Words: Ultra Magazine
In 1996, during an event in Nanango, Queensland, Australia, she set women’s
world running records for both 1,000 kilometres and 1,000 miles
Sandra Brown is renowned as one of the most tenacious and inspiring long-distance walkers of her generation. Over a career that has spanned over four decades, she
has transformed the sport of long-distance walking into an art form.
Born on April 1st 1949, Brown’s walking journey began in her early twenties, when she met and married Richard Brown (see next page) while studying history at UCL.
As her confi dence and stamina grew, she set her sights on more ambitious challenges, and completed her first formal marathon with Richard in 1982 at Winchester.
This experience ignited a passion for endurance events, leading her to participate in the 100km Surrey Summits and The Pilgrims Hundred, a 100-mile event organised
by the Long Distance Walkers Association, that same year. A year later they both joined their local walking club, Surrey Walking Club, because they had started admitting women (although they did prevent her from entering one Centurion race because “Women could not and should not do these things.”)
In 1984 Brown established herself as an elite ultrawalker with a time of 18:36:24 for 100 miles at Leicester, and then a year later came 16th at the World 48-hour World Championship at Montauban, France, with 169 miles. After taking some time o running to give birth to their child, Victoria, Brown and her husband both entered
the Paris-Colmar race after qualifying with four French 24-hour race fi nishes within a two-month period. She finished the race in 2nd place with a time of 51:48 for 211 miles. She then set a women’s world racewalking best distance of 200km in 24:04:20 in Switzerland.
In 1995 she embarked, again with Richard, on a journey from Land’s End to John o’ Groats, traversing approximately 830 miles and capturing the attention of the long-distance walking community and the media alike. She completed this feat in 13 days 10:01, breaking the previous record by 8 hours and setting a time that stood until 2006.
Brown’s prowess is further underscored by her record-setting performances in multi-day events. In 1996, during an event in Nanango, Queensland, Australia, she set women’s world running record for both 1,000 kilometres (8 days, 12 hours, 16 minutes and 20 seconds) and 1,000 miles (14 days, 10 hours and 27 minutes). A testament to her endurance, she achieved these records primarily through walking. Even decades later, these performances remain among the top-ranking achievements in the history of ultra-distance events.
In March 2019, she [Brown] became the first person to achieve 200 finishes of 100 miles or more, a milestone reached during the Dublin to Belfast 107-mile race.
In addition to her individual accomplishments, Brown has been an active representative for England and Great Britain in various ultra-distance championships. Her participation includes the 2007 International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU) 24-Hour Championship in Canada and the inaugural Commonwealth 24-Hour Run Championship in 2009 in England.
One of her most remarkable achievements is her attainment of all seven Centurion medals, a distinction awarded to those who can walk 100 miles within 24 hours. She stands alone in the world in this regard, having earned Centurion titles in the UK, Continental Europe, Australia, New Zealand, the USA, Malaysia, and Africa. This accomplishment highlights not only her endurance but also her global influence in the sport.
Even as she advanced in age, Brown continued to set new benchmarks. At 70, during the Energia 24-hour race at Victoria Park, she broke two world records. She surpassed the 100-mile mark in 21 hours, 15 minutes, and 33 seconds, marking her 204th time exceeding this distance in a race. Additionally, she broke the longstanding world age-group record for the 24-hour event, covering over 113 miles (182 kilometers) entirely through walking. Her performance placed her 24th overall in a field of 225 participants, underscoring her exceptional capability and competitiveness.
Finally, Brown’s dedication to ultra-distance events is further exemplified by her membership in the exclusive “Two-Hundred 100-Milers Club.” In March 2019, she became the first person to achieve 200 finishes of 100 miles or more, a milestone reached during the Dublin to Belfast 107-mile race. Her relentless pursuit of endurance challenges has solidified her legacy as one of the most accomplished ultra-distance athletes in history.
In summary, Sandra Brown’s career as a long-distance walker and runner is defined by more than just the miles she has covered; it is a story of perseverance, innovation, and the relentless pursuit of excellence. Her numerous records, international representations, and ground-breaking achievements have not only set high
standards in the sport but have also inspired countless athletes to push the boundaries of human endurance.