‘Hardships never last’: Jenn Lichter’s path from Colombian orphanage to ultrarunning records

Jenn Lichter's childhood followed a difficult path. The resilience she gained helped her achieve an unbreakable ultrarunning feat this summer

On 27 June, Jenn Lichter lined up for her first 100-mile race, the Western States 100. The oldest and most prestigious 100-miler in the world, Western States attracts a highly competitive field from around the globe - the athletes run across the Sierra Nevada from Olympic Valley to Auburn, California. Despite 18,000ft of climbing and daytime temperatures often flirting with triple digits, Lichter went in confident. I wanted to win, there was no secret to that," she says. That's just who I am."

The race remained close for the first half, until the 30-year-old made a move on the climb to Devil's Thumb. The gap grew and at the final aid station, Lichter had a sizable lead over the athlete in second place. A mile from the finish, Nick Cornell, Lichter's fiance, told her she was just ahead of the course record. That was the first I had heard about it," Lichter says. He knew my competitive side would jump at the challenge."