“Camille ran 32 5k’s back-to-back at an average 5k finishing time of 24:54“
What do you do for 13 hours and 21 minutes every day? If you’re anything like the average individual, this time includes waking up, preparing for the day, fitting in a 30-60 minute workout, working a 9-5 schedule, spending time with family, preparing for the next day, and finally sitting down to relax for a bit before bed. Now, imagine you had the entire 13 hours and 21 minutes to yourself. Do you think you could run 100 miles? Sit back and relax as we take you through the 100 mile world record breaking run by Camille Herron.
Average Pace: 8:01/mile
The average 5k finishing time for women is roughly 26 minutes. Take a second and think about how you feel after a typical 5k. Generally speaking, most people are excited to see the finishing line after pushing their limits!
Camille’s 8:01/mile pace resulted in her running an average 5k in 24:54. Let’s also note that 100 miles is 160.934 Kilometers. Essentially, Camille ran 32 5k’s back-to-back at an average finishing time of 24:54. The next time you finish a 5k, think about doing the same thing 31 more times!
Average Cadence: 180 steps/minute
Research has shown that many elite runners will run between 175-185 steps/minute. There are outliers to this metric, but overall most runners who are efficient will fall within this range. If you were to compare this with many average runners, you would see that amateurs tend to run around 170-175 steps/minute.
What is amazing about Camille’s run is that she was able to average 180 steps/minute, and then lift the pace the final 80 minutes of her world record! Not only was she cruising at the ideal range, but she had enough energy in the tank after 12 hours to lift the cadence even higher. The final 80 minutes saw Camille average 184 steps/minute
Final 10 miles
When starting this run, Camille was planning to finish the 24 hour Desert Solstice event. She set out at 7:46/mile pace (while running) for the first 12 hours. At the 12 hour mark, and 89+ miles into her run, she made the decision to chase the 100 mile record. She flipped the switch and went from running at her aerobic endurance zone, to running in her aerobic power zone for the final 10+ miles. During this final push, Camille was able to drop her average pace to 7:26/mile by picking her average cadence up to 184. To go along with the bump in cadence, Camille also lengthened her average stride length from 3.77 ft to 3.84 ft.
What it Takes
What does it take to break the women’s 100 mile world record? It takes an average cadence of 180 steps/minute while having an average stride length of 3.77 feet. It takes averaging an actual run pace of 7:46/mile while also mixing in multiple stops along the way (8:01/mile including stops). It takes years of dedication and discipline to your sport!
The next time you are out for a run, try holding 180 cadence and see how it feels. Lift the pace to 8:01/mile and see how your body responds. Put the Stride length metric on your watch and see what 3.77 ft/stride feels like. Now imagine averaging those stats for 100 miles (13 hours 21 minutes). Check out your metrics and see how you stack up against the world record the next time you go explore perfection!