High Intensity Sport at 4448 Monaco

In 2021, Sean-Paul Chandler, Ben Sawney and Fredrik Paulsen saw an opportunity to bring their community in Monaco together during a time of uncertainty, to raise funds for the Fondation Princesse Charlène de Monaco. Inspired by the legendary David Goggins, the three friends decided to bring his concept to the streets of Monaco during the COVID-19 pandemic. The concept was simple – run 4 miles (6.5 km), every 4 hours for 48 hours.

This year, Tanner from our marketing team traveled down with a suitcase of unreleased High Intensity Sport caps to put to the test.

As an avid runner, Tanner was keen on a new challenge amongst friends during a time of year where he can usually be found doing more skiing than running. Having not run in two months, he put together a rigorous two-week training plan to get some distance under his belt ahead of the event. This, partnered with a strict nutrition and sleep schedule for the event would be enough to make it to the end.

The 4448 started in Port Hercule at 20.00 sharp on Friday evening, just outside of the headquarters of the Foundation, where runners could collect this year's merchandise before setting off. From there, the routes would alternate between two ends of the municipality – first from Larvotto and then from Fontvielle, crossing just over the French border on either end.

The first night was filled with energy, as close friends built each other up, while meeting new faces along the way. However, the initial adrenaline would wear off in the morning as the lack of sleep began to take its toll. Although there are four hours between each start time, each run would take around 40 minutes before the entire group was back to the finish. After that, there was the 10-15 minute commute home, usually followed by a quick shower (and cap rinse), resulting in just under two hours of sleep before getting up to prepare for the next run.

During the daytime, the vibe was more social, with meals in between runs. As the halfway point neared, you could feel the unforgiving impact of the pristine tiles of the Larvotto route in the knees and ankles. Albeit tiring on the joints, the sleep deprivation began to take over come midnight. This was clearly visible in the size of the group that made it out of bed for the midnight and 4 o'clock runs. Although we were in motion, it felt as if we were in a dream. By breakfast time, there was a newfound energy in the air – the light at the end of the tunnel was near. After a big lunch (carbonara was the dish of choice), the carbs had been replenished and it was time for the final run. This was when the event began to come alive again. Most had settled into their groups at this point, finding running partners that were keen on running the same tempo over the course of the challenge. While running at the front, you begin to see how much of the more elite runners still had left in the tank as they set off in a full sprint for the finish after coming out of the tunnel towards the promenade.

The event proved to be a challenge, but one that was different from most competitions. The social aspect of it made it easier to overcome the low points and made it feel as though every runner was pushing together as one unit for something greater. Ultimately, it was a great testing ground for High Intensity Sport as well. Although the cap would both wick and collect a lot of sweat throughout the event, it came back looking as good as new following each quick rinse in the shower.