Runners will be transforming an abandoned tank factory into a 24-hour arena of mind-bending endurance at the end of the month. Teams of four will battle on 50 treadmills in a relentless relay, pushing to cover the greatest cumulative distance over 24 hours.
Two hundred participants will navigate their way through a full sensory arc filled with thundering electronic music, periods of total darkness and silence, and immersive light-sound productions that simulate the phases of a psychedelic trip. The novel contest is intended to represent the experiences that those who take psychoactive substances tend to have, such as ego death and eventual resurrection.
The Arc Project is the creator of this “Treadmill Factory” event, called AP4 for short, and its partnership with Nike Running is making the ambitious production possible in north London on May 30. Organizers have rigged the warehouse with massive equipment to deliver a cinematic spectacle unlike any other. A core principle requires every AP4 team to include at least 50 per cent women, directly challenging the male-dominated ultramarathon running community scene.
This challenge builds on the organization’s AP3 and AP2 events. For the most recent bold experiment in late 2025, the group sent teams on an unsanctioned ultra relay across the entire London Underground network. Runners navigated a gritty, real-world labyrinth in a test of navigation, stamina and adaptability. The total distance was 600 kilometres.
Prior, AP2 demanded participants to run 5 kilometres every hour on the hour for a full 24 hours. This mysterious and gruelling competition was also held in the London area in July. Both events attracted ordinary people of various sorts.
Arc Project founders Sonni Dyson, James Taker and Hamish Myers came together around a shared frustration with the soulless routines of modern life. They shared a desire to prove that everyday individuals can accomplish the impossible with the right challenges and support. The trio met in 2020 and bonded over long runs and ambitious physical goals before collectively mapping ultra marathons and demanding challenges.
Participants like 21-year-old Anna Edwards have illustrated the impact these events can have. With zero experience beyond 13 kilometre runs, she completed an earlier event covering 120 kilometres without injury. She says she emerged with a transformed sense of self as a result.
“No matter how trained you are, ultras come down to mindset, how you deal with discomfort and how you keep going when everything’s telling you to stop,” she said in a statement provided to The Sun.
Registration for AP4 is now closed, but those who put their name on a waiting list may still have a chance to participate.
Read more: Louis Vuitton’s new psychedelic wristwatch turns heads
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