British ultrarunner Anna-Marie Watson has competed across Ironman triathlons and ultras for more than a decade and has a running resume that counts the CCC, UTMB and Marathon des Sables amongst its race highlights. She has a wealth of ultra-distance wins to her name, including Oman by UTMB, and most recently came second woman at the Coastal Ultra Xtreme. (Watch Anna-Marie in action at the CUX via Endurance Sports TV’s documentary The Ultra Mindset.)

Anna-Marie is a professional performance coach and in this interview, she provides insights into the mental side of racing, while revealing which elements of her former military career she carries over into her ultra race strategy and preparation.

Finishing a 100-mile running event is an unfathomable feat for most of us – an epic ultrarunning milestone that even experienced runners take years to achieve. But not Texas-based runner and amateur IRONMAN triathlete Roni Garrett– Roni achieved her goal in 2017 just three years after running her first marathon!

Here, in her own words, 37-year-old Roni (who competes in marathon, ultra-trail, duathlon, triathlon and aquathlon events) documents her experience running the Brazos Bend 100 race three years ago, sharing what it took to get herself across the finish line after 27 hours of running in minus temperatures.

© James Goldsmith

She only started running at the age of 33, but Sarah Sawyer’s journey from novice to race-winning ultrarunner has followed an impressive upwards trajectory and has featured everything from 24-hour track races to multi-stage events and 100-milers. In 2019, Sarah took on Greece’s infamous 153-mile Spartathlon race and ran her way to a brilliant fourth woman finish.

In this Q&A Sarah reveals her how her running journey began, her typical training schedule (when the world isn’t experiencing a pandemic), how her race calendar has changed due to coronavirus, and lots more.

Thanks, Sarah!

© Pete Rees

As a test pilot for Rat Race Adventures, ultra-runner Allie Bailey has seen it all – humungous spiders included. She was the first woman to run 100 miles across Mongolia’s frozen Lake Khövsgöl (average temp -47°c) and the first to run 124 miles across the Namib Desert, from east to west, all in the name of a ‘recce’. And then there’s the jungle, home of said spiders.

Allie, who took up running on her doctor’s advice to help her depression, shares the highs and lows (and downright terrifying) of her incredible ultra experiences with me below.

On Tuesday I shared the first part of my Q&A with record-breaking ultra-runner, Mimi Anderson. Here’s part two, where Mimi talks more about her TransCon record attempt, including her disappointment of having to abandon it, plus we hear how she’s getting on training for her first triathlon.

Photo: Martin Paldan

Mimi Anderson is an ultra-running phenomenon. Her collection of ultra achievements is too long to list, but includes winning outright the notorious 6633 Arctic Ultra and setting a course record that still stands; setting a world record for running John O’Groats to Lands End (838 miles), and completing the Double Badwater – an epic 292-mile run in Death Valley. Wow.

What makes it all the more incredible is that Mimi only began running at the age of 36. Now 55, the grandmother is a 3x record holder and last year ran 2,217.2 miles across America in 40 days before injury forced her to retire short of her 2850 mile target.

In the first of a two-part Q&A, Mimi chats about her running journey and her attempt to run across America. Check back on Friday for part two!

Ultra-runner Debbie Martin-Consani has completed some of Europe’s most notorious ultra-distance events, including the unrelenting 330km Tor des Geants, and has numerous ultra-running podiums to her name. She’s also represented Great Britain several times at the World 24-hour Championship (yes, such a thing exists!)

Based in Scotland where she lives with her husband and son, Debbie fits running around a full-time job and is currently in training for the Bob Graham round next month (66 miles and 26,000ft of elevation). Despite a packed schedule, the Montane athlete kindly let me quiz her to find out about her training, bucket list running events and her sleep-deprived Tor des Geants experience.

Photo Credit: Sally Hornung

Ultra marathon runner Susie Chan fell into running six years ago, when her brother persuaded her to enter a half-marathon. Today, she’s one of the most recognisable faces in the British running community, a three-time Marathon des Sables finisher, and a former 12-hour treadmill world record holder.

In my chat with Susie we cover heat training, Strava segment sprees and ‘unravelling’ during her third Marathon des Sables.

Ultra runner, Kim Cavill has completed some of the most gritty and well-loved ultra events on the UK and European circuit, from the Hardmoors Ultra Series to the Transvulcania (2017 highlights include taking first lady at the Hardmoors 55.) But she wasn’t always sporty. Here, the 36-year-old chia charge ambassador talks about her journey from sport-hating schoolgirl to accomplished ultra runner and coach.