Latest news with #AnnaTroup
BBC News
7 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
'I hope women see my comeback win and want to try ultramarathons'
The winner of one of the UK's most gruelling ultramarathons has said two other female competitors helped "reset her body and mind" before she went on to win the race in a "dream comeback".Anna Troup overcame a stress fracture in her foot and years of recovery to run the Montane Summer Spine Race on 15 June, from Edale in Derbyshire to Kirk Yetholm in Scotland, in a time of 84 hours, 56 minutes and 37 seconds. The 55-year-old battled for days on the tough Pennine terrain with the weather "hosing it down and thick clag", making an ascent of more than 10,000 metres (32,808ft) without much sleep."Hopefully other women will see this win and realise that it can be mastered," Anna said. This is the first year two women have claimed first, Anna Troup, and second, Irene Kinnegim, overall in the summer have been two other races where a woman has been the overall winner, Jasmin Paris in winter 2019 and Sabrina Verjee in summer 2019."At 55, it is difficult to win shorter races, but in ultra running races where you have to be able to strategise, problem-solve, run and endure, age and experience can outweigh speed. Anna said "it feels wonderful" to have finished first overall. However, Anna's journey back to the top of her sport was far from straightforward, after she suffered a stress fracture doing the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc three years ago. "I really struggled with losing that part of my identity... but once I let it go and let the mental pressure off, it began healing," she trained on an indoor bike for two hours a day, six times a week, and regained her strength. "I wanted to show that you can come back from injury and it's ok. It was the comeback you dream of, but not one you expect," she said. "This race really mattered. It has been a really long slog," Anna continued. "When you've worked really hard, it has more meaning," Anna recent wet weather proved challenging for athletes and Anna described having to go through "almost winter conditions" on some days. She said: "One day it was full clag and hosing it down with a head wind most of the way. It was full on. "It's the worst terrain for my feet because once it gets boggy, the foot slides and that's when my feet are most unhappy." Midway through the race at about midnight, Anna Troup caught up with two other women. She said: "I remember it being 45 miles (72km) in, and I was feeling really sick when they offered to walk with me. "We were talking for 12 hours about everything - sharing stories of making it work with children, menopause and life."She said the two women "reset my mind and body and gave me a boost to keep going"."All of us took something really positive from it," she said. Anna said: "We need more women in sport and all I want is to encourage more women to get out the door... that's the hardest part."The Spine race will never be tamed, but hopefully other women will see this win and realise that it can be mastered." Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
8 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Necton runner 'didn't expect to win Britain's most brutal race'
A man who started ultrarunning during the pandemic said he was in "disbelief" after winning a 268-mile Morgan, from Necton, near Swaffham, Norfolk, finished first in the Montane Summer Spine men's race across the Pennine Way, in 91 hours and 45 endurance race from Edale in Derbyshire to Kirk Yetholm on the Scottish Borders has been nicknamed "Britain's most brutal race" by Morgan, 37, said: "I can't really believe what happened... I aimed for a decent finish but I didn't think there was a chance I'd get the top spot." On the women's leaderboard, London-based Anna Troup came first with a time of 84 hours and 56 the race is unassisted, there are five checkpoints where competitors can get a hot meal and nearly four days in the race, Mr Morgan said he slept for just an hour. "I'm terrible at sleeping, so it was just as and when," he said."It's weird – you can be so tired that you can barely keep your eyes open but then you lay down and you're buzzing and want to be out there... Mostly it's just a case of keeping moving." The Summer Spine is known for its mountainous route, with a total ascent of more than 35,000ft (about 11km).Due to Norfolk's famously flat geography, Mr Morgan had to train for the uphill landscape on a treadmill."I've done a few 200-mile plus races, but this was definitely a lot harder because of the elevation," he said. "I find downhill much harder... You can train your muscles, but you can't train for the technical terrain." 'Disbelief and pressure' Mr Morgan said there were "quite a few really low points" during the race."Your mind goes, and you realise you don't want to be there or you can't remember why you're there," he said."I had my wife on the end of the phone, so I'd give her a call and she'd coach me through it and tell me to keep going."Mr Morgan said he kept a track of his position in the race, and felt "disbelief and pressure" when he took the lead."It's one of those things where I wasn't expecting to win," he said. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
