Sean conway

Ordinary runners doing extraordinary things

The swim might be the scariest, the bike leg the longest. But it’s during the 42.2km marathon run where the suffering can be turned up to 11 and finish-line dreams are made or broken. The bad news is

For many runners, a marathon finish line is once-in-a-lifetime, but for a select few, it’s merely the first step towards the blue-and-yellow T-shirt of the 100 Marathon Club. What drives those hardy souls to reach such an incredible milestone – and how do they get there?

I’m chasing a world record in Ironman triathlons. Six Ironmans on six continents over 12 months, trying to become the fastest female in the world to do it. The time I’m trying to break is a cumulative

Back in the depths of January 2025, my run buddy Sharon and I decided to embark on an adventure: our first ultra. We juggled our diaries as well as requirements such as ‘not too far’, ‘not too hot’, ‘

Competitors at Ironman Lake Placid, on 20 July, are treated to 180km of epic climbs and swooping descents through the region’s majestic Adirondack Mountains. In the pro races, Norway’s Solveig Løvseth