Most emergency room patients have no idea their doctor just shattered an ultramarathon world record before clocking in for her shift.
Anne Flower, a 36-year-old ER physician, lives two lives that seem impossible to reconcile.
By day, she saves lives in Colorado Springs hospitals. By night—and often before dawn—she’s breaking records that have stood for decades.
In a recent interview with The Athletic, Flower revealed how she balances extreme endurance with extreme medicine, and why she’d never choose one over the other.
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From Medical School Stress Relief to Olympic Trials
Flower didn’t start running to break records. She started because medical school was breaking her.
While studying at Ohio University, she discovered running as a coping mechanism for academic pressure. What began as stress relief transformed into something extraordinary—by 2020, she qualified for the U.S. Olympic marathon trials.
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
But marathons weren’t extreme enough. Flower kept pushing distances further, eventually finding her calling in ultramarathons—races that make regular marathons look like warm-ups.
It’s usually the last time of the day I have control over what’s happening. Running definitely keeps me sane and balanced.
For someone who regards a 10-mile loop as a “short run,” Flower’s definition of relaxation differs dramatically from most people’s.
Breaking a 31-Year Record on Her First Attempt
August 2024 marked Flower’s debut at the Leadville Trail 100, dubbed the “Race Across the Sky.” Competitors tackle 100 miles through Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, climbing 15,000 feet of elevation gain with peak altitudes reaching 12,500 feet above sea level.
Racers must start at 4am. Most hope simply to finish.
Flower obliterated Ann Trason’s 31-year-old course record, finishing in 17 hours, 58 minutes, and 19 seconds—shaving over eight minutes off the previous mark and becoming the first woman ever to complete the course under 18 hours.
I had no idea what my body would feel like at mile 70, mile 80, mile 90. I had done certain parts of the course just throughout the summer, and I felt pretty confident about each independent section. But I had no idea what sort of time I was going to be able to do.
Her target? Finish under 20 hours. Reality exceeded expectations by over two hours.
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
The Final Push Nobody Expected
With 15 miles remaining, support crew informed Flower she was minutes behind record pace. She accelerated.
The last couple of miles, you’re coming into the town. There were lights everywhere and people cheering. It was very surreal. I wasn’t expecting to get the record until the very end.
Her fuel for nearly 18 hours? Nineteen energy gels, carbohydrate drinks, and tortilla wraps slathered in peanut butter to calm her protesting stomach.
World Record Number Two: Fastest Woman Ever at 50 Miles
After Leadville, Flower considered taking time off from racing. Then Tunnel Hill appeared—a November ultramarathon in Vienna, Illinois, featuring a crucially flat, fast course.
She completed 50 miles in 5:18:57, becoming the fastest woman in history over that distance and breaking Courtney Olsen’s year-old record.
It wasn’t at any altitude and so it was fast, which felt amazing. Once we got through the marathon distance, I was still feeling really good. I was well under the splits and had a good feeling that it would happen.
Four ultra wins in one year. Two historic records. And she still shows up for ER shifts.
The Batman of Medicine
Flower describes herself and fellow ER doctors as the “Batman of medicine”—protectors working all hours whenever needed.
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
I see people on the worst days of their lives. But it’s a good opportunity to be able to help people and do some good.
Living at over 6,000 feet elevation in Colorado Springs with husband James, mountains dominate her off-days. Their backyard includes Pikes Peak, a 14,000-foot mountain, and hundreds of miles of canyon trail systems.
We live at over 6,000 feet, so just climbing the stairs some days can be a workout.
This altitude training likely explains her dominance at Leadville, where thin air crushes competitors unfamiliar with oxygen deprivation.
Why She’ll Never Quit Her Day Job
Despite world records and growing recognition—she was recently spotted at an outdoor store, which she describes as “weird”—Flower remains committed to emergency medicine.
It’s my favorite thing to do. It’s challenging and gives me purpose. But I really do like running. If I was maybe 10 years younger and didn’t have a professional career, I would definitely be interested in what the full-time running life is like. The success has been amazing, but I don’t think it’s anything that’s gonna push me toward quitting my day job.
Leaving the emergency room? “Unfathomable,” she says.
Her athletic achievements inspire colleagues—after Leadville, nurses at her hospital began signing up for 5Ks and one-mile races.
Patients as Inspiration During Brutal Miles
When race pain intensifies around mile 80, Flower draws perspective from her medical work.
If you want something simple that actually works, this is one of the most effective tools I’ve used to build strength, conditioning, and endurance without needing a full gym setup.
- Full-body training with one weight using swings, squats, and presses
- Solid cast iron build that feels stable and lasts for years
- Comfortable grip that makes high-rep workouts easier to handle
Running pain is its own sort of a thing. I don’t think it is suffering. It’s uncomfortable for sure, but there’s so many ways that you can change things around. You can change your gait, take a gel, go faster, go slower.
Witnessing severe medical trauma provides context that transforms ultramarathon discomfort into something manageable.
My job gives me good perspective because I see so many people who are in very severe pain. Running is challenging, but I don’t think it’s necessarily as bad as that. It’s a very controlled discomfort rather than really painful.
What’s Next for the Record-Breaking Doctor
Flower’s recent success opened new possibilities she’s eager to explore:
- 100-mile world record attempts — pushing beyond course records to global marks
- Additional course records — identifying races where her mountain training provides advantages
- Marathon racing — potentially returning to shorter distances with newfound ultra endurance
Now I’m super curious what else is possible. I’m at a really good point in my running life but I’m curious. What would the hundred-mile record be like? Or are there other course records I’m intrigued by?
Her recent victories include second place at Big Sur International Marathon, wins at Leadville Trail Marathon, Silver Rush 50, Leadville 100, and Tunnel Hill 50—all within one remarkable year.
Most patients will never know their ER doctor holds world records. But that anonymity suits Flower perfectly—she’s not chasing fame, just the next finish line before her next shift begins.
