'I was just somebody who loved to run': 100-mile world-record breaker shares her story

ST. GEORGE — Ashley Paulson has made headlines for the past decade, from running 9 miles to the hospital to give birth to her fourth child, winning big at the Deseret News Marathon, to starring in a reality TV endurance challenge. Her most recent accomplishment had her breaking a world record for the fastest 100 miles run by a female.

Over the years, Paulson has, no doubt, had some big moments. To her, however, it's the little things that have made the biggest difference.

"I just celebrated my 25th wedding anniversary," she told KSL. "I'm a mother of four ... and I've recently become a grandma. ... I wanted to be a mom and wife. That's always been my goal. I have that, and I want to hold on to that. "

Paulson, who is one of 11 children, said she grew up watching her dad run marathons. She ran her first marathon with her sister at age 19 and described being "hooked" ever since.

"Toeing that line, I was ecstatic. I was with my sister — my best friend. I was just bouncing up and down. I started to sing the song, '21 Bottles of Beer on the Wall' (to count down the miles). She and I are very different. I thrive off of energy. She thrives off of quiet. I felt really good that whole time. We finished just over four hours. I had so much fun that day. I was running with my best friend and running toward my fiancé at the finish line. I was hooked. It was a great day," she said.

Looking back at her 19-year-old self, she would have never imagined where she is today. In fact, she said that if someone told her that she would be breaking records, she would have "laughed in (their) face."

"I was just somebody who loved to run," she said. "I wasn't trying to go become a professional athlete. With the dedication and the day-in and day-out grind and consistency, my body evolved, and I progressed those goals slowly."

But she has become a professional athlete, having first earned her pro card as a triathlete. She also qualified for the 2020 Olympic Trials in the marathon and has won many ultramarathons outright, clearing the field of both female and male athletes. In fact, in 2023, she won the prestigious Badwater 135 in California's Death Valley, breaking the women's record with a time of 21:44:35 (a record that still stands), while beating every single racer that day.

Pauslon said the hardest part hasn't been putting in the long miles or even balancing it all as a wife, mother and grandma.

"I think the hardest part of this journey has been to block out the haters and silence those 'keyboard warriors,'" she said. "Getting that out of my head and focusing on the circle of people I have surrounding me ... for some reason, those wild keyboard warriors are really loud, and it can get in your head."

For Paulson, shifting the focus to her family and friends who support her, as well as those she trains as an iFit trainer, is one way she silences the critics.

"Focusing more on the people who are cheering for me has been really good for me to grow as a person, grow as an athlete, grow as a mother, to teach my kids that it doesn't matter what somebody else says. They don't know your story. Just follow your heart."

Paulson said that she hopes that by pushing her limits and putting her big goals out there, others can be inspired to push their own limits.

"I hope when people see something like this, that it fires them up and gets them excited and that they feel empowered that they could go out there and do something," she said. "I'm 44 years old. I've got four kids. I've got a grandbaby.

"I hope people look at it and be like, "Maybe this thing I've been putting off and doubting? Maybe I can go after something bigger.' Why not? That's all I did was when I went after this goal. I saw what the record was, and I saw these women fighting for it and thought, 'Gosh, if they can, why can't I?' That's what I want people to see in themselves. If you keep showing up, you can do something big and bold, too. It doesn't have to be 100 miles, but find what's going to open up your heart and set your soul on fire and go after it! What do you have to lose?"

With a 100-mile world record under her belt, Paulson decided to go after another world record. On April 18, at the Boston Marathon Expo, she will be going for the world record for the fastest 100 miles on the treadmill.

"I want everyone to feel empowered and strong," she said. "I wasn't always where I'm at. I started with those smaller distances. I want people to see their accomplishments as huge wins. It's not a comparison game. Once we start comparing, we downplay what we're doing. Where's the beauty in that?"

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