BIDDEFORD — Kelsey Gilmore ran her first marathon soon after graduating from college. But for the now-26-year-old law student and Southern California native, 26.2 miles just wasn’t enough.

“When I finished my first marathon, I felt like I could do more,” said Gilmore, who moved to Biddeford early this year.

So she began training for what are known as ultramarathons – marathons that cover any distance greater than the 26.2-mile standard.

Gilmore started with a 50-mile ultramarathon, but when she finished a second 50-miler with no muscle soreness, she decided to start training for longer races.

Gilmore completed her first 100-miler in New York about two weeks ago. (To put that distance into perspective, it’s an approximately 90- mile drive from Biddeford to Boston.)

Gilmore said she ran the first half of the ultramarathon at a pace of just over 11 minutes per mile, covering 50 miles in 9 1/2 hours. The second half took her about 18 1/2 hours to complete.

“After like mile 62, I stopped being able to retain food and water very well, so I had to stop a lot, and I walked probably about 4 mph for the rest of it,” she said.

Gilmore said she has always been an athlete, but she didn’t start running until college. She took up the activity to reduce stress and “avoid the freshman 15,” she said with a laugh.

But over the years, running grew into a passion for Gilmore, now a bona fide ultramarathoner who, when training, will regularly run 15-30 miles a day.

“The general reaction is, ‘Wow, you’re crazy,’” Gilmore said when asked what people think of the sport. “Some people ask me, ‘What are you running from?’ and I try to think of it as, I’m not running away from anything but toward something. Running is always a challenge. It’s never easy, and I think that’s what appeals to me.”

Gilmore said running has also allowed her to see the community in a way rivaled by no other. She particularly enjoys running on the coast, she said, such as in Biddeford Pool and around the University of New England’s campus.

“You see more and you can go out on trails,” she said. “It’s just a way to appreciate life and the world around you.”

For now, Gilmore said she is focused on finishing her last semester of law school, but she certainly sees more ultramarathons in her future – perhaps even a 200-miler.

— Staff Writer Angelo J. Verzoni can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 329 or [email protected].