I have a BLEEP flipper!

Oh, what an absolute pussy!

Yeah, he's turning round.

Yay! APPLAUSE

Come on, dude.

Come on, the sun's going down!

Come on, dude.

Imagine you're leading your team out at Twickenham.

Come on!

SHOUTS OF ENCOURAGEMENT

Come on, Gareth, ten metres.

Come on, son.

Come on! Yeah!

Come on.

Good job, good job, good job.

If he's the best specimen we've got. He's not very good, is he?

He's too big, you see.

He was like an elephant in there.

Wasn't he?

GARETH GASPS

As Gareth tries to recover...

GURGLING SOUNDS

It's Donovan's turn.

Right, come on, then! No, no, no.

You can't let the side down. Oh, yes, I can!

And very proud of it, too. He's exaggerating it a bit.

I'm sure he is. He's quite happy about the situation.

If that defines happiness, then I don't want to be happy at all.

He's that excited. That's just excitement, that is. Is it?

It's like Christmas morning. LAUGHTER

Yes, that's great.

Why didn't the other big star go in, then?

Cold feet, is it, then?

COMMENTATOR: Gold medallist, representing Canada,

Donovan Bailey!

CHEERING

Donovan was 28 when he won Olympic gold.

I have absolutely nothing to prove to a soul.

To hear the national anthem of your country

is really THE most special thing

that a human being can actually go through.

It's one medal...

The anthem doesn't get played for any others.

It's only the gold medal.

Would you have got in if he'd have gone last?

No, no, because it's not something I thought about.

It's not something I would do

and it would probably compromise all of me and what I am.

No. But I respect it, but not for me.

HE LAUGHS

The next morning, Iwan's back.

But he's been advised not to run.

I now find myself here in Wales, injured.

I'm trying to, on one hand, say, "Let me run," because I want to run,

"It will be OK," but inside I'm a little bit, "Will it be OK?"

I just don't know.

So I'm coming up against all sorts of resistance

to make the start line.

Half of me thinks, "Just let it go, you're not a sportsman any more."

But I can't. Because inside I still am sportsman.

I will be like this when I'm 60.

I'll still want to race my mates round the block or something,

it's just the way I am.

Iwan's future in the race is still in question

as he joins the boys for breakfast.

I'll tell you what, do you know what I'm looking forward to?

Because it's been like a build-up till now. Just doing it.

While Donovan's up in his room.

It takes a long time to get out that four-poster bed, mate.

I want the four of us to sort of be there for each other.

At the moment, look, there's an empty chair.

There's going to come a time when we're all going to get closer

and if he decides to alienate himself,

he's going to get further away.

He's not an Olympic champion any more

and he's not running the 100 metres any more

yet he wants to live like the 100-metre champion,

which he no longer is.

It will be us and him and I don't want that.

There will come a time

when he will look around and realise,

"There is nobody else around here who's going to help me

"apart from Gareth, Iwan or James."

For the rest of the day,

everyone in Llanwrtyd Wells is getting ready for the off

and over 400 racers have arrived.

There's going to be more runners here tomorrow

than the whole population of the smallest town in Britain.

This is very bizarre.

I'm sitting in my room eating pistachio nuts

with my top off while Donovan Bailey's being clicked and clacked.

I do think professional sportsmen have to have something

slightly different. It's not just talent that gets you there,

it's the willingness to go through the pain barrier,

to never accept defeat.

It's not just playing at it.

We're doing it for an end result - to judge yourself.

We just want to finish it. Well, if you do finish it,

I'll buy you a pint. Oh, mate! Shake on it, son.

I know, at the end of it, I will look back and say,

"Why was I so scared of that?" So you have to challenge it.

Fear, to me, is something that has to be challenged.

Beat the fear, that's the best way.

DONOVAN: Well, I'm not racing horses.

It's just me and the fellas and the clock.

You'd better hope that clock's got a lot of batteries in it.

Yes, I know.

It's something I've never experienced before.

So, I'm... I will, I will...

This is the before, so I will definitely...

You will definitely get to see the after.

HORSES CLOP

It's race day on a damp and cold morning.

The 21-mile course will be slippery and wet from a whole night of rain.

A very interesting week but it's all come down to this.

Everybody's finally ready for this.

Iwan's woken up determined to compete, whatever the consequences.

The one thing I am is a fighter,

I won't quit and, as hard as it will be after mile two,

after mile five, be it after mile ten, I don't know,

but at some point I will have to go to a horrible place just to finish.

I wish I was 100%.

HE EXHALES

But I won't show my weakness to the others, I won't show them that.

I'm going in there and I'm going to be giving it everything.

After nearly a month of endurance training,

it's time to find out which athlete wants it most.

HE GROANS

Right, darling. Uh-huh. There you go.

