An ultra-marathon is, technically, any footrace longer than the traditional marathon distance of 26.2 miles. And ultra-marathons are one of just a few sports in which women compete equally: there’s a separate men’s and women’s Tour de France, World Cup football, Wimbledon and even separate starting times for the elite male and female marathoners. In ultra-marathons, however, women run shoulder to shoulder with men, and it’s not unheard of for a woman to win an ultra outright (just check out the achievements of Jasmin Paris). It seems the longer the distance, the better women can perform comparatively to men.
Th e sport of ultra-running has been experiencing a boom over the last few years, due to a number of factors – not least in terms of women understanding that these races aren’t the preserve of elite athletes. And in terms of accessibility, it means we are spoilt for choice with a variety of races to choose from all year round.