In the Long Run: Ultramarathoner/Grandmom Ashley Paulson Shatters World Record(s) for 100-Milers

It’s a safe bet that Ashley Paulson’s idea of a party differs dramatically from that of the average human. Take, for example, her recent trip to the 2026 Boston Marathon: Climbing aboard a treadmill at the Marathon Expo—at 3:36 a.m., hours before the Expo opened—Ashley then spent the next 12 hours, 47 minutes, and 10 seconds running. More specifically, running 100 miles nonstop, aside from five very abbreviated bathroom breaks.

In so doing, the St. George native—a former professional triathlete, endurance runner, and fitness icon—demolished the prior Guinness World Record for the fastest 100-mile sprint by a woman on a treadmill. At 44 years of age, with four children and a grandchild, Ashley carved nearly 90 minutes off the prior record of 14:15:08. Pending verification of videos and officials’ statements, Ashley will become a new Guinness record holder.

Although Ashley had actually planned to run the Boston Marathon two days later, wisdom—and a justifiably fatigued body—kept her in her hotel room, avidly watching runners stream by her window. The day before she left, acknowledging that she might not be fully race-ready, she noted, “After my attempt at the record on Saturday, I’ll be in the last corral to start. And I’ll be doing my party pace, kind of walking, jogging, and waddling.”

It’s worth noting that Ashley’s new indoor world record bookends her prior outdoor 100-mile title, which she earned a scant two months before her triumph in Boston. At the Jackpot 100 Mile in Henderson, Nevada, Ashley emerged as the women’s division champion, paring 20 minutes off the prior women’s record and finishing second overall with a time of 12:19:34.

Yet Ashley’s road to endurance running fame wasn’t entirely predictable. Growing up, she’d watched as her father competed in (and suffered through) marathon running. “I’d think, ‘Oh my gosh, he’s crazy; why would he intentionally put himself through that?’” she laughs. “I’d see his face, and he’d look miserable. But that definitely planted a seed in me somewhere.”

Casual jogs to stay in shape eventually became a passion for running longer and longer distances. At some point, triathlon entered the picture. By 2013, married to her husband Matt and a mother to twin girls, Ashley became determined to run a sub-3 marathon. Engaging a coach, she also aimed to take on the grueling IRONMAN® World Championship in Kona.

Though another pregnancy sidelined those plans, Ashley continued to train and race. Six months after giving birth, she earned a prestigious IRONMAN Pro Card, given only to those who achieve a high-level result at a qualifying triathlon. Her running résumé quickly filled with stellar credits: IRONMAN tris and Double IRONMAN contests (mandating a 4.8-mile swim, a 224-mile bike ride, and a 52.4-mile run).

Then, in 2020, one week before her next event, the world shut down. Says Ashley, “I thought, ‘Oh no, what am I going to do?’ Though I’d said I’d never get into ultras, there was still a 100-miler going on the next weekend. So I jumped in and fell in love with it. And now here I am, addicted to crazy, long things!” Though Ashley was told she couldn’t possibly excel at both marathons and ultrarunning, that same year she qualified for the Olympic Trials in the marathon in Atlanta, Georgia. Since then, she has twice conquered the Badwater 135, the unimaginably arduous 135-mile race held annually in Death Valley—in July. With temperatures topping 130 degrees and an elevation gain of 14,600 feet, it is considered the world’s toughest footrace. Ashley first topped the podium in 2022, setting a new course record. She returned the next year, carving a full two and a half hours off her own record and becoming the Overall Champion. She plans a return to Badwater in July.

“I live in St. George, so what better place to train?” she says, breaking into full-throated laughter again. She adds that her 2026 running agenda also includes the “Triple Crown of 200s,” three 200-mile races run consecutively over four months—Tahoe in midJune, Bigfoot in August, and Moab in early October.

For many mortals, endurance running eventually takes a toll on the body. But despite nearly two decades of high-level competition, including 140 marathons, Ashley has (mostly) avoided injury. Well, there was that “hip overuse” episode, earned last year when she (naturally) set a new record in Antarctica at The Great World Race, completing seven marathons on seven continents. Otherwise, she notes, a mindful training regimen has kept her on the road.

“I really try to listen to my body. I kind of keep that IRONMAN mentality of always cross-training, so I don’t have those injuries. And I have a home gym with treadmills and bikes and the iFIT app, so even if I’m not running one day, I’m still moving,” Ashley says.

The iFIT app, she adds, is a global fitness platform offering more than 10,000 different workouts that take users on trips to exotic locales via video—many with Ashley as their high-energy, everencouraging, pink-haired guide. And about that hair: “I went pink in 2018,” she confides. “I just thought I’d do it for a month; eight years later, here I am. iFIT hired me as a coach about that time, so I guess it works.”

What also works is the love and support Ashley receives from Matt. No slouch in the athletic department himself, Matt has completed many of the events in which Ashley has competed. But those efforts are his way of understanding all that’s required for her to perform at the elite level, Ashley says. “He pushes me. If I don’t feel like working out, he’ll say, ‘Remember what you’re fighting for; what your goals are.’ I’m super blessed that he’s so supportive. At my big races, he’s my biggest cheerleader.”

Despite the international accolades, the records, the medals and belts—none of which Ashley displays anywhere in the Paulson household—Ashley says the biggest honor is being able to motivate others, especially those “of a certain age” who are just beginning their athletic journey.

“I often hear people say, ‘It’s too late for me,’” she says. “I’m a grandmother, and I hope to be at the Olympic Trials in 2028. I’ll be 47, so I’ll have to fight like Hades … but I’m up to the challenge. Don’t be afraid to dream, to fight for your goals. And don’t wait to be motivated. If you move your body, the motivation will come.”