Think the London Marathon sounds challenging? Later this month, 400 athletes embark on a 153-mile, 36-hour endurance test in Greece. They tell Nick Rufford why they do it

A competitor in the 2018 Spartathlon

ELIAS PERGANTIS/SPARTA PHOTOGRAPHY CLUB

Sunday September 05 2021, 12.01am, The Sunday Times

Shortly before she collapsed from heat and exhaustion, Sophie Power was having the time of her life. The 39-year-old from Guildford had been running for 36 hours and her sun-scorched skin was caked in road dust. Ice that shed stuffed down her sports bra at a rest stop had long ago melted and she was limping from a swelling in her left leg. Yet the tears that rolled down her face as she reached the finish were tears of joy.

My eyes are welling up now, just remembering, says Power, who was revived by medics at a temporary field hospital. It was just so hard, and it was my first big race after becoming a mother. Suddenly I felt that I wasnt only a mum,

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'Magic in misery': the ultrarunners tackling the Spartathlon, the world's toughest race - The Times