Katie Spotz sets Guinness World Record for most ultramarathons in a row

The American runner completed 11 50K ultramarathons in 11 days

Last month we spoke with ultrarunner Katie Spotz, who was planning to run across the state of Ohio to complete 11 50K ultramarathons in 11 days, breaking the Guinness World Record for the most consecutive ultramarathons. She completed the challenge on July 1, and Canadian Running caught up with her to chat about her experience.

Spotz is not a stranger to long running challenges. In 2020, she became the first person to cross the state of Maine in one shot, covering 220 kilometres in 33 hours, 46 minutes. This year, her original plan was to run 10 marathons in 10 days, but after accidentally stumbling upon the Guinness World Record for most consecutive ultramarathons by a woman, she decided to add to the challenge. The record she had to break was 10 ultras in 10 days, so she added one more day and planned a route across Ohio. On July 1, she completed the challenge, after running about six or seven hours every day for 11 straight days.

“I always say my pace for ultras is fast enough to get there and slow enough to see it,” she laughs. The run was very challenging, and the weather didn’t make it easier, with the temperatures reaching 100 F (38 C) some days. Still, Spotz says the hardest part was stopping.

“It’s just such a blast,” she explains. “To have the ability to just eat, sleep, breathe and adventure and see new things every day and have new challenges, we all already miss it.”

If you want to learn more about her initiatives or support her cause of fundraising for clean water, head here.