BRADFORD on Avon’s Holly Rush completed an amazing year of ultra-distance running with a superb performance in the Manaslu Trail 200k mountain race in Nepal, writes Kevin Fahey.

The Team Bath athlete, who first established her reputation as a top class marathon runner competing at both the Commonwealth Games and European Championships, has now emerged as one of the top ultra runners in Europe.

The 37-year-old finished second woman in the event through the Himalayan mountains completing the challenge in 20 hours 52 minutes 48 seconds with victory going to Mira Rai of Nepal (20:03.57).

That gave the pair third and sixth places overall in the field of 34 participants from nine countries. The overall winner, Upendra Sunuwar, completed the course in 17:31.01.

Taking a break from his coaching duties husband Martin Rush expanded his normal support duties to run as well.

For Holly, the second place comes on top of seventh and team gold for Europe in the prestigious Festival Les Templiers (74.8k) – France’s top ultra event – and victories in the inaugural Ultravasen 90k trail race in Sweden and the La Montagne Hard 60k mountain trail race near Mt Blanc with 5,000ms of vertical gain.

In addition, at home she won the Salisbury 50k trail race, the Forest of Dean trail marathon and the Bath Running Festival trail marathon.

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