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Ultrarunner forgets to reapply sunscreen mid-race, then this happens

Julie Nisbet posted a photo of the back of her legs a few days after completing a 111K ultramarathon in the United Kingdom. Warning: it's pretty gross

Julie Nisbet

An ultrarunner felt the post-race effects of a 111K race recently, not because of post-race fatigue but because of a brutal sunburn. (Note: some images in this story are not safe for work.)

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Julie Nisbet was running the length of Hadrian’s Wall in the United Kingdom as part of “The Wall,” a 69-mile race that begins at Carlisle Castle and finishes at Newcastle’s Quayside. After being on course for 21:08:03 on June 17, Nisbet told the Daily Mail that she “noticed small sacs of pus bubbling up across her red-raw calves.” She went to the hospital and the ‘blobs’ only got worse, she says.

“I was wearing sun cream at the start of the race but hadn’t reapplied,” she says. “Sweat and water had pretty much got rid of what I had on the backs of my legs.” Nisbet posted a photo to Twitter showing the condition of her legs. A week later, she posted a follow-up saying that “I’m on the mend” with an updated photo of the back of her legs.

First, she sent out the following tweet.

WARNING: The image below is unsettling

On the same day, she sent out the aforementioned photo showing the burn on her legs. Finally, she posted the condition one week later on June 27.

https://twitter.com/julienisbet/status/877661968731123712

According to the Canadian Dermatology Association, sunscreen should be applied 20-30 minutes before going outdoors and protection should be applied “generously and evenly.” Emphasis on reapplying sunscreen is important during exercise, especially when sweating, according to the Canadian Dermatology Association. Recommended sunscreens can be found here.

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