Athlete Announcement: Gary Andrews – OCR & Ultra Running Machine Joins the Highland Fuel Line-Up
Athlete Spotlight: Gary Andrews – OCR & Ultra Running Machine
Meet Gary Andrews, a 40-year-old endurance athlete from Manchester who has mastered the art of going long – whether that’s grinding through a 100-mile ultra or tackling 24 hours of brutal obstacle course racing.
Eight years ago, Gary couldn’t run 5K. Fast forward to today, and his CV reads like an endurance athlete’s dream (or nightmare, depending on your perspective). He’s racked up three 100-mile ultras, including the gruelling Arc of Attrition, plus four appearances at the iconic World’s Toughest Mudder, along with countless 8 and 12-hour OCR events.
Most recently, Gary smashed out 90 miles at World’s Toughest Mudder 2025, placing 1st in his age group (40–45) and 7th overall. That result has lit a fire for his “A” goal in 2026 – hitting the elusive 100 miles at WTM.
Gary’s Race Calendar
2025
Cowshed Backyard Ultra – first BYU
Spartan Ultra
A few shorter events to sharpen the speed
2026 (Highlights)
Manchester to Liverpool Ultra – Confirmed
Chester 100 – Confirmed
London West Infinity – Confirmed
Scotland Infinity – Confirmed
World’s Toughest Mudder – Confirmed (A Race – 100-mile goal)
Beacon 100 – Confirmed
Snowdon 100 – Confirmed
Glasgow to Edinburgh Ultra – Confirmed
Fueling Philosophy
Gary’s fueling approach is simple but disciplined: at least 60g carbs per hour, split into smaller, more frequent feeds – “little and often.” He prefers to stick to liquids and gels for as long as possible, even pulling off a full 12-hour Europe’s Toughest Mudder purely on gels – and podiuming in his age group.
Once a race pushes past the 12-hour mark, he brings in some solids – but his golden rule remains:
“Stay out of the pit. Eat on the go. Keep moving.”
For hydration, Gary adapts to the weather but aims for 250–500ml water per hour with salt tablets to offset his higher sodium loss.
Biggest Achievements
Completing his first ever 10K – still one of his most meaningful milestones.
90 miles at World’s Toughest Mudder 2025 – Age Group win, 7th overall.
His first 100-miler – a milestone many endurance athletes dream of.
Advice for Others Taking on Big Endurance Challenges
Don’t hang around at checkpoints – keep moving.
Don’t try anything new on race day.
Trust your instincts – you know your body.
And most importantly:
“If I can do it, anyone can.”
At Highland Fuel, we’re backing Gary because he embodies exactly what our athlete community is about — determination, discipline, and a willingness to push beyond limits. He’s not just chasing medals; he’s chasing better ways to perform, fuel, and recover, always experimenting and learning from each race. His openness in sharing the highs, lows, and lessons from both ultra running and OCR makes him the kind of athlete who can inspire others, whether they’re seasoned racers or just starting out. By supporting Gary now, as he targets some of the biggest endurance events on the calendar, we get to be part of a journey that’s as authentic as it is ambitious.
We’re buzzing to have Gary join the Highland Fuel Athlete Team. His experience across both ultra running and OCR adds a unique perspective to our crew – and we can’t wait to see him take BareFuel into some of the toughest races you can do.
Follow Gary’s journey on Instagram: @MrGaryAndrews