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Women Dominate Derbyshire Ultra-Marathon Podium
16 Sep
Summary
- Three women secured the top spots in a Derbyshire ultra-marathon.
- This marks the first all-female podium in a UK backyard ultra.
- Becky Atkinson won, completing 166.4 miles over 40 hours.
The Rasselbock Backyard Ultra held at the Hardwick Estate in Derbyshire achieved a significant milestone this past Saturday, with three women occupying the top podium spots. This unprecedented occurrence marks the first time an all-female podium has been recorded in the UK for a backyard ultra event.
Becky Atkinson from west Wales emerged as the champion, demonstrating incredible endurance by completing 40 hours of continuous running and covering a total distance of 166.4 miles. This was Atkinson's debut in the Rasselbock Backyard Ultra race. Hayley Wilson, from Worksop in Nottinghamshire, and Hollie Jones, from Easby in Yorkshire, secured the second and third positions, respectively, completing the historic female sweep.
Race organizers noted that an all-female winning line-up is exceedingly rare globally, having only occurred once before in Iceland. The challenging course at Hardwick Estate, featuring single-track trails and animal encounters, added to the unique nature of this record-breaking event. This achievement aligns with ongoing discussions about female endurance running capabilities, where studies suggest the performance gap between men and women narrows significantly in ultra-distances.
