At nearly every distance from the 100 meters on up, the fastest women tend to finish behind the fastest men.Īnd though records of women swiftly covering significant ground appear in history-in 1,000 A.D., for instance, a Scottish slave named Hekja would reportedly run for days on end on missions from her master-modern times haven’t always offered them the opportunity to try. In some ways, you can’t blame the race directors. Pell, then 27, carried home two wooden plaques bedecked with greenery, one for the overall winner and one for first-place female, while Ellsworth’s was custom-made and shipped to him later. Race organizers were so surprised a woman bested the 90-athlete field they didn’t even have a trophy for the top male runner. Runners have to complete the distance in a maximum of 46 hours.Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members!Įllie Pell blazed across the finish line of the 2019 Green Lakes Endurance Run-a 50K trail race-in 3:58:37, nearly eight minutes ahead of second-place finisher Richard Ellsworth. Australia's Coast to Kosciuszko ultramarathon is 240 kilometres long, from Twofold Bay in New South Wales to the summit of the country's highest mountain, Mount Kosciuszko. One hundred miles isn't the limit, either. The Ultra-Trail Australia attracts thousands of people to the Blue Mountains for its 100 and 50 kilometre distances each year. The USA is still the world's ultrarunning hub, but the sport is growing fast in Australia, with over 100 annual ultras. My perception of my mom transcends from personal chauffeur/macaroni maker into hero,' Braga-Levaggi's daughter Bella wrote in a college essay. It's a family affair: her daughters time her breaks and make sure she keeps moving, and find plenty of inspiration in their mother's achievements.

'My husband is very involved and hands on, whether he paces me or in giving me what I need.' Her husband-a keen cyclist-provides more than moral support.

Making time to train and compete is a challenge in itself, especially when raising a family-but some competitors just get them involved.Īna Braga-Levaggi, 56, has completed eight of the toughest 100-mile races in the USA. One leg of the 100-mile Western States Endurance Run in California.

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