Jenn Shelton
Encyclopedia
Jenn Shelton is an American ultramarathon
er. She has set course records in several of the most demanding American ultramarathons.
Shelton attended the University of North Carolina
where she played on the rugby team. She dropped out to focus on writing poetry, but later enrolled at Old Dominion University
.
Shortly after Shelton began running ultramarathons she won several races and soon became one of the top female ultrarunners in the United States. She often runs in lightweight minimalist running shoes.
In 2006, she traveled with Scott Jurek
, Christopher McDougall
, and several other ultrarunners as the sole female runner to Copper Canyon
in the remote southwestern part of the state of Chihuahua in Mexico
to run with the Tarahumara
. While running through a remote area during the trip she became separated from the group and was found severely dehydrated several hours later by a search crew. She has criticized the book's accounts of the Tarahumara people for "romanticizing" their lifestyle and for not adequately describing their poverty.
In July 2010 Shelton won the Deseret News Marathon in a time of 2:54:23. She says that she finds marathons more challenging to run than ultramarathons. Shelton has said that she intends to run more marathons and shorter races, citing a desire to run faster races. She is sponsored by Patagonia
and aims to qualify for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials.
She has set the record for the fastest female 100 mile trail race.
Ultramarathon
An ultramarathon is any sporting event involving running longer than the traditional marathon length of .There are two types of ultramarathon events: those that cover a specified distance, and events that take place during specified time...
er. She has set course records in several of the most demanding American ultramarathons.
Shelton attended the University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina
Chartered in 1789, the University of North Carolina was one of the first public universities in the United States and the only one to graduate students in the eighteenth century...
where she played on the rugby team. She dropped out to focus on writing poetry, but later enrolled at Old Dominion University
Old Dominion University
Old Dominion University is a state university located in Norfolk, Virginia, United States, and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...
.
Shortly after Shelton began running ultramarathons she won several races and soon became one of the top female ultrarunners in the United States. She often runs in lightweight minimalist running shoes.
In 2006, she traveled with Scott Jurek
Scott Jurek
Scott Gordon Jurek is an American ultramarathoner. Throughout Jurek's career he has been one of the most dominant ultramarathon runners in the world, winning many of the sport's most prestigious races multiple times, including the Hardrock Hundred , the Badwater Ultramarathon , the Spartathlon ,...
, Christopher McDougall
Christopher McDougall
Christopher McDougall is an American author and journalist best known for his 2009 best-selling book Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen....
, and several other ultrarunners as the sole female runner to Copper Canyon
Copper Canyon
Copper Canyon is a group of canyons consisting of six distinct canyons in the Sierra Tarahumara in the southwestern part of the state of Chihuahua in Mexico...
in the remote southwestern part of the state of Chihuahua in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
to run with the Tarahumara
Tarahumara
The Rarámuri or Tarahumara are a Native American people of northwestern Mexico who are renowned for their long-distance running ability...
. While running through a remote area during the trip she became separated from the group and was found severely dehydrated several hours later by a search crew. She has criticized the book's accounts of the Tarahumara people for "romanticizing" their lifestyle and for not adequately describing their poverty.
In July 2010 Shelton won the Deseret News Marathon in a time of 2:54:23. She says that she finds marathons more challenging to run than ultramarathons. Shelton has said that she intends to run more marathons and shorter races, citing a desire to run faster races. She is sponsored by Patagonia
Patagonia (clothing)
Patagonia, Inc. is a Ventura, California-based clothing company, focusing mainly on outdoor clothing. The company is a member of several environmental movements. It was founded by Yvon Chouinard in 1972....
and aims to qualify for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials.
She has set the record for the fastest female 100 mile trail race.