More women running ultramarathon in Turkey
There is a book called “Women Who Run With the Wolves” by the author Clarissa Pinkola Estés.
Those who have not read it, please do.
For a long time, I have been thinking about femininity, women, the female body, women power, solidarity and the women’s nature.
I am on my way to the Lycian Way Ultra Marathon (LYUM). Last year, there were four women running the “ultra” category (256 kilometers of self-support).
During the seven days, while I was running and climbing the mountains, pathways, forests, seas, sandy and pebbly beaches, rocky areas, steep cliffs, I was surprised to see how my body could harmonize with these things, how fast it switched from crawling to rearing up, and in contrast to my presumptions and the thoughts on my mind, how it could so easily stand all these things during the seven days and nights.
What is easy in life? Giving birth? Being pregnant? Finding true love?
Was it easy to find a good job, build a happy family or a home and maintain it?
Was it easier to get along with your boss or with your colleagues?
This year, an injury on my wrist withheld me from joining the ultra.
But it was good to have another category: The 6G in the competition. I made a start.
The Lycian Way Ultra Marathon is Turkey’s first ultramarathon. The World Summit of Trail running gives five points for the Ultra Trail Du Mont Blanc. There are participants coming from Germany, United States, England, Russia, Denmark, Egypt and Qatar.
The ultramarathon 256-kilometer category gives five points. There are 21 people, 15 of them are men and six are women.
The 6G category is 140 km with 120 runners! The Olympos Ultra Trail 70-km gives three points, there are 10 runners. Gelidonya 37.5-km gives two points; 30 people have registered.
The record increase in the attendance of the 6G means that more and more people gained trust in the nature and the paths and found the will and courage to attend it. Everybody wants to experience the entire Lycia. A taste of it is not enough.
This means that the amount of people who will run the ultramarathon will seriously increase. Even more important is that the number of women runners in the ultra-marathon will immensely increase.
At the end of those six days, when you see that finish line, you are someone else who crossed the mountains. Even though you do not make it to the finish line, you are as much as what you have overcome until that day.
The total amount of people coming to the LYUM is 263. Some 143 of them are men and 120 are women.
I wonder in which competition, the number of women came this close to those of men in Turkey?
This is the most equal number of women and men that I have seen so far.
On top of it, it is an environment where they spend six days together in the mountains and tents and overcome every difficulty together.
Now hang on.
The number of registered for the Musa Mountain 16.5-km track is 82 people.
Among them, 44 are women and 38 are men.
There are more women than men!
The women are coming to cross the gigantic Musa Mountain!
In how many competitions had the amount of women passed those of men in Turkey?
Women are ready to recognize themselves, try and surpass their borders.
The women of this country reared up!
They are growing out of their own borders and the things they can do. They challenge.
The women of this country are writing the “Women Crossing Mountains” book.
