A Lancashire woman has run the width of Scotland in her conservatory in just over 70 hours.

Star Bickerstaff, ultrarunner and mother-of-four, embarked on the Virtual Race Across Scotland on Saturday evening. Covering 215 miles on her personal treadmill, she placed third overall and earned the title of the winning female in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Star began racing over five years ago, to raise money for her father Pauls multiple sclerosis healthcare. She aimed to reach a sum of 40,000 to fund a potentially life-saving stem cell treatment and had hoped that her most recent ultramarathon would bring the family closer to this goal.

Sadly, Paul passed away before he could see his daughter complete the race. Despite this devastating loss, Star went through with the event and has donated all the money she raised to the Blind Veterans Llandudno Centre in Wales, who provided respite for both her mum and dad when she was growing up.

When Star entered her first 10K in 2015, she was less than confident in her fitness. But to her surprise, she crossed the line in under an hour. 'I had this realisation that I was far more capable of pushing myself than Id thought,' she says. 'I was hooked!'

When she was unable to secure a place in the 2016 London Marathon, Star decided to expand her options and consider the possibility of longer races. While most people would be daunted by the increase in mileage, Star was intrigued.

'I just thought "this cant be possible people can't survive this kind of thing",' says Star. But after crawling down a YouTube rabbit hole of ultra-running videos, she was converted. In March 2017, she signed up for the Jurassic Coast Challenge, a colossal race of three marathons in three days.

Every runner knows that the key to racing well is preparation, and this is especially true when it comes to extreme distances. Star committed to a strict training regime, refusing to allow the obstacles of the pandemic to trip her up on the path to accomplishing her goal.

Im of the mindset that if you want to be good at something you need to practise that thing"

With no access to the gym or her personal trainer, Star was forced to get creative to maintain her strength training.

Luckily for her, she says she didnt have to look too far for inspiration: 'When the lockdown started, I started using my children as weights!'

Due to her fathers health condition, lengthy outdoor runs were another no-go. Star adapted her plans and proceeded to clock up the mileage from home, where she alternated between running on a treadmill and tending to her dads needs.

Her intense training may seem drastic to some, but when it comes to diet, Star is anything but extreme. While she makes sure to consume plenty of vegetables and protein sources, she does not deprive herself when shes peckish for a treat.

'Whilst doing any ultra I just eat whatever Im craving then because I feel like it is my body's way of telling me what I need,' she explains.

And her go-to snack during her latest venture? 'Pringles! So many pringles!'

Like many athletes during lockdown, Star was faced with an entirely new challenge completing a virtual race.

Without the scenic distractions and spectators support, the inevitable low points of an ultramarathon can feel especially tough.

Star pinpoints the last night of the race as particularly painful, and not just because of the physical toil.

'As it got dark and my fianc had gone to bed, I was on my own, so I started thinking about my dad and got quite emotional,' she recalls. 'He knew I was taking on this challenge and he wouldn't be there when I finished.'

Despite her overwhelming grief and aching limbs, Star persevered and kept her eye fixed on the tracker.

'When I saw I was doing pretty well, I just decided that I wasn't going to sleep.'

Resisting the temptation of a snug bed in favour of the treadmill is no easy task, but it certainly paid off. Not only did Star complete the race in 70 hours, she was the first female to cross the line. Overall, she placed 3rd out of 71 participants, crossing the line at 6.23am on Tuesday morning.

Star emerged from the race with blistered toes, but her humility firmly intact. 'Im by no means the fastest,' she says. 'But Im very determined and dont ever like to quit.'

This unyielding grit is something she learned from her fathers own courage and endurance. 'Before my dad got ill, he used to run all the time with a 60 pound backpack on,' says Star. 'Anytime it got hard I just thought about him and how Id never in my life seen my dad give up.'

When it comes to motivation, Star is a proponent of mind over matter. To those who may be fearful of attempting such lofty challenge, she emphasises the importance of rewiring negative thought patterns.

'I never think about how I cant do something, but how I can,' she says. 'Just realise that its going to be hard work and be okay with that.'

If you think running for 70 hours may put someone off the sport for life, think again. This major accomplishment has only inflamed Stars passion, nudging her to look further afield for her next race.

Once the pandemic is over, she hopes to take on another ultra on the other side of the Atlantic. 'One dream of mine is to try and cover the Pacific Crest Trail in America, it looks beautiful,' she says.

And while the Virtual Race Across Scotland may be over, Star is by no means finished with her neighbouring nation. She already plans to enter the same event in 2021, by which stage we hope she gets the scenery and crowd cheers that she so greatly deserves.

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Excerpt from:
Woman runs the width of Scotland in her conservatory - Runner's World (UK)