Edinburgh woman runs hundreds of miles in mere days amid world record attempt

Edinburgh Live

5 days ago

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An Edinburgh woman is currently undertaking an incredible attempt to set a world record in ultra-marathon running.
Sara Eydmann, 29, is an ultra runner who is trying to set the fastest known time (FKT) running the North Coast 500, a scenic driving route around the north coast of Scotland.
When she began her journey, Sara aimed not only to be the first woman ever to complete the 516-mile route but also to beat the previous world record set by a man.
The current record sits at a daunting five days and 23 hours. At the start of her journey, Sara aimed to run roughly 20 hours per day with three hours of sleep.
Sara set off on Wednesday, June 4. Sara's first day saw her complete a staggering 99 miles after she ran through the night from Inverness to Shieldaig. Footage shows Sara in high-vis gear and a headlamp running along the pitch-black highland road.
A day two update on Sara's Instagram had her 180 miles (290 km) into the trip at Gairloch. Four days into the attempt, she has run over 250 miles (400km).
On day three, Sara announced the attempt was "not going to plan" but she was adjusting expectations and that she was "okay with that".
She said: "Not quite feeling up to plan but we are adjusting and rearranging the plan. There have been some very low lows today. Just going to keep moving. One foot in front of the other is all I can do. This is really really hard."
The team battled tough weather during its first few days, but day four brought sunny skies and higher spirits.
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Posts on social media read: "Great weather and amazing sights on the track today.
"If you live in the North of Scotland, come and cheer Sara on, it means the world to her. So grateful for all of your support, it keeps her going."
Video footage showed a pair of supporters on the side of the road cheering Sara on. One can be heard saying, "We're very impressed".
In February, Sara - who was diagnosed with autism at age 27 - told Edinburgh Live she is running to break down barriers for neurodiverse people.
She said: "I want to show people not to judge me by a label. If you meet me in life, you wouldn't think [I'm neurodiverse] at all. I've spent so much of my life masking and that's taken a toll on me. I've embraced that my special interest is running."
In 2023, Sara won in the women's category for the Loch Ronnoch Marathon and the John Muir Way Nocturnal Ultra - a six-hour loop race in North Berwick. She also ran from Edinburgh to Glasgow in record time in 2024.
Sara continues in her groundbreaking attempt to become the first documented woman ever to run the North Coast 500.
Her team welcomes donations to her Just Giving page, which supports her world record attempt. If you would like to support the cause, you can do so here.