A LOCAL adventure sports company is set to thrill adrenaline junkies and mud-lovers with a new addition to its line-up.

Rat Race, the UK’s biggest adventure sports operator, is continuing its rapid growth by adding the popular HellRunner races to its repertoire.

The firm, based in Shipton-by-Beningbrough, has purchased the events from fellow obstacle racing pioneers TrailPlus.

Jim Mee, who founded Rat Race almost 15 years ago, said: “HellRunner is a superb and well-established trail running series that has operated for nearly as long as we have.

“As those who know our portfolio will know, we are actively growing the number of events we are operating, so it seemed a good time to look at HellRunner as an acquisition.

“We have known and worked with the team at TrailPlus for over ten years and a fair few of our own staff have taken part in HellRunner events.”

HellRunner consists of two events. Hell Up North and the original Hell Down South, in which 2,000 runners tackle more than 10 miles of obstacles and pyromania at Longmoor Camp in Hampshire.

Hell Up North is billed as the UK’s toughest half marathon and fills Cheshire’s Delamere Forest with runners backed by Liverpool’s largest drum ensemble Katumba.

TrailPlus boss, Paul Magner, will remain operationally involved with the series and will work with Rat Race to maintain quality and innovation.

Paul said: “This is a hugely exciting development for TrailPlus, myself and, most importantly, all current and future HellRunner customers.

“Rat Race are pre-eminent in the sector and their professionalism and innovation make for a perfect fit for HellRunner. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to be working alongside Jim and the whole team at Rat Race and share their vision to take the HellRunner running experience to new heights and, perhaps where mud and water exist, new depths too.”

Jim Mee said: “Rat Race and TrailPlus have a long and trusted reputation within the adventure sports scene.

“We know good events and only do good events; so we know that HellRunner is definitely ‘a bit of us’.”

The HellRunner challenges will be available to 2019 Rat Race season ticket holders and one-off attendees.

Rat Race also recently announced its global expansion with its 2019 Bucket List series - a range of once-in-a-lifetime adventures in “way out there” locations around the world.

Inaugural events will take place in the frozen Mongolian winter, the steamy heat of the Panamanian jungle and the sweltering deserts of Namibia.

For more information go to ratrace.com and hellrunner.co.uk