Sophie Power, the ultrarunning star, mum of three, founder of SheRACES and committed advocate for gender equality and inspiring more women to take part in competitive events has now become a multiple world record holder.
Already in the Guinness Book of World Records for running the length of Ireland in the fastest ever time, she took on what many would consider a mentally draining challenge last week – seeing if she could set a new distance record for 48 hours on a treadmill.
The target was the women’s mark of 340.36 kilometres (211.52 miles) and the venue was the National Running Show at the NEC Birmingham.
Stunning new mark
Her attempt began before the show even opened – at 2:30pm on Friday, 24 January.
And remarkably she had overtaken the previous record by the early hours of Sunday morning, giving her several hours to add to the final total.
When the end came – after minimal naps – she had reached a grand total of 365km (226 miles), subject to official confirmation.
‘Monotony did test my resilience’
Just 30 minutes afterwards she was on the aptly-named ‘Inspiration Stage’ at the show and she said that the treadmill aspect definitely added to the challenge compared to her outdoor record in Ireland through changing landscapes.
She explained: “You don’t have the stimulation of scenery or fresh air to keep you going.”
“The monotony did test my resilience but ultimately we can do hard things and that’s what I set out to prove.”
Power took on the record attempt to fundraise for SheRACES – more details on that and how to donate via this link.
Power has already made a huge difference in the running sphere and now herself and Bianca Fernandez, co-founder of Fund Her Tri, are aiming to make a similar impact in triathlon. Read more about that here.
