Ultra runner Duffy chalks up another huge achievement

Tara AC’s Nichola Duffy finished a commendable sixth place in the GOMU World 48 Hour Running Championships held in Gloucester in the UK recently.

Duffy - who has represented Ireland previously at the European 24 Hour Championships in Verona, Italy in 2022 - more than held her own against a very strong field of athletes in Gloucester.

In warm sunny conditions, Duffy managed to run over 275km despite having to spend some hours off track.

Duffy now switches her focus to Barcelona 24 hour in December where she will once again compete against some of Europe’s top ultra runners.

Earlier this year Duffy, who is a nurse, clocked up an astonishing 260km and came second in Ireland's first 48 hour marathon in memory of her mum who passed away last year.

The Kilmessan athlete completed the challenge in freezing temperatures from 6pm on a Friday until 6pm on the Sunday around the 400m running track at Youth Sport in Omagh.

Despite the gruelling distance, cruel weather conditions and an injury to boot, heroic Nichola says "giving up was never an option" as she battled to reach the finish line in honour of her mother and "best friend" Joan Steen who passed away from brain cancer last year.

The mental strength required for such events, added to the physical demands, can only be imagined. To run for two days without any sleep is a feat beyond the endurance of most.

In 2020 Duffy - who is a member of Tara AC and works as a nurse - braved storm Aidan to complete a significant distance as part of an 'elite invitational' event clocking up 207kms over a 24-hour period on a 400-metre track.

She also came second overall in the Barcelona Ultra Marathon running a staggering 201.8 km over 504 laps in a 24-hour event.

If that wasn't impressive enough Nurse Duffy ran an incredible 114km, the equivalent of almost three Dublin City marathons, a few years ago to raise funds for Millbury Nursing Home in Navan that was hit hard by the Covid-19 crisis.