British ultra runner Elisabeth Hawker has just won the 100km World Championship race. With over 300 participants from more than 40 different countries, representing the world?s most elite ultra-distance runners, the event is the most prestigious 100km running challenge in the world. Situated 20km east of Seoul and host to the 1986 Summer Asian Games and 1988 Summer Olympic Games Misari, the race location, provided the ideal setting for the ultra-distance challenge. Ranked 19th in pre-race listings, Elisabeth Hawker confessed, ?It was a daunting responsibility, as well as an honour to be part of [Great Britain?s] team. I was questioning my ?right? to be there with such a tough field.? Monica Carlin, second-place finisher, caught up with Elisabeth shortly before the 5km mark, and from there they ran together until the 40th kilometer, where Elisabeth fell slightly behind. Elisabeth caught back up with Monica at the 45km point and pulled ahead. During the later stages of the race, Monica started closing the gap, and forced Elisabeth to end a 100km race in a full-out sprint. After holding off Monica with a 200m sprint finish, Elisabeth finished in 7 hours, 29 minutes and 12 seconds. After the race, she commented: ?People ask how time passes in a long race, but it does. The running becomes almost a moving meditation helping you through the times when you feel great and the times when you feel like you can?t go on. There are moments of camaraderie with your supporters and fellow competitors, and moments of feeling entirely alone. There comes a point where you really do believe you will go the distance, but it?s never over until it?s over.? Elisabeth?s first marathon was in 2000 and her first ultra-running experience was in March 2005. Winner of the Zermatt Marathon in Switzerland (June 2006), The North Face Ultra-Trail Tour du Mont Blanc (August 2005), and the Snowdon Marathon in North Wales (October 2005), among her many mountaineering and ski-mountaineering accomplishments, Elisabeth constantly expresses her dream ?to push herself to the limits and find the ?edge?.? When not winning the world?s most difficult 100km race, Elisabeth works full time at the British Antarctic Survey. She studied Natural Sciences at Cambridge and completed her PhD in physical oceanography during the summer of 2005. In the course of her work, she has participated in seven research cruises, mainly to the Southern Ocean, South Georgia and the Antarctic. Committed to principles of conservation and sustainability, she strives in her life to ?leave [behind] nothing but footprints?. ———————————————————————– If you have any news worth reporting please contact Matt – matt@planetfear.com / 0114 2969114 ———————————————————————–