Carol Morgan

Carol Morgan is an Irish ultrarunner, who specialises in non-stop mountain ultramarathons 100 km and longer, often in challenging conditions with significant ascents / descents. Born in Dublin in 1973,[1][2] where she trained as a nurse, she is an advanced practitioner in emergency medicine.[3][4] Morgan holds the course record for endurance ultra event, the Kerry Way Ultra.

Carol Morgan
Carol Morgan at 2013 Langdale Horseshoe
Personal information
NationalityIrish
Born1973
Dublin, Ireland
Sport
CountryIreland
SportAthletics
Event(s)Fell running, Mountain running, Ultramarathon
ClubNidd Valley
Updated on 16 April 2018.

Early running years

Morgan started running in her thirties.[5] and has been running with Nidd Valley Running Club in Harrogate, Yorkshire,[6] with whom she still regularly competes,[7][8][9] since at least 2010, gradually adding longer and longer distances to her repertoire.[5]

Competing in road races

2007 - 2012 saw Morgan compete in the Connemarathon road race in Ireland in April. In 2007 she placed tenth in the marathon while incorrectly listed as from the United Kingdom.[10] From 2009 - 2012 she placed either first or second in the Connemarathon ultramarathon [11] in conditions that varied from unseasonally hot sunshine [12][13] to pelting rain.[14] 2010 was particularly difficult with less than 5 minutes separated first and second place with both athletes experiencing the last 2 mile incline, known as the 'hell of the west' because it affords competitors a clear view of the finish long before you reach it,[15][16] together.[17]

Since 2012 Morgan has limited participation in long distance road running saying she prefers the beauty of the mountains [1][18][5] and bogs.[3] She has chosen increasingly technical mountain events that require navigational knowledge and mandatory safety kits, and courses that include significant ascents / descents.

Competing in the mountains

In 2015 Morgan raced in France's CCC. In 2016 she placed 20th Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc [19] in warm weather conditions on a course which requires participants to demonstrate technical skills by accumulating points from a list of qualifying races.[20] She was 11th in Spain's Transgrancanaria [21] the same year.

2017 brought the biannual Welsh Dragon's Back race which features a chasing start on the fifth and final day, and saw Morgan facing into the day with 15 minutes between the top three. Despite finishing well off the pace in 2015, she prevailed in 2017.[22]

In 2018 Morgan won the Glendalough Clover Ultra [23] which weaves its way around the Wicklow Way despite successfully defending her 2018 Spine Race title just a few weeks previously. Glendalough Clover Ultra was a qualifying event for the Irish trail team in 2018 and Morgan was selected to represent Ireland in the 2018 IAU Trail World Championships.[24][25]

Records

In 2017 Morgan reduced the women's record for Britain's 268 miles (431 km) Spine Race by 43 hours to 109 hours 54 minutes.[26] Conditions in 2017 were relatively mild and boggy, and she finished 44 hours ahead of the second woman.

In 2018 she successfully defended her Spine Race title winning by a margin of 10 hours in conditions so severe the non-stop race was paused for 12 hours (but not the race clock) due to heavy winds and snow.[27][28] Amongst the other challenges of winter in the Cheviots the 2018 runners had to content with frozen water bottles.[27] While conditions varied for competitors over the course of the 4+ days in addition to eating snow, Morgan has to contend with "50 mph winds with a chill factor of minus 16°C, snow drifts up to [her] belly button".[29] Her record in the Spine Race was beaten in 2019 by Jasmin Paris who surpassed Morgan's record by 26 hours 41 minutes.[30]

At home in Ireland she created a new record in the non-stop Kerry Way Ultra in 2017, covering the 200 km in 27 Hours and 58 minutes ranking fourth overall.[29] The race, which covers the Kerry Way, took place during a code orange weather warning (heavy rainfall)[31] and was awarded four points by the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) as a qualifying race.[20]

In August 2020, Morgan set a new women's Lake District 24-hour record. Starting and finishing in Braithwaite, she covering sixty-five peaks in a time of 23:57.[32]

Achievements
EventPositionOverall PositionDistance / LengthYear
Cape Wrath Ultra [33] 1 12 400 km 2018
Fellsman 2018 [34] 2 20 98 km 2018
Kielder Ultra 100k [35]15100 km2018
Glendalough Clover Ultra [23]
11680 km2018
Spine Race [27] 201818431 km2018
Spine Race 2017[36]16 (Joint)431 km2017
Dragon's Back[37][38] 201719315 km2017
Kerry Way Ultra,[39][29] 201714-2017
Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc [40] 201620-166 km2016
Transgrancanaria [41] 201611-125 km2016
Connemarathon [10] 20071012842.2 km2007
Lakeland 100 [42][43] 2015112100 km2015
Dragon's Back 2015 [44]
830315 km2015
Fellsman 2014 [45]12298 km2014
Fellsman 2015 [46]33698 km2015
Fellsman 2013 [47]24498 km2013
Lakeland 100 [44] 20144-100 km2014
Connemarathon 2012 [48]12263.3 km2012
Connemarathon 2011 [49]11563.3 km2011
Connemarathon 2010 [50]23063.3 km2010
Connemarathon 2009 [50]
22463.3 km2009
Highland Fling Race [51] 200914-85.3 km2009

