Taking on the Marathon des Sables – Susie Chan

Susie Chan, a record-breaking endurance runner has taken on some of the world’s toughest ultra-marathons, from the jungles to the deserts. Susie Chan has the determination to take on anything!

Renowned for her motivational speeches and contributions to health and fitness, Susie Chan sat down with Ultrarunner magazine to talk about where it all began, what motivates her and how she came to be the most familiar UK female athlete at Marathon Des Sables, having completed the race dubbed the ‘toughest race on earth’ an incredible four times!

Why does anyone run an Ultra-Marathon? I have been running for over ten years, yet still, I struggle to articulate why I do it. I guess I just really love to run! How far can I push myself? Where is my limit? I have not quite found it yet, but I enjoy exploring my levels and testing them. There is an inevitable moment in ultra-marathon running, looming in the distance of every challenge and completely unavoidable, where you will come to a point and crash! But that is what we come for isn’t it?

I started running as a hobby and the more I ran the bigger that passion grew, eventually and unbelievably, transforming into a wonderful career.

The first-ever marathon I took part in was the Farnham Pilgrim Half, and I used that as a goal to start running. Booking the event before I had ever trained, I worked my way towards that target, at the time thinking that this would be a one-off challenge. However, crossing the finish line and feeling euphoric as I was awarded my special little medal, I was hooked! I knew then I would not be able to leave running behind me: it felt too good!