Beating male athletes while breastfeeding: Why do women win ultra-endurance events?

Fuelled by beer and tacos, endurance athlete Camille Herron stormed to victory at the USA Track and Field 100-mile Championships in Nevada last month.

Her triumph was significant for several reasons. Firstly, Herron broke her own women’s world record, crossing the line in 12 hours, 41 minutes and 11 seconds.

Secondly, the American smashed the 50-mile world record in the 40 to 44-year-old age category with a time of 6:08:24.

Lastly, but by no means least, Herron finished nearly 30 minutes in front of the fastest male athlete, Arlen Glick. He placed second in 13:10:25.

This may seem surprising – after all, there are very few examples in mainstream sports where a female athlete has overcome a male opponent. But, in the world of ultra-endurance sport, women beat men on a relatively regular basis.

Back in January 2019, British ultra-runner Jasmin Paris became the first woman to win the 268-mile Montane Spine Race in the UK.

She finished the course in 83:12:23, obliterating the course record by 12 hours. She was still breastfeeding her daughter at the time, and even stopped off mid-race to express milk.

Paris’s nearest opponent, a male athlete, finished 15 hours behind her.

Five months later, British junior doctor Katie Wright won the Riverhead Backyard ReLaps Ultra-marathon in New Zealand. She ran almost nonstop for 30 hours, beating 40 men and six other women.

Faster as a Master