Cape Wrath Ultra® runner Selina: 'It will be tough but there are greater hardships'

Selina McCole (no.51) has the plight of others at the forefront of her mind as she runs the Cape Wrath Ultra 2021. The Edinburgh mum-of-two is raising funds for Women for Women International, which helps women survivors of war rebuild their lives, and Stop the Traffik, which works to prevent human trafficking

Selina, 48, originally from Northern Ireland, said: “My choice of charities is personal and I have done a lot of fund raising for Women for Women International over the years.

“While I run, I often think about refugees, who are forced to leave behind homes and countries with their belongings and children on their backs.

“In contrast, I have chosen to do this challenging event and I have just a tiny rucksack on my back. It is nothing compared to what they have to do and without any training.”

‘Tougher than the Marathon des Sables’

Selina, whose work involves environmental social governance, has completed many marathon distance runs, as well as the Marathon des Sables, another multistage endurance race. She believes the Cape Wrath Ultra will be tougher.

She said: “I have already raised money by doing marathons and then the MdS in 2016, so I felt I needed to set the bar a bit higher for my next fund-raiser for Women for Women International. I think the Cape Wrath Ultra will be the toughest race I have done.

“The terrain is really tough. I have done a few recce runs and I know there are sections that will be slow going and not runnable. In addition, there is the Scottish weather and the potential midges to contend with. I think it will be much harder than MdS.”

Training and race day one

Selina finished sixth female on Day 1. She said: “My aim is slow and steady. Training has been patchy and I have an on-going glute injury so I am doing the race at my own pace.

“There was some great chat early on today and I enjoyed spending some time with other women of a similar pace but ultimately I go at my own speed. I walk the hills and run the flats and the downs. I am trying to be very sensible.

“The hardship of this race compared to what the female refugees have to go through, without any choice, when they are forced to flee their homes and lives is so much tougher than what I will do during the Cape Wrath Ultra. So, if I can’t do this, shame and disgrace on me.”