RunYoung50
Women’s running history
and the stories of older women runners
Recent articles…
Long Run to Glory by Stephen Lane
Long Run to Glory gives us an extended narrative of the events that led to the first women’s Olympic marathon at the 1984 Los Angeles Games.
Run Across Australia – Nikki Love – Part 1
On Monday 1st May 2023 ultrarunning adventurer Nikki Love embarked on an epic 4000km run across Australia, realising a long-held dream.
The Crawley 24 Hour Track Race 2023
The race report from the Crawley 24 Hour Track Race which attracted several elite British competitors in 2023.
Ros Paul – women’s six day races – a history – part two – 1982
In 1982 British ultrarunner Ros Paul, aged 23, set a new women’s six day race record at a track race in Nottingham.
Marcy Schwam – women’s six day races – a history – part one – 1981
The history of women’s six day races starting with Marcy Schwam – the first woman to run a six day event after its revival in 1980.
The Mothers’ Marathon 1923
On 7th April 1923, five mothers took part in a Mothers’ Marathon, pushing their babies in their prams the 52 miles from London to Brighton.
Women’s participation in ultrarunning – a short history
Women typically make up less than 30% of finishers in ultramarathons. How has women’s participation in ultrarunning changed over the past 50 years?
The Notts 10 Mile Road Race
The Notts 10 Mile Road Race was first held in Nottingham in 1972. It is one of the oldest road races in the Midlands.
Leslie Watson – Queen of the Roads
Scottish marathon runner Leslie Watson was called “the Queen of the Roads”. By 1981, she had run more marathons than any other woman in the UK.
Five Women Who Changed Running
Five women who changed running forever. They made the public aware of how strong women could be and how much they could achieve as athletes and runners.
Eleanor Adams and the first Spartathlon
1983 was the year of the first Spartathlon – 245km from Athens to Sparta. The organisers did not want women to run in the race but the male competitors insisted Eleanor Adams must be allowed to take part.
Marea Hartman – wisdom on the track
Marea Hartman was a major figure in women’s athletics in England who pushed for the introduction of new events for women in international competition.
Most Read Articles
Six popular articles on my blog recently….
IAU 24 Hour Championships Milton Keynes 1990
In 1990 the inaugural IAU 24 Hour Championships were held in a shopping mall in Milton Keynes, an unusual venue for an indoor ultramarathon.
Nikki Love – ultrarunning and the menopause
Earlier this year I interviewed ultrarunning adventurer Nikki Love about how the menopause has affected her running. Since 2016, Nikki has been undertaking ultra distance adventures, starting with the JungleUltra, a 5-day race through the Amazon...
Female Ultrarunners over 50
Female ultrarunners over 50 are challenging ageist attitudes about the physical competence of older people by taking part in ultramarathons.
Running on HRT
Arriving late for my first race of the cross country season in 2017, I was already feeling hot and bothered by the time I'd dumped my bag, got my trail shoes on and made my way to the start. It was unseasonably warm weather for...
“Jeffing” the Yorkshire Marathon
This is the story of how I got to the starting line of my first marathon and what happened on the day. Getting ready for the Plusnet Yorkshire Marathon on Sunday 9th October 2016 I thought about the interview I had done with Sandy Poole in January...
The first London Marathon
On 3rd August 1980, 200 women from 27 countries lined up to run in the first London marathon. It was the first time the city’s streets had ever been closed for a race. The 1980 Avon International Women’s Marathon was a pivotal moment in the campaign to get the women’s marathon onto the Olympic programme.