On May 11th, whilst many ABC members were stretching their legs at the Middlesbrough Half Marathon, Karen Ayre took on her third Marathon challenge…this time in a very hot, sunny Leeds.
This was a tough race for Karen, despite great support from the crowds. Particularly challenging was the infamous ‘hill’ at mile 18…a 2-mile incline in 27 degrees heat!
After finishing the marathon (despite questioning her life choices), Karen decided to sign up straight away for the same event next year! Before that, though, Karen has the Yorkshire Marathon in October to complete…which will take her marathon total to four.
Having now completed three different courses in the UK (Gateshead, Yorkshire and Leeds), Karen is considering completing a marathon event abroad and perhaps, eventually, an Ultra.
To support her running, Karen has regularly worked with Ethan Jones PT on strength training. Without this, Karen feels that she would not have been able to complete these running distances.
Whilst running a marathon is a massive achievement, earlier this year, in March, Nicola Smart took on the challenge of her very first Ultramarathon: The Kingdom of Northumbria Ultra. The race started at Bamburgh and finished at Druridge Bay….an impressive total of 33 miles (54km)!
