Camille Herron, a legendary ultrarunner, discusses her extraordinary career, unique training methods, nutrition strategies, mental resilience, and the challenges she faced including a Wikipedia controversy linked to her whistleblowing efforts. She also shares insights on aging in the sport, setting boundaries, and her future plans to chase world records and possibly embrace leadership roles in running.
Welcome to an in-depth conversation with Camille Herron, one of the most accomplished ultrarunners in the world. Known for her extraordinary achievements, including winning all ultra world championship distances and iconic races like Comrades and Spartathlon, Camille opens up about her career, training philosophy, nutrition, mental toughness, and the challenges she has faced both on and off the trail.
Before Camille became a dominant force in ultrarunning, she had a long career as a marathoner, including three Olympic marathon trials. Around 2014, she considered retiring, feeling she had achieved a lot in marathon running. However, she decided to give ultrarunning another shot after some initial attempts, including races like Two Oceans and Comrades, where she faced some setbacks.
Her breakthrough came in 2015 at the Mad City 100K, where she unexpectedly broke a record previously held by Ann Trac, a legendary ultrarunner. Camille’s approach was simple: she ran at about 80% of her max heart rate to see how long she could maintain it, not realizing she was setting records.
Camille’s training is distinctive in that she maintains a relatively high intensity rather than just increasing mileage. She found that extending long runs excessively made her feel tired and lose her "zip." Instead, she reverted to marathon-style training with speed and intensity, which worked well for her ultrarunning.
She trains 11 to 13 times per week, often splitting her runs into shorter bouts rather than a few long runs. This approach aligns with her academic research on exercise and sports science, emphasizing short, frequent mechanical stress for optimal musculoskeletal health.
Her weekly mileage typically ranges from 100 to 130 miles, though she has gone as high as 150 miles in the past. As she has aged, she has adjusted her training to be kinder to her body, reducing long runs to maintain energy and health.
For races up to 24 hours, Camille can sustain herself mostly on gels and water, sometimes supplemented with honey sandwiches and salt. For multi-day events like the Further Project with Lululemon, lasting six days, she incorporates whole foods, soda, beer, and even whiskey to maintain energy and morale.
Interestingly, Camille has a high fat oxidation rate, meaning she efficiently burns fat for energy even at relatively fast paces. This allows her to reduce carbohydrate intake during ultra events, consuming about 50 to 60 grams of carbohydrates per hour for races beyond 100 miles, which contrasts with the common high-carb recommendations.
Camille attributes much of her mental toughness to her neurodivergence, including autism and ADHD. She has an exceptional ability to hyperfocus, which has helped her push through extreme physical and mental challenges. However, this hyperfocus can sometimes lead to ignoring pain signals, requiring her to consciously balance focus with body awareness.
She shares childhood memories of pushing herself to the point of blacking out while practicing basketball, highlighting her long-standing capacity for intense focus and endurance.
Camille has faced difficulties beyond the physical demands of ultrarunning. She has been a sports whistleblower, reporting concerns to USATF and the International Ultramarathon Association, which led to retaliation and a smear campaign against her.
One notable controversy involved Wikipedia edits linked to her husband's account, which were intended to defend her against misinformation and harassment. Camille clarifies that no illegal activity occurred and that the situation was mischaracterized by some media outlets. She and her husband acted in good faith to maintain accurate and neutral information.
Through these experiences, Camille has learned to set boundaries and prioritize her mental health, withdrawing from stressful situations such as the Ultrarunner of the Year awards to protect her well-being.
Camille advocates for greater recognition of the diversity within ultrarunning, suggesting that awards and media coverage should reflect the specialization of athletes across road, trail, and mountain ultrarunning disciplines.
She notes that her success on road and track ultras may not always receive the same attention as trail ultras, especially in certain regions like the United States, but she embraces the global diversity of the sport.
Although some of Camille’s world records have recently been broken, including the 100-mile record she held for eight years, she remains inspired by the achievements of other women in the sport.
At 43 years old, Camille feels she is entering a new phase of her career, which she calls "Camille 2.0." She is currently free of sponsors, which she views positively as freedom to choose her path and focus on what she loves.
She plans to chase world records again, refine her training, and possibly return to trail running. Camille is also open to leadership roles within the sport and leveraging her research background to improve ultrarunning for future athletes.
Camille Herron’s story is one of resilience, innovation, and passion. Her scientific approach to training, unique physiological traits, and mental fortitude have made her a legend in ultrarunning. Despite challenges and controversies, she continues to inspire with her positive outlook and dedication to the sport.
Her advice is clear: there is no secret to success other than putting in the work, listening to your body, and setting boundaries to protect your health and happiness.
As Camille looks ahead, the ultrarunning community eagerly anticipates more record-breaking performances and contributions from this remarkable athlete.
This conversation was part of The Buzz podcast by Ultra Signup, featuring real conversations with the people who define the sport of running.
