Ioana Barbu on Completing the Beyond the Ultimate Race Series and Adapting to Extreme Environments

In this episode of the UKRunChat Podcast, we chat to Ioana Barbu, a runner who went from completing her first marathon, to aiming to taking on the entire Beyond the Ultimate Global Race Series across ice, jungle, desert, and mountains, all within a single year.

Having never run an ultra before, Ioana’s first attempt was the 230 km Jungle Ultra in Peru, a brutal, self-sufficient stage race through rainforest terrain. From there, she’s gone on to race in the Namib Desert, the Arctic Circle, the Highlands of Scotland, and the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, often winning or podiuming as she learns on the go.

In this conversation, we discuss:

• How a friend convinced her to "just sign up"
• The realities of racing self-sufficient in remote environments
• Adapting to heat, altitude, and cold with Dr Freya Bayne and London South Bank University
• Overcoming setbacks, from hyponatremia to a dog bite
• What she’s learning about female physiology and endurance
• And how she’s raising funds for Make Some Noise along the way.

🎧 Tune in for a deep dive into resilience, curiosity, and saying yes before you feel ready.

Links:

• Ioana Barbu on Instagram → @ioanabarboux
• Ioana’s fundraising page → makesomenoise.enthuse.com/pf/ioana-barbu
• Beyond the Ultimate → https://www.beyondtheultimate.co.uk/