Megan Eckert ran 603.156 miles over six days on a 0.7-mile loop in Vallon-Pont-d’Arc, France, setting a new women’s six-day ultramarathon world record.
This was only her second time competing in a six-day event. The first came a year earlier in Milwaukee, where she logged just over 526 miles on a 443-meter indoor track. That performance, while victorious, revealed how sleep and fatigue could chip away at endurance.
In France, the approach was different. Training focused on sleep deprivation, mental resilience, and meticulous pacing. Her goal: break the 600-mile mark. Everything was built around one number, and hitting it would mean more than just a personal best.
Endurance sports don’t usually make headlines, but when someone breaks a world record by more than 40 miles, people notice. It’s the kind of result that draws in not just fellow runners but fans who follow the numbers closely, from pacing splits to cumulative gains, and even those watching from a distance through prediction markets.
Over the past few years, online bookmakers have started to reflect that interest, quietly adding more ultra-distance events to their offerings as niche followings grow and outcomes become less predictable. The foundation is stronger now: more money in the pot, more ways to stay connected, and all popular payment solutions.
Even the smallest details—weather shifts, nutrition plans, a few lost seconds—can end up shaping the final outcome. In Eckert’s case, rain hit early and set the tone.
By the second night, she was so sleep-deprived she drifted off mid-stride and ran into a bush. A nearby runner caught it and steered her back on track. Through it all, her pace never fully slipped. Her husband, Joe, stayed on task—handling meals, monitoring rest, and keeping her focused hour after hour.
The course in Vallon-Pont-d’Arc may have looked simple on paper, but it delivered its own kind of punishment. Each lap included three speed bumps that, over time, turned from minor inconveniences into constant reminders of fatigue.
As the miles stacked up, the toll became more obvious—blisters opened, shoes wore down, and concentration narrowed to a single task: keep moving. Eckert limited her breaks to a total of 33 hours across the six days, meaning she spent 111 hours in motion, running through pain, sleep deprivation, and everything in between.
By the fourth day, it became clear the record was within reach. She passed Camille Herron’s 560.330-mile benchmark with room to spare, then moved beyond Stine Rex’s unratified 567.688. The 600-mile mark, once the goal, became just a checkpoint.
On May 4, Eckert became the first woman to officially pass that mark in a certified six-day event. With all required drug testing complete and four official referees on site, the result now awaits formal ratification from the governing body.
Back in New Mexico, returning to a normal rhythm has proven difficult. Her legs may be still, but the body remains on edge—wide awake by 3:30 a.m., crashing by early evening, still responding to the physical echo of the race. Running is on hold for now, replaced by short hikes and the slow reintroduction of routine.
Outside the competitive spotlight, Eckert balances her work as a special education teacher with her role as a high school track coach. Her training doesn’t rely on any elaborate plan—just consistent volume, strategic fatigue, and back-to-back runs that prepare the body to go long under pressure.
Most weeks include multiple run commutes, a longer trail session on weekends, and little room for shortcuts. That kind of structure, built over the years, laid the groundwork for what she was able to do in France.
Her resume already included major wins—a 270-mile backyard ultra, 362 miles at Big Dog’s in Tennessee, and 218 miles logged over 55 hours in Texas—but none of those efforts demanded the level of pacing, strength training, and mental steadiness this one did.
Even with the record behind her, the momentum hasn’t faded. She’s already thinking about what’s next.
A return to Milwaukee is likely. A ten-day race is starting to feel possible. The recovery will take as long as it needs to, but the mindset hasn’t shifted—there’s still more to test.
