Sanna Duthie: First Female Chester Ultra 100 

Sanna Duthie has an excellent track record when it comes to endurance running. In her list of previous races, you can find Dragons Back Race, Ultra Trail Wales, Arc of Attrition, and Wild Horse 200, to name a few. 

Adding another feather to her cap, Sanna recently emerged as the first female at the Chester Ultra 100 by GB Ultras, rising to the top of her field in the first few miles. 

Sanna’s journey in ultramarathons began in 2015 with her first 100-mile ultramarathon, the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, in her hometown. This gruelling 100-mile route ignited a passion within her, marking the birth of her love for endurance running. 

“My first actual ultra was the Gauer 50. It went horribly wrong. I’m not sure why I ever did another one after it. Nutrition was rubbish. My navigation was absolutely terrible. I fell over, but I was a bit hooked.” 

The Chester Ultra 100 was Sanna’s fifth 100-miler and her third race with GB Ultras. She shared, “The GB Ultras community is fantastic. The support and cheers from everyone were a great boost, especially during the Chester 100, where I spent most of my time running solo. The race had a unique feature of out and back, allowing us to cheer each other on, creating a sense of camaraderie.”

Setting out, Sanna had a 24-hour time in mind, but she came in at 22:03:18. She said finishing in the darkness was strange, as she usually got the sunrise before the finish line. 

“I was very, very pleased to get just over 22 hours. It’s a great start to my season because that was number one of four 100-milers for 2024.”

However, it’s important to note that Sanna never sets out to win despite having several podium places under her belt. Especially with a 100-mile race, “anything can happen, or someone else can be having a better day.” 

Feeling strong when she hit 25 miles, it dawned upon her that this may be a perfect race day for her.