Neutečeš - Tam, kde mozek končí, začíná ultramaraton srdce – Kašparová Kateřina (2025)

The most challenging course of Czech ultramarathon runner Kateřina Kašparová, pain transformed into strength

They call her Ultra Katka. Nomen omen. In her life, everything is somehow 'above, beyond, extraordinary, extreme' – an athlete with a fragile constitution but an indomitable strength that allows her to conquer the longest running distances, the most demanding academic challenges, and the most painful life losses.

This is a personal confession of a woman who has loved mathematics and movement since childhood. The story of an above-average bright girl who always felt her difference, yearned for (self)discovery, and dove headfirst into everything. With the same determination, fate forced her to solve a problem where rationality falls short: How to cope with the death of the closest person? Running and stopping both played a role. After competing on elite world courses, Kateřina is now tackling perhaps the hardest race, as caring for her loved ones is a test that truly puts a person to the test. And yet, it teaches so much.

'The most beautiful equation is the one that cannot be solved by the brain, and the only way is to use the heart and let life sort out the countless unknowns itself. I believe in miracles. However, I had no idea how great the miracles would be that happen to us in life when we...