Imagine running a marathon in three hours and 17 minutes. That’s an impressive achievement on its own. Now, picture maintaining that same pace for an additional nine hours. To most of us, that sounds almost unbelievable, if not downright crazy. But that’s exactly what Caitriona Jennings, a 45-year-old ultrarunner from Donegal, accomplished this month when she broke the women’s world record for 100 miles.
At the Tunnel Hill 100 Mile race in Illinois, she finished in 12 hours, 37 minutes, and 4 seconds—averaging 7 minutes and 34 seconds per mile. What’s even more remarkable is that Jennings had never run more than 60 miles at once before this. After shattering the record, she hopped on an overnight economy flight from Chicago, landing in Dublin at 5 a.m., and then cycled straight to her office. She works for a company that trades and leases planes to airlines worldwide.
Some people might call ultrarunners a bit eccentric, and they’re probably right. But perhaps they also have something to teach us about life and how to live it to the fullest.
Jennings doesn’t see herself as a superwoman. She admits that the idea of running 100 miles seemed a little insane at first. But as an experienced runner, she wondered, why not push the limits? To prepare, she trained before work and during lunch breaks, and ran 48 to 64 miles every weekend.
“The toughest part of the race came after 60 miles,” she says, “because I wasn’t even close to thinking, ‘Okay, just one marathon left.’ But my body held up well—it was the mental challenge that was hardest.”
Her coach, Terry McConnon, believes Jennings has incredible stamina and a high tolerance for pain. This was evident when she finished the 2012 Olympic marathon in London despite running with a stress fracture in her foot.
Jennings sees struggle as a necessary part of the process. “You have to accept some pain because that’s just how it is when you’re running that far and that fast. Unless you’re superhuman, it’s going to hurt. I’ve always had a strong desire to do well and win, so I’m willing to endure some suffering to achieve that.”
Interestingly, Jennings isn’t the only ultrarunner in her 40s showing that it’s possible to balance the extraordinary with everyday life. In October, Sarah Webster, a 46-year-old veterinarian from East Sussex, set the women’s 24-hour world record at the world championships in France, covering an astounding 173.1 miles.
Then there’s Jasmin Paris, who last year fought through hallucinations and sleep deprivation to become the first woman to complete the Barkley Marathon. This grueling race involves five 20-mile loops with over 12,000 feet of elevation gain per loop, all within a 60-hour time limit.
Paris trained from 5 a.m. to 7:45 a.m. each day, before her two children woke up and she started work. “It might sound a bit cliché,” she says, “but you learn a lot about yourself when you strip away all the comforts that make life easier.”
This idea is explored in a new film, Run Again, which follows singer Dave Pen as he attempts the 268-mile Spine Race along the Pennine Way. “People ask if I’m mad,” he says in the film. “But it’s not madness—it’s living. I wanted to do something others don’t. I like extremes.”
At the end of the film, which has its UK premiere in London on Thursday, Pen finishes the race in 145 hours, 44 minutes, and 45 seconds—more than 62 hours slower than Jasmin Paris when she won in 2019.Please note: Our newsletters may include details about charitable causes, online advertisements, and content sponsored by external organizations. If you don’t have an account, we’ll set up a temporary guest account on theguardian.com to deliver the newsletter. You can complete the full registration process whenever you like. To learn more about how we handle your data, please refer to our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha for website security, and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service are applicable.
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Unsurprisingly, Pen—whose band Archive is well-known throughout Europe—appears deeply sleep-deprived, utterly exhausted, and chilled to the bone. Yet he assures us he’ll return.
From a small town in New Zealand to Mont Blanc: The historic journey of ultrarunner Ruth Croft
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Adharanand Finn captured a truth when he described ultrarunning as a reflection of life itself, with its highs and lows, challenges, and comebacks. In his insightful book, The Rise of the Ultrarunners, Finn points to a tattoo on Spanish athlete Azara García de los Salmones’s leg as emblematic of what drives these competitors. It reads: “The devil whispered in my ear: ‘You’re not strong enough to withstand the storm.’ I whispered back: ‘I am the storm.'”
Finn wonders: “Is this the allure of ultrarunning? To push ourselves to a point where we confront our inner demons, the depths of struggle, only to rise above and conquer them?”
When I shared this idea with Jennings, she chuckled and called it an interesting theory. But for her, there’s another dimension. “As humans, we’re not meant to be glued to screens all day. We long to be in nature and to quiet the noise in our minds. And yes, there’s a tremendous sense of accomplishment in meeting a personal challenge. It’s like a safe, healthy addiction.”
One thing that surprises her is the reaction from others. “I wish more women would see what I’m doing and realize it’s not as hard as it seems. I often hear people say, ‘Oh, I’d love to do that, but I couldn’t.’ That still frustrates me because if you truly want it and are willing to put in the effort, you can do it.”
Jennings herself is a powerful example of that very belief.
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about the TED Talk A very safe and healthy drug What ultrarunners teach us about life by Sean Ingle designed to be clear and conversational
General Beginner Questions
1 What is this talk basically about
It explores the world of ultrarunningraces longer than a marathonand how the mindset and experiences of these extreme athletes can teach us valuable lessons about resilience purpose and happiness in our own everyday lives
2 What is the very safe and healthy drug mentioned in the title
The drug is a metaphor for the powerful positive feelinga mix of euphoria accomplishment and flowthat ultrarunners often experience Its not a literal substance but a natural high from pushing your mind and body to its limits
3 Im not a runner Is this talk still relevant to me
Absolutely The talk uses running as a vehicle to discuss universal themes like overcoming challenges finding meaning in struggle and the mental strategies we can all use to get through difficult times whether at work in relationships or in personal goals
4 Who is Sean Ingle
Sean Ingle is a chief sports writer for The Guardian newspaper He has reported extensively on endurance sports and has a deep understanding of the psychology behind athletes who push human limits
Benefits Life Lessons
5 What is the main lesson we can learn from ultrarunners
The main lesson is that by voluntarily facing and moving through immense physical and mental discomfort we can build incredible resilience and find a deeper sense of purpose and joy that applies to all areas of life
6 What are some specific mental benefits discussed
The talk highlights benefits like increased mental toughness improved ability to handle stress a stronger sense of selfefficacy and experiencing a state of flow where you are fully immersed and focused
7 How does this relate to happiness
It suggests that true lasting happiness often comes not from avoiding difficulty but from engaging in meaningful challenges and emerging on the other side with a sense of accomplishment and growth
Common Problems Mindset
8 Dont these runners just suffer the whole time
While there is undeniably suffering the talk explains that ultrarunners learn to manage it They break down enormous tasks into small