Give you nice stability, but won't restrict. Yeah.

Here's the deal, dude, we're all going to BLEEP.

Course we are. We have to. You two might have to carry me.

No, dude, if we have to come back on the course,

and drag your ass in there, we're doing that.

- Yes, D! - Yes, yes.

Sorry, guys, we're the pacemakers.

We're the pacemakers.

Have a good one, JT.

JT?

Seconds before the start, James head to the front.

ALL: ..three, two, one...

He's gone to the front. I know he has.

Toseland's gone to the front.

Right, let's go.

He went to the front. He went to the front? Yeah.

Have a good one, boys, yeah? Have a good one, fellas.

As soon as the ten, nine, eight, seven, six, that was it,

game face on, race face on.

Get to the front, I'm in the race.

GARETH: As I tried to keep up with Donovan,

I kind of found a pace.

And after turning around, I realised that Donovan was nowhere near me.

The runners have had their 15-minute head start.

It's now time to unleash the horses.

It's dangerous to ride at speed on the road,

so through town the 54 riders are forced to hold their horses back.

But as soon as the course goes off-road...

The riders are flying past the slowest runners...

Out the way!

..and even the slower walkers.

Good luck, mate. Sorry.

I didn't have a plan.

I thought I'd be able to kind of jog, run, walk.

He's only a mile-and-a-half in and Donovan is walking.

While James is up at the front as they reach

the top of the first hill.

And Iwan's close behind.

It was relatively flat to start with

and I thought the hamstring's OK, will it hold out?

Then it went to a rocky part, which seriously was a bit of a test.

For me, that was probably one of the most nerve-racking times

because I honestly thought, if it's going to go, it could go early.

If I'd have thought about how hard it was going to be,

I definitely, definitely would have stopped.

When the horses come, there's a rule, they'll call they're coming,

they have to pass on the left.

At the start it's kind of like, whoa,

because you feel the horses coming, you hear them go past you,

they come at a pace, the horses are tired, they're heavy-breathing.

It's really, really scary.

But I was that tired

and that focused that I just didn't care in the end.

Water stop? Halfway?

No, you're halfway to the next water station.

As Donovan reaches the first water stop,

James is making impressive time as he hits the six-mile point.

I'm used to kind of battling through pain.

I think that was the ultimate challenge I've ever had.

My brain's going, "What the hell's going on, pal?

You retired four years ago, let it go, mate, let it go."

Looking good!

And, despite his leg,

Iwan's a close second, with just nine minutes between them.

Are you all right? Ankles are killing.

It was so muddy, cos it was raining,

that my ankles were twisting and slipping

and it was uneven surfaces, as well, so it twisted your feet

and because I've got two screws in each ankle,

God, it was really, really hurting.

11 miles in, just over halfway

and the punishing terrain is taking its toll.

The conditions aren't ideal, you know.

It's cool, it's lovely and cool.

But it's quite slippery out there.

Some of the rock faces are extremely slippy. Like ice, actually.

Oh, the hamstrings.

The hamstrings are burning.

I had a big slip there, me hamstring.

Are you all right? I slid all the way down. Yeah.

Just... I pulled my weight through that leg, slipping down the rock.

All right. BLEEP. Hold on.

I slipped on a rock but I was like,

"Oh, my God, it's gone, it's gone." I had to stop

and I stretched it out and I said, "Do you know, I think it's OK."

But I'd say that mile 11, at that point was the worst time ever

because I was just really fearful that I wouldn't finish.

All right, I've got to forget about it.

Get back into a rhythm.

A few miles further back, Gareth's in trouble.

I genuinely felt like I was dying.

I was afraid to stop

because I couldn't feel from my waist down, I just couldn't feel it.

All right, James?

James is doing very well.

Extremely well. He was saying his ankles were hurting him,

that he was in some pain but carrying on and doing very well.

I haven't seen Donovan yet, no.

At the finish line they're about to find out

whether man can beat horse.

For this year, anyway.

COMMENTATOR: Put your hands together.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Two hours and 20 minutes after starting,

the horse gallops home to glory.

The horses have now won 33 times out of 35.

But this year, the winning runner comes in a close second,

just ten minutes after the horse.

APPLAUSE

The race is still on between the four sportsmen.

Well done, you're halfway.

I'll have to jog a bit now.

It's downhill.

BREATHES HEAVILY

I slipped at mile 11 and right onto my hamstring.

BREATHES DEEPLY

Are you all right? No.

Yeah, I'm fine.

Yes, no.

Love it.

In the last mile, James digs deep to produce a final surge.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

COMMENTATOR: 773...

To cross the finish line first in just under three-and-a-half hours.

One of the worst things is the horses coming past

and the riders looking as fresh as anything, going,

"You're doing well, you're doing well."