References
  1. "Carol Morgan Talks Defending her Spine Race Title in Severe Conditions". Outsider.ie. 9 March 2018.
  2. "Carol MORGAN". itra.run. International Trail Running Association. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  3. "Harrogate woman who conquered brutal 268-mile race talks about ordeal". Harrogate Advertiser.
  4. "News". www.leedsth.nhs.uk.
  5. "Ultramarathons: In it for the long run".
  6. "Results". www.runbritainrankings.com.
  7. "Carol Morgan - runbritain rankings". www.runbritainrankings.com.
  8. "Weekly Update: A Christmas Carol? No, it's a Nidd Valley Carol… – Nidd Valley Road Runners". niddvalleyroadrunners.co.uk.
  9. "Harrogate parkrun #271 Run Report - Harrogate parkrun". www.parkrun.org.uk.
  10. http://www.connemarathon.com/the-results/2007-full.pdf
  11. "Results - Connemarathon - Half, Full and Ultra Marathon - 22nd April 2018 - West of Ireland".
  12. Ray, Race Director (11 April 2011). "The 10th Connemara Marathon - RunIreland.com".
  13. "Shirley comes up trumps in the epic Connemarathon - Independent.ie".
  14. "Connemara Ultra Marathon and "The Hell of the West" - Galway City Harriers". www.galwaycityharriers.com.
  15. "Spectators - Connemarathon - Half, Full and Ultra Marathon - 22nd April 2018 - West of Ireland".
  16. "the hell of the west - Runireland.com". forums.runireland.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2018. Retrieved 17 April 2018.
  17. http://www.connemarathon.com/the-results/2010-ultra.pdf
  18. "Carol Morgan wins the 2018 MONTANE Spine Race - FionaOutdoors". 21 January 2018.
  19. UTMB. "UTMB®,". utmbmontblanc.com.
  20. UTMB. "UTMB® - Qualifying races - Regulations,". utmbmontblanc.com.
  21. Schoch, Jürgen. "DUV Ultra Marathon Statistics". statistik.d-u-v.org.
  22. "Final warning issued to Jim Mann as Berghaus Dragon's Back Race nears climax". www.grough.co.uk.
  23. "Irish Mountain Running Association". www.imra.ie.
  24. "Irish Mountain Running Association". www.imra.ie.
  25. "2018 Trail World Championships - ITRA". www.i-tra.org.
  26. "Acknowledging the achievement of Carol Morgan in The Spine Race · Conor's Bandon Blog".
  27. "Morgan Wins the 2018 MONTANE Spine Race - The Latest". www.montane.co.uk.
  28. uk, grough Ltd, enquiries at grough dot co dot. "grough — Spine Race organisers suspend running in face of severe weather warnings". www.grough.co.uk.
  29. radiokerrysport (3 September 2017). "Records Broken On The Kerry Way Ultra & UltraLite Marathons - Radio Kerry".
  30. "Jasmin Paris becomes first woman to win 268-mile Montane Spine Race". The Guardian. 17 January 2019. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  31. Éireann, Met. "Met Éireann - The Irish Weather Service". www.met.ie.
  32. Trail Running Magazine: Carol Morgan breaks Lakeland 24-hour record
  33. "Cape Wrath Ultra winner Carol Morgan: It was a great holiday - FionaOutdoors". FionaOutdoors. 31 May 2018. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  34. "2018 – The Fellsman". www.fellsman.org.uk. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
  35. https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/9c535f_0936a2d0ba574d1fb433e925b03a4b98.pdf
  36. "Spine Race". Spine Race.
  37. "2017 Results - The Berghaus Dragon's Back Race®". www.berghausdragonsbackrace.com.
  38. uk, grough Ltd, enquiries at grough dot co dot. "grough — Marcus Scotney and Carol Morgan clinch wins in hard-fought Dragon's Back Race". www.grough.co.uk.
  39. "Gallery: The Kerry Way Ultra Marathon 2017 - Outsider Magazine". 4 September 2017.
  40. "2016 Ultra-Trail Du Mont-Blanc Results (168 KM)". calendar.ultrarunning.com.
  41. "2016 Transgrancanaria Results (125 KM)". calendar.ultrarunning.com.
  42. "Weekly Update: There's something about Carol – Nidd Valley Road Runners". niddvalleyroadrunners.co.uk.
  43. http://live3.sportident.co.uk/home/multistage/stage/results.html?multistageid=547a5317-ac4e-4055-abcb-0413bf8b6245
  44. Schoch, Jürgen. "DUV Ultramarathon-Statistik". statistik.d-u-v.org.
  45. "2014 – The Fellsman". www.fellsman.org.uk.
  46. "2015 – The Fellsman". www.fellsman.org.uk.
  47. "2013 – The Fellsman". www.fellsman.org.uk.
  48. http://www.connemarathon.com/the-results/2012-ultra.pdf
  49. http://www.connemarathon.com/the-results/2011-ultra.pdf
  50. http://www.connemarathon.com/the-results/2009-ultra.pdf
  51. "2009 Highland Fling Race Results (53 Miles)". calendar.ultrarunning.com.
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