Corkman’s 1,000km trek the length of Ireland features in new film

In 2023, Jason Williamson, from Tragumna in West Cork, set out on an extraordinary quest to conquer the 1000-kilometre-long Ireland Way.

This remarkable journey was a test of physical and mental endurance as he attempted to cover a gruelling 100 kilometres each day, running from the beautiful West Cork town of Castletownbere to Ballycastle on the Antrim Coast.

Dave Slowo, a film-maker and producer with Cork-based Wombat Media, documented Williamson’s race.

Taking The Castle, available to view on YouTube, captures the challenges that faced him, and the stunning landscapes of the Ireland Way.

Williamson says he wanted to document his story as a testament to the sport of ultra-running and as a record of his achievements for his family.

“I’ve seen a few documentaries about the sport and really enjoyed them,” he said. “There is a lot of interest in ultra running, and it is good for the sport to make these kinds of documentaries, but more importantly, I wanted something that I could sit back in years to come and watch with my kids and maybe grandkids.

It captured a lot of footage of my father, who helped throughout the race, and that is so lovely to have.

“There are three generations in the documentary, so it is record of us as family at the time.”

Williamson says that, although he wanted the process documented, he didn’t want to be involved in the filmmaking once the race started.

“Dave and I spoke before the event, and we interacted as much as he wanted and talked about things would go when I began the race,” he said.

“We recorded footage of the training, but once we started, I asked him to stay back and film because I knew how intense the race would be. I wouldn’t have spare energy to focus on filming.”

The runner said he got used to Slowo popping up across the countryside. “It was quite funny. I’d come around a corner, and he would be standing almost in the bushes waiting for me to run by.”

Slowo says logistics was the biggest issue on the shoot.

“I was following Jason’s tracking device and trying to estimate where he would be. Sometimes, I waited in locations for ten minutes or longer for him to arrive to get 30 seconds of footage before he was gone again.

“In some areas, I did drone reconnaissance to see how I would get to certain points to film him on the trail. The challenge was having the camera and the drone going and then being ready to shoot as soon as I saw Jason.”

Williamson had hoped to complete the run in 10 or 11 days but was hit with unexpected health issues.

Despite taking longer than planned, he achieved the fastest known time for the journey. Slowo says the illness led to uncertainty, but ultimately, Williamson was determined to finish the race.

“It was estimated that Jason would run the route in about ten days, and I planned to film about five or six of those days coming in and out of the route,” said Slowo.

The first two days of his run were mostly in Cork, and he was doing well by the time I left them. Within a few days, we were hit with warm weather, and Jason was suffering from the heat, leading to problems.

Slowo says he was getting updates from Williamson’s crew, and when he heard that he was struggling health wise, he moved fast to capture his man at his lowest ebb.

“It was important to capture that part of the process because it is a big part of ultra racing, and a big part of what Jason went through.

“He hit some rough spots but was determined not to give up. Seeing his resilience and determination was quite something.”

Williamson agrees that it was important for Slowo to show the downsides as well as the highs of the race.

“It’s strange looking at yourself going through tough moments and being so raw,” he said.

“I thought I might be self-conscious about it, but I wasn’t. Dave did such a fantastic job of capturing the arc of the story.

I’m happy he caught everything, the highs, the lows, and everything in between.

The documentary delves into Williamson’s preparation and features interviews from the medical team, including a nutritionist who helped keep the runner on the road for up to 18 hours a day.

It also features close friends and family who banded together to get Williamson across the finish line.

Slowo and Williamson have something in common - they are both Australians living in West Cork.

Slowo founded Wombat Media with his wife, Ciara Buckley, who is from Castletownshend.

Williamson came to Cork 24 years ago with his then-girlfriend, now wife, Claire, who he met when they were both working in Saudi Arabia. Williamson says fate brought him to Cork.

“It was never part of a master plan to live in Ireland, but fate had different ideas when I met Claire.

“We were coming and going for years when we were working abroad, and then we moved. We built our house and are raising our children here.”

Williamson says that while his journey had some ghastly lows, conquering the mental challenges was almost as important as the physical ones.

“I wanted to go on a journey where I knew there was no guarantee of finishing it. I wanted to bury myself in that environment for a week or two and see what that was like. I got what I was looking for.

I got the good and the bad and the chance to see beautiful parts of Ireland that I wouldn’t otherwise see.

Taking The Castle is available on YouTube now: www.youtube.com/@Jasonwilliamsonultra