39-year-old mother of 8 breaks Spain's 100km marathon record

Competing on Feb. 22, Unzu was the first female finisher and placed second overall with a time of 7 hours and 47.46 minutes. The only runner to finish ahead of her was Dominic Bosher, who won the race in 7 hours and 45.30 minutes.

With this performance, Unzu broke the Spanish women's 100km record of 7 hours and 52.21 minutes, previously set by Mireia Sosa in 2023.

"I want to cry," the 39-year-old runner wrote on social media. "My name will forever be a part of Spanish athletics history."

Estefania Unzu celebrates after finishing a marathon in Bilbao, Spain, in 2024. Photo by Instagram/@verdeliss

However, Unzu is not technically the fastest Spanish woman over this distance.

Carmen Maria Parez recorded a time of 7 hours and 47.32 minutes on Aug. 27, 2022. Parez is a well-known Spanish ultra runner, having placed in the top three at the Spartathlon, a 246km ultramarathon held annually in Greece since 1983. However, her 100km time was not officially recognized, as she failed a doping test and did not find a lab for a retest.

Shortly after Unzu’s achievement was confirmed, Parez addressed the situation in a video posted on Instagram.

"I had to pass the test and did not know it. It was my fault. But my best national time was listed in the rankings of the Royal Spanish Athletics Federation, and Unzu was only second."

Despite asserting herself as Spain's best female 100km runner, Parez praised Unzu's performance.

"You are amazing. I know how much training and sacrifice is needed to achieve such results," she said.

Parez also expressed hope that achievements like hers and Unzu’s will bring more attention to women's ultramarathon running in Spain.

Unzu is a social media star in Spain, with nearly 1.5 million followers on Instagram and more than 2 million subscribers on YouTube. She is the mother of eight children and the founder and CEO of the cosmetics brand Green Cornerss. She first gained public attention after appearing on the sixth season of the Bulgarian reality show VIP Brother in 2014.

In May 2024, Unzu won the 100km distance at the Spanish National Ultra Marathon Championship with a time of 7 hours and 59.30 minutes. Earlier this month, she made headlines by setting a world record for completing 7 marathons on 7 different continents in one week.