Ultra-Ohio run: Katie Spotz seeks to log 341 miles in 11 days to break a world record

Written by Emily Morgan

Katie Spotz avoided taking gym classes for as long as she could.She needed one more physical education credit to graduate high school, so she chose the easiest course she could find — walking and running — figuring she could give the least amount of effort and still get an easy A.

Walking soon turned to running and Spotz worked her way up to a mile. She’d never done it before. Unlike in team sports, she felt no pressure or expectations from anyone to succeed. She wasn’t going to disappoint anyone if she failed. She had nothing to lose.“That’s really the seed that planted what would come,” Spotz said.

What came for the now 34-year-old Spotz is competing in multiple ultra-endurance challenges, events that exceed six hours in duration. Her next challenge starts on Monday when she sets course from Cincinnati to Cleveland on the Ohio to Erie Trail, running across her home state of Ohio.

“I’ve done adventures as far as New Zealand and Australia,” Spotz said. “I really wanted to come home and do one.”

Interested in learning more about Katie's fundraising efforts? Click here.