Karen Williams was not a runner, at least not until her sister urged her to join a local running club, in Cape Town, South Africa. We follow Karen's journey from those first steps to her incredible 2019 Comrades finish. Karen follows her own instincts to get her through this incredible challenge, and she brings a delightful sense of humor, too. 

Karen came to running later in life and it took some encouragement. But she discovered that she actually enjoyed running, and even more, she developed a curiosity to see just how far she could go. We follow her journey from those first strides to her amazing Comrades adventure. 

Karen's Comrades journey introduces listeners to what it's like to be among the final official finishers of the race. Comrades has a hard cutoff of 12 hours; runners who finish even a second after are not considered official finishers of the race. And Karen cut that margin just about as close as you possibly can. The final moments of the race are emotional and intense, and Karen's journey will take you there. 

This episode is part of our first season, and the theme of this season is experiences in and around the Comrades Marathon, which is a 90-kilometre, or roughly 56-mile, road race that takes place each year in South Africa. It is the oldest and largest ultra-distance foot race in the world. 

Ways to Connect and Engage with Women's Running Stories

Instagram: @womensrunningstories

Twitter: @WomenRunStories

Website: womensrunningstories.com

Email host Cherie: [email protected]

Women's Running Stories is a member of the Evergreen network: https://evergreenpodcasts.com/

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