Sophie Power has announced her latest challenge – competing for Team GB at the 24-hour World Championships.
Power is no stranger to epic feats, becoming the fastest woman to cross Ireland, running 347 miles in 3 days and 12 hours in May 2024, and setting an astonishing 48-hour treadmill world record by running 370.9km in January at the National Running Show.
Now the 42-year-old has signed up to be part of a stellar six-woman team competing for her country in France later this year.
Sophie Power on a new challenge
Posting on Instagram, she wrote: “I’m off to the 24hr World Championships 🇫🇷!! 🇬🇧 ➡️ 🇬🇧 ➡️ 🇬🇧
“The last year has all been about endurance (347 miles in 🇮🇪, 48 hours on a treadmill…) so I guess it’s time to find my speed legs!
“Race is October in Albi 🇫🇷 and I’m part of the strongest GB female team ever (and this time it’s a full team of 6 🥳 ). I cannot wait to race with you all!!!”
Also in the team are Sarah Webster, a World bronze medallist over 50km and 100km and Joanna Zakrzewski, a European and World 100km bronze medallist who currently holds the British 24-hour record with a mark of 247.984km.
Joining them are Kelsey Price, who won the 2024 Crawley 24hr with 231.820km, Alison Young, who is a regular GB & NI performer with a PB of 224.534km, and Jennifer Coleman, who brings further major championship experience and a best of 227.715km.
Power, who also competed for GB at the 2023 event in Taipei – running 227.285km and finishing 19th – signed up for her first 250km ultramarathon at the age of 26, shortly after having been made redundant from her job in banking.
She has gone from strength to strength since, and in 2018 famously hit the headlines worldwide when a photograph of her breastfeeding her then three-month-old son during a 171km race went viral.
Team Power will be on hand
As a result, she founded the charity SheRaces, aimed at safeguarding mothers during races, and inspired events all over the world to add pregnancy deferrals to their programmes.
Now a mum of three, she says in her post that she will have plenty of support in France,
Sophie wrote: “It’ll be the first time the kids will come to see me race for GB and they are so excited (as am I – reckon Saoirse can cheer me to a PB 😍). It’s time to plot training, racing and a truckload of family life juggling 🤹 🤯”
