Jamie Gane: An adaptive runner’s story.
In 2016, Jamie Gane made a life-changing decision: after more than 20 operations, years of chronic pain, and a long battle with mobility, he chose to have his right leg amputated below the knee. It wasn’t a decision made lightly, it came after intensive counselling, conversations with other amputees, and the support of family and friends.
In 2017, a year after his amputation, Jamie took on his very first Wolf Run. It’s a story that stands out today for its honesty, humour, and heart.
This is Jamie’s Wolf Run experience, in his own words and spirit.
Before the Run
Jamie arrived on site feeling both excited and slightly nervous. Right from the start, things impressed him: labelled and conveniently placed disabled parking, a smooth registration system, and the thoughtful detail of banding and bag drops.
“This filled me with hope,” he said, describing the relief of an accessible and well-organised start to the event.
After registering and start wave set, Jamie joined the warm-up led by, as he joked, "some pretty fit individuals," before heading into the wild.
Running in nature
The course, he said, didn’t feel like "just running round a field." It was immersive. Forests, fields, hills, mud, water, and walls gave Jamie a true sense of adventure.
“I felt free, running through the forestry and over the hills – much like a real wolf.”
And he didn’t skip a single obstacle. Not even the lake. Despite struggling earlier in the week with his stump (“Stumpy wasn’t too happy with me”), he powered through every section.
His favourite moment? The giant waterslide:
“About 150m of wet, slippery fun downhill into a shallow pool of water – so much fun that we went down it twice!”
What Stood Out
Aside from the epic course, Jamie praised the marshals for being cheerful and switched on. He gave props to the shirt quality (packaged to stay mud-free), appreciated the free Clif Bars, and liked that the £5 parking fee came with a shop voucher.
“I would definitely recommend it to others and I will be coming back!
What We See in Jamie
Jamie’s review was uplifting, generous, and full of the kind of heart that Wolf Run is all about. He impresively tackled the course, shared the highs and the challenges, and left us with a snapshot of what makes this event special.
He ran with humour, with power, and with that brilliant mix of competitive grit and unshakable joy.
Today, Jamie is reminding us all that adventure doesn’t end, it evolves.
Having your leg amputated was a very hard decision for Jamie, but it meant the chance to live without daily pain, the freedom to move forward on his own terms and pursue his dreams.
Jamie is now an elite adaptive athlete, a passionate speaker, a champion of the LGBTQ+ community, and a powerful advocate for para sport - holding both World and European OCR Para Champion awards.
Jamie, thank you for being part of the pack. We’re cheering you on every muddy step of the way.
Read his full review here: https://www.jamiegane.com/blog/2017/9/5/the-wolf-run