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Going the distance Going the distance

he 131 runners at the Dragon’s Back Race briefing in June 2015 were nervous enough about the next five days. Namely attempting to cover 300K and 16,000m of ascent as they ran down the middle of lumpy Wales. But the females were about to

feel slightly less so. Helene Whitaker (neé Diamantides), joint overall winner of the 1992 race

and women’s winner of the second version in 2012, told the gathering: “If you’re female, you’re three times more likely to finish this race.”

This writer wasn’t the only male to shift uncomfortably in his seat. Most men know it, but we don’t like to admit it. Despite the seemingly macho distances involved, women are better at running ultramarathons.

Ultras are different. The distances are often so huge – from anything above the classic 26.2 miles right up to the frankly loony Self-Transcendence 3,100 Mile Race – that simply finishing is the target for most. Look at the results of almost any ultramarathon and, compared to men, a greater percentage of women who start a race finish it. In Born To Run Christopher McDougall notices the same trend and asks: “How come nearly all the women finish [notorious US 100-miler] Leadville and fewer than half the men do?”

Due to age-old biological disparities between the sexes – men tend to have higher VO2 max for example – women are less likely to win. But they’re also far less likely to give up and drop out (DNF). Following that logic, the female of the species is more successful at running ultramarathons. It could even be the closest thing there is to a gender neutral sport.

LET’S GET PHYSICALWhen it comes to endurance, women have several inherent advantages over men. “Women generally have a larger surface area to mass ratio, which enables heat to dissipate more easily,” says running coach and movement specialist Shane Benzie from Running Reborn.

“This means women are generally better at coping with heat,” explains ultrarunner, registered dietician and sports nutritionist, and Training Food author Renee McGregor. “A smaller athlete tends to have lower fluid losses due to smaller surface area.” So they’re less likely to become dehydrated.

A lighter runner is carrying less weight and therefore stressing the body less. A shorter runner also benefits. “Shorter legs are often seen as an advantage,”

says Benzie, “as they are more suited to a quicker turnover, and a faster cadence will ensure efficient use of the elastic energy created during our running stride.” Some also believe that in long races with more descent, a smaller physique incurs less muscle damage on downhills – quads are the place most ultrarunners feel soreness first. That means (in theory) a shorter runner will move more comfortably later in a race.

Diminutive Lizzy Hawker, five-time women’s winner of UTMB, a 104-mile race in the Alps with 10,000m ascent, is a prime example of this.

Fat metabolism is another key factor that favours females. In The Complete Book of Running for Women, Claire Kowalchik writes that women use about 75% more fat than men while running. “Women generally burn a higher percentage of fat compared with men,” agrees Renee McGregor. This means consistent and almost limitless energy release, while ‘bonking’ or hitting ‘The Wall’ comes more naturally to more carb-dependent men – especially as they’re likely to run faster (more anon). “It’s also been shown that women are better at using exogenous sources of carbohydrate compared to men,” says McGregor. “So even if glycogen stores are full, they tend to use available carbohydrate from exogenous sources more efficiently.”

THAT’S PLAIN MENTALAnother key aspect – perhaps the key aspect – is pacing. A RunRepeat study of more than 1.8 million marathon results from all over the world spanning five

W H Y WO M E N A R E B E T T E R T H A N M E N AT R U N N I N G U LT R A M A R AT H O N S

WORDS: DAMIAN HALL

GIRL POWER

T

“WOMEN GENERALLY HAVE A LARGER SURFACE AREA TO MASS RATIO, WHICH ENABLES HEAT TO DISSIPATE MORE EASILY”

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Going the distance Going the distance

DEBBIE HAS REPRESENTED GB AT THE 24-HOUR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS SINCE 2012 AND WON THE 145-MILE GRAND UNION CANAL OUTRIGHT. SHE’S SUPPORTED BY MONTANE, ULTIMATE DIREC TION AND IS PART OF THE CENTURION RUNNING ULTRA TEAM.

What do you get from running ultras?Nobody speaks during road races, do they? Mainly because it involves running eyeballs out around an industrial estate. But the camaraderie and race spirit at ultras is amazing and addictive. At the risk of sounding New Age, you can unearth layers of yourself you didn’t know existed. Most people are tougher than they think.

What advantages do you think women have over men? We’re just a bit tougher and race a lot smarter. That’s a sweeping statement, but women are just better at pacing – which is vital in ultras. Plus, I don’t think women have the same ego issues and aren’t afraid to use plan B and C, or just go for the finish, if things aren’t going their way. Any ultra tips?You can’t control what’s going on around you, but you can control what you do. Don’t chase someone early on or fret about the weather. Above all, enjoy it because there’s a high probability you’ll catch the ultra bug.

