TWIN PEAKS
SHE HAS endured 50,000 miles training and another 5000 in competition.
But 55-year-old ultra-marathon racer Pauline Walker has completed one of the most prestigious goals in road running – finishing 100 ultra marathons.
The elite distance event, categorised as a race longer than the 26.2 miles of the traditional marathon, is one of the toughest running trials in the sport – and Pauline has been thrilled to be joined on many of them by her twin sister Fiona Rennie.
Fiona is now catching up on her sister with 70 under her belt.
Earlier this month, Pauline, of Rosyth, Fife, crossed the finish line of a Perthshire race to reach her milestone.
That was the ninth ultra of the year – she completed eight in 2016.
After her centenary race, she said: “It has been a huge year – and a fantastic way to finish my 100th ultra.
“I could never have known when I started this sport what I would go on to achieve.”
Finance director Pauline ran her first race in 1994 when ultra running was a relatively little-known sport.
She said: “I only took up running in my mid-20s as a way to improve my stamina for karate.
“I enjoyed it and I did some half-marathons and then got into marathons. I have done 64 marathons over the years.
“Then, when I was about 30, I heard about a local race, the 36-mile Two Bridges, and thought I would give it a go.”
Very quickly, Pauline became hooked on ultra distance running and was clocking up to 60 miles each week in training.
She took part in her first trail running ultra, the Speyside Way 50k (31 miles), in 1994.
The Two Bridges was a classic ultra running road race held 38 times between 1968 and 2005.
Pauline, who is a long-time member of Carnegie Harriers, Endurance runner Pauline has completed 100 ultra marathons.. while her sister Fiona is catch up fast, having done 70 of the gruelling event said: “The first time I did the Two Bridges, I was delighted to finish in just over six hours.
“It felt like quite a step up from a marathon but I enjoyed the challenge and I decided I wanted to run it again the next year to beat my time.
“I continued to do this every year until it closed and I even came home first woman in 2002.”
Fiona followed suit a few years later after being inspired by her sister’s endeavours.
The supermarket customer assistant, who lives near her sister in Cairneyhill, said: “I had seen Pauline competing in many longer distance races and I took the plunge myself in 1999.
“I did the Two Bridges race and then the Speyside Way ultra.” Fiona, a mum with a 22-year-old daughter, also supported her twin during earlier West Highland Way Races. She said: “I can remember being at checkpoints as part of the support team for Pauline’s first few WHW Races.
“I thought how hard it looked and I said there was no way I would ever be able to run the 95 miles.
“In 2002, when Pauline was first lady, I changed my mind and decided I would have a go. Since then I have run 13 WHW races, which is three more than Pauline”
Modestly, Pauline believes that during her first 15 or so years of ultra running, a podium place wasn’t so hard to achieve.
She said: “Running an ultra is not easy but back w there were very few did these races.
“That meant I cou first, second or third sometimes there we handful of female ru
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