Last week Jasmin Paris became the first woman to win the 268-mile Spine Race, running for four days solid on fewer than eight hours’ sleep. In the same week, Ironman England advertised an event called Iron Girl, a 5K night-time race, as part of a triathlon festival. An Ironman race consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile cycle ride and a marathon. Iron Girl was billed as being less intimidating, by using the word “girl”. In the attempt to attract grown women (the event was for over-16s), Iron Girl went down like a lead balloon. It was quickly renamed Night Run, and opened to men, too.
Of course, getting more people active is to be encouraged. But assuming that women would be intimidated by an event called “Ironman” goes against recent form. Jasmin Paris is not alone in winning an endurance event overall – in December 2016, women won five ultra distance races outright. Many believe that women may have a physical advantage in running or cycling longer races because they have more stamina, greater fat reserves (which can be called upon for energy) and better mental strength. Women are better at pacing and we cope better with heat.
The debate still rages about this, however. She doesn’t doubt the strength of women, but the academic Dr Rachel Hewitt points out that fat reserves would only be an advantage in a race where no one was allowed to consume food.
But if you think women are not good at enduring, you don’t know women (I have got my menopausal 48-year-old self three times around the Three Peaks race against all odds, mostly on stubbornness). Research does not yet show that we have an unquestioned advantage, or that women’s wins are not wonderful blips. The winning times by men in marathons are still 10% faster than those of women. Men are stronger, with larger muscles and more fast muscle fibres. But women have not been competing for so long – because men didn’t let us.
Change is overdue – from organisers who think the word “girl” is appropriate, or that women can’t come to an Ironman (Ironwoman) event and compete to the best of their ability, which might be the best on the day.
