“I did the January Tough Guy, so I have finished a race, but I’m still gutted not to have finished this one because of all the training. I should have slowed down.”

On hand to tender for the innumerable scrapes, scratches and sprains were around 120 St John’s Ambulance members, including doctors, paramedics and nurses. “We had a first aid team posted every half a mile approximately along the course as well as drivers and the field hospital team,” said St John spokesman Janet Catto.

“We have also supported Tough Guy since it started and, after each event, we de-brief and evaluate to feed into our planning for next time. Challenging events like this will always appeal to people, and our job is to manage the risks and get people the help they need as quickly as possible.”

Around 27 people were treated at the St John field hospital set up for the event, including three people who were taken to Wolverhampton’s New Cross Hospital with suspected fractures.

The majority of those treated were suffering from hyperthermia, like Chris Shearsmith, a 21-year-old lifeguard from Hull. “I remember coming off the climbing net and feeling my chest tighten,” he said.

“I walked up to a first aider and asked for help, then I blacked out. I woke up shivering and had trouble breathing, but the team quickly calmed me down – they were absolutely brilliant.”