About this episode

The episode discusses the women's movement around the CUT112 event and the training strategies and emotional challenges faced by the participants.

This week on Cultra, we sit down with Jillian Ellefson and Cherie Bilbie to talk about the unofficial women's movement that took shape around the Connecticut Ultra Traverse 112 (CUT112). What started with a simple Facebook post quickly grew into a community of 26 women and 16 supporters, all committed to helping each other tackle one of the toughest adventures on the Beast Coast. Anna G takes the lead as Jillian and Cherie share how they approached training with precision and purpose, spending six months breaking the route into manageable 12-20 mile segments until they had covered—and in many cases repeated—the entire course. Their strategy wasn't just about fitness; it was about learning every rock, climb, and road crossing that CUT112 could throw at them. Now they are looking to replicate their success and get more women lined up for next year's event. The conversation also explores the emotional side of ultrarunning. Jillian opens up about balancing race preparation while supporting her daughter through a hospitalization for an eating disorder, and how the encouragement and companionship of Cherie helped her continue pursuing what once seemed impossible. Along the way, the…

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