Former Glossop resident Jasmin rewrites history

Ultrarunner Jasmin Paris has captured the imagination of athletes and inspired women across the world after making history in late March, when she became the first female ever to finish the Barkley Marathons, a 100-mile-long ultramarathon in Tennessee.

Her story is well documented, and for good reason, but a detail you might have missed is that the forty-year-old spent most of her early days in Hadfield, where she grew up.

It was here that she found her passion for running, when she began to take part in local fell races in and around Glossop after leaving university.

Jasmin was working in her local veterinary clinic in Glossop, Victoria Vets, when a colleague suggested she should go along to a local fell race called ‘Wormstones’, which she greatly enjoyed.

This inspired her to go on to longer and tougher races, which eventually led her to where she finds herself today, as the first woman in history to complete what is widely known as one of the toughest races on the planet.

As mentioned, the Barkley Marathons is an ultramarathon trail race which takes place each year at Frozen Head State Park in Tennessee.

The race is made up of five 20-mile loops of the park and requires participants to climb an average of 63,000 feet, which is more than twice the height of Mount Everest.

Runners also only have 60 hours to complete the race, making it a near-impossible task.

Since its inaugural race in 1989, only 20 people have ever finished despite over 1000 attempting the feat.

Jasmin had entered the race on two occasions prior to her making history this year, but she admitted something felt different this time around:

“This year I just felt like it was going to happen, with it being my third time I just had this burning desire and confidence that I could do it.”

Jasmin made this dream a reality, finishing the fifth and final loop with just 99 seconds of the allocated 60 hours remaining, making for a nail-biting end.

“The last lap was so intense, as I realised it was going to be a very close call.

“I was so oxygen-deficient that I wasn’t able to even contemplate or comprehend the whole thing until a few moments later when I got my breath back and had some sugar.”

The mum of two said the race was undoubtedly the hardest one she had ever experienced:

“I really had to dig deep and there were some really low moments, at one point I allowed myself to curl up in the fetal position for about a minute to try and make myself feel better because my stomach was hurting so much.”

“I learned so much about myself and I was surprised with the depth of self-belief I had on that last loop because that’s the point in the race where you should feel the most tired, but I just had this burst of adrenaline which kept me going until the end.”

“It was an incredible feeling once I’d had time to let it sink in, I got a real sense of satisfaction from achieving the thing I was aiming towards for three years.”

Jasmin admits it has taken a while to process the magnitude of what she has achieved due to her busy schedule, but she says the interviews and media attention have helped with this:

“It brings me so much joy to be able to have a positive effect on others.

“I’ve been told by a lot of people that I’ve inspired them, and the idea of inspiring women in particular to follow their dreams and believe in themselves means a huge amount to me.

“A lot of people have said in the past that it wouldn’t be possible for a woman to finish, and that was just an added incentive for me to come and prove them wrong.”

It goes without saying Jasmin’s road to success has been far from easy, and involved a rigorous training schedule:

“When I was at my peak, I was running anywhere from 70 to 90 miles a week and climbing around 12,000 metres, which is the equivalent of one and a half times Everest.

“Most of my training was done at around 5 am every morning as that was the time I could guarantee I’d be undisturbed.”

The inspirational mother also had to balance her busy training schedule between looking after her six-year-old daughter and four-year-old son, as well as working full-time as a vet.

“I think that’s perhaps part of the reason why I’m able to inspire people; I’m a mum and I work full time and so people can relate to that.”

When asked how she aims to top what is a once-in-a-lifetime achievement, Jasmin noted:

“I’m really satisfied with the Barkleys and I’m not sure I need to go back, I’m also trying to limit flying to races for environmental reasons.

“I’ll be competing in a big race in Italy in December called the ‘Tor De Geants’ which is a 205-mile trail race but the thing I’m most looking forward to is getting back into fell running.”

Despite having lived in Edinburgh for a number of years, Jasmin is keen not to forget her roots:

“I’m proud of where I came from and I’m sure I’ll make an appearance at one of the Glossop fell races at some point in the future, I still have some good friends at Glossopdale Harriers.

“My parents still have a house in Hadfield as well and I still go back quite regularly.”

Jasmin’s efforts have shown the world that anything is possible, and she hopes her achievements can inspire others to adopt her way of thinking:

“You’re the only one who can define what you’re capable of, you have the power and no one else.

“If you have a dream chase it, work hard and you’ll be surprised with what you can achieve.”