Cat Simpson
The nurse and ultra-running ace talks fitting running around work, training on feel and eating baby food
Scenery to lift spirits
Spartathlon 2018, Greece
© CHRIS MILLS
A damp, but joyful finish!
The hardest race I’ve ever run was the 153-mile Spartathlon. It’s an event with so much history, following in the footsteps of the ancient Greek messenger Pheidippides who was sent from Athens to Sparta to seek help against the Persians in the Battle of Marathon. The event has tough qualift cation standards, and the race itself involves running through the night and climbing a mountain at the 100-mile point, all against a tight time cut-off.