PENNSAUKEN, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — As Olympic athletes in Paris pushed their bodies to nearly superhuman extremes, ultramarathon runners in Cooper River Park tested the limits of their own endurance as Saturday became Sunday, circling the track.
Shortly after sunrise on the serene riverfront, Danielle Neathery from Norwood, Pennsylvania, completed the 100-mile Loopy Looper, after almost a full day of running.
“I feel great, accomplished, very emotional,” Neathery said. “It was an awesome experience.”
Neathery and her fellow runners braved intense heat and some rain, but she says she has been through the grind of an ultramarathon before. This was her second 100-miler.
“The rain, honestly, wasn’t that bad — because the first 100-miler I did, it rained for like eight hours. It was terrible.”
Jen Rossi of Collingswood says she considers the track at Cooper River Park her home loop and, after 24 hours of running, she felt super.
“Now that the sun is up, you can kinda be like: Oh, it’s a new day. I didn’t just run 43 miles.”
That’s 43 miles to celebrate turning 43 this year. While it was a grueling turn, Rossi says she was buoyed by camaraderie at the finish line.
“My friend Sheena here did my last loop with me. She’s like, ‘I’ll do one more loop with you,’ and I’m like: Oh my god, that’d be so great, ’cause I’m losing my motivation.”
Neathery also caught that second wind when she saw light peeking through the clouds.
“I actually watch the sun come up regularly. It’s one of my favorite parts of running. So, once that sun was coming, I knew I could push it and see the finish line sooner.”
Running has been her hobby for about nine years, and she says it brings her peace of mind:
“For me it’s like mental clarity. It’s just a nice place for me to clear my head. It’s something I can do only for myself, right? No one’s asking anything of me while I’m running. I’m just running.”
The run began at 7 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 3, with a 12 hour option and a 30-hour allowance for anyone going for 100 miles.