Ultrarunner Julia Davis tells us about her running journey and the unforgettable moments she’s experienced along the way
WORDS: JANEY SWANSON PICTURES: SWAY PR, SHUTTERSTOCK, CREATIVE COMMONS, DANIEL EVANS PHOTOGRAPHY, JORDI SARAGOSSA @THE ADVENTURE BAKERY
Until ten years ago, I was happy to be the only non-runner in my family,” says Julia Davis (37). “I ran at school but only when I was forced to do cross country or athletics.
“Other than that, running was definitely not on my to-do list – unlike my dad and my two sisters, who were forever dashing off to run a marathon.”
Then, at the age of 27, Julia signed up for the London Marathon.
“For the first time in my life, I chose to run but only so I could raise funds for the hospice where my grandad was cared for.”
To Julia’s amazement, she actually enjoyed running all 26.2 miles of the London Marathon.
“I had my name on my vest and it was wonderful to hear onlookers cheering me on,” recalls Julia, who finished her first marathon at the speedy time of 3 hours, 3 minutes.
“That’s when I caught the bug.”
Julia, who was living in London at the time, joined a running club near her home and showed such promise, she soon had a coach helping her run faster and farther.
“I ran a few more marathons and at the end of each one, I wanted to keep on running.”
So Julia decided to test herself by running an ultra marathon.
“Ultra marathons cover any distance longer than a marathon,” explains Julia, who works in the fashion industry.
“I was intrigued and decided to run the Bear Mountain 50km – or 31 miles – which is in a remote corner of New York State.
“I went on my own and thought of it as a holiday – with added adventure.
“I didn’t know what to expect but this challenging 50km trail went high into the mountains and was an incredible experience, complete with chipmunks popping up every now and again!
“I thought it might be scary running somewhere I’d never even seen before but it was actually good fun. And the sense of adventure I felt throughout every step of my 50km run kept me going to the finish line, where I felt so proud of myself, especially when I discovered I was second.”
Spurred on by her success – and her newly-discovered sense of adventure – Julia signed up for a 65km (40 miles) race in South Africa: The Cape Town Ultra Trail.
“This took me to the top of Table Mountain and went across very mountain