I wanted to clothes line a few of them when they were coming by.

Doing well...

With just two miles to go,

Iwan's struggling to hold on to his second place.

I'm dizzy...

I'm seeing dots.

Come on, you, BLEEP.

I think all of us have got it within us to have that determination

to stand up again and keep pushing but only some of us can channel it.

I honestly think sportspeople have got a switch where, "Never say die."

Only days ago,

medical experts told Iwan he'd never complete Man versus Horse.

But despite a damaged hamstring, he's still running over the line

to finish second in three hours and 47 minutes.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

I feel like crying.

I feel so emotional, like.

I had to really dig deep, like.

The whole way, I was just my leg, thinking when's it going to go.

It's like so psychologically hard.

I feel that soft, nearly crying.

That was one of the toughest things I've done.

Steady, steady, steady.

Good girl.

The finishing line is still a long way off for Gareth.

For some crazy, forsaken reason, they decide we have to run

through a stream, up to your waist, in freezing cold water.

Cos you have to balance as well because the pebbles

and everything under it were...

I just thought to myself, "My God, I just can't."

I literally felt like I was going to die.

He's pushed through the pain barrier

and he's determined to end the race as he started.

Running.

Then I had to get back into the motion,

to go up another little hill.

Then try and finish with all these people looking at me

and try and finish like it's OK, I'm all right, I'm not actually dying.

I feel all right, which is impossible.

COMMENTATOR: 774.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

But finishing the course in four hours

and 22 minutes has come at a price.

Argh!

Ah, Dick. Good lad.

Jolly good. BLEEP.

Good lad.

That's the hardest thing I've ever done in my life.

It's...

I don't know.

Oh, my God, at times you want it to stop.

And give up.

A hard race.

I swear to God.

GARETH GROANS

Argh!

He needs some warmth.

Argh!

BLEEP

We've got you now.

Argh. BLEEP.

Argh...

How long does this last for?

I want to die.

With the last runners coming in,

there's still no sign of Donovan.

He's now been out on the course for over five hours

and Dick's concerned.

I'm going to go and look for Donovan

and help to bring him home.

He needs the help.

Anybody who's been out there for a long time

deserves it more than anybody else.

Dick's getting a lift to a high point.

Where he hopes he'll be able to spot Donovan.

Iwan and James are back at the hotel already.

Let's compare blisters.

Here you go, I've got that.

Is that from this? Yeah.

It's quite nice. Then this one, look at this bad boy.

Look at that black toe.

I found that, psychologically, I just felt so emotional

when I came through the line.

Because I've had such a horrible week leading up to this,

I was like, "Will I be here? Blah, blah, blah."

It's some achievement. I finished and I was just like,

nearly starting crying. I just thought, "Get a grip, man!"

It's an achievement, that is. It's amazing, isn't it?

Well, we did it, mate. Come here. Come on.

We done it, mate.

One challenge down.

James and Iwan are heading off...

..leaving Gareth to see Donovan home.

The fact that at least one of us is here to greet him,

I think, for me, it's really important.

And then, nearly eight hours after he started.

Donovan appears.

One mile to go.

And he's found himself an entourage.

Oh, oh...

Oh, this is so good.

Olympic gold medallist, Donovan, has managed to set a new record.

Eight hours and 15 minutes.

Yes, Donovan Bailey.

The slowest ever recorded time for Man versus Horse.

The line...

Hold on, dip, dip.

Well done.

We were all in our own lane -

because we were focused on our own.

So, he's used his own motivation to finish.

Three of us, at the moment, will be looking in the mirror

and thinking, "Yeah, well done.

"You've given it everything."

One of us better hope that mirror's broke.

Mate, could you believe how high some of them mountains were?

It was ridiculous.

The race has pushed the sportsmen to breaking point

and the favourite for the endurance challenge came out on top.

One down, one win, I'm pretty happy with that.

So we'll see how it goes in the next ones.

Next time...

The boys travel to Turkey...

..to tackle one of the world's oldest fighting sports.

Oil wrestling.

This is the one I fear for all of our safety.

James may have claimed the first win,

but this physically gruelling challenge

demands a killer combination of speed and power.

When it comes down to strength,

I know, they're all over six foot two, all three of them,

and I'm like a jockey compared to them.

That will put the big men in pole position.

It gets really claustrophobic and you're just trapped.

Oh!

As they prepare to take on professional wrestlers...

..in a real competition.

It looks a bit different to training. Look at that!

It's packed!

Oh!

Who'll put up the biggest fight...

This is combat.

..and claim the wrestling crown?

What's new on BBC Two?

A proper divorce is built on a solid foundation of hate.

Get...!

Mum!

I can see you.

If it was men doing the feeding,

there'd be blokes all over this cafe with their breasts out.

This is a semidetached house.