This is Spartathlon! Tiny Kiwi mum aims for record in 36-hour ultra race

Kim Allan will tackle the 246km ultra-race between Athens and Sparta. Photo / Greg Bowker

Former jockey-turned-ultra-distance runner Kim Allan is tiny in stature, but is making a big name for tackling extraordinary runs.

Next week, she will be the first Kiwi woman to tackle one of the toughest races in the world - the 246km Spartathlon ultra-race in Greece, which runs over 36 hours between Athens and Sparta from September 26-27. Race records show only one Kiwi, a man, has done the course previously.

The 49-year-old solo mum from South Auckland made headlines last December by breaking the women's world record for running 500km without sleep. She did this at the Auckland Domain and raised more than $7000 for the NZ Spinal Trust.

That was her second attempt at that title. In 2012, she reached 376km before blistered feet, hallucinations induced by sleep-deprivation, and ultimately falling asleep stopped her from finishing, but she still raised $8500 for another charity.

Allan says she read about the Spartathlon in a 2011 article about Yiannis Kouros, who has won the race numerous times.

"I thought there is no way I could ever do that, not so much because of the distance, but the heat, and time cut-offs," she says.

So, of course, she set her mind to one day conquering the gruelling course, which ranges from sea level to 1200m and goes over tarmac, mountain and trails.

The race is held under police and medical supervision, with doctor and physiotherapists on call throughout the race. The race is tough, not only because of the distance, but also for the 75 strict cut-off requirements and hot weather (about 30C).

Allan entered the race in March, began training hard and a month later was accepted as a participant.

"I did a couple of long road runs, Britomart to Tuakau, and then my longest was the beginning of Great South Rd, Newmarket, to Te Aroha and then up Mt Te Aroha."

She said the Mt Te Aroha run was like "a mini replica of Spartathlon, where you need to climb a mountain after 150km of road running".

Allan says she's physically and mentally prepared for the race, but knows it will be a challenge.

"It is going to be tough out there: the heat for one, the cut-offs, the fact you can't have a pacer throughout the night to jolly you along.

"I have days when the confidence gets low, but that's part and parcel, it makes you work on the mental aspect."

Allan says her friends and four kids are "100% behind me, but they are not too fazed about what I do now!"

After the race, she's set her sights on representing New Zealand at the world 24-hour race in April next year.