Carol Morgan

Carol Morgan (born 1973) is an Irish ultrarunner, who specialises in non-stop mountain ultramarathons 100 km and longer, often in challenging conditions with significant ascents / descents. Born in Dublin in 1973, where she trained as a nurse, she is an advanced practitioner in emergency medicine. Morgan holds the course record for endurance ultra event, the Kerry Way Ultra.

Early running years Morgan started running in her thirties. and has been running with Nidd Valley Running Club in Harrogate, Yorkshire, with whom she still regularly competes, since at least 2010, gradually adding longer and longer distances to her repertoire. From 2009–2012 she placed either first or second in the Connemarathon ultramarathon in conditions that varied from unseasonally hot sunshine to pelting rain. 2010 was particularly difficult with less than 5 minutes separated first and second place with both athletes experiencing the last 2 mile incline, known as the 'hell of the west' because it affords competitors a clear view of the finish long before you reach it, together.

Since 2012 Morgan has limited participation in long distance road running saying she prefers the beauty of the mountains in warm weather conditions on a course which requires participants to demonstrate technical skills by accumulating points from a list of qualifying races. She was 11th in Spain's Transgrancanaria the same year.

2017 brought the biannual Welsh Dragon's Back race which features a chasing start on the fifth and final day, and saw Morgan facing into the day with 15 minutes between the top three. Despite finishing well off the pace in 2015, she prevailed in 2017.

In 2018 Morgan won the Glendalough Clover Ultra which weaves its way around the Wicklow Way despite successfully defending her 2018 Spine Race title just a few weeks previously. Glendalough Clover Ultra was a qualifying event for the Irish trail team in 2018 and Morgan was selected to represent Ireland in the 2018 IAU Trail World Championships.

Records In 2017 Morgan reduced the women's record for Britain's Spine Race by 43 hours to 109 hours 54 minutes. Conditions in 2017 were relatively mild and boggy, and she finished 44 hours ahead of the second woman.

In 2018 she successfully defended her Spine Race title winning by a margin of 10 hours in conditions so severe the non-stop race was paused for 12 hours (but not the race clock) due to heavy winds and snow. Amongst the other challenges of winter in the Cheviots the 2018 runners had to contend with frozen water bottles. Her record in the Spine Race was beaten in 2019 by Jasmin Paris who surpassed Morgan's record by 26 hours 41 minutes.

At home in Ireland she created a new record in the non-stop Kerry Way Ultra in 2017, covering the 200 km in 27 Hours and 58 minutes, ranking fourth overall. and was awarded four points by the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc (UTMB) as a qualifying race.

Achievements