The vast majority of people will live out their lives having never run a half-marathon, let alone a full marathon of 26.2 miles (42.195 kilometers). Ultra marathoners, or simply ultra runners, comprise a small percentage of distance running enthusiasts that routinely run races of 50, 100 or even 200 miles in length.
Case in point; Nikki Kimball recently ran 273 miles on the Long Trail through the mountainous woods of Vermont. Put another way, that’s the same as running 10 back-to-back marathons through rocky terrain. Her journey, with all its ups and downs, was captured in the 2015 documentary Finding Traction.
[fusion_tagline_box backgroundcolor=”#fafafa” shadow=”yes” shadowopacity=”0.5″ border=”” bordercolor=”transparent” highlightposition=”top” link=”” linktarget=”” buttoncolor=”” button=”” title=”“I think too many girls are taught to let fear limit their actions. I want girls to explore their fears, and to crush them. I want my Long Trail attempt to inspire a little girl to say I can do better than Nikki.”” description=”— Nikki Kimball, on ultra running” animation_type=”slide” animation_direction=”left” animation_speed=””][/fusion_tagline_box]
Kimball completed the Long Trail in 5 days, 7 hours, and 42 minutes, breaking the women’s record by over two full days.
[fusion_title size=”4″]MONTANA ULTRA MARATHONER[/fusion_title]
Kimball, who lives in Bozeman, Montana, has amassed an impressive resume in the decade since she first competed in ultra running. She is a three-time winner of the prestigious Western States 100-mile Endurance Run and was aided in her 2007 victory by U.S. Senator Max Baucus who served on her support crew.
Last year, Kimball won the 156-mile (251 km) Marathon Des Sables multi-stage endurance race in Morocco on her first attempt. Along with Bad Water, it has a reputation as one of the toughest foot races on the planet.
Leave A Comment