What Happens When Support Meets Possibility
There was a moment this past year that stayed with me more than any finish line experience I’ve personally had.
It wasn’t my own race.
It was watching the women I coach go after and ultimately complete their first 100 mile races. They trained after long work shifts. They ran in the dark, early mornings and late nights. They carved out time between parenting, jobs, and everything else life demanded of them.
There was nothing glamorous about it. It was messy. It was imperfect. It was real. And, it was one of the most inspiring things I’ve been a part of. I think it was because I didn’t just see them train, I watched them change.
I watched them build confidence.
I watched them learn how to solve problems.
I watched them unlock parts of themselves they didn’t know were there.
And then it hit me, this is how the sport grows!
Not just through podiums or performances, but through everyday women doing something they once thought was out of reach.
For the past few years, I’ve been thinking about how to create something that could help more women take that step. Not just to step up to the starting line, but to push through to the finish.
That idea stayed in the background for a while. I knew it would be a lot of work on my part and sometimes deciding to step up is really intimidating. I’ve been talking it through with a lot of friends and running brands, but I couldn’t wrap my head around what it would actually take to get this going.
An experience I had this summer changed that motivation and fired me up to make it happen regardless of what it took.
I was racing a 100 miler in Spain. There were 652 runners on the start line. Only 39 were women AND it was a “european major”.
Eight percent.
Even now, in a time where we’re seeing progress in women’s participation across trail and ultrarunning, the numbers at the 100 mile distance are still incredibly low. Across many races, women make up a small fraction of the field especially at the longest distances.
And, it’s not because women aren’t capable. I’ve seen firsthand that they are. So the question that comes up is, what’s getting in the way?
Over time, and especially through coaching, the answer has become clearer.
It’s not about ability.
It’s about access.
Support.
Structure.
Guidance.
Representation.
And layered on top of that are a handful of persistent myths, or quiet beliefs that make the 100 mile distance feel out of reach before someone even takes the first step.
Myth #1: You have to be fast to run 100 miles
You don’t.
Speed is one of the least important factors in finishing a 100-mile race.
What matters far more is consistency, patience, and the ability to keep moving forward. Very true especially when things get hard.
Many successful 100 mile runners aren’t the fastest athletes in shorter distances. They’re the ones who know how to manage effort, stay steady, and adapt.
Myth #2: You need perfect training conditions
You don’t.
The women I coached this year trained in the margins of their lives.
Before work. After work. In between responsibilities. They didn’t have endless time or ideal conditions.
They had commitment.
And they made it work.
Myth #3: You have to feel ready, or be a certain kind of runner
You don’t.
There isn’t one look, one background, or one path that defines who gets to run 100 miles.
And the truth is, no one ever feels fully ready.
There will always be uncertainty. There will always be unknowns.
Readiness isn’t something you have before you start, it’s something you build along the way. You don’t need to prove you belong at the distance.
You grow into it.
Myth #4: You need endless hours to train for a 100 miler
You don’t.
One of the biggest misconceptions about 100 mile training is that it requires overwhelming amounts of time every single week.
In reality, it’s much more intentional than that.
The way I coach, most weeks are manageable and built to fit into real life. There is typically one higher-volume week within each training cycle that requires more time and focus, but even that can be adjusted based on work, family, and life demands.
It’s not about training more.
It’s about training smarter.
Consistency matters far more than any single big week.
Myth #5: You need huge mileage or years of racing before you’re ready
You don’t.
You don’t have to check every distance box or build up massive mileage to be ready for 100 miles.
What matters is building the right foundation, learning how to pace, fuel, adapt, and stay consistent over time.
Those skills aren’t reserved for a certain level of runner, they’re developed through the process.
You don’t need to prove you belong there.
After seeing all of these factors come together, watching women succeed, and recognizing the gaps that still exist, I knew I wanted to do something more intentional.
Not just to inspire, but to support. To create a clearer path and to help more women not just start, but finish.
That’s where 10 to 100 comes in.
The idea is a simple one.
Select 10 women.
Support them through the process of training for their first 100 mile race.
Help them follow through to the finish line.
Each woman will receive coaching, guidance around training and fueling, and the opportunity to be part of a small group moving toward the same goal.
This is not a giveaway. It’s a commitment-driven partnership build around support, visibility, growth and the belief that all women can ultra. But just as importantly, their journeys will be shared. Because representation matters.
When more women can see what it actually looks like, how training fits into real life, how challenges are navigated, how growth happens, it starts to shift what feels possible. This project isn’t about creating elite athletes, it’s about creating opportunity, removing barriers that could be both real and perceived. I would love to show that with the right support, more women can step into this distance and discover what they’re capable of.
If you’ve ever thought about running 100 miles, but maybe felt unsure where to start, or whether it was realistic for you, this is for you.
You don’t need perfect conditions.
You don’t need to feel ready.
You don’t need to have it all figured out.
You just need a place to begin and the support to keep going.
Let’s get 10 women to finish their first 100 miler! Applications for 10 to 100 are open April 1–15, with selections announced April 25. Women chosen will have two days to accept.
This program offers:
- Personalized 1:1 coaching from me @onthemountaincoaching beginning 6 months before your chosen race day
- Sports nutrition support from Skratch Labs Dietitians on hydration, nutrition and fueling along with 6 months of product from Skratch Labs
- Choice of Ultimate Direction hydration pack
- 3 pair of Injinji Toe-Socks
- A Suunto Vertical 2 watch and Suunto HR monitor
- Lube from Squirrel’s Nut Butter
- Race entry FULL reimbursement upon completion of your first 100-mile race
- Additional gear support depending on finalized partnerships
- A supportive community of 10 women sharing the same dream
- Photo and video storytelling throughout the year
Ten women will be chosen, but hopefully the impact won’t stop there. This isn’t just about those 10 women. It’s about changing what we see at the finish line!
If you would like to get involved either monetarily or have a brand or a skill that you feel would help, please reach out to me @runwithtara or [email protected]. Can’t wait to see you on the mountain!
