Claire Bannwarth, the brilliant French ultrarunner who has twice won the Winter Spine Race, is taking part in her first Barkley Marathons.
She has long been connected with ‘the race that eats its young’ but a recent post on Facebook in which she suggested a foot injury was still hampering her made many thought her debut may have to wait another year.
But the good news is that isn’t the case and she will now look to follow in the footsteps of Jasmin Paris, another Spine Race winner, who became the first female finisher of the infamous Tennessee event 12 months ago.
‘Unbreakable determination’
Bannwarth is renowned not just for her talent but also the incredible volume of top-level ultra races she competes in so it will be fascinating to see how she fares in the 100-mile contest around Frozen Head State Park which features so many more challenges than distance alone.
Her presence in the field was confirmed by one of her sponsors on Facebook, with the following post: “Claire Bannwarth splashes into the Barkley inferno! 
“It’s official: our Raidlight ambassador, Claire Bannwarth – Lapin DuDuracell has engaged in the most ruthless event on the trail, the legendary Barkley Marathons. 
“For several hours now, Claire has been moving into the inhospitable depths of Frozen Head. 
Navigation is a puzzle, trails are steep, and each step requires absolute concentration.
“With her unbreakable determination, she will give it all to show that she is unstoppable in the face of this extraordinary challenge. We shall follow his adventure with utmost care… And she’ll need all of your encouragement! 
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In terms of female ultrarunning stars, Bannwarth is right up there with the world’s best.
Jasmin Paris showed what was possible last year and the likes of Courtney Dauwalter and Katie Schide, the most recent winners of UTMB, continue to raise the bar.