DEBBIE

MARTIN-CONSANI

years, concluded women are better at men at maintaining a consistent pace. They slow down 18.61% less than men in the second half of a marathon. The cause, reported Danish statistician and former competitive runner Jens Jakob Andersen, is that men tend to believe “a bit too much” in their abilities and therefore start out too fast.

“DNF excuses such as cramping, injury, nutrition and dehydration are often down to poor pace judgement,” says Debbie Martin-Consani, a GB international ultrarunner. Ultramarathons are the sport where the tortoise usually beats the hare. Women, and tortoises, are simply more sensible. Which makes them more successful.

“The longer the race, the greater the chance for women to shine,” says Ian Corless, publisher of the Talk Ultra podcast and a photographer often found clicking away at ultramarathons. “Watch any ultra and men charge off the front and the ladies play it cooler. When the men drop out through exhaustion, the ladies come running by looking fresh as a daisy.”

In ultras, confidence is a complex thing though. When Hewlett-Packard wanted to see why more women weren’t in top management positions they commissioned research and made an interesting discovery. Women applied for a promotion only when they believed they met 100% of the qualifications listed. Men were happy to apply when they met 60% of the requirements. Apply that hypothesis to ultramarathons and female runners won’t have signed up for an ultra unless they feel they are fully qualified. Whereas men are more likely to sign up with bravado than a relevant running background.

Helene Whitaker thinks women’s comparative lack of confidence benefits them. “Most women don’t have a huge amount of self belief and esteem,” she says. “So any woman stood on the start line of a daunting event

The UK’s best female

ultrarunners on why they love

going the distance

will have done her homework, prepared hard and will therefore have a greater chance than most men of completing it.”

Whitaker also thinks women tend to be more detail orientated. “They spend time and effort getting the small things right. Navigation, food, heart rates, foot care; the nitty gritty that make or break over large distances. Call us control freaks, but ultrarunning is all about being in control. The gender differences were evident on the 2015 Dragon’s Back race again. None of the female runners were in distress. Some were perhaps slow, but all competing within their own, known, tried and tested abilities.”

LEADING LADIESLevels of confidence in female runners may be a double-edged sword however, as participation in ultramarathons is still comparatively low for women. The same thing that makes them so successful means many may be too daunted to try them in the first place (if this is you, please see our tips overleaf). This could also be social and cultural.

“Many of the stronger women in today’s running are groundbreakers,” says ultrarunner Carol Morgan, who’s completed the Dragon’s Back Race and won both the Lakeland 100 and the Fellsman ultramarathons. “I suspect for many female ultrarunners, behind the soft facade, the smiles and the enjoyment lies a determination to succeed – the historical knowledge that we’ve been overlooked, both individually and as a sex, driving us on to succeed where we were told we wouldn’t and couldn’t.”

TAKING FAT FOR A CYCLE

Ultra-race fuelling is not always straightforward.

“Fat metabolism is hugely dependent on menstrual

cycles,” warns McGregor. “In the follicular phase, while

oestrogen is dominant, women tend to use more fat as fuel.

During the luteal phase when progesterone is dominant, the body requires a higher amount

of sugar as fuel – this is also often why so many women

crave sugar in the seven to 10 days prior to their period. There

is a physiological need.”

MEN VS WOMEN: AND THE BIGGEST WIMPS ARE...Ultramarathons don’t necessarily need to be painful, but they can be, and a popular adage suggests that if it was left to men to give birth there wouldn’t be any children in the world. However, there’s no evidence that women have a higher pain threshold. “Population-based research shows that more women than men report having long-term pain,” says Dr Rachael Gooberman-Hill, health researcher and ultrarunner. “Laboratory research doesn’t give us a clear message about whether men or women are more ‘sensitive’ to pain. It’s really hard to interpret research into gender and pain because pain is a subjective experience. Also, pain is not the same as suffering. So a person can feel pain without feeling the pain is making them suffer.” However, renowned fell runner and two-time Dragon’s Back Race finisher Wendy Dodds thinks otherwise. “At a non elite level, I have observed in a number of different endurance sports, that men are more likely to give up when the going gets tough.”

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Going the distance Going the distance

HOLLY HAS REPRESENTED HER COUNTRY AT THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES, WORLD MOUNTAIN TRAIL CHAMPIONSHIPS AND 100K WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS. SHE’S WON SWEDEN’S 90K ULTRAVASAN AND FRANCE’S 60K LA MONTAGNE HARD.

