Great performance by Helena at Energia24 race

Now in its ninth year the event carries a silver label from the world governing body and once again incorporated the AAI National 24-hr Championships.

Starting at 1pm on Saturday afternoon competitors run on a 1652m circuit around the park with the winner being whoever runs the furthest in 24 hours.

Considering the length of the race and the fact that runners are allowed to stop for rest and refreshment, a lot of thought has to go into deciding on race strategy long before the running actually starts.

As one of Springwell RC’s most experienced Ultramarathoners, Helena Dornan started the race with her usual slow and steady pace, placed around 100th in the field, as those with more enthusiasm than experience led the way in the early stages.

But, as afternoon turned to evening and midnight got ever closer, Helena began to climb the leader board as the enormity of the challenge became apparent to those ahead of her.

As dawn broke the field had dwindled and Helena had climbed into the top 20 and was keeping a very steady pace as the race progressed towards the finish at 1pm on Sunday.

The final hours of the race saw more places gained as Helena eventually finished in 12th place, fifth lady and 1st F45 having completed 184.842 km or, if you prefer 114.855 miles.

A tremendous achievement, having completed 5.647 miles more than she did in the 2017 race.

In the National Championships Helena was third lady earning her a well deserved bronze medal.