Ultrarunner Jasmin Paris Awarded MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2024

British ultrarunner Jasmin Paris, who became the first woman to complete the infamously challenging Barkley Marathons, has been made a Member of the Order of The British Empire (MBE) in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2024. 

Jasmin’s MBE is for services to fell and long-distance running. As well as her outstanding run in Frozen Head State Park, Tennessee, earlier this year, she’s set records on the Bob Graham Round, the Ramsay Round and the Paddy Buckley Round, and her win at the gruelling 268-mile Spine Race in 2019 set a new outright course record by more than 12 hours – in a race in which she spent time expressing milk for her young daughter. 

Jasmin is also a co-founder of The Green Runners, whose mission is ‘running without the footprint’ and they hope to inform and empower the running community to put the planet first, sharing important messages and tips on how to do that. 

But it was her remarkable achievement at the Barkley Marathons which has raised her profile, where the image of her slumped over a gate at the race’s finish has quickly become an iconic sports photo. 

When Jasmin finished the 60-hour race with 99 seconds to spare, she made history which saw her get mainstream news coverage. This race, and her other achievements, have helped to show what is possible for female ultrarunners, and increased the general public awareness of ultra-distance running, all while sharing the messages of The Green Runners. 

The King’s Birthday Honours “mark the extraordinary contributions and service of people across the UK,” and a MBE is an “achievement or service in and to the community which is outstanding in its field and has delivered sustained and real impact which stands out as an example to others.” 

There’s also a petition to get Jasmin shortlisted to the British Sports Personality of the Year for 2024. It’ll be the first time a British ultrarunner has made the shortlist for the annual competition. 

If you want to hear more from Jasmin, then we spoke to her all about her Barkley Marathon experience in a recent podcast: 

Lead image: Jacob Zocherman