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- British runner Jasmin Paris became the first woman to complete the Barkley Marathon, one of the hardest ultra-marathons in the world.
- An exhausted and bruised Paris joined an elite group as one of 20 runners to complete the race under the 60-hour mark.
- The 40-year-old, who is a veterinarian and mother of two in Edinburgh, hopes to inspire more women to take on "challenges".
- For more sports news, go to the News24 Sport front page.
British runner Jasmin Paris made history on Friday by becoming the first woman to complete the gruelling Barkley Marathon in Morgan County, Tennessee.
Runners have 60 hours to complete what is arguably among the world's hardest foot races at 100 miles (160km) or five 20-mile loops around Tennessee's Frozen Head State Park.
Covered in scratches and exhausted, Paris very nearly fell to her knees as she crossed the finish line, sealing her historic achievement in 59:58:21.
It was a remarkable feat from the 40-year-old.
Paris joined an elite group of runners as she became one of the 20 runners in the race's history to complete the race.
"I only had like a few minutes to get up that hill. So, I ended up sprinting at the end of 60 hours of burning through the forest, which felt really hard," she was quoted as saying by the BBC.
"It still hasn't really sunk in that I've finally done it. This year I had a strong feeling in the months of training and run-up to the race that I could do it.
"Those final moments have redefined for me what I am capable of."
Paris became one of five runners who finished this year's edition of the Barkley Marathon with Ukraine's Ihor Verys winning the race. Other finishers this past weekend included American duo John Kelly and Jared Campbell and New Zealander Greig Hamilton.
The Barkley Marathon is one of the toughest ultra-marathons, with no finishers from 2018 and 2022 and a dropout rate of 99%. Last year, only three runners finished the race in 60 hours.
Paris, who is a mother of two and a veterinarian in Edinburgh, took part in her third Barkley Marathon and stated that the challenge of the race was "mind-opening".
"I did it for me and I'm super happy that I achieved what I set out to do after three years of trying," she explained.
"I'm glad that I kind of did it for women worldwide as well - not just runners - but any woman that wants to take on a challenge and maybe doesn't have the confidence.
"The idea that I might have inspired them to believe in themselves … that's huge, especially all the young girls - you know how hard it is to keep young girls in sports."
With her history-making race completed, Paris has reportedly set her sights on the Scottish Islands Peaks Race on 17 May, followed by the Tor des Géants in Italy in September.