What do you get from ultrarunning?As well as a reduction in foot modelling requests, a massive feeling of accomplishment. Nothing beats the feeling after running a hell of a long way. It’s a mixture of complete exhaustion and smugness. The problem is that once you have completed that first ultra, you realise the body is an amazing thing and you want to test it further.

Do women have any advantages compared to men?I wonder whether women are better at pacing themselves. I like to think we are just the superior gender (*walks away with nose in air*).

Any ultra tips?Practise nutrition. Don’t just follow what other people do, find a food you enjoy. And visualise. There will definitely be low moments in an ultra, but you will come through them. I like to break my races down in to segments that remind me of familiar runs at home.

HOLLY

RUSHLIZZIE

WRAITH

ELISABET

BARNES

BETH

PASCAL

LIZZIE HOLDS THE WOMEN’S COURSE RECORD FOR LAKELAND 100, HAS REPRESENTED GB AT THE TRAIL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS AND PODIUMED AT NUMEROUS ULTRAMARATHONS IN THE UK AND EUROPE.

What do you get from ultrarunning?I really like the challenge of not knowing whether I can finish something. Running long distances is also a great way to get out and explore beautiful places. And I find the ultrarunning community to be full of the most incredible people – I’ve made a lot of good friends through the sport.

Do you think women have any advantages over men?I think women are better able to focus on themselves and what they need to do to get to finish, rather than getting caught up in racing.

Do you have any ultra tips?Nutrition is key! Make sure you have a good eating and drinking strategy that will fuel you to the finish.

ELISABET WON THE 156-MILE MARATHON DES SABLES AND 102-MILE OMAN DESERT MARATHON IN 2015. SHE’S ALSO A RUNNING COACH AND CO-OWNER OF MYRACEKIT.COM.

What do you get from running ultras?I’m stronger mentally thanks to ultrarunning and it’s taken me to many beautiful and remote locations. The biggest reward though is the inspiration I can give to others, helping them gain the courage to pursue their goals and dreams.

Do you think women have any advantages over men?A strong resistance to fatigue – we are mentally tough. Women seem to be better at pacing themselves. It’s not about running eyeballs out at the start and hanging on, it’s about being patient and conserving energy. This approach suits the female mind better.

Any ultra tips?For a first ultra, pick a distance that’s reasonable, 50K to 45 miles is a good range. That way you are more likely to succeed and success breeds confidence. Choose a well-established event on a well-marked course (I can recommend XNRG events for first timers). Ultrarunning is as much about eating as about running…

BETH HAS WON THE 268-MILE SPINE RACE, WAS RUNNER-UP AT THE DRAGON’S BACK RACE AND OVERALL WINNER OF THE SELF TRANSCENDENCE 24-HOUR TRACK RACE.

What do you get from running ultras?If I don’t run I get grumpy and depressed. It’s a magical shortcut to elation. It’s meditative too; time to think. But if you are running 10K, there’s no time for this. If you are out for 10 or 20 hours, you come back a different person.

What advantages do you think women have over men? Women are smaller, so there’s less toll on the body, we’re better in the heat, and have superior fat metabolism. Women also tend to be more patient and persistent

while with men it’s all harder, faster, stronger. Also, men tend to be more egocentric and may be more likely to enter tough ultramarathons they’re not physically competent of. I’m just speculating!

Any ultra tips?Test all your kit, especially shoes. Just think of it as a day out, like a family walk, and enjoy it. Accept you are going to suffer. Then you won’t be surprised when things get tough.

WHEN WILL WOMEN WIN?When it comes to almost every sport, with the exception of swimming longer than 20K (where women’s superior buoyancy comes to the fore), elite men will almost

always beat elite women. Biology is just unfairly imbalanced that way. But in ultramarathon running, women have distinct advantages over men that go some

way to counterbalancing men’s strengths. You could say ultramarathons are as close as we’ll get to a gender neutral sport.

Though outright female wins at the most competitive ultra races are rare, it’s not uncommon to see women challenge the podium. Indeed the gruelling 2015

Dragon’s Back Race saw three women place in the top six, including in second and fourth places overall.

In the 1990s, American Ann Trason twice placed second at Western States 100-miler and once at Leadville. Pam Reed won the notorious 135-mile Badwater

Ultramarathon outright in 2002 and 2003. Britain’s Lizzy Hawker placed third overall at 2012’s 155-mile Spartathlon. “Look at any UK results and women

regularly make the top 10 or even the top five,” says Ian Corless.