4 hrs 52 mins. Over halfway - it's all downhill now, apart from the hills of course.

So, Hugh tees off on the back 9 having played the first 651 miles steadily with very few bunker shots and generally on the fairway with a little play in the light rough to keep the fans interested.

Coastal and spectacular day today. We saved this route up for the film crew. Hugh left town of Lekeito from the harbour and up onto road snaking around the headland. Lots of shots for Tim the cameraman, ably assisted by Tripod Toby, looking after equipment and stopping traffic. Splendid coastline this, similar to the Cost Brava or a miniature Great Ocean Road.

Hugh is at the stage where he is getting very competitive with himself and wants to finish in under 5 hours. It is important that he builds in walking time for the last couple of miles but this requires self discipline. Fortunately he has this and another super effort on another day without injury.

We ended up in San Sebastian, Hugh and Samia staying in town. Samia is fighting through her lower back injury so had an early-ish night after massaging Hugh. Really important Hugh gets a single room and a good night's sleep so I left him to it and another campervan night for Jonny and me up on the hill. The van's big enough to ensure sleeping arrangements are not too cosy though.

Sadly, the van has the wrong power adaptor so no electricity for the second night running. I'm consequently writing this in the shower block, plugged into the shaving socket. A few unamused hirsute campers here but such is life.

We head off for France today (day 27) from the centre of San Sebastian. Hugh looks increasingly like an extra from a Clint Eastwood spaghetti western (only a slight height differential preventing him looking like the man himself), weathered and tanned and able, ready to push on once more. I do wish he'd take that poncho off though - it doesn't make this challenge any easier.