In this documentary commissioned by Patagonia, Martin Johnson attempts to set a new fastest known time on the 184-mile Thames Path—running from the Thames Barrier in London to the source of the river in the Cotswolds. What starts as a grueling and ambitious record-breaking attempt turns into a journey of discovery. He learns both about himself and the entangled history between Black people and the river. Martin hopes his run will encourage more diversity in the sport of trail running and inspire others to get out beyond the city and run.

As a location sound recordist, my role in this project was to record Martin’s interactions with the support team in the various check points along the the Thames river, while also making sure his personal recorder and lavalier microphone where in order to carry on to the next check point. Additionally, I was also responsible for recording interviews with Martin in the days following the challenge.