Ultra Women, by Lily Canter and Emma Wilkinson episode artwork

EPISODE · Nov 15, 2025 · 58 MIN

Ultra Women, by Lily Canter and Emma Wilkinson

from Running Book Reviews with Alan and Liz

Send us Fan MailRecently, a trend has captured public attention: female athletes have been beating the strongest male contenders, in the toughest races in the world, races designed for men. In Ultra Women, the authors (who are themselves endurance athletes) delve into the surprising science of sporting performance to explore the physiological and psychological differences between the sexes. They ask: could fat stores and muscle type (and capacity for not sleeping) really give women an edge over men in ultra long distances? And what roles are played by pace, preparation, and motherhood? Speaking to elite athletes, historians and scientists, the book unearths the largely unknown past of female endurance, from hunter- gathering to the early 20th Century discipline of pedestrianism and we get to meet some amazing women who have done amazing things.These bios are not going to do justice to these two women because they do a lot more than we could cover in the number of characters allowed in this description, but here it goes! Lily Canter is a freelance running, fitness and  adventure travel journalist writing for Runner’s  World, Live for the Outdoors, Women’s Health,  The Guardian and Metro. She is an England  Athletics running coach and founder of  women’s only club Great Bowden Runners. She  competes in ultra marathons and canicrosses  with her dog. Instagram: @lilycanter Emma Wilkinson is an award-winning  freelance journalist specialising in medicine,  science and health. She has written for the  Sunday Times, BBC, Pulse, the BMJ and Lancet  among others. Emma lives in Sheffield and runs  up hills for fun. Instagram: @emmawjourno If you're interested in getting a copy of this book for yourself then you can find it on Amazon or directly on the publishers website here: https://www.canburypress.com/products/presale-ultra-women-by-lily-canter-and-emma-wilkinson-isbn-9781914487101?srsltid=AfmBOopm-PGhLV9ZE2vjNfl-wobGtYreNsxyJ2F_VNPUtgLWH1VGzlsyLink for 20% discount on Caffeine Bullet  https://caffeinebullet.com/RUNNINGBOOK Discount automatically applied and visible on checkoutSupport the showAny feedback or suggestions on this review or any of our other podcast episodes would be greatly welcomed. Leave us a review using your favorite podcast player or contact us on social media.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/runningbookreviews/Twitter: https://twitter.com/reviews_runningInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningbookreviews/ Podcast webpage: https://runningbookreviews.buzzsprout.com  If you have been enjoying the podcast and want more, you can find some extras on our By Me a Coffee site! https://www.buymeacoffee.com/runningbookreviews

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Send us Fan Mail Recently, a trend has captured public attention: female athletes have been beating the strongest male contenders, in the toughest races in the world, races designed for men. In Ultra Women, the authors (who are themselves endurance athletes) delve into the surprising science of sporting performance to explore the physiological and psychological differences between the sexes. They ask: could fat stores and muscle type (and capacity for not sleeping) really give women an edge o...

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Ultra Women, by Lily Canter and Emma Wilkinson

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