Ultra marathon runner Stephanie Case hopes her incredible comeback win in the rugged hills of Snowdonia last weekend can inspire other mothers to follow in her footsteps and set themselves ‘big goals’ in life.
The 42-year-old human rights lawyer enjoyed a remarkable return to competitive action by securing victory at the Ultra-Trail Snowdonia by UTMB just six months after giving birth to daughter Pepper.
Her stunning feat was made all the more incredible by the fact she was forced to start the 103km race without an elite bib – having lost her trail-running ranking during the three years she was trying for a baby – and that she breastfed her daughter at aid stations around the course.
‘That was a surprise’
The Canadian, who works with the United Nations, admitted that even she was ‘surprised’ with her remarkable success, especially as by starting back in among the pack of runners she had set off 30 minutes after the elite competitors.
Having spent the last three years battling with ‘miscarriages and IVF failures’ she says being able to run again as a new mother proves just how ‘amazing’ mum runners can be.
Writing on her Instagram account she said: “Well that was a surprise. I went into the @ultratrailsnowdonia 100km this past weekend with no expectations being just six months out from having little Pepper and three years after my last race due to recurrent miscarriages and IVF failures. It was meant to be my warmup to Hardrock.
“My goals were to enjoy myself and make sure Pepper was fed at aid stations. As I no longer have a UTMB index, I started in the last wave, 30 min after the leaders. Sure, I had hundreds of runners in front of me, but I could go at my own pace in blissful ignorance of my placing.
“It truly was like riding a bike – every kilometre that passed reminded me that I hadn’t lost a thing over these past three years. In fact, I have gained way more joy and strength from this sport as a mom than I ever did before. While it broke my heart to leave little Pepper at the aid stations, I wanted to show her – both of us – how amazing mom runners can be.
“I didn’t even know I had won until after I crossed the line. Being 30 min back meant that the race organizers needed to check the chip time. I WON?!? I think I repeated it ten times.”
‘It’ll be right for you’
Her partner John Roberts was there to meet her at various aid and refueling stations with baby Pepper, who enjoyed a feed while her mum also refueled for what was a near 17-hour trek with more than 6,300 metres of climbing.
Having worked closely with coach Dr Megan Roche, a specialist in female athlete science at Stanford University, Stephanie was keen to prove that just because women give birth, it does not mean they cannot return to top-level competition.
“Whether you are thinking of being a mom, are pregnant, or are a new mom yourself, don’t be afraid to keep setting big goals for yourself,” she said. “Everyone has an opinion about what new moms should or shouldn’t be doing, and that doesn’t open up a lot of space for “out there” ideas like running an ultra.
“Should I spend this much time away from my baby? Is it harmful for my body? What about my milk supply? My coach @drmeganroche helped me navigate these questions and the social pressures that come with being a new mom runner, but we need to work together to remove the pressure in the first place and provide more support.
“Stories from this weekend, while inspiring to some, can be really demotivating for others. I’m lucky to be physically okay after childbirth (although it’s taken a lot of pelvic floor work!). Others aren’t so lucky. And let’s be real, when I started dry heaving, I lost all bladder control after 95km.
“There is no “comeback” after childbirth. There is just the next phase. And whatever it looks like, whether on or off the trail, it’ll be right for YOU.”
Case’s finishing time of 16:53:22 saw her jump ahead of the UK’s Lauren Graham (16:57:44) and Hoka athlete Kimino Miyazaki (17:06:34) of Japan, who had both been in the elite start and had been sitting first and second on the provisional standings.
She will now concentrate on preparing herself for July’s Hardrock 100 Endurance Race in Colorado.
